Vocab 9A

Vocab 9A

Study your terms

bystander (noun)

a person who looks on or observes, a person present but not taking part

The innocent bystander witnessed the crime.

canvass

to go through an area in order to procure votes, sales or opinions; to go over in detail; to discuss

Police canvass the block for witnesses.

Volunteers canvass the neighborhood for voters.

downtrodden (adj.)

treated unfairly and cruelly; oppressed

The downtrodden people were treated badly by the government.



erode (verb)

to wear away gradually; eat away

erosion (noun)

Heavy rain caused the soil to erode.

The metal on my bike will erode if I leave it out in the rain.

gruesome (adj.)

horrible; revolting; ghastly

I don't want to hear the gruesome details of the crime.

The horror movie had some gruesome scenes.

melancholy (adj.)

sad, gloomy, unhappy

(noun) sadness; gloominess

The melancholy poem made me cry.

ordeal (noun)

a difficult or painful experience

Katrina was a huge ordeal for the people of New Orleans.

The ordeals in our lives can make us stronger.

persist (verb)

refuse to stop, to last, keep going

Persist in reading everyday so you can be better at it.

It was a difficult race, but she persisted to the finish line.

quibble (verb)

argue or complain about small, unimportant things

Please don't quibble over minor details.

Karen, please stop quibbling and just wear a mask!

vital (adj.)

absolutely necessary or important; essential

She is a vital player on the soccer team.

He made a vital decision to eat more healthy.

The patient's vital signs are improving.