Unit 4 Vocabulary 9 th Grade English Level

Unit 4 Vocabulary 9 th Grade English Level C

Annul • (v. ) to reduce to nothing; to make ineffective or inoperative; to declare legally invalid or void The Catholic church prefers to annul marriages instead of having couples divorce.

Blasé • (adj. ) indifferent; bored as a result of having enjoyed to many pleasures; apathetic Since a new smartphone comes out practically every month, Hank is blasé to the latest technological invention.

Bolster • (v. ) to support, to give boost to; (n. ) a long pillow or cushion; a supporting post Free tickets were given away to bolster attendance at the game.

Deplore • (v. ) to feel or express regret or disapproval The teacher deplores student cheating on tests.

Frivolous • (adj. ) of little importance, not worthy of serious attention; not meant seriously Spending two hundred and fifty dollars on a pair of sneakers seems frivolous to someone who lives on a tight budget.

Muster • (v. ) to bring together for service or battle; to gather or summon; to amount to, comprise, include; (n. ) a list of men for military service; a gathering, accumulation The Commander-in-Chief mustered the 5 th Battalion to a mission in Afghanistan.

Nonentity • (n. ) a person or thing of no importance Sometimes seniors treat underclassmen as a nonentity. .

Obsess • (v. ) to trouble, haunt, or fill the mind It’s not uncommon for some students in high school to obsess about their grades.

Ornate • (adj. ) elaborately decorated; showily splendid In some countries ornate decorating is part of their culture.

Oust • (v. ) to remove, drive out of position or place Anti-government protests in Egypt in 2011 ousted President Mubarack.

Peruse • (v. ) to read thoroughly and carefully You will need to peruse the manual to properly set up the new wireless television.

Porous • (adj. ) full of tiny holes; able to be penetrated by air or water The porous rock soaks up moisture, degrading the limestone.

Promontory • (n. ) a high point of land extending into water Visitors like to stand on the windswept promontory of the Delaware Bay in Cape May.

Prone • (adj. ) lying face down; inclined, likely The man lay prone on the floor in his office where he had fallen.

Qualm • (n. ) a pang of conscience, uneasiness, misgiving, or doubt; a feeling of faintness or nausea My neighbor has no qualms about downloading pirated music files from the Internet.

Recourse • (n. ) a person or thing turned to for help or advice; the act of seeking help or protection If chemotherapy failed, the next recourse would be surgery, which the doctor dreaded because of its high risk of mortality.

Residue • (n. ) a remainder, that which remains when a part has been used up or removed Many paper factories leave residue in the environment.

Solicitous • (adj. ) showing concern or care; fearful or anxious about someone or something My solicitous neighbor is worried about her elderly mother.

Staid • (adj. ) serious and dignified’ quiet or subdued in character or conduct The elderly librarian at the public library always dresses in a staid manner.

Sustain • (v. ) to support, nourish, keep up; to suffer, undergo; to bear up under, withstand; to affirm the validity of The wrestler can lift 400 pounds, but can only sustain that weight for a very short time.