Wordly Wise · Topic Cheatsheet
Book 5 · Pre-middle school
300 key results accumulated across 20 chapters.
accustom (v)
Ch 1
To make familiar with through use.
alert (adj / v)
Ch 1
Watchful, wide-awake; to warn.
assignment (n)
Ch 1
A task given as a duty.
budge (v)
Ch 1
To move slightly.
burly (adj)
Ch 1
Big, strong, and heavy.
companion (n)
Ch 1
A person or animal that goes along.
compatible (adj)
Ch 1
Able to live or work together.
concept (n)
Ch 1
A general idea.
distract (v)
Ch 1
To draw the attention away from.
jostle (v)
Ch 1
To bump or push roughly in a crowd.
obedient (adj)
Ch 1
Willing to follow rules or orders.
obstacle (n)
Ch 1
Something that blocks the way.
patient (adj / n)
Ch 1
Calm while waiting; a person under medical care.
pedestrian (n)
Ch 1
A person walking, not in a vehicle.
retire (v)
Ch 1
To stop working for a living; to go to bed.
aroma (n)
Ch 2
A pleasant smell.
beverage (n)
Ch 2
A drink.
bland (adj)
Ch 2
Lacking strong flavour; not irritating.
brittle (adj)
Ch 2
Hard but easily broken.
cluster (n / v)
Ch 2
A group of similar things bunched together.
combine (v)
Ch 2
To join together.
craving (n)
Ch 2
A strong desire.
cultivate (v)
Ch 2
To prepare and use land for crops.
equivalent (adj / n)
Ch 2
Equal in value, amount, or meaning.
export (v / n)
Ch 2
To send out goods to be sold abroad.
extract (v / n)
Ch 2
To pull out; something taken out.
introduce (v)
Ch 2
To make known; to bring into use.
purchase (v / n)
Ch 2
To buy; something bought.
tropical (adj)
Ch 2
From the very warm areas near the equator.
yield (v / n)
Ch 2
To give up; to produce; the amount produced.
ancestor (n)
Ch 3
A person or animal from whom one is descended.
carnivore (n)
Ch 3
An animal that eats meat.
duration (n)
Ch 3
The length of time something lasts.
evident (adj)
Ch 3
Easily seen or understood.
extinct (adj)
Ch 3
No longer existing.
ferocious (adj)
Ch 3
Cruel and fierce.
gigantic (adj)
Ch 3
Huge; very large.
obscure (adj / v)
Ch 3
Not clear; to hide.
option (n)
Ch 3
A choice.
premature (adj)
Ch 3
Happening too early.
preserve (v)
Ch 3
To keep from being damaged.
prey (n / v)
Ch 3
An animal hunted for food; to hunt.
puny (adj)
Ch 3
Small and weak.
survive (v)
Ch 3
To continue to live or exist.
vegetarian (n)
Ch 3
A person who does not eat meat.
accurate (adj)
Ch 4
Correct; without error.
approximate (adj)
Ch 4
Almost exact but not perfectly.
course (n)
Ch 4
The direction taken; a path; a class of study.
depart (v)
Ch 4
To leave; to go away.
despair (n / v)
Ch 4
Loss of hope; to lose hope.
destination (n)
Ch 4
The place to which one is going.
deteriorate (v)
Ch 4
To become worse.
horizontal (adj)
Ch 4
Lying flat; level with the horizon.
jubilant (adj)
Ch 4
Joyfully proud of a success.
nostalgia (n)
Ch 4
A wistful longing for the past.
permanent (adj)
Ch 4
Lasting forever; not changing.
revive (v)
Ch 4
To bring back to life or use.
sever (v)
Ch 4
To break off; to cut in two.
vessel (n)
Ch 4
A ship; a hollow container.
voyage (n / v)
Ch 4
A long journey by water or in space.
avalanche (n)
Ch 5
A great mass of snow sliding down a mountain.
blizzard (n)
Ch 5
A severe snowstorm with strong wind.
conquer (v)
Ch 5
To get the better of by force.
crevice (n)
Ch 5
A narrow opening or crack.
foolhardy (adj)
Ch 5
Bold without good sense; rash.
makeshift (adj)
Ch 5
Made as a temporary substitute.
optimist (n)
Ch 5
A person who looks on the bright side.
previous (adj)
Ch 5
Coming before.
route (n)
Ch 5
A path or way to a place.
summit (n)
Ch 5
The highest point; a meeting of leaders.
terse (adj)
Ch 5
Brief and to the point.
thwart (v)
Ch 5
To prevent from doing.
vertical (adj)
Ch 5
Going straight up and down.
victorious (adj)
Ch 5
Having won.
