This blog post offers 100 essential Grade 8 vocabulary words with meanings and example sentences, plus a free downloadable PDF to make learning easier and more effective.
A strong vocabulary is essential for success in middle school and beyond. By 8th grade, students are expected to understand and use more advanced words—not just for exams, but in everyday reading and writing.
However, memorizing long wordlists is not enough. The best way to truly learn (and remember) new words is by seeing them in context, which is what we teach on this blog.
In this post, you’ll find a vocabulary list for grade 8 with meaning and sentence examples to make learning clear and practical.
You can also download the complete list as a free PDF for quick reference.
For deeper practice, we’ve prepared a paid worksheet where each word is carefully highlighted in context, making it easier to retain and apply.
Vocabulary list for 8th grade
This list contains 100 essential vocabulary words every 8th-grade student should know. The words are presented in random order, not alphabetically, to make learning easier and less confusing.
These are the words students will learn in this article:
| Collapse | Contribute | Emphasize | Maintain | Aspire |
| Attribute | Neglect | Diligent | Pragmatic | Persuade |
| Aspire | Durable | Debate | Collapse | Function |
| Gratitude | Fluctuate | Exaggerate | Diverse | Manipulate |
| Hostile | Approximate | Generate | Impact | Coherent |
| Consistent | Hypothesis | Construct | Analyze | Diverse |
| Manipulate | Factor | Dependable | Consequence | Gratitude |
| Endure | Influence | Decline | Fortunate | Hostile |
| Obvious | Arrogant | Prohibit | Obvious | Neutral |
| Crucial | Comprehensive | Substantiate | Comprehensive | Emphasize |
| Adequate | Devote | Adapt | Illustrate | Oppose |
| Persuade | Expand | Modify | Advocate | Distinct |
| Anticipate | Neutral | Cautious | Predict | Endure |
| Coherent | Distinct | Provoke | Substantiate | Enhance |
| Expose | Facilitate | Apparent | Inevitable | Evaluate |
| Beneficial | Precise | Exceed | Justify | Obvious |
| Diverse | Oppose | Conclude | Debate | Priority |
| Accumulate | Integrity | Ambiguous | Method | Provoke |
| Legible | Function | Assign | Elaborate | Generate |
| Evaluate | Compassion | Drastic | Demonstrate | Resilient |
8th Grade words with their meanings and example sentences:
Here are the words with their meanings and example sentences —
1. Collapse:
The old bridge began to collapse [= fall down / break apart] during the storm, and soon pieces of wood were floating in the river.
2. Attribute:
Many people attribute [= give credit to / connect with a cause] her success to her determination, and they believe hard work was the reason.
3. Aspire:
He continued to aspire [= aim for / hope to achieve] a career in science, and every project he did brought him closer to his dream.
4. Gratitude:
She showed gratitude [= thankfulness / feeling of appreciation] by hugging her parents after receiving the gift.
5. Hostile:
The cat turned hostile [= unfriendly / ready to attack] when the stranger tried to touch it, and it hissed loudly.
6. Consistent:
His results were consistent [= always the same / steady over time], and every test showed similar scores.
7. Manipulate:
He could manipulate [= skillfully control / handle] the toy robot with the remote, and it moved exactly as he wished.
8. Endure:
The hikers had to endure [= suffer through / bear patiently] the freezing winds, and still they kept climbing the mountain.
9. Obvious:
It was obvious [= clear to see / easy to notice] that she was tired, because she kept yawning in class.
10. Crucial:
A helmet is crucial [= extremely important / absolutely necessary] for safety while riding a bike.
11. Adequate:
The hall had adequate [= good enough / sufficient] chairs, and every student could sit comfortably.
12. Persuade:
He tried to persuade [= convince someone / make someone agree] his parents to let him join the trip, and finally they said yes.
13. Anticipate:
The children began to anticipate [= look forward to / expect to happen] the school picnic, and they packed their bags with excitement.
14. Coherent:
Her speech was coherent [= logically connected / easy to follow], and the audience understood every point clearly.
15. Expose:
The sun began to expose [= uncover / make visible] the mountains, and the snow sparkled in the light.
16. Beneficial:
Regular exercise is beneficial [= helpful / good for you], and it keeps the body strong and active.
17. Diverse:
The market was diverse [= full of variety / made up of different kinds], with fruits, clothes, and toys all being sold side by side.
18. Accumulate:
Dust began to accumulate [= gather little by little / build up over time] on the shelf, and soon it looked gray.
19. Legible:
Her handwriting was legible [= easy to read / clear enough to understand], and the teacher marked the notebook without any trouble.
20. Evaluate:
The coach will evaluate [= judge carefully / check the quality of] the players’ performance before choosing the final team.
