Vocabulary Grade 11 — Set 3: Meanings flashcards
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The third 100 of the 300 Grade 11 words, from wily and incredulous to inundate and ostracize: pronunciation, a plain definition and three example sentences, the most common use first.
Learn deck · part of Vocabulary Level 6 · Grade 11 · written against: Our own grade placement (VOCABULARY-PLAN.md): word frequency (wordfreq, CC BY-SA 4.0) and editorial review; no publisher's grade or word list is reproduced. Updated 2026-10-10.
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wily (adj.) · WIGH-leesly and crafty, good at using tricks to outwit others and get your wayCharacter & Behavior
The wily fox slipped past the farmer's traps once again.
On the court, Maya is wily, faking passes and stealing the ball.
Some translators call Homer's Odysseus wily, a hero who wins by tricks. -
incredulous (adj.) · in-KREJ-uh-luhsdoubting or refusing to accept that something is true; showing disbeliefFeelings & Attitudes
Fans were incredulous when the rookie hit his third home run of the game.
She gave the referee an incredulous stare after the call.
The judge sounded incredulous at the excuse that a dog ate the evidence.
Don't confuse with: incredible, "hard to believe": the story is incredible, the listener incredulous. -
intelligible (adj.) · in-TEL-uh-juh-buhlable to get its meaning across to a listener or readerThinking & Knowing
The announcer's words were barely intelligible over the roar of the crowd.
The professor made quantum physics intelligible to ordinary listeners.
The old recording is scratchy but still intelligible. -
diction (n.) · DIK-shuhnhow someone says words out loud, whether talking or singing; a writer's or speaker's choice of wordsSpeaking & Arguing
The choir director drilled our diction so every word was clear.
Actors practice tongue twisters to sharpen their diction.
The essay's formal diction felt stiff for a letter to a friend.
Root: Latin dictio, "act of speaking, speech," from dicere, "to say," as in dictate and dictionary. -
flounder (v.) · FLOWN-durto fumble for words or for a next step; to be failing; to thrash about in water or mudActions & Effort
Asked about the missing homework, Jamal floundered for an answer.
The new restaurant floundered and closed within a year.
Our dog floundered through the flooded yard, soaked and muddy.
Don't confuse with: founder, to collapse in total failure or, of a ship, to take on water and go under. -
dislodge (v.) · dis-LAHJto knock or work something loose from where it is stuck; to unseat someone who holds a strong positionChange & Growth
The Heimlich maneuver can dislodge food stuck in a person's throat.
A plumber used a long snake to dislodge the clog in the drain.
No challenger has managed to dislodge the champion from the top ranking. -
uptick (n.) · UHP-tika slight climb, especially in a figure or rateSize & Amount
Doctors reported an uptick in flu cases after winter break.
The bakery saw an uptick in sales when it began opening at six.
Ticket sales showed a modest uptick after the team's winning streak.
Origin: first a stock-market term for a trade at a higher price than the one before. -
passable (adj.) · PAS-uh-buhldecent enough to get by, though nothing special; clear of anything that would stop people from getting through or acrossQuality & Judgment
Ella's French is passable, but she still carries a phrasebook.
The band gave a passable performance despite missing its drummer.
After the plows came through, the mountain road was passable again. -
persecute (v.) · PUR-sih-kyootto target people with cruel, unfair abuse, often for who they are or what they believe; to harass someone constantlySociety & Power
Several Roman emperors persecuted early Christians for refusing to worship Roman gods.
Many Pilgrims came to America after being persecuted for their faith in England.
Online trolls persecuted the referee for weeks after the disputed call.
Don't confuse with: prosecute, to charge someone with a crime and try the case in court. -
iridescent (adj.) · ir-uh-DES-uhntglimmering with colors that shift from one to another as the light or your point of view movesNature & Time
Soap bubbles look iridescent when sunlight hits them.
The peacock spread its iridescent tail feathers of blue and green.
Turn an abalone shell over, and its lining shimmers with iridescent color.
Root: Greek iris, "rainbow," the word that also names the colored part of the eye.
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Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
Checked against:
- Senses, parts of speech and sense order checked against Merriam-Webster.com, the American Heritage Dictionary and the frequency-ordered Oxford, Longman and Cambridge learner's dictionaries; all definitions, notes and example sentences are original.
- Grade placement is our own, from wordfreq frequency data (CC BY-SA 4.0) and editorial review; no publisher's grade or word list is reproduced.
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