memorial A memorial is an event, a location, or a structure that honors a person or a group of people who have left a lasting impression on others. A memorial service was held last week for a police officer who died while on duty. The police officer was memorialized at a special service. (The word “memorialize” is a […]
means The noun “means” is quite different from the adjective, “mean,” or the verb “mean.” As a noun, “means” is very similar to income or method. This word always has an “s.” There is no singular form for it. The sentences below use “means” to describe the way in which a person makes money: They now have the
stale If something is stale, it’s old. Food goes stale, but so do some other things that lose their freshness. This bread is stale. I can’t eat these crackers. They’re too stale. Cindy’s leftover popcorn from last night is stale. If hard pretzels go stale, they become soft. If a cake goes stale, it becomes hard.
spooky The word “spooky” is similar to the word “scary,” however, something that is spooky might not cause fear. Instead, spooky things cause unease or a feeling of discomfort. This word is often associated with places, situations, and the Halloween holiday. A graveyard is a spooky place to be at night, but it’s especially spooky on Halloween night. There’s
soggy The word “soggy” is an adjective you can use when something gets really, really wet. If something is completely saturated with water or some other type of liquid, it is soggy. The ground is soggy after a long night of rain. My clothes felt heavy and soggy as I rode my bike through heavy rain.
slump When a person or a thing decreases in strength or potential, you can use the word “slump” to describe the condition. In these sentences, “slump” is a noun: The European economy still seems to be in a slump. (Notice that “slump” is often preceded by “in a…”) My favorite baseball team is in a slump.
ordinary If something is “ordinary,” it’s average. There’s isn’t anything unusual or unique about it. This word is similar to typical or normal. The houses on this block are ordinary. Many of them look alike. Sarah prefers to wear ordinary clothes to work because she doesn’t want to attract attention to herself. It was just another ordinary day
optimism Optimism is a feeling that a situation will improve. You think that things will get better. There’s faith in the people around you or in your own abilities to change things. The opposite of optimism is pessimism. A healthy amount of optimism is good for your spirit. The players on the team are full of optimism,
ooze When something oozes, it comes out slowly or it flows in a slow, thick mass of liquidy substance. There’s some thick oily stuff oozing from my engine. Mud oozed onto the highway following the storm. Mucus is oozing from the boy’s nose. I think he’s sick. A little bit of blood oozed through the bandage
ongoing If something is ongoing, it’s continuing. It’s happening now or it’s happening at the same time that something else is happening. When Charles went to the doctor, he complained about an ongoing cough. U.S. involvement in the war in Afghanistan has been ongoing for over 15 years. No one knows, but Rachel and Jim have
