GRADE: 4
1. throng
2. launch
WORDMASTERS 2016 – 2017
MEET: 3
noun
1.a multitude of people crowded or assembled
together; crowd. There was a throng waiting to
see the new movie.
2. a great number of things crowded or
considered together: a throng of memories.
verb
3.to assemble, collect, or go in large numbers;
crowd
4 .to crowd or press upon; jostle.
5 .to fill or occupy with or as with a crowd:
He thronged the picture with stars.
6. to fill by crowding or pressing into:
They thronged the small room.
-synonym: crowd
verb
1. to set (a boat or ship) in the water.
2.to float (a newly constructed boat or ship) us
ually by
allowing to slide
down inclined ways into the water. The
President launched the new aircraft carrier.
3. to send forth, catapult, or release, as a selfpropelled vehicle or weapon:
Rockets were launched midway in the battle.
4.to start (a person) on a course, career, etc.
5.to set going; initiate:to launch a scheme.
6.to throw; hurl:to launch a spear.
7.to start (a new venture) or promote
(a new product):
They launched a new breakfast cereal.
noun
11.the act of launching. I went to see the
rocket launch with my family.
1
GRADE: 4
3. rapid
4. annoyance
5. chafe
WORDMASTERS 2016 – 2017
MEET: 3
adjective
1.
occurring within a short time; happening speedi
ly:
rapid growth.
2.moving or acting with great speed; swift:
a rapid worker.
3. characterized by speed:
rapid motion.
noun
4.Usually, rapids. a part of a river where the
current runs very swiftly. My mom wouldn’t let
us steer the boat toward the rapids.
noun
1. a person or thing that annoys; nuisance:
My little sister is an annoyance when I try to
play with my friends.
2. an act or instance of annoying. The ringing
bell was an annoyance while I read my book.
3.the feeling of being annoyed.
Synonym: frustration, irritation
Antonym: satisfaction, comfort, enjoyment
verb
1.to wear away by rubbing:
He chafed his shoes on the rocks.
2. to make sore by rubbing:
Her collar chafed her neck.
3.to irritate; annoy:
The dripping of the faucet chafed her nerves.
5. to become worn or sore from rubbing:
His neck began to chafe from the high collar.
6.to rub; press with friction:
The horse chafed against his stall.
7.to be irritated or annoyed:
He chafed at their constant interruptions.
noun
9.irritation; annoyance.
Synonym: irritate
Antonym: soothe, calm
2
GRADE: 4
6. aloof
7. remedy
8. shackle
WORDMASTERS 2016 – 2017
MEET: 3
adverb
1.at a distance, especially in feeling or interest;
apart:
They always stood aloof from their classmates.
adjective
2.reserved or reticent; indifferent; disinterested
:
Because of his shyness, many thought he was
aloof.
Synonym: detached, distant, snobbish
Antonym: near, outgoing
noun
1.something that cures or relieves a disease ;
a healing medicine, or treatment. The doctor
had the remedy to my rash.
verb
2.to cure, relieve, or heal.
3.to restore to the natural or proper condition;
put right: to remedy a matter.
Synonym: cure, medication, repair
noun
1.a ring or other fastening, as of iron, for securi
ng
the wrist, ankle, etc.
2.a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
verb
3.to put a shackle or shackles on; confine or
restrain by a shackle or shackles. The rancher
had to shackle the horse’s legs so that he
wouldn’t run away.
Synonym: handcuff, restrict
Antonym: liberate, free
3
GRADE: 4
9. desolate
10. bridle
WORDMASTERS 2016 – 2017
MEET: 3
adjective
1.barren or laid waste; devastated:
a treeless, desolate landscape.
2.deprived or destitute of inhabitants; deserted
; uninhabited. There wasn’t anybody living on
the desolate island.
3.solitary; lonely: a desolate place.
4.having the feeling of being abandoned by frie
nds or by hope; forlorn. When my friends went
off to play without me, I felt desolate.
5.dreary; dismal; gloomy: desolate prospects.
verb
6. to lay waste; devastate. The partiers
desolated the park when they left.
7. to deprive of inhabitants; depopulate.
9. to forsake or abandon.
Synonyms: lonesome, hopeless
Antonyms: delighted, happy
noun
1.part of the tack or harness of a horse, consisti
ng usually of a headstall,bit, and reins. I
needed to put the bridle on my horse before I
could ride him.
2.anything that restrains or curbs:
His common sense is a bridle to his quick
temper.
verb
6. to put a bridle on.
7. to control or hold back; restrain; curb. I
bridled my temper instead of shouting at my
mother.
Synonym: check, restrict
4
GRADE: 4
11. seize
12. garish
13. prop
WORDMASTERS 2016 – 2017
MEET: 3
verb
1. to take hold of suddenly or forcibly; grasp:
I seized my sister’s hand when I heard the wind
howl.
2.to grasp mentally; understand clearly and
completely: to seize an idea.
3. to take possession of by force or at will:
to seize enemy ships.
4.to take possession or control of as if by sudde
nly laying hold: Panic seized the crowd when
lightning struck.
5. to
take possession of by legal authority; confiscate
The police seized the stolen jewelry.
