Words in the News Quiz
5 High School Words
Click on the correct answer in the quiz below.
Then see if you can find the word in your newspaper -- the print edition, the website or the digital edition and copy the sentence for context. NOTE: High School words are much harder to find!
1. Diffident
► A stock of terms used in a particular profession, subject, or style; a vocabulary:
► The art or study of correct spelling according to established usage.
► Lacking or marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy and timid.
2. Bowdlerize
► Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree.
► Warlike in manner or temperament; pugnacious.
► Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective.
► To modify, as by shortening or simplifying or by skewing the content in a certain manner.
3. Expurgate
► Quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment or insight.
► To endow with the rights of citizenship, especially the right to vote.
4. Churlish
► Having a bad disposition; surly.
► Vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor.
► Having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force; all-powerful.
► To insert or introduce between other elements or parts.
5. Xenophobe
► Having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force; all-powerful.
► To insert or introduce between other elements or parts.
LS.CCS.4/5/6 Grades 3-12: Students are asked to determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words through multiple choice vocabulary quizzes. Quizzes are designed to help students demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in words, acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words, and gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Students are then asked to find the words within the newspaper and copy the sentence for context to its overall meaning or function in a sentence.