withstand (v)
Ch 5
To resist successfully.
abolish (v)
Ch 6
To bring to an end; to do away with.
agony (n)
Ch 6
Very great pain or suffering.
catapult (n / v)
Ch 6
A device for throwing; to launch.
character (n)
Ch 6
All the qualities that make a person; a person in a story.
denounce (v)
Ch 6
To speak strongly against.
escalate (v)
Ch 6
To grow more serious or intense.
grim (adj)
Ch 6
Cruel; unfriendly; unpleasant.
harbor (n / v)
Ch 6
A safe place for ships; to give shelter.
inflict (v)
Ch 6
To cause something painful or unwelcome.
loathe (v)
Ch 6
To hate strongly.
meddle (v)
Ch 6
To interfere in others' business.
monstrous (adj)
Ch 6
Like a monster; very large or evil.
rouse (v)
Ch 6
To wake up; to stir to action.
steadfast (adj)
Ch 6
Firm; not changing.
translate (v)
Ch 6
To put into another language.
colony (n)
Ch 7
A group of the same kind of animal living together.
compensate (v)
Ch 7
To make up for; to pay back.
deposit (v / n)
Ch 7
To put or lay down; an amount of money placed in a bank.
fascinate (v)
Ch 7
To attract and hold attention.
feeble (adj)
Ch 7
Lacking strength.
formal (adj)
Ch 7
Following set rules; very proper.
frigid (adj)
Ch 7
Very cold.
hatch (v / n)
Ch 7
To break out of an egg; an opening in a deck.
incubate (v)
Ch 7
To keep eggs warm until they hatch.
remote (adj)
Ch 7
Far away; distant.
resemble (v)
Ch 7
To look like.
solitary (adj)
Ch 7
Living alone; single.
substantial (adj)
Ch 7
Large; important.
tuxedo (n)
Ch 7
A man's formal suit.
waddle (v)
Ch 7
To walk with short steps swinging from side to side.
assemble (v)
Ch 8
To bring together; to gather.
banquet (n)
Ch 8
A large formal meal.
celebrate (v)
Ch 8
To honour a special day; to praise.
decrease (v / n)
Ch 8
To make or become less.
desperate (adj)
Ch 8
Reckless because of despair; very serious.
edible (adj)
Ch 8
Safe to eat.
harvest (n / v)
Ch 8
The gathering of a crop; to gather.
hew (v)
Ch 8
To chop with an axe.
hostile (adj)
Ch 8
Unfriendly; of an enemy.
obey (v)
Ch 8
To follow orders or rules.
observe (v)
Ch 8
To watch closely; to follow a custom.
pledge (n / v)
Ch 8
A serious promise; to promise.
prosper (v)
Ch 8
To do well; to succeed.
task (n)
Ch 8
A piece of work to be done.
yield (v / n)
Ch 8
To give up; to produce.
accomplish (v)
Ch 9
To finish successfully.
ascend (v)
Ch 9
To go up; to climb.
buoyant (adj)
Ch 9
Able to float; cheerful.
dense (adj)
Ch 9
Packed tightly; thick.
experiment (n / v)
Ch 9
A test to find out something; to test.
feat (n)
Ch 9
A great or daring deed.
lumber (v / n)
Ch 9
To move heavily; wood prepared for use.
modify (v)
Ch 9
To change slightly.
novice (n)
Ch 9
A person new to an activity.
significant (adj)
Ch 9
Important; meaningful.
spectator (n)
Ch 9
A person who watches.
suspend (v)
Ch 9
To hang from above; to stop temporarily.
unwieldy (adj)
Ch 9
Hard to handle because of size.
vain (adj)
Ch 9
Without success; too proud.
vehicle (n)
Ch 9
Something used to carry things.
available (adj)
Ch 10
Ready for use; able to be obtained.
bondage (n)
Ch 10
The state of being a slave or prisoner.
donate (v)
Ch 10
To give as a gift, especially to a cause.
establish (v)
Ch 10
To set up; to find out facts.
evade (v)
Ch 10
To avoid by trickery.
evasive (adj)
Ch 10
Avoiding the point.
liberate (v)
Ch 10
To set free.
numerous (adj)
Ch 10
Very many.
occasion (n)
Ch 10
A particular time; a special event.
opposition (n)
Ch 10
Resistance; a side opposed.
pursuit (n)
Ch 10
The act of chasing; a search.
reassure (v)
Ch 10
To restore confidence to.
reluctant (adj)
Ch 10
Unwilling.
underground (adj)
Ch 10
Below the ground; secret.
yearning (n)
Ch 10
A strong, often sad, longing.
accelerate (v)
Ch 11
To go faster.
