8th Grade Vocabulary Words - List 19

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Word Definition Practice Sentence Synonyms Antonyms Part of Speech Description
heinous Horrible or sinister. The heinous crime shocked the community. evil, abhorrent, atrocious delightful, likable, pleasant Adjective
aggressive Ill-mannered or quick to confront others. He demonstrated aggressive behavior by yelling and throwing objects. hostile, contrary, antagonistic calm, serene, laid-back Adjective
contention A dispute or rivalry. The main contention in the debate was whether or not to raise taxes. argument, thesis, opinion agreement, harmony, approval Noun
beguiled To bewitch or enrapture, sometimes to manipulate. She was beguiled by his charm and wit. charmed, hypnotized, infatuated disenchanted, uninterested Verb
forgery Something that is untrue or fraudulent. The man was arrested for forgery after attempting to pass a counterfeit check. counterfeit, fake, bogus authentic, factual, original Noun
deference Respect, often for those older. He showed deference to the elderly woman and offered her his seat. admiration, devotion, reverence disregard, disrespect Noun
flimsy Something that lacks substance. The excuse was flimsy and didn't hold up to scrutiny. frail, weak, slight strong, sturdy, solid Adjective
ambivalent Mixed feelings or unsure about something. He was ambivalent about going to the party. contradictory, uncertain, undecided clear, sure, conclusive Adjective
scapegoat Someone who takes the blame for something they didn't do. He was made the scapegoat for the company's problems. fall guy, victim, target Noun
plodded To labor or preserve over a difficult or unlikable task. He plodded through the work, determined to finish it. slog, trudge, drag idle Verb
writhed A twisting motion, sometimes due to struggling. The snake writhed in the grass. recoil, squirm, wiggle straighten Verb
pored To scrutinize or review carefully. he pored over the book, studying it intently. contemplated, examined, pondered disregard, scan, ignore Verb
elucidate To explain well or expound upon. He tried to elucidate the complex concept for the students. explain, clarify, illustrate complicate, obscure, conceal Verb
rhetoric Using eloquence in talk or speech, making it grand. He was skilled in the use of rhetoric. hyperbole, discourse, composition Noun
collusion An agreement or arrangement to do something fraudulent. The police suspected collusion between the two suspects. conspiracy, deceit, scam Noun

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