Naplan challenging words

Christopher P.
List of Naplan Challenging words published by ACARA. A few are missing as the website wouldn't give the definitions.
165 words 1876 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. acceleration
    an increase in rate of change
  2. accumulate
    get or gather together
  3. acquire
    come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
  4. acquisition
    something gained
  5. adolescent
    a person who is older than 12 but younger than 20
  6. adrenaline
    hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress
  7. advantageous
    giving a benefit
  8. aisle
    a long narrow passage (as in a cave or woods)
  9. ambiguous
    having more than one possible meaning
  10. annihilate
    kill in large numbers
  11. appreciate
    be fully aware of; realize fully
  12. appropriate
    suitable for a particular person, place, or situation
  13. artificial
    contrived by art rather than nature
  14. associate
    bring or come into action
  15. awkwardly
    in a clumsy manner
  16. basically
    in essence; at bottom or by one's (or its) very nature
  17. belligerence
    hostile or warlike attitude or nature
  18. beneficial
    promoting or enhancing well-being
  19. benefit
    something that aids or promotes well-being
  20. benevolent
    showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding
  21. biodegradable
    capable of being decomposed
  22. blase
    nonchalantly unconcerned
  23. brevity
    the attribute of being short or fleeting
  24. brilliance
    the quality of being extremely bright or glittering
  25. brusque
    rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
  26. camouflage
    an outward semblance misrepresenting the nature of something
  27. changeable
    subject to change
  28. colloquial
    characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
  29. colossal
    so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe
  30. column
    a line of units following one after another
  31. complementary
    serving to fill out, enhance, or supply what is lacking
  32. conscience
    motivation deriving from ethical or moral principles
  33. conscious
    having awareness of surroundings and sensations and thoughts
  34. consequently
    as a result
  35. controversial
    marked by or capable of causing disagreement
  36. controversy
    a dispute where there is strong disagreement
  37. correspond
    take the place of or be parallel or equivalent to
  38. courageous
    able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
  39. cylinder
    a surface generated by rotating a line around a fixed line
  40. debris
    the remains of something that has been destroyed
  41. deficient
    inadequate in amount or degree
  42. definite
    precise; explicit and clearly defined
  43. dependency
    relying on or being controlled by someone or something else
  44. desperate
    a person who is frightened and in need of help
  45. disadvantageously
    in a disadvantageous way; to someone's disadvantage
  46. discipline
    a system of rules of conduct or method of practice
  47. dramatically
    with respect to dramatic value
  48. effervescent
    giving off bubbles
  49. efficient
    being effective without wasting time, effort, or expense
  50. embarrassed
    feeling or caused to feel uneasy and self-conscious
  51. endeavour
    a purposeful or industrious undertaking
  52. environment
    the totality of surrounding conditions
  53. ethically
    in an ethical manner
  54. euphoric
    characterized by a feeling of well-being or elation
  55. exaggerate
    enlarge beyond bounds or the truth
  56. exhilarating
    making lively and joyful
  57. explanatory
    serving or intended to make clear
  58. facilitate
    make easier
  59. fascinating
    capable of arousing and holding the attention
  60. fluorescent
    emitting light during exposure to external radiant energy
  61. fulfill
    meet a want or need
  62. fulfilled
    completed to perfection
  63. gauge
    an instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity
  64. generalisation
    the process of formulating general concepts by abstracting common properties of instances
  65. grandeur
    the quality of being magnificent or splendid
  66. guarantee
    an unconditional commitment that something will happen
  67. guillotine
    instrument of execution used for beheading people
  68. haemoglobin
    a hemoprotein composed of globin and heme that gives red blood cells their characteristic color; function primarily to transport oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues
  69. hallucinate
    have illusions; perceive what is not actually there
  70. humanitarian
    marked by devotion to popular welfare
  71. inconsequential
    lacking worth or importance
  72. inconsolable
    sad beyond comforting
  73. incorporate
    make into a whole or make part of a whole
  74. indecipherable
    not easily decoded
  75. interrogate
    pose a series of questions to
  76. intrigue
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends
  77. invulnerable
    immune to attack; impregnable
  78. iridescent
    varying in color when seen in different lights
  79. irrelevant
    having no bearing on or connection with the subject at issue
