What are context clues?

Grandmother was punctilious, that is, she was very strict about her grandchildren following good manners. What does the word punctilious mean?

Marina was indignant- fuming mad- when she discovered her brother had left for the party without her. What is the definition for indignant used in this sentence?

Vicissitudes, such as circumstances, developments, or journeys in life, can change a person forever. What examples are used for the word vicissitudes in this sentence?

A colossus, such as the Statue of Liberty, can be seen from miles and miles away. What does the word colossus mean?

As soon as I made a flippant remark to my boss I regretted sounding so disrespectful. What does the word flippant mean?

The crime he committed was egregious; he’ll never recover from this horrendous scandal. What is the synonym used for egregious in this sentence?

The fans at the game were boisterous, causing a loud commotion when their team scored a goal. What does the word boisterous mean?

I abhor clothes shopping, but I adore grocery shopping. What is the antonym for abhor used in this sentence?

Two new boys started school this week. Nathan had a gregarious personality. On the other hand, Kyle is rather quiet. What does the word gregarious mean?

Her cardinal rule is this: Be kind to others.

She believes that everything else in life will fall properly into place if one follows that rule.

What does cardinal mean in this context?

Helen’s attitude toward dealing with criminals has changed over the years. She used to believe that everyone can change and deserves a second chance. She now believes that some crimes are so heinous that those responsible should be shown no mercy.

What does heinous mean?

This is a clandestine operation. It is extremely important that no one discovers what you’re doing.

A clandestine operation is supposed to be __________.

If you don’t recover quickly from your condition, it could become chronic. Then you might have to take medicine for the rest of your life.

If something is chronic, it __________.

I think you will be overweight if you eat too much junk food. Even worse, if you exercise infrequently.

What does infrequently mean?

After being bitten by snake, the cowboy writhed in pain on the ground.

Writhed means:

This tea tastes absolutely terrible but if you dilute it with some water, you'll be able to stomach it.

Dilute means:

Tammy knew she should feel happy about the last day of school, but she actually felt quite lugubrious when she thought about the three months that were coming up.

Before the surgery, the nurse ensured that all of the instruments were sterilized and completely cleaned.

Unlike her grandfather, who was very generous to her, Sarah's parents were misers who never bought her anything.

When my grandmother was young, she was a milliner who made caps, berets, and bonnets for wealthy women.

Connor made up quite the concoction to explain to his parents why he did not finish his homework while they were away.

Margaret had ambivalent feelings about attending the concert. She knew she'd enjoy the music, but she didn't really want to go out in the rainy weather.