Term
|
Definition
(adj.) a statement that is probably false, but is widely believed to be true.
He told an apocryphal story about the sword, but the truth was later revealed. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) intimidating or presented as a substitute for something better
an ersatz coffee made from grain. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) deliberately untrue
Not wanting to owe money to the IRS, Liz filed a mendacious tax form. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) having or showing great knowledge gained from study or reading
I was enthralled by the erudite professor's lesson. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) tending to make sudden or unpredictable changes
He's such a capricious boss that I never know how he'll react. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) tending to talk a great deal
Loquaciousness may seem like a good quality for a professor to have, but it can become problematic when time runs out before the day's lesson is over. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) using very few words.
I am incredibly annoyed by laconic messages on online dating sites--if you don't have more to say than "Hi what's up," I don't want to hear from you. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) beneficial to or promoting health or well-being
Michelle Obama's fitness campaign shows her salubrious nature. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) occurring in a particular place or region.
Hurricanes are endemic to the southeast region of the United States. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) lively and enthusiastic; boiling
The bride and groom were in an ebullient mood at their reception. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) causing ruin and destruction
The introduction of foreign diseases by the travelers was baneful to the native population. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) very sad and mournful
After hearing of her friend's grandmother's passing, Alice wore a doleful look on her face |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) mysteriously obsqure, esoteric
She knew a lot about Sanskrit grammar and other arcane matters. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) humorous but rude or vulgar, especially sexually
Ribald statements are appropriate in some situations, but best man's speeches are rarely one of them. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) disdainfully or ironically mocking
The woman's overly polite diction and tight smile seemed sardonic. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) full of contempt, arrogance, or disdain
The politician's offensive statements revealed a supercilious attitude towards the poor. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) requiring special detailed knowledge in order to be understood, esoteric
Knowledge of recondite facts is necessary for successful participation on such game shows as Jeopardy and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) humorous or witty
Fielding and Sterne are waggish writers; their works leave me in stitches! |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) suggestive or reminiscent of something; having a pleasant odor
Hearing the name Chris is redolent of my first boyfriend. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) all-inclusive or all-embracing
Displaying albums ranging from Beethoven to Lil Wayne in his living room, James has a very catholic appreciation for music. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) pleasantly spacious
Marlise was surprised when the single occupancy dorm she received off the housing waitlist was so commodious. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) stubbornly perverse or rebellious; willfully and obstinately disobedient.
The teacher sent the contumacious child to detention. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| (adj.) cowardly; unfaithful, disloyal, or traitorous |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) resisting control or constraint in a difficult manner, unruly; noisy or boisterous
After a night of dealing with the obstreperous children, Nancy decided to find new parents to babysit for. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) free from concern, worry, or anxiety, carefree, nonchalant
An anxious test taker, I am jealous of those who can be insouciant before big exams. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) very loud or powerful in sound
The new speaker system was so stentorian that the walls of the basement shook. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) causing or tending to cause sleep; sleepy, drowsy
I find reading in bed to be a soporific activity. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) implied but not expressed; silent
I asked Bryan for his opinion on the matter, but he remained tacit, refusing to share his thoughts. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) done on impulse; violent
Good store managers know to put gum, candies, and "as seen on TV" products near the checkout lines, to foster impetuous purchases. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) direct, incisive, and deliberately hurtful; effective and relevant to the pursuit of a goal
The scathingly-worded email showed that Mike had a trenchant wit. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) concerned; uneasy; ready and willing to do something
Checking over her emergency preparedness multiple times the night before the storm, my mother was feeling very solicitous. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) done routinely; done hastily
The best way to get the Fire Safety inspectors to do a perfunctory search of your dorm is to be in bed or wrapped in only a towel when they come; they will cast a few bashful and cursory glances and be on their way. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) inclined to fight or be aggressive
Rottweilers are pugnacious dogs; pugs, ironically, are not. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) meddlesome and interfering; unofficial; helpful (archaic)
Red tape in bureaucratic situations can be incredibly officious. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) restricted to initiates; secret; difficult to understand
High level mathetmatics is an esoteric subject. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) large or excessive in amount or number
There are a plethora of words one must learn to be prepared for the verbal section of the GRE. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) containing a political or moral message; tending to give [unwelcome] instruction or advice
Mothers tend to be didactic; even worse, they tend to be right. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) approaching an advanced age
Every year on my mother's birthday, she worries about becoming senescent. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) giving or involving an extravagant or excessive expression of feelings in writing or speech
Characters in romantic comedies have a tendency to be effusive, powerfully revealing their feelings for their lovers. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) undeviating in effort and care
The boss was looking to hire an assiduous secretary, as his last was pretty lax about meeting her duties. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) just beginning to develop; only partially formed; lacking structure or order
During the first few months of gestation, fetuses are inchoate and cannot survive outside of their mothers' wombs. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) shining brilliantly or splendidly
The sequined dress was refulgent in the candlelight. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) looking wrinkled, shriveled, or dried up
Despite being an infant, Benjamin Button was incredibly wizened--as a toddler he had the appearance of an old man! |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) unjustly harsh or severe
The crack-to-powder cocaine sentencing disparities are often called draconian. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) extraordinarily large