altitude (n)
Ch 11
Height, especially above sea level.
anxious (adj)
Ch 11
Worried; eagerly waiting.
brace (v / n)
Ch 11
To prepare for a shock; a support.
confident (adj)
Ch 11
Sure of oneself.
contact (n / v)
Ch 11
Touch; communication.
exultant (adj)
Ch 11
Triumphantly happy.
hangar (n)
Ch 11
A large building for housing aircraft.
maximum (n / adj)
Ch 11
The greatest amount.
methodical (adj)
Ch 11
Done in an orderly manner.
nonchalant (adj)
Ch 11
Casually unconcerned.
proceed (v)
Ch 11
To go on; to move forward.
saunter (v)
Ch 11
To walk in a slow, relaxed way.
stall (v / n)
Ch 11
To stop suddenly; a small space for an animal.
throttle (n / v)
Ch 11
A device that controls engine power; to choke.
convalesce (v)
Ch 12
To recover after illness.
dedicate (v)
Ch 12
To give wholeheartedly; to set apart for a purpose.
dictate (v)
Ch 12
To say aloud for someone to write down; to give orders.
exasperate (v)
Ch 12
To irritate or annoy greatly.
frantic (adj)
Ch 12
Wildly excited with fear or worry.
haughty (adj)
Ch 12
Proud and looking down on others.
overthrow (v)
Ch 12
To bring down by force.
penetrate (v)
Ch 12
To pierce; to enter into.
portrait (n)
Ch 12
A picture of a person.
rebellious (adj)
Ch 12
Resisting authority.
restrict (v)
Ch 12
To keep within limits.
seldom (adv)
Ch 12
Not often; rarely.
stimulate (v)
Ch 12
To stir up; to excite.
tempest (n)
Ch 12
A violent storm.
upbringing (n)
Ch 12
The way a child is raised.
accommodate (v)
Ch 13
To make room for; to adjust to.
aggressive (adj)
Ch 13
Ready to attack; pushy.
carcass (n)
Ch 13
The dead body of an animal.
conceal (v)
Ch 13
To hide; to keep secret.
gorge (v / n)
Ch 13
To eat greedily; a deep narrow valley.
lash (v / n)
Ch 13
To strike with a whip; a stroke.
morsel (n)
Ch 13
A small piece of food.
protrude (v)
Ch 13
To stick out.
scaly (adj)
Ch 13
Covered with scales.
slither (v)
Ch 13
To slide along like a snake.
sluggish (adj)
Ch 13
Slow-moving; lacking energy.
stealth (n)
Ch 13
Secret, careful action.
taper (v)
Ch 13
To become narrower toward one end.
venom (n)
Ch 13
Poison made by some animals.
visible (adj)
Ch 13
Able to be seen.
access (n / v)
Ch 14
Permission or means to enter.
associate (v / n)
Ch 14
To connect in the mind; a partner.
boisterous (adj)
Ch 14
Noisy and rough.
brilliant (adj)
Ch 14
Very bright; very intelligent.
delicate (adj)
Ch 14
Easily broken; needing care.
exclusive (adj)
Ch 14
Limited to one person or group.
filament (n)
Ch 14
A very fine thread, such as in a bulb.
industrious (adj)
Ch 14
Hardworking.
ingenious (adj)
Ch 14
Clever and original.
patent (n / v)
Ch 14
A right to be the only one to make something.
require (v)
Ch 14
To need or demand.
tolerant (adj)
Ch 14
Willing to accept differences.
transform (v)
Ch 14
To completely change the form of.
wilderness (n)
Ch 14
A wild area where few people live.
wizard (n)
Ch 14
A person with great skill; a magician.
disaster (n)
Ch 15
A sudden very harmful event.
fault (n)
Ch 15
A defect; responsibility; a crack in rock.
flee (v)
Ch 15
To run away from danger.
fracture (n / v)
Ch 15
A break or crack; to break.
immense (adj)
Ch 15
Very large.
intense (adj)
Ch 15
Very strong; extreme.
lurch (v / n)
Ch 15
To move with sudden uneven motion; a sudden jerk.
magnitude (n)
Ch 15
Great size; importance.
petrify (v)
Ch 15
To turn to stone; to frighten.
predict (v)
Ch 15
To say what will happen ahead of time.
prone (adj)
Ch 15
Lying face down; inclined to.
rubble (n)
Ch 15
Broken pieces left from a building's collapse.
sparse (adj)
Ch 15
Thinly scattered.
topple (v)
Ch 15
To fall over.
tremor (n)
Ch 15
A trembling; a slight earthquake.
abdicate (v)
Ch 16
To give up a high position formally.
