4Th Grade Wordmasters List 2

Front 1

guffaw

Back 1

n. a burst of deep loud hearty laughter

v. laugh boisterously

synonyms: belly laugh

Front 2

plummet

Back 2

v. drop sharply “The stock market plummeted”

synonyms: drop

The verb plummet means "to drop sharply," like eagles that plummet toward earth, seeking prey, or school attendance that plummets when there is a flu outbreak.

Front 3

adrift

Back 3

adj. afloat on the surface of a body of water

adj. aimlessly drifting

adv. floating freely; not anchored

synonyms: afloat, undirected

Front 4

chuckle

Back 4

n. a soft partly suppressed laugh

v. laugh quietly or with restraint

synonyms: chortle

Front 5

bombard

Back 5

v. address with continuously or persistently “The governor was bombarded with requests to grant a pardon to the prisoner”

v. cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile

v. throw bombs at or attack with bombs

synonyms: pelt, bomb

Front 6

musty

Back 6

adj. stale and unclean smelling

adj. covered with or smelling of mold

synonyms: moldy, stale, malodorous

Front 7

whim

Back 7

n. a sudden desire

n. an odd or fanciful idea

synonyms: impulse, notion, whimsy

Front 8

squander

Back 8

v. spend thoughtlessly; throw away “You squandered the opportunity to get an advanced degree”

v. spend extravagantly

synonyms: blow, waste

Front 9

crucial

Back 9

adj. of the greatest importance

adj. of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis

synonyms: essential, critical

Front 10

eccentric

Back 10

n. a person with an unusual or odd personality

adj. conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual

synonyms: oddball, bizarre, outlandish

Front 11

jostle

Back 11

v. come into rough contact with while moving “The passengers jostled each other in the overcrowded train”

v. make one's way by pushing or shoving

synonyms: shove, elbow

Front 12

isolated

Back 12

adj. remote and separate physically or socially

adj. not close together in time “isolated instances of rebellion”

adj. being or feeling set or kept apart from others

adj. under forced isolation especially for health reasons “isolated patients”

synonyms: obscure, separated

Front 13

spur

Back 13

n. any sharply pointed projection

n. a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

v. incite or stimulate “The Academy was formed to spur research”

v. give heart or courage to

synonyms: prod, advance, encourage, goad

Front 14

jot

Back 14

n. a slight but appreciable amount

v. write briefly or hurriedly; write a short note

synonyms: speck, note

Front 15

urgent

Back 15

adj. compelling immediate action

synonyms: pressing, imperative

Front 16

quirk

Back 16

n. a strange attitude or habit

v. twist or curve abruptly “She quirked her head in a peculiar way”

synonyms: oddity, twist

Front 17

scrimp

Back 17

v. subsist on a meager allowance

synonyms: skimp, save

If you scrimp, yes, you are watching every dime trying to spend as little as you can — for the purpose of saving your money.

Front 18

crestfallen

Back 18

adj. brought low in spirit

synonyms: dejected, deflated

Front 19

survey

Back 19

n. the act of looking or seeing or observing “his survey of the battlefield was limited”

v. plot a map of (land)

v. keep under surveillance

v. look over carefully or inspect “He surveyed his new classmates”

v. consider in a comprehensive way

synonyms: follow, analyze, inspect, examine

Front 20

plunge

Back 20

n. a brief swim in water

v. drop steeply

v. dash violently or with great speed “She plunged at it eagerly”

v. begin with vigor “She plunged into a dangerous adventure”

v. cause to be immersed “The professor plunged his students into the study of the Italian text”

v. devote (oneself) fully to

synonyms: launch, thrust, immerse

Front 21

solitary

Back 21

n. confinement of a prisoner in isolation from other prisoners

adj. lacking companions or companionship “a solitary traveler”

adj. being the only one; single and isolated from others “a solitary instance of cowardice”

adj. of plants and animals; not growing or living in groups or colonies “solitary bees”

synonyms: alone, sole, unaccompanied

Front 22

fritter

Back 22

v. spend frivolously and unwisely

n. small quantity of fried batter containing fruit or meat or vegetables “apple fritter”

synonyms: squander, waste

Front 23

gnaw

Back 23

v. bite or chew on with the teeth “gnaw an old cracker”

v. become ground down or deteriorate

synonyms: masticate, erode, wear away

To gnaw is to bite or chew. Your favorite food might be corn on the cob, because you love to gnaw along each row of kernels. Something might gnaw at the back of your mind — something you were supposed to do, although now you can't quite remember what it was.

Front 24

ramshackle

Back 24

adj. in deplorable condition

synonyms: derelict, dilapidated

Front 25

pelt

Back 25

n. the dressed hairy coat of a mammal

v. attack and bombard with or as if with missiles

v. cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile “They pelted each other with snowballs”

v. rain heavily

synonyms: fur, pepper, attack, bombard, pour