7.to capture; take into custody.
Synonyms: grab, arrest
Antonyms: release
adjective
1. tastelessly colorful, showy, or elaborate, as
clothes or decorations. The actors all wore
garish costumes.
2.excessively ornate or elaborate, as buildings
or writings.
3.dressed in or ornamented with bright colors.
4.excessively bright; glaring. I needed
sunglasses when I walked down the street with
all the garish lights.
Synonyms: gawdy
verb
1.to support, or prevent from falling, with or as
if with a prop (oftenfollowed by up):
He propped an old fence to keep it from falling.
2.to rest (a thing) against a support:
He propped his cane against the wall.
noun
4.a stick, rod, pole, beam, or other rigid
support.
5.a person or thing serving as a support or stay
His father is his financial prop.
Synonym: support
5
GRADE: 4
WORDMASTERS 2016 – 2017
14. contemplate
15. gaudy
16. damage
MEET: 3
verb
1.to look at or view with continued attention;
observe or study thoughtfully
to contemplate the stars.
2.to consider thoroughly; think fully or deeply
about: to contemplate a difficult problem.
3.to have as a purpose; intend.
4.to have in view as a future event:
to contemplate buying a new car.
5.to think studiously; meditate; consider
deliberately.
Synonyms: gaze at, study, plan
adjective
1.brilliantly or excessively showy:
gaudy plumage.
2.showy in a tasteless way; flashy.
3.ostentatiously ornamented; garish. Her gaudy
jewelry caught everyone’s attention.
Synonyms: garish, flashy
noun
1.injury or harm that reduces value or
usefulness:
The storm did considerable damage to the
crops.
verb
2.to cause damage to; injure or harm; reduce
the value or usefulness of:
He damaged the saw on a nail.
5.to become damaged:
Soft wood damages easily.
Synonyms: harm
6
GRADE: 4
17. jolt
18. dismal
WORDMASTERS 2016 – 2017
MEET: 3
verb
1.to jar, shake, or cause to move by or as if by
a sudden rough thrust; shake up roughly:
The bus jolted its passengers as it went down
the rocky road.
2.to knock sharply so as to dislodge:
He jolted the nail free with a stone.
3.to shock emotionally or psychologically:
Losing his dog jolted his entire family.
4.to make active or alert, as by using an abrupt
sharp, or rough manner:
to jolt someone's memory.
noun
5.a jolting shock, movement, or blow:
6.an emotional or psychological shock:
The news of his arrest gave me quite a jolt.
6.something that causes such a shock:
The news was a jolt to me.
Synonyms: shock, bounce, lurch
adjective
1.causing gloom or dejection; gloomy; dreary;
cheerless; melancholy:
dismal weather.
2.characterized by ineptness or lack of skill,
competence, effectiveness, imagination, or
interest
Our team played a dismal game.
Synonyms: hopeless, dreadful
Antonym: cheerful
noun
19. craving
1. great or eager desire; yearning.
I had a craving to eat waffles with maple
syrup for my breakfast.
Synonym: desire
20. propel
verb
1.to drive, or cause to move, forward or onward
to propel a boat by rowing.
2.to impel or urge onward:
Urgent need of money propelled him to take a
job.
Synonyms: push, prod
7
GRADE: 4
WORDMASTERS 2016 – 2017
MEET: 3
adjective
21. remote
1.far apart; far distant in space; situated at
some distance away:
the remote jungles of Brazil.
2.out-of-the-way; secluded:
a remote village; a remote mountaintop.
3.distant in time:
remote antiquity.
4.distant in relationship or connection:
a remote ancestor.
5.operating or controlled from a distance, as
by remote control :
a remote telephone answering machine.
6.not direct, primary, or proximate; not
directly involved or influential:
the remote causes of the war.
Synonyms: isolated, removed
Antonyms: close, near
noun
22. dinghy
1.any small boat designed as a tender or
lifeboat, especially a smallship's boat, rowed,
sailed, or driven by a motor. After their ship
sunk, they rowed the dinghy to safety.
4. an inflatable life raft.
23. lop
verb
1.to cut off (branches, twigs, etc.) from a tree
or other plant. After the storm, we needed to
lop off some dead branches.
4.to eliminate as unnecessary or excessive:
We had to lop off whole pages of the report
before presenting it to the class.
3.to remove parts by or as by cutting. I lopped
off my hair when summer came.
Synonyms: prune, cut
adjective
24. dreary
1. causing sadness or gloom. Even though it
was a dreary day, I was getting a puppy, and
was so excited.
2. dull; boring.
3 .sorrowful; sad.
Synonyms: gloomy, dismal
Antonym: cheerful
8
GRADE: 4
25. trench
WORDMASTERS 2016 – 2017
MEET: 3
noun
1.a long, narrow excavation in the ground, the
earth from
which is thrown up in front to serve as a shelter
from enemy fire or attack. The soldiers in
World War I fought the enemy from the
trenches.
2. a deep furrow, ditch,
3. Oceanography. a long, steepsided, narrow depression in the ocean floor.
Synonyms: ditch, trough, pit
9