assume (v)
Ch 16
To take for granted; to take on.
bungle (v)
Ch 16
To do clumsily; to spoil.
dominate (v)
Ch 16
To rule over; to have control of.
exile (n / v)
Ch 16
Forced absence from one's country; to banish.
heir (n)
Ch 16
A person who inherits property or title.
hoist (v / n)
Ch 16
To raise with effort; a lifting device.
intercept (v)
Ch 16
To stop something on its way.
jubilee (n)
Ch 16
A special anniversary; a joyful celebration.
monarchy (n)
Ch 16
Government by a king or queen.
noble (adj / n)
Ch 16
Showing high character; a person of high rank.
proclaim (v)
Ch 16
To announce officially and publicly.
provoke (v)
Ch 16
To stir to anger; to call forth.
regal (adj)
Ch 16
Of or like a king or queen.
rumor (n)
Ch 16
An unverified story passed from person to person.
afflict (v)
Ch 17
To cause pain or suffering to.
consist (v)
Ch 17
To be made up of.
drought (n)
Ch 17
A long period of dry weather.
erode (v)
Ch 17
To wear away gradually.
expand (v)
Ch 17
To grow larger; to spread out.
famine (n)
Ch 17
A serious shortage of food.
fertile (adj)
Ch 17
Producing much; rich.
irrigate (v)
Ch 17
To bring water to land artificially.
nomadic (adj)
Ch 17
Moving from place to place.
oasis (n)
Ch 17
A green spot in a desert where water is found.
pasture (n)
Ch 17
Grassland for grazing animals.
primitive (adj)
Ch 17
Of an early stage; simple.
refugee (n)
Ch 17
A person who flees danger to seek safety elsewhere.
stark (adj)
Ch 17
Bare; harsh; complete.
teem (v)
Ch 17
To be full of.
animated (adj)
Ch 18
Lively; full of movement.
betray (v)
Ch 18
To break the trust of.
convince (v)
Ch 18
To make believe; to persuade.
decline (v / n)
Ch 18
To politely refuse; to grow worse; a fall.
distributor (n)
Ch 18
A company that supplies goods.
fad (n)
Ch 18
A short-lived fashion.
hilarious (adj)
Ch 18
Very funny.
meager (adj)
Ch 18
Lacking in quantity; poor.
mischief (n)
Ch 18
Behaviour that causes harm or annoyance.
negotiate (v)
Ch 18
To talk over and try to settle.
obsolete (adj)
Ch 18
No longer used; out of date.
retain (v)
Ch 18
To keep; to hold.
sensation (n)
Ch 18
A feeling; a thing causing great excitement.
somber (adj)
Ch 18
Dark; gloomy; serious.
vow (v / n)
Ch 18
To promise solemnly; a solemn promise.
dormant (adj)
Ch 19
In a sleeplike state; inactive.
elegant (adj)
Ch 19
Showing good taste; refined.
erupt (v)
Ch 19
To break out suddenly.
excavate (v)
Ch 19
To dig out; to uncover by digging.
fume (n / v)
Ch 19
Smoke or gas; to show anger.
lava (n)
Ch 19
Melted rock that flows from a volcano.
painstaking (adj)
Ch 19
Taking great care.
perish (v)
Ch 19
To die; to be destroyed.
populate (v)
Ch 19
To live in; to fill with people.
prelude (n)
Ch 19
Something that comes before; an introduction.
renowned (adj)
Ch 19
Famous; well-known.
scalding (adj)
Ch 19
Hot enough to burn.
stupendous (adj)
Ch 19
Amazingly great.
suffocate (v)
Ch 19
To die from lack of air; to choke.
tremor (n)
Ch 19
A trembling movement.
ample (adj)
Ch 20
More than enough.
compassion (n)
Ch 20
Sympathy for others' suffering.
cumbersome (adj)
Ch 20
Hard to handle because of size or weight.
distress (n / v)
Ch 20
Great pain or trouble; to cause pain.
exertion (n)
Ch 20
The act of using strength.
indignant (adj)
Ch 20
Angry over something unfair.
insistent (adj)
Ch 20
Continuing to demand or assert.
moral (adj / n)
Ch 20
Concerned with right and wrong; a lesson.
outskirts (n pl)
Ch 20
The outer parts of a town.
peculiar (adj)
Ch 20
Strange; belonging to one in particular.
resume (v)
Ch 20
To begin again after a stop.
revenge (n / v)
Ch 20
Harm done in return for harm; to retaliate.
ridicule (v / n)
Ch 20
To make fun of; mockery.
rodent (n)
Ch 20
A gnawing mammal such as a rat or mouse.
weary (adj)
Ch 20
Tired; lacking strength.