English Finals Grade 8

Front 1

avid

Back 1

having a strong desire for
eager enthusiastic

Front 2

concise

Back 2

short and to the point

Front 3

emulate

Back 3

to try to equal
to imitate

Front 4

pervade

Back 4

spread throughout

Front 5

turbulent

Back 5

chaotic, unruly
stormy, tempestuous
great disturbance or agitation
rapid changes in the wind speed and direction in the atmosphere

Front 6

cursory

Back 6

done in a hurry little attention to detail

Front 7

derive

Back 7

take or receive from a source
obtain through reasoning

Front 8

gingerly

Back 8

very carefully

Front 9

grimace

Back 9

facial expression of pain, disgust, or contempt

Front 10

succumb

Back 10

to give in to
to die

Front 11

conjecture

Back 11

a conclusion based on guesswork

Front 12

extricate

Back 12

to free from a difficult or tangled situation

Front 13

guile

Back 13

cunning, trickery

Front 14

imperative

Back 14

urgent
having power or authority to command

Front 15

prevalent

Back 15

commonly occurring, widely accepted or practiced

Front 16

abhor

Back 16

to shrink from in disgust

Front 17

amiss

Back 17

in a wrong imperfect way

Front 18

despondent

Back 18

depressed, utterly discouraged
loss of hope

Front 19

irascible

Back 19

quick tempered, irritable

Front 20

tremulous

Back 20

marked by trembling or shaking
timid or fearful

Front 21

audacious

Back 21

daring

Front 22

inkling

Back 22

a slight suspicion

Front 23

lackadaisical

Back 23

showing little spirit or enthusiasm

Front 24

prudent

Back 24

very careful
avoidance of risk

Front 25

serene

Back 25

peaceful

Front 26

anarchy

Back 26

total absence of government
lack of order, total confusion

Front 27

assimilate

Back 27

to absorb into a population
to take part in and absorb into a whole

Front 28

dissension

Back 28

disagreement

Front 29

imminent

Back 29

about to happen, likely to occur in the very near future

Front 30

meticulous

Back 30

extremely careful, attentative to small details

Front 31

condescend

Back 31

to lower oneself to a position one considers inferior
to behave offensively superior manner

Front 32

contingent

Back 32

depending on something else

Front 33

daunt

Back 33

to discourage or intimidate

Front 34

inane

Back 34

empty, shallow, or silly
foolishness

Front 35

protract

Back 35

to draw out or lengthen in time

Front 36

adept

Back 36

highly skilled, expert

Front 37

capacious

Back 37

able to hold a large amount roomy

Front 38

copious

Back 38

large in quantity, abundant

Front 39

fastidious

Back 39

paying close attention to detail
difficult to please

Front 40

grapple

Back 40

to struggle with in close combat
an iron shaft with a claw for grasping and holding things

Front 41

balmy

Back 41

soothing, mild

Front 42

influx

Back 42

a flowing or pouring in, arrival in massive numbers

Front 43

query

Back 43

a question

Front 44

sporadic

Back 44

happening occasionally, not regularly

Front 45

tumult

Back 45

noisy excitement, turbulent

Front 46

abject

Back 46

most miserable, wretched

Front 47

advocate

Back 47

to plead in favor of, to defend

Front 48

dire

Back 48

having terrible consequences, urgent or desperate

Front 49

flagrant

Back 49

clearly offensive or bad, conspicuously acting against what is right

Front 50

reprisal

Back 50

a retaliation for an injury

Front 51

benign

Back 51

kind, gracious, gentle

Front 52

discern

Back 52

to detect with the eyes
to understand or comprehend

Front 53

embellish

Back 53

to make beautiful by adding decorative elements
to add fictitious details to

Front 54

pastoral

Back 54

having to do with shepherds and herders
relating to country life, and often presented as charmingly simple

Front 55

precarious

Back 55

not safe or secure, dangerously uncertain

Front 56

accede

Back 56

to agree to often after arguing

Front 57

irksome

Back 57

annoying, tedious

Front 58

ostentatious

Back 58

extravagantly showy or ornate

Front 59

prolific

Back 59

abundantly, productive

Front 60

reticent

Back 60

inclined to keep one's thoughts and feeling to oneself, quiet and reserved
reserved or reserve

