We had to order more markers from the store, without which the students could not finish their project, due to a dearth in supplies.

In the context of the passage, the word "dearth" most nearly means:

"These workouts are so hard! They debilitate me for the rest of the day."

In the context of the passage, "debilitate" most nearly means

"The party was perfect, decorious and elegant, with gorgeous details and all the right decorations in place."

In the context of the passage, "decorious" most nearly means

"She decried the use of excess paper as this is against her beliefs of protecting the environment."

In the context of the passage, "decried" most nearly means

"The plane's fluctuating height in the roaring wind made me nervous; it shot up and then plummeted down dangerously."

In the context of the passage, "fluctuating" most nearly means

"The contestants on some cooking shows have to put up with the horrible derision of the judges, who tend to criticize mercilessly."

In the context of the passage, "derision" most nearly means

"Due to her punctilious work ethic, she rarely misses important information or deadlines."

In the context of the passage, "punctilious" most nearly means

"My mother is incredibly empathetic, always showing deference for those in pain in sensitive situations."

In the context of the passage, "deference" most nearly means:

"It only made matters worse after she failed her test, and then her brother proceeded to demean her further with attacks on her intelligence."

In the context of the passage, "demean" most nearly means

"Hermione always deplored Harry and Ron's tendency to break the rules, scolding and criticizing them openly."

In the context of the passage, "deplored" most nearly means

"Mia is a derivative of the name Maria."

In the context of the passage, "derivative" most nearly means