Grade 7 Vocabulary: Unit 8 Name_________________________ Hour ____

WORD LIST: Descriptive Writing: Appearances

chic debonair dowdy drab eccentric

garb ostentatious rumple unsightly veneer

1. chic adjective
Stylish; fashionable
• Mary bought the chic outfit from a Parisian designer.

2. debonair adjective
Charming in a friendly but sophisticated way (this typically refers to men)
• The debonair man bowed as he offered the woman his seat.

3. dowdy adjective
Old-fashioned appearance; shabby and out of style
• Carmen felt dowdy in the gray dress her mother made her wear to the party.
dowdiness noun

4. drab adjective
Having a faded, dull appearance
• The old couch looked drab next to the bright new chairs.

5. eccentric adjective
Odd; deviating from the norm
• My eccentric aunt lives by herself and only wears purple.

6. garb
a. noun Clothing for a particular job or occasion.
• White clothing and a tall hat (toque) are a chef’s usual garb.
b. verb To dress in a particular way.
• The children garbed themselves in costumes for their folk dance.


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 7. ostentatious adjective
Showy, meant to impress
• Our tour guide called our attention to the gold-covered faucets and marble floors of the
ostentatious bathroom.
ostentation noun

8. rumple verb
To wrinkle or crease
• Linen is a material that rumples easily.
rumpled adjective

9. unsightly adjective
Unpleasant to look at
• The garbage that littered the streets was smelly and unsightly.

10. veneer noun

a. A thin, usually decorative layer of fine material glued onto a cheaper material
• The desk had a wood veneer, but was made of plastic.
b. An appearance giving a false, positive impression
• He hid his unhappiness beneath a cheerful veneer.

Exercise 1: Write the Correct Word

Write the correct word in the space next to each definition.



______________________ 1. old-fashioned and shabby _____________________ 6. charming and sophisticated

______________________2. a thin cover layer ______________________ 7. odd, not the norm

_____________________ 3. stylish ______________________ 8. ugly

______________________ 4. clothing ______________________ 9. dull

______________________ 5. to wrinkle ______________________10. showy, meant to impress


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 Exercise 2: Complete the sentence.
Write the letter for the word that best completes each sentence.

_____ 1. People at the party admired Helena’s ______________ gown.

a. dowdy b. disheveled c. chic d. unsightly

_____ 2. Everyone was surprised to see the glamorous actress is such a(n) ______________ dress.
a. dowdy b. ostentatious c. elaborate d. chic

_____ 3. In “The Landlady” the woman’s friendliness is only a(n) _______________, and Billy begins
to suspect that she is a murderer.
a. blemish b. garb c. ostentation d. veneer

_____ 4. The Wilsons are a modest, humble family, so we were shocked to see the ________________
sports car in their driveway
a. ostentatious b. rumpled c. drab d. dowdy

_____ 5. Under the ashen gray of a winter sky, the whole city seems lifeless and _________________.
a. eccentric b. debonair c. chic d. drab

______ 6. Many women found the gentleman’s ________________ manner to be very attractive.
a. rumpled b. unsightly c. debonair d. dowdy

_____ 7. The _________________ scar from the operation took months to heal.
a. dowdy b. unsightly c. drab d. suave

______ 8. After being on the floor in a pile all night, the clothes were ___________________.
a. rumpled b. ostentatious c. chic d. drab

_____ 9. Neighbors thought that Mr. Thomas was _____________________ when he decided to paint his house
purple.
a. drab b. debonair c. eccentric d. chic

______ 10. Chris threw on her nurse’s __________________ and rushed to the operating room.
a. dowdiness b. ostentation c. garb d. veneer


