The Secret Hour — Vocabulary
Scott Westerfeld
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Exemplary sample Uses ACT/SAT
9 top 2000
physicsthe science of matter and energy
In physics class, we learned how gravity affects falling objects.more
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I'm Jonathan, from physics class.†8 more
Show general definition the science of matter and energy and their interactions
6 top 500
anxietynervousness
She suffers from more than the usual pre-test anxiety.more
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It was so beautiful, so still and wondrous, that her anxiety was instantly gone.†5 more
nervousness or worry
Show general definition nervousness or worry
6 top 500
warydistrustful
She was taught to be wary of strangers.more
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Like the cat, they were wary of her.†5 more
careful, nervous, or distrustful
Show general definition careful or nervous about something
8 top 2000
hideousextremely ugly, offensive, and/or frightening
The beast had hideous fangs.more
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The halls of Bixby High School were always hideously bright on the first day of school.†7 more
hideous → hideously:in an extremely ugly, offensive, and/or frightening manner
7 top 1000
collidecollide → collided:crashed together with violent impact
The cars collided and burst into flame.more
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The drops kissed her face coolly, turning into water as she collided with them.†6 more
collide → collided:crashed together with violent impact; or came into conflict
Show general definition crash together with violent impact; or come into conflict
5 top 1000
clarityclearness (the quality of being clearly expressed)
The speaker presented her argument with such clarity that even those unfamiliar with the topic could easily understand her main points.more
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Even this close, the thick frames were still fuzzy, but he could see the girl's outstretched hand with crystal clarity.†4 more
seen, expressed, or understood clearly…
Show general definition seen, expressed, or understood clearly; or a degree of transparency such as the quality of clear water
2 top 100
contradictdisagree with
Does the sentence contradict the main claim of the essay?more
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Although 'flying slither' kind of sounds like a contradiction to me.†1 more
contradict → contradiction:something (typically a statement) that disagrees with itself; or (more rarely) the act of disagreeing
Show general definition disagree
in various senses, including:
  • to say something is not true -- as in "She contradicted his testimony."
  • to say something else is true when both can't be true -- as in "I don't believe her. She contradicted herself as she told us what happened."
  • to be in conflict with -- as in "Her assertions contradict accepted scientific principles."
2 top 100
yieldgive in
The country vowed not to yield to pressure from its larger neighbors.more
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It was hard, as unyielding as a plastic mannequin in a store window.†1 more
yield → unyielding:strict, firm, or hard (not giving in, not giving way, or not giving up)
Show context notes The prefix "un-" in unyielding means not and reverses the meaning of yielding. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.
Show general definition for yield (as in: yield to pressure) to give in, give way, or give up
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genuinegenuine → genuinely:sincerely
I am genuinely sorry for what I did.more
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Mr. Sanchez looked up at her and smiled, genuinely pleased.†1 more
genuine → genuinely:really
Show general definition real (as when a person is sincere or an object is not a replica or fake)
2 top 200
conflictstruggle
Violent conflict has broken out again in the Middle East.more
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He and I have this...personality conflict.†1 more
struggle or disagreement
Show general definition a struggle or disagreement
in various senses, including:
  • a serious disagreement -- as in "political conflict"
  • the tension from two opposing ideas or feelings -- as in "I'm conflicted about where I should go to college."
  • a violent fight or war -- as in "the Israeli-Palestinian conflict"
  • an idiom that refers to tension between responsibilities to different entities -- "conflict of interest"
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comprehendcomprehend → comprehends:fully understands
I don't think she comprehends how dangerous this has become.more
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Jessica was pretty sure she understood what Mr. Sanchez had covered in chapter two, but a few concepts kept popping up that were just incomprehensible.†1 more
comprehend → incomprehensible:not understandable
Show context notes The prefix "in-" in incomprehensible means not and reverses the meaning of comprehensible. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
Show general definition to understand something -- especially to understand it completely
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ponderthink about
The question the audience is left to ponder is...more
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Jessica pondered the question, remembering how many times Mom and Dad had told this story.†2 more
ponder → pondered:thought deeply or carefully about
Show general definition to think deeply or carefully about something
3 top 1000
tauttight
The string is pulled taut.more
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Their hands jerked taut against each other, and she felt her fingers slipping.†2 more
pulled or drawn tight; OR  subjected to great tension
Show general definition pulled or drawn tight;
or: subjected to great tension
4 top 2000
audiblecapable of being heard
She spoke in a barely audible whisper.more
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The sound seemed to travel up her spine before it broke into an audible growl.†3 more
Show general definition for audible (as in: barely audible) capable of being heard
6 top 1000
obstructobstruct → obstructed:blocked (passage)
A fallen tree obstructed the road, forcing drivers to find another way around.more
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And if that one decides to, I've got all thirty-nine links of Obstructively to protect us.†5 more
obstruct → obstructively:in a manner that creates a blockage or hindrance
Show general definition to block, slow down, or interfere with movement, progress, or action
The exact meaning of obstruct can depend upon its context. For example:
  • "obstruct the path" -- block passage through
  • "obstruct justice" -- hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of
  • "obstruct her view" -- get in the way so as to hide from sight
4 top 1000
tenuousweak (hard to support)
Her reasoning is tenuous at best.more
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Melissa could only move so fast without losing her way as she cautiously felt for the trembling threads in the tenuous psychic spiderweb of midnight.†3 more
weak, flimsy, or uncertain
Show general definition weak, flimsy, or uncertain
3 top 1000
ratiorelative lengths
The ratio of width to height of typical computer displays is 4:3.more
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The long trip from factory to junkyard had weathered some pieces to certain proportions, small rods with elegant ratios of length and width, scarred old bolts with harmonious spacings between their dents.†2 more
ratio → ratios:relative quantities
Show general definition the relative magnitudes of two quantities -- often expressed as a:b (which could also be expressed as the fraction a/b)
Show editor's word notes For example, if a freshman class at a college is comprised of 400 men and 600 women, the ratio of men to women can be expressed as 400:600 or 4:6 or as the fraction 4/6 = ~67%
4
excavateexcavate → excavating:digging
While excavating to lay the foundation, we encountered an ancient burial mound.more
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One wall of the museum was open to the original Bixby excavation, the walkways suspended a few feet from the raw earth.3 more
excavate → excavation:archaeological dig-- where antiquities were unearthed
Show general definition to dig out
in various senses, including:
  • remove or lay bare -- as when removing top soil to lay a foundation
  • find or uncover -- as at an archaeological site
  • remove a part -- as a tooth from the gum that surrounds it
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resplendentbeautiful or impressive
She looks resplendent in her uniform.more
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The dark moon looked normal, rising at its usual stately pace and resplendent with its usual gorgeous, pale blue light.†2 more
beautiful or splendid
Show general definition beautiful, magnificent, or impressive
2
unkemptnot neat or cared for
The hiker's unkempt hair and beard were evidence of his days spent roughing it in the wilderness.more
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Jessica hit the ground softly, her fall broken by the unkempt grass.†1 more