  80. irresponsible
    showing lack of care for consequences
  81. judicial
    expressing careful judgment
  82. juxtapose
    place side by side
  83. kaleidoscope
    an optical toy in a tube
  84. leisure
    time available for ease and relaxation
  85. liquefy
    make a solid substance into a fluid, as by heating
  86. litigious
    of or relating to legal proceedings
  87. longevity
    the property of having lived for a considerable time
  88. luminescent
    emitting light not caused by heat
  89. magnificent
    characterized by grandeur
  90. manageable
    capable of being controlled
  91. manoeuvre
    a military training exercise
  92. mathematician
    a person skilled in the logic of quantity and arrangement
  93. mediaeval
    relating to or belonging to the Middle Ages
  94. miniature
    being on a very small scale
  95. mischievous
    naughtily or annoyingly playful
  96. misconstrue
    interpret in the wrong way
  97. naivete
    lack of sophistication or worldliness
  98. narcissist
    someone who is excessively self-centered
  99. necessary
    absolutely essential
  100. nonchalant
    marked by casual unconcern or indifference
  101. noticeable
    capable of being detected
  102. notoriety
    the state of being known for some unfavorable act or quality
  103. nuisance
    anything that disturbs, endangers life, or is offensive
  104. obnoxious
    causing disapproval or protest
  105. obscure
    not clearly understood or expressed
  106. obsessive
    characterized by an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation
  107. occasionally
    now and then or here and there
  108. occurrence
    an instance of something happening
  109. opaque
    not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy
  110. opinionated
    obstinate in your opinions
  111. outrageous
    greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
  112. parallel
    being everywhere equidistant and not intersecting
  113. peculiar
    beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
  114. pessimistic
    expecting the worst possible outcome
  115. physically
    in accord with physical laws
  116. possess
    have ownership of
  117. prevalence
    the quality of being widespread
  118. privileged
    blessed with special advantages
  119. psychiatrist
    a specialist in the treatment of mental disorders
  120. psychology
    the science of mental life
  121. queue
    a line of people or vehicles waiting for something
  122. quiescent
    being quiet or still or inactive
  123. racquet
    a sports implement used to strike a ball in various games
  124. rancour
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
  125. realistically
    in a realistic manner
  126. reminiscent
    serving to bring to mind
  127. remuneration
    paying for goods or services or to recompense for losses
  128. responsibility
    the social force that binds you to a course of action
  129. resurrect
    cause to become alive again
  130. resuscitate
    cause to regain consciousness
  131. rhythm
    an interval during which a recurring sequence occurs
  132. ricochet
    spring back; spring away from an impact
  133. rigorous
    strict; allowing no deviation from a standard
  134. sabotage
    a deliberate act of destruction or disruption
  135. sanctuary
    a consecrated place where sacred objects are kept
  136. scintillate
    emit or reflect light in a flickering manner
  137. separate
    standing apart; not attached to or supported by anything
  138. significance
    the quality of being important
  139. silhouette
    a filled-in drawing of the outline of an object
  140. sovereign
    a nation's ruler usually by hereditary right
  141. stationary
    not capable of being moved
  142. stereotypically
    in a stereotypical manner
  143. strategically
    with regard to strategy
  144. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
  145. subtlety
    the quality of being difficult to detect or analyze
  146. sufficient
    of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement
  147. telekinesis
    the power to move something by thinking about it
  148. temperamental
    subject to sharply varying moods
  149. temporary
    not permanent; not lasting
  150. therapeutic
    tending to cure or restore to health
  151. thoroughly
    in an exhaustive manner
  152. tournament
    a competition in which contestants play a series of games
  153. tsunami
    a cataclysm resulting from a destructive sea wave
  154. ubiquitous
    being present everywhere at once
  155. unconscious
    lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception
  156. unnecessary
    not needed
  157. vertebrate
    animals having a bony or cartilaginous skeleton
  158. vicious
    having the nature of evildoing
  159. vulnerable
    capable of being wounded or hurt
  160. waive
    do without or cease to hold or adhere to
  161. willful
    done by design
  162. wondrous
    extraordinarily good or great
  163. wraith
    a ghostly figure, especially one seen shortly before death
  164. wrought
    shaped to fit by altering the contours of a pliable mass
  165. zephyr
    a slight wind
Created on Wed Apr 25 08:00:28 EDT 2012 (updated Wed Apr 25 08:06:54 EDT 2012)

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