con • spic • u • ous adj., obvious, noticeable. His orange hat made him conspicuous.

dwin • dle v., become less. At last, the heavy rain began to dwindle.

fran • tic adj., marked by fast and nervous activity. Her search for the keys was frantic and unsuccessful. frantically, adv.

tim • id adj., lacking boldness or courage. Ming is sometimes timid around strangers, but always at ease with his friends.

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tran • quil adj., content; free from turmoil. The summer evening breeze put me in a tranquil mood.

ho • ri • zon n., apparent junction of earth and sky. Dark clouds gathered over the distant horizon.

ac • quaint v., cause to know personally. There will be time to acquaint yourself with those you don’t know.

sen • sa • tion • al adj., tending to invite intense, superficial interest. Many ads use sensational headlines to sell products.

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di • plo • ma n., document signifying graduation from an educational institution. She had her high school diploma framed.

sid • le v., move sideways. She pressed against the wall and sidled through the crowd.

saun • ter v., stroll, walk in a leisurely manner. He whistled as he sauntered through the park.

stol • id adj., unemotional. Because Kim keeps things to herself, people often assume she’s stolid. Stolidly, adv.

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gaunt adj., excessively thin. Jim was always thin, but now he’s become downright gaunt.

skulk v., move in a deliberately slow or sneaky way to avoid being noticed. I watched the cat skulk out of sight.