Are you wondering what words you should know as a 9th grader? Well here is a set of 9th grade vocabulary words to get you started.
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 9th grade vocabulary 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 9th grade vocabulary words that you should know.
9th Grade Vocabulary
1: Absolve: To set or to declare that they are free from guilt or blame.
Forgetting to feed the dog does not absolve him from his responsibility as a pet owner.
The judge absolved the student’s crime.
Synonyms: excuse, let off, spare, release, exempt
Antonyms: blame, condemn, punish
2: Animosity: a strong hostility or dislike.
Jackie holds animosity towards Todd because he ate his last cookie.
You should not hold so much animosity for her since it’s been three years since your last fight.
Synonyms: hatred, resentment, hostility, hate, bitterness
Antonyms: respect, happiness, love, friendship, sympathy
3: Imply: To strongly suggest something that is not expressed directly.
Her quick text replies may imply that she is interested in you.
Responding quickly does not imply that I like you.
Synonyms: hint, entail, mention, suggest, signify
Antonyms: define, express, state
4: Cursory: Overly hasty, causing a lack of thoroughness.
After the hiring manager took a cursory glance through the stack of resumes, she picked the one with the most experience.
The student took a cursory look at the clock ten minutes before the testing time was up.
Synonyms: brief, quick, random, superficial, hurried
Antonyms: careful, detailed, meticulous, complete, thorough
5: Dilemma: A situation that has 2 or more difficult choices to make.
Alvin has a dilemma between taking Theodore or Simon on a vacation.
The bus driver faces a dilemma when there is a car crash and traffic on the way to school.
Synonyms: problem, mess, plight, crisis, difficulty
Antonyms: solution, advantage, resolution
6: Dissent: A difference of opinion.
The crowd grew dissent during the line to vote.
Charlie ignored the sounds of dissent from his cat as he gave her a bath.
Synonyms: objection, opposition, protest, resistance, disunity
Antonyms: agreement, acceptance, conformity, harmony, approval
7: Elicit: To evoke or draw out a response or answer from someone.
The investigator could not elicit a response from the suspect.
A welcoming environment is more likely to elicit participation than a hostile environment.
Synonyms: evoke, extract, obtain, extort, bring out
Antonyms: ignore, neglect, overlook, disregard, miss
8: Distort: To change from the original into something different.
History seems to distort as time passes.
Having braces will distort her facial structure in two years.
Synonyms: alter, twist, warp, bend, deceive
Antonyms: preserve, improve, keep, stay, represent
9: Isolate: To keep something or someone alone and apart from others.
We should not isolate new students who joined later in the year.
You should isolate the whites from the colored clothing when you do your laundry.
Synonyms: confine, detach, disconnect, divide, separate
Antonyms: connect, combine, attach, join, unite
10: Abstract: Existing as an idea, however not physical nor concrete existence.
Learning 9th grade vocabulary is not an abstract topic.
Even though her love was abstract, her actions were not.
Synonyms: hypothetical, philosophical, complex, unreal, abstruse
Antonyms: real, actual, simple, concrete, objective
11: Abundant: A large amount of something.
There is an abundant number of college grads each year.
This season, there is an abundant amount of flowers.
Synonyms: rich, sufficient, bountiful, ample, generous
Antonyms: insufficient, lacking, rare, scarce, depleted
12: Jeopardize: To put someone or something in a dangerous situation.
You should not jeopardize your future by cheating on this test.
Eating a lot of junk food, staying up late, and staying mobile for long periods will jeopardize your health.
Synonyms: threaten, imperil, risk, gamble, put in danger
Antonyms: protect, guard, plan, save, defend
13: Diligent: Showing great care and detail when doing things.
The doctors are diligent in each surgery operation.
Mimi’s grandma is always diligent when she knits.
Synonyms: careful, attentive, persistent, conscientious, earnest
Antonyms: careless, inattentive, neglectful, thoughtless, disinterested
14: Turmoil: A state of chaos, disturbance, and uncertainty.
The bride was in a state of turmoil after her dress ripped.
Teddy was in turmoil after he lost his pens before his exam.
Synonyms: disturbance, anxiety, confusion, riot, turbulence
Antonyms: calm, composed, tranquil, order, peace
15: Valid: correct, allowed, or logically correct.
Each of the students on the debate team has a valid point.
Samantha’s movie ticket was not valid after it fell in a puddle.
Synonyms: credible, legal, legitimate, true, authentic
Antonyms: counterfeit, fake, illegitimate, invalid, unreliable
16: Dearth: A lack of something.
There is a dearth of quality teachers.
After the drought, there is a dearth of water.
Synonyms: absence, shortage, deficiency, lack, inadequacy
Antonyms: plenty, abundance, plenty, sufficient, enough
17: Mandatory: Required in some way, some actions are required by law.
It is mandatory to have a passport when you travel out of the country.
Parents have a mandatory duty to look after their children.
Synonyms: compulsory, essential, imperative, obligatory, binding
Antonyms: optional, nonessential, voluntary, unnecessary, free
18: Traumatic: Emotionally, or physical trauma.