Front 61

ardent

Back 61

intensely eager, passionate

Front 62

brevity

Back 62

concise and exact use of words in writing or speech

Front 63

risque

Back 63

slightly indecent or liable to shock

Front 64

stymie

Back 64

to thwart, to make difficulties or make problems with

Front 65

vivacity

Back 65

attractively lively and animated

Front 66

congenial

Back 66

getting along well with others, affable
suited to one's needs or tastesl, agreeable

Front 67

enigma

Back 67

puzzling, mysterious
something that is hard to figure out

Front 68

infallible

Back 68

incapable of making an error, never wrong
unlikely to fail or go wrong

Front 69

irrepressible

Back 69

incapable of being controlled or held back

Front 70

stagnate

Back 70

to fail to develop, change or move

Front 71

ascertain

Back 71

to find out for certain

Front 72

chastise

Back 72

to punish by beating
to rebuke or criticize severely

Front 73

encroach

Back 73

to advance little by little beyond the usual limits or boundaries

Front 74

foreboding

Back 74

a strong feeling that something bad is about to happen

Front 75

lurid

Back 75

causing horror, extremely gruesome
glowing with the redness of flames seen through a haze

Front 76

alleviate

Back 76

to relieve or make more bearable

Front 77

cajole

Back 77

to urge with gentle and repeated requests, to coax

Front 78

incessant

Back 78

going on without interruption, continual

Front 79

rue

Back 79

to feel regret or sorrow over

Front 80

vehement

Back 80

expressing strong feeling, intense

Front 81

affirm

Back 81

to declare positively

Front 82

confer

Back 82

to grant or bestow
to consult

Front 83

coup

Back 83

a successful action that brings about s striking change
to overthrow a government, especially by a group that has military or political power

Front 84

impeccable

Back 84

free from fault or flaw, perfect

Front 85

rapport

Back 85

a feeling of harmonious connection between people or groups of people

Front 86

aperture

Back 86

an opening or hole

Front 87

inclement

Back 87

stormy
harsh, not merciful

Front 88

malady

Back 88

a sickness or unhealthy condition

Front 89

paramount

Back 89

most important, chief

Front 90

tribulation

Back 90

great trouble or suffering

Front 91

culminate

Back 91

to reach or bring to the highest point
the result of a sustained effort, the high point or climax

Front 92

engulf

Back 92

to swallow up by covering completely, to overwhelm

Front 93

impregnable

Back 93

impossible to attack successfully

Front 94

indefatigable

Back 94

not easily made tired, tireless

Front 95

wrest

Back 95

to pull away from with a twist
to take by force or as if by force

Front 96

fervent

Back 96

having or showing great warmth or deep feeling, intensely eager
great warmth and intensity of feeling

Front 97

hindrance

Back 97

any person or thing that is an obstacle

Front 98

inflammatory

Back 98

causing anger or trouble
to excite or anger
to make or become swollen and sore

Front 99

overt

Back 99

not hidden, public

Front 100

recant

Back 100

to take back an opinion or statement, to confess to being wrong

Front 101

alliteration

Back 101

the repetition of initial consonant sounds

Front 102

allusion

Back 102

a reference to a well known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art

Front 103

antagonist

Back 103

a character or force in conflict with the main character, or protagonist

Front 104

autobiography

Back 104

a form of nonfiction in which a person tells his or her own life story

Front 105

ballad

Back 105

a songlike poem that tells a story, often dealing with adventure and romance

Front 106

biography

Back 106

a form of nonfiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person

Front 107

round character (dynamic character)

Back 107

a character that is fully developed, his background is revealed, his personality traits are revealed as good and bad
changes in the story

Front 108

flat character (static character)

Back 108

seems to possess only one oer two personality traits and little if any personal history

Front 109

characterization

Back 109

the act of creating and developing a character
direct- when the writer actually states a character's traits, or characteristics
indirect- the writer allows the reader to draw his own conclusions based on information presented by the author
5 ways to create characterization-
feelings and thoughts
actions
reputation
background knowledge
appearance
dialogue

Front 110

conflict

Back 110

a struggle between opposing forces
man vs. man
man vs. society
man vs. nature
man vs. self

Front 111

description

Back 111

a portrait, in words, of a person, a place, or an object. They appeal to the five senses- sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch

Front 112

dialect

Back 112

a form of a language spoken by people in a particular region or group

Front 113

dialogue

Back 113

conversation between characters

Front 114

drama

Back 114

a story written to be performed by actors.

