As 8th graders prepare for the rigors of high school, building a strong vocabulary is crucial for their academic success. By knowing more words, students will feel more confident when it comes to approaching complex texts, tackling writing assignments, and expressing their thoughts. Below, you’ll find 100 common vocabulary words that are appropriate for 8th grade students, many of which they’ll naturally encounter by the time they finish middle school.
| abundant |
cope |
fanfare |
malicious |
prodigal |
| adjacent |
debris |
forlorn |
malignant |
prudent |
| administer |
delirious |
forte |
mandatory |
rejuvenate |
| agile |
dexterity |
founder |
mar |
replenish |
| alleviate |
diatribe |
fundamental |
marginal |
repudiate |
| ambulatory |
didactic |
gruff |
meander |
respective |
| animosity |
dimension |
gullible |
menagerie |
ruse |
| arbitrary |
disdain |
haphazard |
morbid |
sanctuary |
| archaic |
disencumber |
horrific |
morose |
savory |
| ardent |
distraught |
hypothesis |
murky |
scoff |
| ascend |
ebb |
illuminate |
nonchalant |
solicitude |
| assail |
elusive |
immerse |
nostalgia |
specter |
| astute |
embellish |
imperturbable |
obliterate |
squabble |
| aversion |
energetic |
improvise |
opaque |
torrid |
| badger |
epic |
incomprehensible |
opulent |
tranquil |
| buff |
ergonomic |
inhibit |
ornate |
valiant |
| cavalier |
euphemism |
instantaneous |
painstaking |
vanguard |
| clairvoyance |
evident |
interminable |
peerless |
venomous |
| clemency |
exhibit |
legacy |
perceptive |
vulnerable |
| contemporary |
extol |
maim |
precipitation |
wince |
Teach your students these words and more with Prestwick House’s collection of vocabulary resources for 8th grade!