21. Contribute:
Each student wanted to contribute [= give something / play a part] to the project, and together they made it a success.
22. Neglect:
If you neglect [= fail to care for / pay no attention to] your plants, they will dry up and die.
23. Durable:
The bag was durable [= strong enough to last / not easily broken], and it looked new even after a year of daily use.
24. Fluctuate:
The prices of vegetables often fluctuate [= go up and down / change often], so sometimes they are cheap and other times expensive.
25. Approximate:
He gave an approximate [= not exact but close / nearly correct] number of guests, saying around fifty people would attend.
26. Hypothesis:
The scientist made a hypothesis [= suggested explanation / idea to test], and then performed experiments to check if it was true.
27. Factor:
Hard work is a factor [= reason / part that causes a result] in success, and without it, talent alone is not enough.
28. Influence:
Good books can influence [= affect how someone thinks / change someone’s behavior] your life in a positive way.
29. Arrogant:
He sounded arrogant [= too proud of oneself / thinking too highly of oneself] when talking about his marks, and others felt annoyed.
30. Comprehensive:
The teacher gave a comprehensive [= covering everything / complete] review, and it included all the chapters in the book.
31. Devote:
She decided to devote [= give time or effort / dedicate] her weekends to practicing the piano.
32. Expand:
The company wants to expand [= grow bigger / increase in size], and soon it will open more branches.
33. Neutral:
He stayed neutral [= not taking sides / fair to both] during the argument, and listened to both friends.
34. Distinct:
The twins have distinct [= clearly different / separate] personalities, so it is easy to tell them apart.
35. Facilitate:
The ramps will facilitate [= make easier / help something happen] movement, and students in wheelchairs can enter the classrooms without trouble.
36. Precise:
The doctor gave a precise [= exact / very accurate] dose of medicine that had to be measured carefully.
37. Oppose:
Many citizens decided to oppose [= act against / resist] the new rule, and they signed a petition.
38. Integrity:
He showed integrity [= honesty / strong moral character] by returning the lost wallet.
39. Function:
The heart’s function [= job / purpose / role] is to pump blood, and it keeps the body alive.
40. Compassion:
She showed compassion [= kindness / deep sympathy] to the injured dog, and gently carried it to the vet.
41. Emphasize:
The coach chose to emphasize [= give importance to / stress strongly] teamwork, and he reminded the players again and again.
42. Diligent:
She is a diligent [= hard-working / showing steady effort] student, and her neat notes prove her dedication.
43. Debate:
The class held a debate [= formal discussion / exchange of arguments], and students spoke for and against the topic.
44. Exaggerate:
He liked to exaggerate [= make something seem bigger / overstate the truth] his achievements, and a small win became a grand story.
45. Generate:
The windmills generate [= produce / create] electricity, and the power is used by nearby homes.
46. Construct:
Workers began to construct [= build / put together] a new bridge, and slowly the structure rose over the river.
47. Dependable:
She is a dependable [= reliable / can be trusted] friend, and you can always count on her help.
48. Decline:
The number of birds began to decline [= decrease / go down], and soon only a few were left in the park.
49. Prohibit:
The school rules prohibit [= not allow / ban] chewing gum, and students must follow this strictly.
50. Substantiate:
He tried to substantiate [= prove with evidence / support with facts] his answer, and he showed examples from the textbook.
51. Adapt:
Desert plants adapt [= adjust to conditions / change to survive] by storing water in their stems.
52. Modify:
The teacher decided to modify [= change slightly / adjust] the question, and the new version was easier to solve.
53. Cautious:
He was cautious [= very careful / alert to danger] while crossing the slippery road, and he held onto the railing.
54. Provoke:
The boy’s rude words began to provoke [= make angry / cause a reaction] his friend, and soon they started arguing.
55. Apparent:
It became apparent [= clear to see / obvious] that she was upset, for tears filled her eyes.
56. Exceed:
The athlete managed to exceed [= go beyond / do better than] her own record, and she finished the race faster than before.
57. Conclude:
We can conclude [= decide / reach an end point] from the story that kindness is always rewarded.
58. Ambiguous:
His answer was ambiguous [= unclear / open to more than one meaning], so the teacher asked him to explain further.
59. Assign:
The teacher will assign [= give a task / allot work] homework today, and each student will get a different chapter.
60. Drastic:
The storm caused drastic [= extreme / severe and sudden] damage, and many houses were destroyed overnight.
61. Maintain:
It is important to maintain [= keep in good condition / continue steadily] your bicycle, and regular oiling helps it run smoothly.
62. Pragmatic:
She took a pragmatic [= practical / focused on real results] approach, and instead of dreaming, she made a step-by-step plan.