Front 115

essay

Back 115

a short, nonfiction work about a particular subject
expository- presents information, discusses ideas, or explains a process
narrative- tells a true story
persuasive essay- tries to convince the reader to do something or to accept a particular conclusion
descriptive essay- presents a portrait in words, of a person, place, or an object

Front 116

exposition

Back 116

writing or speech that explains or informs

Front 117

extended metaphor

Back 117

a subject is spoken or written of as though it were something else, it differs from a metaphor because it has several points of comparisons are suggested by the writer or speaker

Front 118

fable

Back 118

a brief story, usually with animal characters that teaches a lesson or moral

Front 119

fantasy

Back 119

a highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life.

Front 120

fiction

Back 120

prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events

Front 121

figurative language

Back 121

writing or speech that is not meant to be taken literally

Front 122

flashback

Back 122

a section of literary work that interrupts the sequence of events to relate an event from an earlier time

Front 123

foreshadowing

Back 123

the use, in a literary work, of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur

Front 124

free verse

Back 124

poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern, or meter

Front 125

genre

Back 125

a division or type of literature
literature 3 main genres
poetry
prose
drama

Front 126

hero/heroine

Back 126

a character whose actions are inspiring or noble

Front 127

hyperbole

Back 127

an exaggeration for effect, it makes a statement that is not meant to be taken literally

Front 128

image

Back 128

a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses

Front 129

irony- dramatic, irony of situation

Back 129

the general name given to literary techniques that involve surprising, interesting, or amusing contradictions
dramatic irony- difference between what the reader thinks, and what the reader or audience knows to be true
irony of situation- an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations or the reader

Front 130

legend

Back 130

a widely told story about the pst, one that may or may not have a foundation in fact

Front 131

lyric poem

Back 131

a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker

Front 132

metaphor

Back 132

a figure of speech in which something is described as thought it were something else without like or as

Front 133

mood or atmosphere

Back 133

is the feeling created by a literary work

Front 134

moral

Back 134

a lesson taught by a literary work

Front 135

motivation

Back 135

a reason that explains or partially explains a character's thoughts, feelings, actions, or speech

Front 136

myth

Back 136

a fictional story that explains the actions of gods or heroes or the origins of the elements of nature

Front 137

narration

Back 137

writing that tells a story

Front 138

narrative

Back 138

novels, short stories, biographies, histories, and autobiographies are common types of prose narration, or narrative

Front 139

narrative poem

Back 139

a story told in verse that often possesses the elements of fiction such as characters, conflict, and plot

Front 140

narrator

Back 140

a speaker or character who tells a story

Front 141

nonfiction

Back 141

prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events

Front 142

novel

Back 142

a long work of fiction

Front 143

onomatopoeia

Back 143

the use of words that imitate sounds

Front 144

personification

Back 144

a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics

Front 145

plot

Back 145

the sequence of events in a literary work

Front 146

poetry

Back 146

one of the three major types of literature, it is language used in special ways

Front 147

point of view

Back 147

the perspective, or vantage point, from which a story is told
first person- the narrator is a character in the story
third person omniscient- the narrator is not a character but but views the events of the story through the eyes of more than one of the characters
third person limited- the narrator is not a character, but he presents the story from the perspective of one of the characters

Front 148

protagonist

Back 148

the main character in a literary work

Front 149

resolution

Back 149

any events that occur during the falling action make up the resolution

Front 150

setting

Back 150

the time and place of the action of a literary work

Front 151

science fiction

Back 151

writing that tells about imaginary events that involve science or technology

Front 152

sensory language, sensory language

Back 152

writing or speech that appeals to one or more of the five senses

Front 153

short story

Back 153

is a brief work of fiction

Front 154

simile

Back 154

a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike subjects using like or as

Front 155

stanza

Back 155

a group of lines in a poem, considered as a unit

Front 156

suspense

Back 156

a feeling of anxious uncertainty about the outcome of events in a literary work

Front 157

symbol

Back 157

anything that stands for or represents something else
usually concrete objects or images that represent abstract ideas

Front 158

theme

Back 158

a central message, concern, or insight into life expressed in a literary work

Front 159

tone

Back 159

the attitude toward the subject and audience conveyed by the language and rhythm of the speaker in a literary work

Front 160

prose

Back 160

the ordinary form of written language