Are you wondering what spelling bee words you should know as a 12th grader? Check out how many of these 12th grade spelling bee words you already know!
Here is a set of 12th grade spelling bee words to get you started.
Even if you are not participating in a spelling bee, this is a list of great words to expand your vocabulary capacity.
Each word will also contain several examples to help you understand the context and when to use them.
One of the best ways to learn 12th grade spelling bee words is to have synonyms and antonyms to bridge the gap between words you know and newer words.
Test how many words you know and which words are new to you.
This post is all about 12th grade spelling bee words that you should know.
12th Grade Spelling Bee Words
1. Maul: A wound inflicted by claws, scratching, and or tearing.
An angry bear will maul wandering people.
The debater was mauled by the protesters.
Synonyms: trample, thrash, beat up, pummel, batter
Antonyms: protect, surrender, lose, help, assist
2. Obituary: A notice of death is usually put in a biography or newspaper.
Yesterday, I read about Washington’s obituary in the newspaper.
Donna was shocked to read about the obituary of her teacher in the news.
Synonyms: announcement, eulogy, obit, death notice, necrology
Antonyms: birth announcement
3. Anachronistic: The person or item belonging to a different period than shown.
The historical costumes were anachronistic for the medieval era.
Ana’s phone was anachronistic in the historical movie.
Synonyms: ancient, out-of-date, dated, antiquated, extinct
Antonyms: modern, new, current, present, up-to-date
4. Prosperity: A state of great success.
The teacher wished the students happiness and prosperity.
Harold prayed for prosperity after he lost his job.
Synonyms: growth, accomplishment, success, well-being, fortune
Antonyms: failure, loss, poverty, disadvantage, shrinkage
5. Machiavellian: Cunning, scheming, planning, usually in politics.
The three men thought of a machiavellian plot behind closed doors.
A machiavellian scheme was brewing from the princes who wanted to overtake the throne.
Synonyms: astute, calculating, cunning, crafty, deceitful
Antonyms: moral, conscientious, honorable, ethical, scrupulous
6. Procrastinate: To delay work further and further until it nearly reaches the time limit.
Don’t procrastinate or the work will pile up before the deadline!
I am not procrastinating, I am just going to do it tomorrow.
Synonyms: dawdle, drag, postpone, stall, linger
Antonyms: complete, carry out, expedite, hasten, hurry
7. Subtle: A quiet sublime way to do something.
Susan tried to be subtle, but her coach caught her arriving late.
Arnold couldn’t help but notice the subtle glances when he walked into class wearing a cheetah-printed outfit.
Synonyms: indirect, slight, faint, sophisticated, exquisite
Antonyms: harsh, honest, ignorant, noisy, open
8. Sear: Burn or scorch the surface with heat.
Charlie tried to sear the steak but it left a large burnt mark instead.
Sear the lamb chops in salt, pepper, and spice to keep the juices in.
Synonyms: scorch, sizzle, toast, cook, parch
Antonyms: wet, moisten, freeze, grow, bloom
9. Enhance: To increase the value of something.
The bold eye shadows helped enhance her fierce look on Halloween.
A sprinkle of parsley really enhances the overall look of the pasta.
Synonyms: boost, enlarge, increase, intensify, upgrade
Antonyms: weaken, demote, lower, neglect, lessen
10. Precious: Of high value.
Amelia pondered where her precious time went when she had to go to school after break.
Water is very precious to a thirsty man trapped in a desert.
Synonyms: adored, beloved, loved, cherished, inestimable
Antonyms: worthless, unwanted, undesirable, contemptible, unwelcome
11. Stability: A state of being stable.
It is difficult to maintain stability in the town because of divided opinions.
You have better employment stability if you have skills, a degree, and a heart to learn.
Synonyms: balance, security, support, strength, establishment
Antonyms: instability, uncertainty, weakness, insecurity, doubt
12. Usurp: To take a position of high importance via force or illegally.
The knight wanted to usurp the throne.
All of the villagers wanted to usurp the tyrant’s position.
Synonyms: take, swipe, annex, grab, displace
Antonyms: reject, surrender, give in, let go, release
13. Tart: A pastry treat with usually an egg filling.
Maya’s grandma makes the best fruit tarts in the summer.
The children loved the mini tarts at the birthday party.
Synonyms: pie, turnover, bun, caustic, acid
Antonyms: mild, bland, calm, sweet, nice
14. Vitality: The power giving the continuation of life.
She was full of energy and vitality despite her age.
The college students were bursting with vitality after getting a full night’s sleep.
Synonyms: energy, stamina, strength, vigor, endurance
Antonyms: weakness, incompetence, inactivity, lethargy, laziness
15. Patron: Someone who sponsors or supports something.
The foundation was a patron of the middle school.
Charlie is a patron of the chocolate factory.
Synonyms: advocate, philanthropist, sponsor, supporter, benefactor
Antonyms: owner, opposition, opponent, enemy, detractor
16. Intrepid: Someone who is adventurous, and fearless usually in a comedic way.
The intrepid young lad went on all of the roller coasters and haunted houses in the amusement park.
None of the explorers were intrepid enough to enter the cave.