Erika was amazed by the Brobdingnagian gummy worm--it was over two feet long! |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) incapable of being expressed
I have a tendency to trail off into ellipses when trying to express an ineffable idea. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) excessively ingratiating; fatty or greasy; soft and rich
It pains me to see minorities and poor people acting in an unctuous manner towards the well-off in hopes for charity. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) very frugal or ungenerous
Uncle Scrooge, Dickens's famous character, is well-known for being parsimonious. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) showing a lack of courage or determination
The Cowardly Lion eventually overcomes his pusillanimous nature. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) slow; intended to delay
My boyfriend and I engaged in dilatory activities on our last day on campus before summer vacation, hoping to extend our time together as much as possible. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) so offensive (especially to the senses) as to be disgusting; extremely harmful
My little brother's flatulence tends to be especially noisome. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) easily reduced to tiny particles
Glass in an incredibly friable substance; if you drop a drinking glass on a tile floor, you may be finding tiny shards for days afterwards. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) fleeting or passing away quickly
I recently learned that butterflies average a three day life span; it's sad that something so beautiful is also so fugacious. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) menacing or threatening
When one is home alone, every sound in the house becomes foreign and minatory. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) extremely cruel, wicked, or vicious; notorious or infamous
Disney's villains tend to be wholly flagitious, which is rarely the case in real life. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) going from place to place, especially to work; walking about
Many New Yorkers will be penpatetic tomorrow during their morning commutes, as the MTA is not set to reopen until midday. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) depending on chance or contingency
I refuse to believe in fate--the idea that the major events in my life are aleatory terrifies me. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) of or relating to priests
Many describe President Obama's style of public speaking as hieratic. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) resembling twilight
The storm darkened the afternoon sky so much that it appeared crepuscular. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) smooth and lacking hairs or bristles
Immediately after I shave, I love to feel fresh bedsheets on my newly glabrous legs. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) innocent and unworldly; appearing honest and direct
Abraham Lincoln's ingenuous nature helped him with the Presidency. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) showing, causing, or involving sorrow or pain
Biting one's tongue is an incredibly dolorous action. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) extremely mournful, sad, or gloomy
Ever the lugubrious character, Eeyore is thought to be clinically depressed. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) having a bitter disposition or sour outlook on life
The saturnine old man constantly yelled at children to get off his lawn. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) cheerfully optimistic; flushed with a healthy rosy color; blood-red; bloodthirsty
After losing his job, Stephen had a sanguine attitude towards his first interviews; six months later, he has become a pessimist. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) showing an unreasonably strong desire for money
Raising the debt ceiling while cutting welfare, medical assistance, and tuition assistance was the most avaricious action Congress could have taken. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) lively, witty, fast-talking, and likely to do the unexpected
Comedians benefit from having mercurial personalities. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) gullible; resulting from a tendency to believe things too easily
Annabelle's credulous nature made her an easy target for cruel jokes. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) gaudy, cheap in appearance, and of inferior quality; mean-spirited and lacking human decency
Costume jewelry is tawdry and only appropriate in certain situations. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) attractive, pleasing in appearance, handsome, comely, fair, presentable
Though it makes me feel incredibly superficial, I am much more likely to click on and initiate contact with those I find personable on online dating sites than with those whose personalities are the only attractive thing about them. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) contingent solely upon one's discretion; having unlimited power, tyrannical
The new leader assumed an arbitrary position--the country was now under a dictatorship. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) numerous and varied, consisting of many kinds, containing many elements, features, or characteristics
The manifold laptops on the market can make choosing one an arduous task. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) unwilling to consider new ideas or new ways of doing things
Older generations are stereotyped as being hidebound, which is ironic given that senior citizens were some of Obama's strongest supporters. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) easily provoked to anger or outbursts of temper
Norma was seeking a way to flee from her irascible husband. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) contrary or perverse; twisted, crooked, lopsided, askew; distorted in an odd amusing way
The tree's wry branches contorted to resemble a beautiful woman. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) polished, sophisticated, suave, cosmopolitan
The characters on Sex and the City exemplify an urbane lifestyle. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) big enough to contain a large quantity
The country struggled to find a capacious space to shelter the evacuated residents. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) including parts, things, or people of many different kinds
Attracting students of diverse backgrounds and interests, universities are multifarious institutions. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) (of the voice or speech) characterized by strength, fullness, richness, and clearness; (of a style of speaking) pompous or bombastic
Tim was rejected from the debate team because his voice was far from orotund. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) (of speech or writing) pretentious, high-sounding, inflated
Mark's teacher didn't approve of his tendency to over-use the thesaurus to insert bombastic diction into his essays. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) (of stones) of a great size, especially in ancient construction work
Stongehenge is arguably the world's most famous megalithic structure. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) inspiring reverence or admiration; of supreme dignity or grandeur, majestic; venerable, eminent
I have profound appreciation for august musicians--their talents resound in my soul. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) subject to parching or burning heat, especially of the sun; oppressively hot, parching, or burning; passionate, ardent
The heat wave was rendering the usually sub-tropical climate torrid. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) of little value or account, small, trifling; petty, carping, or prejudiced
In grassroots fundraising campaigns, even the most picayune contributions are incredibly beneficial. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(adj.) overcome with emotion; clenched
The awardee was so verklempt that she broke down crying in the middle of her acceptance speech. |
|
|
