ultra The word “ultra” is an adjective that means very or extremely. Sometimes it’s part of a compound noun, and other times it’s separated. You have to protect your skin from ultraviolet radiation by putting on sun block. Ultra conservative candidates can easily win elections in a state that has a lot of Republicans. A solar car has […]
naive To be naive is to lack a certain knowledge about situations and people. This adjective is similar to the word “innocent.” Pay close attention to the pronunciation of this word: naive (neye eve) She’s a very naive person. He’s naive when it comes to negotiations. You’re so naive. Stop being so naive. It’s naive to believe that.
gigantic If something is gigantic, it’s very large. This word is similar to the words “huge” and “enormous.” The zucchini in our garden are gigantic this year. There’s a gigantic spider in the bathroom. The house that Bill Gates lives in is gigantic. An elephant has a gigantic head. Gigantic fires are burning in the states
gruesome Use the word “gruesome” for really bad situations that involve death or terrible forms of human suffering. Details of the gruesome murder were published in the newspaper. It’s hard to comprehend how someone could do something that was gruesome. Investigators who visited the crime scene were shocked by the gruesome nature of the assault.
pale If a person’s skin looks much lighter or whiter than is normal, you can say that person looks pale. The word “pale” is also use when a color is lightened. That house is painted a pale yellow. Vanessa has beautiful pale blue eyes. You look pale. Are you sick? People suntan because they don’t want
pace The word “pace” is used when describing speed and movement. The boat is moving at a very quick pace. This line is moving at a slow pace. The pace of the runners on the track helped the first-place finisher break a world record. The company is producing products at a furious pace. (furious = very
loaf The word “loaf” refers to the form that bread takes when it’s baked in an oven. This is a loaf of bread: This loaf just came out of the oven. Would you like a slice of bread from this loaf? I bought a loaf of bread at the store. Sheila bought three loaves of
lecture The word “lecture” is used when someone speaks about a topic or a subject at great length. Teachers and professors lecture, but a lecture can also come from a person in a position of authority, such as a parent or a police officer. A police officer pulled over the car and lectured the driver on the
mope If a person mopes, he or she displays unhappiness in a manner that is obvious and sometimes childish. Children often mope when they are unable to get something that they really want, but adults also mope. Sometimes, moping takes the form of inactivity: After Todd lost his job, he moped around the house for several weeks. Billy is moping because
mock To mock a person or a thing is to laugh at it, make fun of it, criticize, or imitate. Students caught mocking the teacher were told to stay after school for a detention. When a man with a limp* walked by, Todd mocked the man by faking his own limp. No one thought it was funny.
