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heath n., open wasteland. Accustomed to the lush vegetation of her tropical home, the visitor to England was depressed by the barren heath.
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hos • tel • ry n., lodging place. After twenty hours of driving we were not picky about which hostelry we stopped at for the night.
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fus • tian n., coarse cloth. Natalie’s simple fustian dress stood out sharply in the crowd of elaborate satin frocks.
stat • ure n., height. Judging by the stature of her parents, Winnifred will probably grow to over six feet tall.
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sau • cy adj., stylish. George’s hat was outdated, but he thought it was stylish with its saucy feather.
with • al adv., besides; nevertheless. I have a headache but I am going to the party withal.
se • date • ly adv., in a dignified manner. Leon usually causes a commotion when he runs through the library, but today he walked through very sedately.
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so • lic • i • tous adj., showing concern. Nancy shows little concern for her own well-being, but she is extremely solicitous of others.
seem • ly adv., proper. Beatrice usually dresses outrageously, but the outfit she wore to the wedding was quite seemly.
clois • ter n., monastery. The monk lives in a quiet cloister.
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per • son • a • ble adj., having a pleasant appearance and personality. Lila hit it off immediately with her personable new neighbor.
prel • ate n., high-ranking member of the clergy. The unambitious country priest has no desire to become a prelate.
wan • ton adj., unrestrained; extravagant. “Eat, drink, and be merry” is the motto of one of my wanton friends.
ab • so • lu • tion n., forgiveness. I confessed my sins and asked for absolution.
ver • i • ty n., truth. Jim is such a liar he doesn’t even know what verity is.
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ac • crue vi., accumulate periodically. I went to the bank to see how much interest my savings had accrued.
ar • bi • trate vt., settle a dispute. We need an unbiased party to arbitrate this argument.
mot • ley adj., multicolored. Jim wore a motley tie-dyed shirt.
so • ber adj., serious; grave. Monica’s smiling face turned sober when she heard about the catastrophe.
un • world • ly adj., unsophisticated. The unworldly traveler was easy prey for pickpockets.
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san • guine adj., ruddy, red; happy. Adrian’s usually sanguine face paled after three days of illness.
fe • lic • i • ty n., happiness; bliss. After the long, harsh winter, Bonnie found true felicity on her sun-filled cruise.
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lan • yard n., cord worn around the neck. Farley made the lanyard he wears around his neck at summer camp.
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guile n., slyness and cunning. Marissa’s guile won out over the shrewd shopkeeper, and her scam was a success.
su • per • flu • i • ty n., something unnecessary or extra. The icing made the cake, but the decadent festoons and flower clusters were a superfluity.
am • bling adj., in an easy and smooth manner. After having to dash through his backyard on a rainy Thursday, Aaron was happy ambling about in the sun on Friday.
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dil • i • gent adj., hard-working; persevering. Unlike Laura, who seldom does her homework or studies for tests, Lucy is a diligent student.
a • sun • der adj., apart or separate in direction. After sharing a room for many years, Lisa and her sister found it difficult to be so far asunder once Lisa had left for the navy.
en • cum • bered part., held back. The hikers were encumbered by heavy rains.
mire n., soggy ground. After heavy rain, the dirt road, once firm, turned into a track of impossible mire.
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scru • pu • los • i • ty n., moral worry or qualm. Pickpockets at races and fairs hold no scrupulosity about taking what belongs to others.
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ab • strus • est adj., most difficult to understand. Because of the complex vocabulary the math teacher always used, many students found him the abstrusest of all their instructors.
fru • gal adj., thrifty. Unlike Gina, who spends her paycheck within a few days, Reneé is frugal with her money.
sward n., grass-covered soil. After many days in the desert, the travelers reached more fertile land, a sward perfect for tillage.
splay vt., spread out. Although the room was crowded, Frank splayed his legs across the sofa, refusing to let others have a seat.
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du • ress n., constraint by threat. After a lifetime of duress in a dark dungeon, the former prisoner rejoiced in the light of the outside world.
flax adj., pale-yellow plant used to make linen. The golden flax that the weavers spun into cloth always reminded Tim of his mother’s blond hair.
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pre • var • i • ca • tion n., lie. Adam was so honest that everyone believed even his strangest tales, but everyone knew that John just liked to tell prevarications.
scur • ril • i • ty n., coarseness or indecency of language. Everyone in church was shocked when Tim stubbed his toe and used some scurrility in his speech.
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war • y adj., cautious. He stopped at the crosswalk and looked both ways because he had always been told to be wary when crossing the street.
till • age n., land that is tilled for farming. There are no rocks or tree stumps in Farmer Brown’s land; it is good tillage for planting.
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gris • ly adj., horrible; terrifying. The violent murder scene in the horror movie was particularly grisly.
stile n., steps used to climb over a wall. If the steep stone wall did not have a stile, it would be an effective barrier.
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strife n., conflict; struggle. There seldom was peace between the two countries; they were in a constant state of bitter strife.
hoar • y adj., white- or gray-haired. His beard had faded long ago from a lustrous black to a hoary gray.
prat • ing ger., chattering. The teacher told Henry’s parents that prating kept him from passing her course.
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mis • cre • ant n., evil person. Because Rick performed so many malicious deeds and showed no sign of reforming, he was seen as the town’s miscreant.
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per • di • tion n., loss of soul. The priest warned others against committing an act that could lead to perdition, thereby ruining their chances to experience heaven.