9-8 Week 1 Vocabulary Words

Each week, you are responsible for taking your vocabulary words and either writing them on a sheet of paper, including the definition and a sentence using the word correctly, making flash cards, or recording them in some other fashion. You need to study these words several times a week. Pronunciations of the words are also included, and there is a practice quiz provided each week. You must have your lists of words or flash cards with you everyday because we will be using them in class for a variety of assignments, and there will be quizzes about every three weeks.

Week 1 Words and Pronunciations can be viewed here:    Week 1 Vocab words and pronunciations


Here are the definitions and sample sentences for this week's words:

precarious - Unstable, uncertain, dependent on circumstances.
crux - The main point or the main idea. (as in an argument, debate, speech, meeting, etc.)
tenacious - Stubborn, in a good way. Unwilling to quit.
irascible - Easily angered, short-tempered.
conundrum - A difficult situation where there is not an easy solution.
facetious - Being humorous, but usually at an inappropriate time.
sordid - Dirty or filthy, but in a moral sense, not a literal, physical sense.
plethora - A lot. A huge amount. More than enough.
voracious - Having a huge appetite. This could be literal or figurative in nature.
purloin - To steal.

She found herself in a precarious situation when she ran out of gas in a bad part of town.
I don't want to hear all the details, so just tell me the crux of the meeting.
The soccer player was tenacious, and she would not give up until she got the ball.
The irascible old man yelled at the neighborhood kids to stay off his lawn.
She was in a conundrum when they found the stolen watch in her locker.
Those were facetious remarks being made about you, so don't take them seriously.
Tabloids like National Enquirer always like to report the sordid details.
There were a plethora of books in the man's study, so there weren't enough shelves.
After football practice, the players were voracious and ate a ton of pizzas.
He tried to purloin the last cupcake, but he got caught and had to give it up.