63. Collapse:
The tent began to collapse [= fall down / give way suddenly] in the strong wind, and the campers had to hold it up.
64. Diverse:
The class was diverse [= made up of many different types / varied], with students from several countries.
65. Impact:
The teacher’s words had a strong impact [= powerful effect / influence] on the students, and they worked harder afterward.
66. Analyze:
The detective began to analyze [= study closely / examine in detail] the clues, and he wrote notes about each one.
67. Consequence:
He didn’t wear his helmet, and the consequence [= result / outcome of an action] was a painful injury.
68. Fortunate:
She was fortunate [= lucky / having good chance] to catch the last bus, or she would have been late.
69. Obvious:
It was obvious [= very clear / easy to understand] that the answer was wrong, because the numbers didn’t match.
70. Comprehensive:
The guide gave a comprehensive [= complete / covering all details] explanation, and it included examples from every topic.
71. Illustrate:
The diagram will illustrate [= explain with pictures / show clearly] how the water cycle works.
72. Advocate:
She chose to advocate [= speak in support of / defend] the use of clean energy in her speech.
73. Predict:
The scientist could predict [= say in advance / forecast] rain from the dark clouds in the sky.
74. Substantiate:
He tried to substantiate [= prove with evidence / back up with facts] his opinion by giving examples from history.
75. Inevitable:
It was inevitable [= certain to happen / unavoidable] that the ice would melt in the sun.
76. Justify:
He had to justify [= give reasons for / explain fairly] his absence, so he showed the teacher his medical note.
77. Debate:
The students held a debate [= formal discussion / structured argument], and both teams prepared their points carefully.
78. Method:
The teacher showed a new method [= way of doing something / process], and it made solving the problem easier.
79. Elaborate:
She began to elaborate [= add more detail / explain more fully] on her answer, and everyone understood it better.
80. Demonstrate:
The scientist will demonstrate [= show by example / display how it works] the experiment in front of the class.
81. Aspire:
Many young athletes aspire [= dream of achieving / aim for] greatness, and they practice daily to reach their goals.
82. Persuade:
He tried to persuade [= convince with reasons / make someone agree] his brother to join the game, and finally he said yes.
83. Function:
The main function [= job / purpose / role] of the lungs is to help us breathe.
84. Manipulate:
The magician could manipulate [= control skillfully / handle cleverly] the cards, and no one saw how he did the trick.
85. Coherent:
Her story was coherent [= logically connected / easy to follow], and each part made sense with the next.
86. Diverse:
The park was diverse [= filled with different types / varied], with flowers of many shapes and colors.
87. Gratitude:
He showed gratitude [= feeling of thanks / appreciation] by saying thank you to the librarian.
88. Hostile:
The dog grew hostile [= aggressive / ready to attack] when strangers came near the gate.
89. Neutral:
He stayed neutral [= not taking sides / fair] in the quarrel, and listened quietly.
90. Emphasize:
The teacher chose to emphasize [= draw special attention to / stress] the importance of honesty in her lesson.
91. Oppose:
Many people oppose [= fight against / disagree with] pollution, and they join campaigns to protect the environment.
92. Distinct:
The alarm clock made a distinct [= clearly different / easy to notice] sound, and it woke everyone up immediately.
93. Endure:
The soldiers had to endure [= live through hardship / bear patiently] the long cold night.
94. Enhance:
Adding colors can enhance [= improve / make better] the drawing, and it becomes more attractive.
95. Evaluate:
The teacher will evaluate [= judge the quality / carefully assess] the essays before giving marks.
96. Obvious:
It was obvious [= easy to notice / plain to see] that he was lying, because he couldn’t look anyone in the eye.
97. Priority:
Safety must be a priority [= most important concern / something that comes first] in every science experiment.
98. Provoke:
The teasing words began to provoke [= make someone angry / stir up a reaction] him, and he shouted back.
99. Generate:
The solar panels generate [= create / produce energy] electricity from sunlight.
100. Resilient:
She was resilient [= quick to recover / able to bounce back / not easily broken], and even after failing once, she tried again with confidence.
Hopefully, this list is of some use to you. If you’d rather like to get its printout, here’s downloadable pdf.
Remember: learning new words is not just about memorizing lists—it’s about using them in context so they become a natural part of your speaking and writing.
This vocabulary list is designed to make that process easier. When students see how a word works inside a sentence, they understand it better and remember it for longer.
To get the most out of this list, try using a few new words in your homework, conversations, or even in short stories you write. Parents can also encourage their children by asking them to explain the meanings of words through examples.
And if you want deeper practice, our paid worksheet highlights each word in context, helping students retain them permanently.
With consistent practice, these 100 words will not just improve grades, but also give students the confidence to express themselves clearly and effectively in school and beyond.
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