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 Exercise 3: Reading Comprehension
Read the passage below. Then complete #1-10.
The Wizard of Oz and its Costumes
One classic example of the importance of costume design is the film The Wizard of Oz. The clothes in this film
have been admired for generations.
In the beginning of the movie, we meet Dorothy, the protagonist. She lives with her Auntie Em, who is
wearing a (1) dowdy housedress, and Uncle Henry, who wears (2) drab trousers and a (3) rumpled sweater.
A terrible tornado carries Dorothy and her dog, Toto, off to the Land of Oz, where everything is different from
their home back in Kansas. A change overtakes Dorothy and Toto, too. It may not be obvious, but their appearances
improve. Even little Toto is more neatly groomed.
At first, everything in Oz seems attractive. The Munchkins wear fancy, tailored (4) garb. Glinda the Good
Witch sparkles in her (5) chic gown, and she gives Dorothy a pair of ruby slippers. However, the entrance of the
Wicked Witch of the West introduces a more ominous tone. The witch’s clothes are as dark as her mood.
On her way to find the wizard, Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion. Underneath their
elaborate costumes, these characters look like the farm hands back home in Kansas. When Dorothy and her friends
finally reach the Emerald City, the Wizard’s actual appearance is quite a surprise. He is not tall, strong, or
(6) debonair, but round, short and (7) eccentric. He wears no (8) ostentatious robe or crown. In fact, he looks a lot like
Dorothy’s Uncle Henry! Soon after, the Wicked Witch of the West melts into an (9) unsightly black puddle and
Dorothy uses her magic ruby slippers to go home.
When Dorothy awakens, she and Toto are back home in Kansas. Dorothy expresses her love for her home, her
family, and her friends. While she was in Oz, she learned that appearances are only a (10) veneer. It is what is in our
hearts that really matters.

Each numbered sentence below refers to a numbered word in the passage above.
Write the letter of the choice that gives the sentence the meaning that is closest to the
original sentence.
_____ 1. a. new b. wrinkled c. elegant d. old-fashioned

_____ 2. a. bright b. sophisticated c. faded d. wool

_____ 3. a. stained b. stylish c. sophisticated d. wrinkled

_____ 4. a. layers b. tornadoes c. clothing d. shoes

_____ 5. a. stylish b. dull c. hole-free d. crowned

_____ 6. a. sophisticated b. messy c. intelligent d. magical

_____ 7. a. odd b. tall c. intelligent d. smelly

_____ 8. a. showy b. wrinkled c. dull d. messy

_____ 9. a. interesting b. old-fashioned c. nasty-looking d. evil

_____ 10. a. ugly reality b. wrinkled mess c. thin cover d. old-fashioned style

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 Exercise 4: Find the example.
Choose the answer that best describes the action or situation.

______ 1. You may be considered eccentric if you

a. go to school b. get a job c. never leave home d. shop

______ 2. Something that would be ostentatious at a five-year old’s birthday party

a. a birthday cake b. puppets c. a piñata d. crystal goblets

______ 3. A drab color

a. yellow b. gray c. red d. purple

______ 4. Someone whose garb usually includes a protective hat, thick gloves and boots
a. a firefighter b. a doctor c. an accountant d. an actor

______5. A debonair gesture

a. speaking loudly b. running quickly c. biting your nails d. tipping your hat

______ 6. Something that might help if you don’t want your clothes to look rumpled
a. an iron b. stain remover c. a lint remover d. a washing machine

______ 7. Something a chic woman would probably read

a. Weekly News b. Computer Times c. Fashion Week d. Crafts for Kids

______ 8. Typical reaction to something unsightly

a. I love it! b. Hooray! c. Yuck! d. Wow!

______ 9. Clothing worn by a dowdy person

a. silk gown b. old faded skirt c. stylish jeans d. trendy sweater

______ 10. Something you can use as a veneer if you don’t want people to know that you’re sad
a. a smile b. a frown c. tears d. a hat

Exercise 5: Finish the Thought

Complete each sentence so that it shows the meaning of the italicized word.

1. When the veneer wore off __________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

2. The debonair man ________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________


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