7th grade vocabulary words
129 words from Rookling's SSAT practice, each with a simple definition and a synonym. The hardest words in our list, for 7th graders and anyone who knows the 6th grade words. Grade levels are a guide: a strong reader can move up a list.
| Word | Meaning | Synonym |
|---|---|---|
| acquiesce | To go along with something quietly instead of arguing. | consent |
| acrimonious | Full of anger and sharp, hurtful words. | bitter |
| adage | A short, old saying that gives wise advice. | proverb |
| allay | To make a fear or worry feel smaller. | assuage |
| amenable | Ready to listen and go along with what is asked. | receptive |
| apoplectic | So angry that you can hardly control yourself. | enraged |
| ardent | Showing very strong, warm feeling about something. | fervent |
| armistice | An agreement to stop a war for now. | truce |
| beseech | To ask for something in a very serious and pleading way. | implore |
| brackish | A little bit salty, as water where a river meets the sea. | briny |
| calamitous | Bringing great harm and sorrow. | disastrous |
| capacious | Able to hold a great deal. | spacious |
| censure | To criticize someone strongly and in a formal way. | condemn |
| chalice | A fancy cup with a stem, used for special drinks. | goblet |
| cognizant | Aware of something and knowing it is there. | mindful |
| compunction | A guilty feeling you get after doing something wrong. | remorse |
| confluence | The spot where two rivers or paths flow together. | junction |
| conjecture | A guess made from only a few clues. | speculation |
| copious | Given or made in a large amount, with lots to spare. | plentiful |
| crestfallen | Suddenly sad and let down because things did not go as hoped. | dejected |
| dauntless | Not frightened or discouraged by danger. | unflinching |
| desiccated | Dried out until all the moisture is gone. | dehydrated |
| despondent | Feeling very sad because you have lost all hope. | despairing |
| destitute | Having almost nothing, not even food or a home. | impoverished |
| digress | To wander away from the main subject while talking or writing. | deviate |
| dirge | A slow, sad song played at a funeral. | lament |
| disparage | To talk about someone or something as if it were not worth much. | belittle |
| dissonant | Sounding harsh because the notes clash with each other. | discordant |
| dogged | Sticking with a goal and refusing to quit. | tenacious |
| doleful | Full of sadness, and often looking or sounding gloomy. | melancholy |
| eclectic | Taken from many different places or styles. | diverse |
| edict | A formal order given by a ruler or someone in charge. | decree |
| elixir | A magic liquid thought to heal or give special powers. | potion |
| elucidate | To explain something so that it becomes easy to understand. | clarify |
| emaciated | Very thin and weak from lack of food or from illness. | skeletal |
| eminent | Well known and highly respected in a field. | renowned |
| encroach | To creep slowly onto land or rights that are not yours. | intrude |
| endemic | Found naturally in one region and nowhere else. | indigenous |
| epitaph | Words carved on a gravestone to remember the person. | inscription |
| equanimity | A calm, steady mind, even when things go wrong. | composure |
| equivocate | To dodge a straight answer by using unclear words. | speak vaguely |
| expunge | To erase something so completely that no mark is left. | obliterate |
| extemporaneous | Done on the spot, without writing it out or practicing. | impromptu |
| feint | A pretend move meant to fool the other side. | bluff |
| gamut | The full range of things from one end to the other. | spectrum |
| garner | To collect or earn something, like praise or votes. | acquire |
| gaudy | Too bright and flashy, in a way that looks cheap. | garish |
| gaunt | Very thin, with sunken cheeks, as if from hunger or illness. | bony |
| genial | Warm, kind, and pleasant to be around. | cordial |
| glower | To stare at someone with an angry, grumpy face. | scowl |
| goad | To keep pushing someone to do something, often by teasing. | provoke |
| haggard | Looking tired and worn, as from worry or no sleep. | careworn |
| hallowed | Treated as holy and deserving deep respect. | sacred |
| hapless | Having no good luck, with bad things always happening. | unfortunate |
| harried | Worn out from having too many things to do. | frazzled |
| heinous | Very wicked and shocking, a crime that is truly horrible. | abominable |
| herculean | Needing a huge amount of strength or effort. | arduous |
| heterogeneous | Made up of parts that are all different from each other. | diverse |
| immutable | Never changing, no matter what happens. | unalterable |
| imperious | Bossy and proud, acting as if everyone must obey. | overbearing |
| indignant | Angry because something seems unfair or unjust. | resentful |
| indomitable | Too strong in spirit to be beaten or made to quit. | unconquerable |
