1. Fences by August Wilson
Vocabulary

2. Congruence Dating websites like Match.com and eHarmony
ask potential mates questions to determine if
there is congruence between them.
agreement, harmony, or correspondence
Noun
Related Word:
Congruent- Adjective
Their personalities were congruent.

3. Intricate At the Museum of Fine Art, Jane gazed at the
intricate painting for what seemed like hours;
she couldn’t stop staring at the details and
colors.
complicated; difficult to understand
Adjective
Related Words:
Intricately- adverb; intricateness- noun

4. Desolate During the blizzard, even Dunkin Donuts was
desolate; only the police and other emergency
personal stopped in for coffee.
deserted and lonely
Adjective
The blizzard desolated the coast, destroying
the dunes.
To lay waste; devastate
Verb

5. Refute During the trial, the hotel surveillance video
evidence refuted the prosecution’s claims about
the defendant; the video showed him in another
state when the crime was committed.
to prove to be false or incorrect
Verb
Related Words:
Refutable- adjective; refutably- adverb; refutability- noun

6. Vigorous The family vigorously cleaned the house after
Bobby had the flu.
done with power, force or energy
Adjective
Related Words:
Vigorously- adverb; vigorousness- noun

7. Destitute While visiting the Bahamas, Savannah went on a
tour and was shocked to see how destitute the
locals were, especially with such large expensive
hotels nearby.
extremely poor; lacking necessities like food and shelter
Adjective
Related Words:
Destituteness- noun

8. Tenacious While going through the divorce, both parties
were tenacious and refused to agree on dividing
up anything.
holding firmly; persistent; stubborn
Adjective
Related Words:
Tenaciously- adverb; Tenaciousness- noun

9. Fences by August Wilson
Vocabulary: Set 2

10. Guile
The spy used his guile to get into the private party so that he could get closer to his target.
clever deceit, cunning, craftiness
Noun

11. Eloquence
During the political rally, the presidential candidate spoke with eloquence, bringing the crowd to laughter, tears, and cheers.
artful ease with speaking; speech that can influence people's feelings
Noun
Related word:
The eloquent speaker moved the audience to tears.
Adjective

12. Provocative
Lady Gaga is known for her provocative performances and fashion choices; whether people love her or hate her, she always gives people something to talk about.
Tending to produce a strong feeling or response; arousing a strong desire or appetite; irritating, annoying
Adjective
Related word:
Sarah wanted to annoy her little brother and provoke him into a fight, so she sang loudly and poked him.
Verb

13. Emulate
After Steve’s brother was accepted to Harvard University on full scholarship, Steve made it his mission to emulate him and go there too.
To imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model
Verb

14. Liable
When Heidi’s dog bit the mailman, she was found liable in court and had to pay for his medical fees.
Responsible by law; legally answerable.
Adjective
Since Kara jogged every morning, her husband knew she was liable to be doing that on Saturday morning.
Likely to be or do something.

15. Scrutiny
With the popularity of social media, celebrities are under constant scrutiny since people can see so much about their lives.
Critical observation or examination
Noun
Related word:
Many celebrities complain that their lives are scrutinized.
Verb

16. Decent
The Starbucks coffee addict complained that she could not find a decent cup of coffee in the small town.
Conforming with generally accepted standards of respectable or moral behavior; of an acceptable standard; satisfactory.
Adjective

17. Engulf
In the hurricane, the small boat was engulfed in tumultuous waves.
To swallow up, overwhelm, consume
Verb

18. Atavistic
It’s atavistic to cling to old-fashioned and old-dated technology, but some people don’t like change.
characteristic of a former era, ancient
Adjective
Related word:
Atavism- noun