Ungifted: Unearthed–Unrepaired

by Gordon Korman
An administrative mistake lands troublemaker Donovan Kurtis at the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a prestigious school for gifted students.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Unearthed–Unrepaired, Unsurprised–Unforgivable, Unreal–Unlittered

Here is a link to our lists for Schooled by Gordon Korman.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. treason
    disloyalty by virtue of subversive behavior
    No bigmouth hung for treason; no "classe clowne" who they stuck in the stocks and threw rotten vegetables at.
  2. vantage
    the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
    “Why’d you say we’re going to lose, man?” asked Whelan Kaiser, starting center, peering down at the top of my head from his six-foot-four vantage.
  3. grotesque
    ludicrously odd
    I knew this because they were skulking in the bushes outside the detention room, making grotesque faces at me through the window.
  4. scoff
    treat with contemptuous disregard
    “No, he’s not,” scoffed the other Daniel—Daniel Nussbaum.
  5. belligerence
    hostile or warlike attitude or nature
    A kind of friendly belligerence came naturally to those two.
  6. titan
    a person of exceptional importance and reputation
    Seriously, I knew he was a titan; but I didn’t know that the most titanic thing about him was his caboose.
  7. celestial
    of or relating to the sky
    The celestial sphere shivered too, rocking dizzily on his muscular shoulders.
  8. careen
    move sideways or in an unsteady way
    The big bronze globe careened down the hill toward the gym, picking up speed as it went.
  9. pulverize
    make into a powder by breaking up or cause to become dust
    It pulverized the glass doors, sending up a blizzard of shards that obscured the entrance.
  10. burdensome
    not easily borne or endured; causing hardship
    So when I took time out of my busy schedule and burdensome duties to attend a middle school basketball game, I expected to see orderly students, good sportsmanship, and happy alumni.
  11. culprit
    someone or something responsible for harm or wrongdoing
    The culprit lay in the flattened path, raised up on his elbows, staring at the damage, guilty.
  12. traction
    the friction between a body and a surface on which it moves
    The boy tried to scramble up and run, but he couldn’t get any traction on the squashed turf.
  13. battalion
    a large indefinite number
    The first led to the second, and pretty soon they were coming at you in battalions.
  14. chagrin
    strong feelings of embarrassment
    Sudden overpowering chagrin.
  15. deploy
    place troops or weapons in battle formation
    She was twenty-six, and had moved back in with us while her husband was deployed to Afghanistan with the Marines.
  16. melancholy
    characterized by or causing or expressing sadness
    But Katie lapsed into a melancholy silence, a far-off expression in her eyes.
  17. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    At each open door, hostile faces glowered out at me.
  18. listless
    lacking zest or vivacity
    But the cinnamon chow chow that slunk into our house was listless and mewling.
  19. aptitude
    inherent ability
    Come to think of it, I remembered the day all the nerds and brainiacs took the special aptitude test to see who got into the gifted program.
  20. inexplicable
    incapable of being explained or accounted for
    It seemed crazy, but it did explain the two inexplicable things going on in my life right now: 1) why Schultz hadn’t come to kill me yet, and 2) why I’d just been invited to go to genius school.
  21. languid
    lacking spirit or liveliness
    His eyes strayed to the hall, where the languid chow chow was chewing on his newspaper, reducing it to an inky pulp.
  22. merit
    any admirable or beneficial attribute
    It was a certificate of merit I’d received for perfect attendance at school.
  23. conceivable
    capable of being imagined
    We had kids who had set academic records, and published books, and won every conceivable prize and honor.
  24. lukewarm
    feeling or showing little interest or enthusiasm
    There was a very lukewarm chorus of greeting.
  25. unravel
    become or cause to become undone by separating the fibers of
    If Donovan had inquired about unraveling the genetic code, Noah would have said that was easy too.
  26. flustered
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
    And Jacey became so genuinely flustered by the newcomer’s presence that she asked him which of the earth’s continental plates was his favorite.
  27. interrogation
    formal systematic questioning
    I was only trying to be friendly, and he was acting like this was a CIA interrogation under hot lights.
  28. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    “Donovan’s cool,” she offered tentatively.
  29. dubiously
    in a doubtful manner
    “One bolt,” Chloe repeated dubiously.
  30. cackle
    a loud laugh suggestive of a hen's sound after laying an egg
    A convulsive high-pitched cackling filled the lab.
  31. savagely
    in a vicious manner
    “Way to go," Abigail told Donovan savagely.
  32. reluctant
    not eager
    He was reluctant to talk about his experiences at Hardcastle Middle.
  33. brandish
    move or swing back and forth
    Noah brandished the flip cam, and Abigail worked the joystick, sending our work in progress on its first trial run.
  34. relinquish
    part with a possession or right
    Eyes shooting sparks, Abigail relinquished it, and Donovan put Tin Man through his paces.
  35. prospect
    the possibility of future success
    Well, I was thrilled for the team and tantalized at the prospect of finally giving Cold Spring Harbor a run for their money.
Created on Wed Jul 06 17:39:16 EDT 2016 (updated Tue May 10 10:33:34 EDT 2022)

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