Lesson 11

Lesson 11#1

Word Part of Speech

Definition Sentence

Acme noun The highest point of achievement

Receiving an Oscar for best actress was the acme of the star’s long and distinguished career.

Lesson 11#2

Word Part of Speech

Definition Sentence

Adept adjective Very skillful a) Marcy was so adept at crossword puzzles that she usually finished them in just a few minutes.

Lesson 11#3

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Definition Sentence

Aptitude noun a) Natural ability; talent

b) Quickness in understanding; intelligence

a) His strong legs, ability to jump, and competitive nature resulted in an aptitude for the sport of hurdling.

b) Her natural aptitude for math allowed for her to master complex calculations quickly.

Lesson 11#4

Word Part of Speech

Definition Sentence

astute adjective Having shrewd judgment; observant, clever, and cunning

The astute employee knew that being well liked might help him get promoted.

Lesson 11#5

Word Part of Speech

Definition Sentence

Finesse a) Verbb) Nounc) noun

a) To achieve a goal or handle a situation with subtle skill.

b) Refinement, delicacy, and skill

c) Subtle, skillful handling of a potential difficult situation.

a) I don’t know how he managed to finesse his way into that fancy party; he wasn’t invited.

b) Football player Walter Payton’s finesse as a nimble, graceful running back earned him the nickname “sweetness.”

c) Showing great finesse, the coach managed to offer suggestions without hurting her players’ confidence.

Lesson 11#6

Word Part of Speech

Definition Sentence

painstaking adjective Marked by or requiring great care; demanding extended or extreme effort, or diligence.

Separating delicate fossils from the surrounding soil is painstaking work.

Lesson 11#7

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Precocious adjective Showing unusually early development or maturity.

The precocious student graduated from medical school at the age of twenty-one.

Lesson 11#8

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Prodigy Noun A person, often young, with exceptional talents or powers.

Tiger Woods, a child prodigy, had won major golf titles by the time he was in his early twenties.

Lesson 11#9

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Definition Sentence

Resourceful Adjective Effective and imaginative in solving problems; practical

Lacking money to buy a formal dress for the party, my resourceful mom made me a beautiful outfit out of old curtains.

Lesson 11#10

Word Part of Speech

Definition Sentence

Virtuoso Noun A very skilled musician or other type of artist; an expert or master artist.

The singer was accompanied by an outstanding group of guitar virtuosos.