Sophia has a traumatic experience of the dark after she went through twenty haunted houses.
Alex has a traumatic memory of the water because he drowned when he was younger.
Synonyms: awful, alarming, grim, horrible, horrifying
Antonyms: calm, comforting, pleasing
19: Evaluate: To form an idea about or to access it.
Arnold tried to evaluate how many 9th grade vocabulary words he should learn.
Rina did not evaluate the food on its taste but on its appearance.
Synonyms: assess, check, gauge, classify, decide
Antonyms: complicate, distort, obscure muddle, puzzle
20: Feign: To pretend or fake an excuse for something.
Ron tried to feign sickness to skip school on Monday.
The deer feign dead to avoid being eaten by the lion.
Synonyms: act, bluff, fabricate, fake, forge
Antonyms: honest, reveal, uncover, expose, come clean
21: Gist: the meaning, or substance of an item.
She got the gist of the passage after skimming the beginning and ending paragraphs.
Ross did not get the gist of what Joey was implying.
Synonyms: summary, basis, drift, idea, point
Antonyms: abstract, meaningless, nothing, insignificance, surface
22: Contrast: To be different or to oppose the other strikingly.
There was a stark contrast between the room in the morning as compared to nighttime.
The contrast of pastel blue and royal red makes this room more interesting.
Synonyms: distinction, comparison, disagreement, diversity, opposition
Antonyms: similarity, harmony, agreement, equality, likeness
23: Impartial: Treating all disputants, or rivals all equal.
The kids got impartial care from the caretakers.
The manager must remain impartial when there is a conflict between a rowdy customer and a helpless employee.
Synonyms: fair, objective, open-minded, unbiased, unprejudiced
Antonyms: unfair, biased, discriminating, subjective, prejudiced
24: Depict: To show in art or drawings.
The younger sister’s drawings of her older sister depict her longing for her after she went to college.
It is difficult to depict horror in a child story with fairy tales.
Synonyms: illustrate, portray, represent, interpret, characterize
Antonyms: conceal, suppress, hide, distort, refrain
25: Diversion: A distraction or an activity that changes the mind from serious issues to playful activities.
Learning 9th grade vocabulary words is one of Kyla’s favorite diversions.
The constant honking was a major diversion for the new driver.
Synonyms: departure, detour, distraction, variation, deflection
Antonyms: seriousness, task, chore
26: Vulnerable: Susceptible to possible harm, be it physical or emotional.
The seedling is vulnerable to harsh weather conditions.
Babies are vulnerable to super loud noises.
Synonyms: defenseless, liable, exposed, susceptible, weak
Antonyms: protected, guarded, secure, unsusceptible, strong
27: Simulate: To imitate or be similar in appearance or character to something.
Martha tried to simulate a bed for her kitty with a large pillow and a fluffy blanket.
The clanging of the pots and pans was used to simulate a loud environment for the play.
Synonyms: mimic, replicate, reproduce, resemble, imitate
Antonyms: original, oppose, differ
28: Boycott: to refuse to participate in a commercial dealing with an organization.
The workers decided to boycott the milk factory since they were adding chemicals to their products.
Environmental activists started to boycott cars and opt for bicycles to generate less pollution in the world.
Synonyms: reject, exclude, refuse, avoid, cut off
Antonyms: accept, approve, allow, welcome, permit
29: Cower: To curl up from fear.
The chicks cower in fear when there is thunder.
Amy does not cower when the shower head suddenly sprayed water.
Synonyms: flinch, recoil, tremble, wince, crouch
Antonyms: confront, firm, stay, steady, calm
30: Deign: To perform an action that is below one’s dignity.
Angelica did not deign to reply to the bully and reported them.
He did not deign to glance at the muddy fields.
Synonyms: condescend, consent, patronize, stoop, think fit
Antonyms: refuse, oppose, hold head high
31: Dialogue: A conversation between two.
Martha did not understand the dialogue between her two dogs.
There was little dialogue in the play but it did not take away the fantastic story.
Synonyms: conversation, exchange, discussion, communication, chat
Antonyms: silence, monologue, quiet
32: Fallacy: A misconception from incorrect facts or logic.
It is a fallacy that taller people are older than shorter people.
She did not believe the fallacy that the twitching of the left eye brings bad luck.
Synonyms: inconsistency, deception, delusion, falsehood, paradox
Antonyms: accuracy, truth, certain, honesty, conformity
33: Heritage: Something that is inherited.
The tourists are proud of their heritage.
Inside the cave lies the 300-year heritage of the people who lived here.
Synonyms: culture, ancestry, custom, legacy, tradition
Antonyms: descendants, offspring, death
34: Hypocrisy: Something which contradicts someone’s own beliefs.
The rowdy students dislike the hypocrisy the teachers were showing for the model students when they got in trouble.
It is hypocrisy to pray for luck if you don’t believe in God.
