SKIP TO CONTENT

125 Words Every 8th Grader Should Know: List 7

Learn these essential words that you'll encounter in literature, textbooks, class discussions, and more.
15 words 12523 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Full list of words from this list:

  1. anecdote
    short account of an incident
    It seemed everyone had a funny anecdote to share or a touching memory of a loved one. Moon Over Manifest
  2. brusque
    rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
    Brushing past Mariam, he said in a brusque voice, “I’m hungry. Get supper ready.” A Thousand Splendid Suns
  3. dejected
    affected or marked by low spirits
    Throughout their conversation, Sticky’s expression had grown more and more dejected, his big eyes sadder and sadder, so that at last his face had taken on the exact gloomy look of that miserable man Milligan. The Mysterious Benedict Society
  4. emphatic
    forceful and definite in expression or action
    He looked toward Mother, who gave a quick but emphatic shake of the head. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
  5. feign
    give a false appearance of
    So that night I feigned a flulike illness and locked myself in my room, then slipped out the window and climbed down a drainpipe to the ground. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
  6. impassive
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
    Aru peered up at the statues and their cold, impassive faces. Aru Shah and the End of Time
  7. implicit
    suggested though not directly expressed
    Aunt Lydia did not actually say this, but it was implicit in everything she did say. The Handmaid's Tale
  8. quaver
    give off unsteady sounds
    He tried to sound calm but his voice quavered. The Marvels
  9. quibble
    argue over petty things
    They always quibbled, but actually they were very close—closer than most brothers and sisters. In Cold Blood
  10. ruddy
    inclined to a healthy reddish color
    His blond hair was brushed straight back and his face shone with a ruddy health in the February air. The Great Santini
  11. strew
    spread by scattering
    Forcing my feet to move, I made my way toward the boathouse and saw that the trash was strewn everywhere, like it had been kicked around. Red Kayak
  12. tangible
    perceptible by the senses, especially the sense of touch
    The sun pressed against her with an almost tangible weight. The Witch of Blackbird Pond
  13. taper
    diminish gradually
    The turbulence tapered off and eventually fell to nothing as the atmosphere became thinner and thinner. The Martian
  14. terse
    brief and to the point
    “It’s pointless to speculate,” she said in her terse, businesslike tone. Son
  15. wily
    marked by skill in deception
    She delighted in his wily mind, his shrewdness and his cunning; she was always forward to help him. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
Created on Thu Dec 02 09:02:17 EST 2021 (updated Tue Dec 07 09:58:26 EST 2021)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.