verb

1 of 60

Other / Slowly

ebb - For the tidewater to slowly move out to sea; for an emotion to slowly lessen.

Quincy's feet weren't getting wet anymore as the tide ebbed from the beach.

noun

2 of 60

Good / Energy

pep - Energy or enthusiasm

Full of pep, Nicholas couldn't contain his excitement on the first day of summer vacation.

noun

3 of 60

Bad / Stupid

patsy - A person who is easily taken advantage of, especially by being cheated or blamed for something

To many conspiracy theorists, Lee Harvey Oswald was simply a patsy who did not work alone when JFK was assassinated.

noun

4 of 60

Good / Busy

hubbub - General excitement and activity

The Franklin family was both excited and confused by the hubbub of New York City during their 8 day vacation there.

noun

5 of 60

Bad / Strange

mongrel - A dog of no definable type or breed

Even though purebreed dogs are in high demand, mongrels are still popular because they combine the attributes of two different dogs in a hopefully positive way.

noun

6 of 60

Other / Shape

clump - A compacted mass or lump of something

Torrie was impressed that the small clump of soil was enough for a plant to sprout from it.

verb

7 of 60

Bad / Unfriendly

quibble - To argue or raise objections about a trivial matter

Scarlet couldn't wait until she quit her job as cashier so she could stop having to deal with customers who wanted to quibble about all the little things that bothered them about the store.

verb

8 of 60

Bad / Small

eke - To manage to support oneself or make a living with difficulty

Throughout the third world, many people can barely eke out a living from their small plot of land.

verb

9 of 60

Other / Slowly

slog - To move with determination against difficult obstacles

After their boat got stuck in the swamp, Anne, Joyce, and Mary climbed out and slogged through the swamp for an hour before they got to solid land.

verb

10 of 60

Bad / Small

dwindle - To diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength

The dodo bird population dwindled over time before finally going extinct.

noun

11 of 60

Other / Shape

blob - A fat, round drop, usually of something sticky or thick

There exists a certain type of fish that resembles a blob of liquid.

verb

12 of 60

Bad / Unfriendly

begrudge - To envy someone else's good fortune

Anne didn't begrudge her younger sister's happiness when attending Sarah's graduation from Medical School.

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