| inept | Having no skill at a task and doing it badly. | incompetent |
| insolent | Rude toward someone in a bold, cheeky way. | disrespectful |
| insuperable | Too big or hard to ever get past. | insurmountable |
| intermittent | Happening on and off, with breaks in between. | sporadic |
| jaunt | A short trip taken for fun. | outing |
| languid | Slow and relaxed, with little energy. | sluggish |
| laud | To praise someone or something strongly. | acclaim |
| loath | Not willing to do something, because you dislike it. | reluctant |
| magnate | A very rich and powerful person in a big business. | tycoon |
| malleable | Soft enough to be pressed or hammered into new shapes. | pliable |
| menial | Describing simple work that needs little skill and earns little respect. | lowly |
| mettle | The inner strength to keep going when things are hard. | fortitude |
| mirth | Joyful laughter and good fun. | merriment |
| misgiving | A feeling of doubt about whether something is wise. | qualm |
| morose | In a gloomy mood and unwilling to talk or smile. | sullen |
| nettle | To bother someone until they feel annoyed. | irk |
| nominal | Very small in amount, a sum so little it barely counts. | token |
| onerous | Hard to do and weighing heavily on you. | burdensome |
| ostracize | To leave a person out of the group on purpose. | shun |
| overwrought | So upset and tense that you cannot settle down. | distraught |
| pariah | A person that everyone keeps away from. | outcast |
| penitent | Feeling sorry for a wrong thing you did. | repentant |
| permeate | To spread into every part of something. | pervade |
| pillage | To steal from a town by force during a war or raid. | plunder |
| plaintive | Sounding sad and sorrowful, like a soft cry. | mournful |
| porous | Full of tiny holes that let liquid or air seep in. | permeable |
| portent | A warning sign of something big that is about to happen. | omen |
| preclude | To stop something from happening by acting ahead of time. | avert |
| precursor | Something that comes first and leads the way to what follows. | forerunner |
| protracted | Going on for much longer than expected. | prolonged |
| quandary | A tricky spot where you are not sure what to do. | dilemma |
| quell | To put an end to something by force, or to calm it down. | suppress |
| rancid | Smelling or tasting bad because it is old, like butter left out. | spoiled |
| rancor | Deep and bitter anger that lasts a long time. | resentment |
| raze | To knock a building flat so that nothing is left standing. | demolish |
| renounce | To formally say you will no longer keep a right or belief. | relinquish |
| repugnant | So unpleasant that it makes you feel sick. | abhorrent |
| respite | A short rest from something hard or unpleasant. | reprieve |
| restitution | Giving back or paying for what was lost or damaged. | compensation |
| revile | To say harsh, insulting things about someone. | vilify |
| ruminate | To think about something over and over for a long time. | ponder |
| scrimp | To spend as little as you can to save money. | economize |
| skulk | To move or hide in a sly way so no one sees you. | lurk |
| sodden | Wet all the way through, dripping. | saturated |
| spartan | Plain and simple, with no comfort or fancy extras. | austere |
| spurn | To reject someone or something in a proud, scornful way. | rebuff |
| squalid | Filthy and run down, in a way that is unpleasant to see. | grimy |
| squalor | A dirty, run-down, and miserable condition. | filth |
| staid | Calm and serious, not wild or showy. | sedate |
| stigma | A mark of disgrace that people put on someone. | shame |
| stoic | Bearing pain or trouble calmly and quietly. | uncomplaining |
| stolid | Showing very little feeling or reaction. | impassive |
| stringent | Very strict, with rules that are hard to meet. | rigorous |
| subjugate | To bring a group under your power by force. | subdue |
| supercilious | Acting as if you are better than other people. | haughty |
| talisman | An object thought to bring good luck or protect its owner. | amulet |
| teem | To be crowded with many living things moving about. | abound |
| temerity | The nerve to do something rude or risky. | audacity |
| tenable | Able to be backed up with good reasons when challenged. | defensible |
| tirade | A long, angry speech full of harsh words. | rant |
| upbraid | To scold someone sharply for something they did. | berate |
| urbane | Polite, smooth, and comfortable around all kinds of people. | suave |
| vacillate | To keep going back and forth when trying to decide. | waver |
| vestige | A small sign that something once existed there. | remnant |
| volatile | Likely to change quickly and without warning. | unstable |
| voluble | Having words roll out easily and often. | talkative |
| wistful | Sad in a quiet way because you wish for something. | yearning |
For words your child half knows, see synonym strategies.