Synonyms: heroic, fearless, courageous, bold, daring
Antonyms: afraid, fearful, cowardly, meek, timid
17. Lobbyist: Someone who organizes to influence legislators.
There were three lobbyists surrounding the legislator about environmental changes.
Two lobbyists were chatting with the senator on differing views.
Synonyms: activist, persuasion, conversion, urging, influencing
Antonyms: dissuader, antagonist, conventional, challenger, critic
18. Celestial: Something from the heavens or related.
The bride looked celestial with her white gown and soft light pouring behind her.
Angela believes in celestial beings since she saw a faint glow that looked like an angel.
Synonyms: immortal, supernatural, angelic, spiritual, ethereal
Antonyms: earthly, mortal, temporal, mundane, terrestrial
19. Obnoxious: Something or someone that is extremely unpleasant.
The alarm clock was obnoxious to the student waking up.
Lydia thinks her brother is obnoxious when he plays video games loudly.
Synonyms: annoying, rotten, unpleasant, detestable, displeasing
Antonyms: friendly, nice, moral, pleasant, welcome
20. Negotiate: To obtain via talking or arguing.
The renter was able to negotiate a lower price with the landlord.
All the strikers wanted to negotiate for better wages and working conditions.
Synonyms: consult, haggle, settle, accommodate, debate
Antonyms: refuse, disagree, deny, disarrange, contend
21. Ephemeral: Something that lasts a short time.
The flowers were ephemeral yet beautiful.
Ivy thought that cloud was ephemeral when she glanced at it before it disappeared.
Synonyms: short-lived, fleeting, temporary, brief, flitting
Antonyms: long-lived, perpetual, lasting, permanent, eternal
22. Sequester: Isolate or hide away.
The patients had to sequester themselves from the visitors since they can transmit their disease.
Allison decided to sequester herself from her neighbors since they saw her dancing in front of the yard.
Synonyms: close off, segregate, hide, separate, cut off
Antonyms: uncover, reveal, make public, tell, bring out
23. Trite: Something that lacks importance or is of little value.
The teacher told the students that no questions are trite.
After the ceremony and many remarks, the repetitive message seemed trite.
Synonyms: common, ordinary, routine, stereotyped, used
Antonyms: new, original, fresh, uncommon, desirable
24. Poignancy: The ability to evoke sadness.
There was poignancy echoed throughout her writing.
The boy felt overwhelmed with poignancy as he stared at the pictures of his deceased grandmother.
Synonyms: sadness, unhappiness, pathos, concentration, passion
Antonyms: unaffecting, unmoving, numb, blunt, indifferent
25. Illustrious: Well-known and respected.
The professor has been illustrious with his career in teaching science.
Martin Luther King Jr. is an illustrious figure in the civil rights movement.
Synonyms: splendid, noble, outstanding, remarkable, eminent
Antonyms: insignificant, ordinary, regular, unremarkable, unknown
26. Gaudy: A point of extravagance that is considered poor taste.
The Halloween party was gaudy with too many skeletons and spider webs.
Teresa’s graduation seemed gaudy with too many gold-colored plates, decorations, and food.
Synonyms: flashy, showy, crude, blatant, splashy
Antonyms: normal, modest, calm, plain, simple
27. Indispensable: Incredibly important to the point of being absolutely necessary.
Education is indispensable in society because knowledge is power.
Burgers and fries are an indispensable combo.
Synonyms: crucial, essential, imperative, vital, necessary
Antonyms: extra, inessential, minor, trivial, dispensable
28. Privilege: The special right or something granted upon.
The club executive members have the privilege to attend the conference meeting.
Tracy has the privilege to sing the opening song for the baseball game.
Synonyms: benefit, advantage, entitlement, exemption, authority
Antonyms: restriction, loss, disadvantage, hindrance, detriment
29. Maneuver: A series of moves and movements that requires skill and special care.
The new driver had a hard time trying to maneuver the car out of the right lane.
It is difficult to maneuver in this heavy traffic.
Synonyms: navigate, steer, guide, scheme, measure
Antonyms: inaction, inactivity, stoppage, stay in place, relative
30. Acquit: To free someone from a criminal charge or punishment.
The jurors decided to acquit the trial since they all got into an accident on the freeway.
After the suspect was taken, he was not able to acquit his charges for drunk driving.
Synonyms: discharge, absolve, free, let go, vindicate
Antonyms: charge, condemn, convict, hold, incriminate
31. License: A special permit from an authority to allow someone to do something.
Sandra hosted a party after she got her driver’s license on the third try.
You need a different license for driving motorcycles, airplanes, and buses.
Synonyms: authorization, certificate, permit, warrant, consent
Antonyms: denial, restriction, limitation, prohibition, restraint
32. Bireme: An ancient warship with oars on its side.
The bireme has only appeared in history books and ancient folktales.
He was the last person to have seen a bireme before they disappeared.
Synonyms: rowboat, trireme, galleon, dinghy, galiot
Antonyms: modern boat, tech ship
33. Hegemony: the leader or dominance, by one country or group over others.
The judge enjoyed his hegemony over the court.