Synonyms: deceit, deception, dishonesty, insincerity, mockery
Antonyms: honesty, trustworthiness, sincerity, openness, frankness
35: Jaunty: A cheerful, lively, or egotistical air.
She was jaunty towards the holiday season.
The students were jaunty to learn 9th grade vocabulary words.
Synonyms: carefree, buoyant, jovial, playful, jolly
Antonyms: sad, depressed, unhappy, lifeless, lethargic
Interested in learning more vocabulary? Check out 50 12th Grade Spelling Bee Words That You Must Know.
36: Labyrinth: A complex system of paths, synonymous with a maze.
The university was like a labyrinth compared to Randy’s high school.
When it turns dark, the streets feel like a labyrinth.
Synonyms: maze, tangle, puzzle, network, jungle
Antonyms: order, simplicity, ease
37: Deduction: To remove a part from a whole.
It was a reasonable deduction that the thief escaped through the window since there were fingerprints on the glass.
Even after the deduction, it was still too expensive to purchase that car.
Synonyms: answer, assumption, consideration, discount, rebate
Antonyms: addition, expand, increase, strengthen, lengthen
38: Immune: How something is unaffected by something else.
Olaf is immune to the cold since he stays in the snow most of the time.
Our immune system protects us when we get sick.
Synonyms: resistant, unaffected, exempt, safe, insusceptible
Antonyms: susceptible, unprotected, unguarded, vulnerable, hindered
39: Inference: The conclusion made from clues and evidence.
There is an inference that there is an exponential growth of trash based on the increased population and limited land space.
The three little pigs did not get eaten and, by inference, they are smarter than the wolf.
Synonyms: interpretation. Assumption, reasoning, presumption, supposition
Antonyms: proof, truth, fact, reality, certainty
40: Nocturnal: Being active only at night time.
Many teens are becoming nocturnal since they like to stay up at night.
Owls are the most common nocturnal animals that we know of.
Synonyms: night, nighttime, after dark, late, crepuscular
Antonyms: daily, diurnal, daytime, morning, afternoon
41: Outrageous: something that exceeds bondings of logic, or reason.
It is outrageous that you tripped at the same spot three times in a row.
Vincent thinks it’s outrageous that his sister takes four showers a day.
Synonyms: excessive, shocking, unreasonable, scandalous, brazen
Antonyms: acceptable, delightful, gentle, magnificent, reasonable
42: Protagonist: The main character in a story.
I knew that the protagonist didn’t die!
The protagonist always encounters a conflict but solves it in the end.
Synonyms: central figure, main character, principal player, lead character, star
Antonyms: antagonist, minor character, rival, foe, villain
43: Renegade: Someone who rebels or becomes an outlaw.
Two nurses tried to catch the renegade patient who did not want to get a shot.
There was a renegade student who ditched class.
Synonyms: rebellious, traitor, outlaw, rebel, escapee
Antonyms: follower, loyalist, faithful, disciple, disciple
44: Spectrum: A variety of objects, values, or qualities marked from least to most extreme.
The principal received a spectrum of opinions from the teachers and parents.
Mental health includes a spectrum of different conditions that should be targeted specifically.
Synonyms: range, extent, span, scale, field
Antonyms: extreme, constraint, part, restriction, limitation
45: Stereotype: A expectation, conventional view of an object.
The babysitter has a stereotype that children who talk a lot are troublesome.
It is a stereotype that only girls can like the color pink.
Synonyms: pattern, mold, regulate, define, normalize
Antonyms: differentiate, distinction, variation, uniqueness, originality
46: Symbiosis: The dependent positive relationship between two organisms.
There is a symbiosis between sharks and pilot fish in the ocean.
Corals are in symbiosis with algae since corals provide shelter and algae provide food for the coral.
Synonyms: assistance, collaboration, partnership, unity, aid
Antonyms: disunity, division, disagreement, disunion, separation
47: Tranquility: A calm and quiet space that has little to no disturbances.
The couple enjoyed the tranquility when their kids were at school.
Arnold loved the tranquility of the movie theater at late night when there was nobody.
Synonyms: serene, calm, stillness, order, peacefulness
Antonyms: chaos, disturbance, turbulence, loudness, noise
48: Unanimous: In complete agreement.
The club president was elected by a unanimous vote.
Twelve jurors reached a unanimous verdict that the suspect was innocent.
Synonyms: unified, in agreement, uncontested, harmonious, like-minded
Antonyms: divided, split, differing, conflicting, disharmonious
49: Wretched: A poor state in which it is deserving of pity.
The school cafeteria serves wretched food.
Kelly feels wretched after getting sick with a fever.
Synonyms: hopeless, miserable, pathetic, tragic, despicable
Antonyms: cheerful, excellent, encouraged, comforting, happy
50: Recede: To pull back from, or retreat.
The high waves did not recede so visitors were not able to go into the ocean.
None of the soldiers wanted to recede which made them win the war of their courage.
Synonyms: decrease, reduce, diminish, retreat, lessen
Antonyms: enlarge, enhance, grow, increase, prolong
This post was all about 9th grade vocabulary words that you need to know.