Three students fought for hegemony over the role of president.
Synonyms: command, authority, power, leadership, predominance
Antonyms: incapacity, powerlessness, weakness, inability, subordination
34. Mountebank: Someone who scams someone else out of money.
He was a mountebank who got into pyramid schemes and lied to people.
The organization is shady and the leader is a mountebank, who keeps on fooling his followers.
Synonyms: cheat, swindler, imposter, con person, rip off
Antonyms: straight shooter, altruist, philanthropist, helper, samaritan
35. Fibranne: A fabric made from rayon, often woven to be in likeness to linen.
The coat was made of fibranne and took six hours to make.
She used fibranne to make a set of clothes.
Synonyms: fabric, linen, material, cloth, sheet
Antonyms: not linen, not fabric
36. Idiosyncrasy: A contradiction, such as needing to sleep with a light on.
Taylor has an idiosyncrasy of hiccuping each time he eats too fast.
She has an idiosyncrasy of stretching each time she wakes up.
Synonyms: peculiarity, trait, mannerism, eccentricity, quirk
Antonyms: normality, usualness, commonality, similarity, generality
37. Miasma: An unpleasant smell or vapor.
There was a thick miasma in the landfill after it rained.
A heavy miasma brewed from smoke and alcohol.
Synonyms: fumes, odor, gas, smell, stench
Antonyms: perfume, sweetness, fragrance aroma, redolence
38. Lavaliere: A pendant that is hung from a fine necklace.
He gifted her a lavaliere for their fifth anniversary.
Amy made a lavaliere with a gold chain and a crystal.
Synonyms: bracelet, coupling, link, locket, pendant
Antonyms: unsupported jewelry, not hanging jewelry
39. Reconciliation: To become friendly again.
The village wished for reconciliation with the newcomers.
It took three protests, two discussions, and one debate to reach reconciliation between the workers and the employer.
Synonyms: harmony, agreement, compromise, accord, settlement
Antonyms: dissension, disagreement, competition
40. Zealot: Someone who is fanatical about religion, beliefs, or ideals.
He was a zealot on 12th grade spelling bee words.
Tenney became a zealot for praying and sacrificing.
Synonyms: advocate, partisan, extremist, fanatic, radical
Antonyms: independent, unbiased, nonpartisan, bipartisan, two-way
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41. Divergent: Tendency to offshoot or change or develop into different directions.
The parents had divergent views on raising their kids.
They went on divergent paths after college to pursue their dreams.
Synonyms: disparate, diverse, various, conflicting, contradictory
Antonyms: equal, homogeneous, standard, normal, uniform
42. Frondescence: When leaves of a plant start to unfold.
It was difficult to capture the frondescence of the plant since it occurred over night.
They were able to see the frondescence of the flower through the recording.
Synonyms: growth, vegetation, leafage
Antonyms: death, wilt
43. Sanctimonious: Making a great show to display moral superiority.
The director was sanctimonious during his speech at the welcoming party.
Thomas appeared to be sanctimonious since he ignored others and only deemed himself important.
Synonyms: insincere, hypocritical, smug, insincere, pious
Antonyms: piety, wicked, sincere, modest, humble
44. Rudimentary: Something that is simple and revolves around basic principles.
These 12th grade spelling bee words are not rudimentary and require some studying.
You need to understand the rudimentary parts of math to get the more complex concepts later.
Synonyms: simple, primitive, beginning, embryonic, basal
Antonyms: intricate, difficult, complicated, sophisticated, complex
45. Infinitesimal: Something that is extremely tiny.
The sand is infinitesimal compared to the ocean.
Her percentage of winning the lottery is infinitesimal.
Synonyms: minuscule, microscopic, negligible, miniature, little
Antonyms: giant, large, huge, important, significant
46. Remittance: A sum of money that is given to someone, either through the mail, in payment, or a gift.
She received a remittance after helping out her aunt with the store.
Each month he receives a remittance from a mysterious account.
Synonyms: alimony, aid, contribution, pension, stipend
Antonyms: loss, forfeit, nonpayment
47. Oriflamme: Usually a rallying banner for a struggle.
The middle school created an oriflamme to raise awareness about climate change.
Their oriflamme blew in the sky as they marched towards independence.
Synonyms: banner, emblem, pennant, standard, streamer
Antonyms: nonstandard, abnormal, unorthodox
48. Prophylactic: Something that is used to stop.
Dental sealants and fluoride toothpaste are great prophylactic measures to prevent cavities.
The doctor recommended prophylactic therapy to help with her pain.
Synonyms: preventative, contraceptive, prophylactic device
Antonyms: adventurous, septic, insecurity
49. Dentifrice: A powder or paste that is used to whiten teeth.
The dentifrice was made with baking soda and some water.
Randy used dentifrice to whiten his teeth.
Synonyms: paste, gel, adhesive
Antonyms: nonsticky, liquid
50. Jodhpurs: Full-length trousers that are worn for horse riding.
Joshua wore jodhpurs for horse riding.
The tourists all brought jodhpurs for their event the next day.
Synonyms: slacks, trousers, underpants, knickers, shorts
Antonyms: not dressed, undress
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