Adjectives Flashcards
apprehensive
-worried or frightened that something unpleasant may happen
-an apprehensive face/glance/look
•The long delay had made me quite apprehensive.
-apprehensive about/of something
•I was a little apprehensive about the effects of what I had said.
-apprehensive that
•She was deeply apprehensive that something might go wrong.
Elated
-elated (at/by something) very happy and excited because of something good that has happened, or will happen
-SYNONYM excited
•They were elated at the result.
Impeccable
-without mistakes or faults
-SYNONYM perfect
-impeccable manners/taste
•Her written English is impeccable.
Deceptive
-likely to make you believe something that is not true
-SYNONYM misleading
•a deceptive advertisement
Fraught
-fraught with something filled with something unpleasant
•a situation fraught with danger/difficulty/problems
Formidable
-if people, things or situations are formidable, you feel fear and/or respect for them, because they are impressive or powerful, or because they seem very difficult
•In debate he was a formidable opponent.
Dismal
-causing or showing the feeling of being sad
-SYNONYM gloomy, miserable
•dismal conditions/surroundings/weather
Resounding
-very great
-SYNONYM emphatic
•a resounding victory/win/defeat
•The evening was a resounding success.
Compelling
-that makes you pay attention to it because it is so interesting and exciting
•Her latest book makes compelling reading.
•His eyes were strangely compelling.
Lingering
-slow to end or disappear
•a painful and lingering death
•a last lingering look
Foul (comparative fouler, superlative foulest)
-dirty and smelling bad
-SYNONYM disgusting
•foul air/breath
•a foul-smelling prison
Comprehensive
- including all, or almost all, the items, details, facts, information, etc., that may be involved
-SYNONYM complete, full
•a comprehensive list of addresses
Gruelling
-very difficult and making you very tired, needing great effort for a long time
-SYNONYM punishing
a gruelling journey/schedule
I’ve had a gruelling day.
Meticulous
-paying careful attention to every detail
-SYNONYM fastidious, thorough
•meticulous planning/records/research
•Their room had been prepared with meticulous care.
Applicable
- that can be said to be true in the case of somebody/something
- SYNONYM relevant
•Give details of children where applicable (= if you have any).
Prove applicable, be applicable, seem
Inebriated
-drunk
Anecdotal
-possibly not true or accurate because it is based on personal accounts rather than facts or research
•Anecdotal evidence suggests there were irregularities at the polling station on the day of the election.
Vital
necessary or essential in order for something to succeed or exist
Minor
not very large, important or serious
Mere
-used when you want to emphasize how small, unimportant, etc. somebody/something is
•It took her a mere 20 minutes to win.
Envious
-wanting to be in the same situation as somebody else; wanting something that somebody else has
•Everyone is so envious of her.
Dull
-COLOURS not bright or shiny
•a dull grey colour
- WEATHER not bright, with a lot of clouds
SYNONYM overcast
•It was a dull, grey day.
-SOUNDS not clear or loud
-PAIN not very severe, but continuous
•a dull ache/pain
-PERSON s low in understanding
SYNONYM stupid
•a dull pupil
Ephemeral
-lasting or used for only a short period of time
-SYNONYM short-lived
•ephemeral pleasures
Poingnant
-having a strong effect on your feelings, especially in a way that makes you feel sad
-SYNONYM moving
•a poignant image/moment/memory, etc.
Accustomed
-familiar with something and accepting it as normal or usual
-SYNONYM used to
-accustomed to something to become/get accustomed to something
•My eyes slowly grew accustomed to the dark.
-usual
-SYNONYM habitual
•He took his accustomed seat by the fire.
Insufficient
-not large, strong or important enough for a particular purpose
-SYNONYM inadequate
•insufficient time
Desolate
-empty and without people, making you feel sad or frightened
•They looked out on a bleak and desolate landscape.
Arid
-having little or no rain; very dry
•arid and semi-arid deserts
Intrepid
- very brave; not afraid of danger or difficulties
-SYNONYM fearless
•Traders and missionaries often proved themselves to be intrepid explorers.
Foreign
-in or from a country that is not your own
•What foreign languages do you speak?
Inwardly
-in your mind; secretly
•She groaned inwardly.
•I was inwardly furious.
Irate
- very angry
•irate customers
•an irate phone call
Dingy
-dark and dirty
•a dingy room/hotel
•dingy curtains/clothes
Sparse (comparative sparser, superlative sparsest)
-only present in small amounts or numbers and often spread over a large area
•the sparse population of the islands
•Vegetation becomes sparse higher up the mountains.
Reliant
-reliant on/upon somebody/something needing somebody/something in order to survive, be successful, etc.
-SYNONYM dependent
•The hostel is heavily reliant upon charity.
Belated
-coming or happening late
•a belated birthday present
Frail (comparative frailer, superlative frailest)
-physically weak and thin
•Mother was becoming too frail to live alone.
Ambivalent
- ambivalent (about/towards somebody/something)
having or showing both positive and negative feelings about somebody/something
•She seems to feel ambivalent about her new job.
Incessant
-never stopping
-SYNONYM constant
•incessant noise/rain/chatter
Deafenning
-very loud
•The team was greeted by deafening applause from the audience.
Shriek
to give a loud high shout, for example when you are excited, frightened or in pain
SYNONYM scream
shriek (in something) She shrieked in fright.
shriek with something The audience was shrieking with laughter.
He all but shrieked when he saw her.
shriek at somebody (figurative)
The answer shrieked at her (= was very obvious).
Tedious
-lasting or taking too long and not interesting
-SYNONYM boring
•The journey soon became tedious.
Unabashed
-not ashamed, embarrassed or affected by people’s negative opinions, when other people would be
•He was unabashed by the reaction he had caused.
Environmental
-connected with the natural conditions in which people, animals and plants live; connected with the environment
•the environmental impact of pollution
Torrential
-falling in large amounts
•torrential rain
Deliberate
-done on purpose rather than by accident
-SYNONYM intentional, planned
•a deliberate act of vandalism
Appalled
-feeling or showing horror at something unpleasant or wrong
-SYNONYM horrified
-an appalled expression/silence
•We watched appalled as the child ran in front of the car.
Futile
-having no purpose because there is no chance of success
-SYNONYM pointless
•a futile attempt/exercise/gesture
Their efforts to revive him were futile.
Frudgal
-using only as much money or food as is necessary
-a frugal existence/life
•The monks lead a frugal existence in their isolated monastery.
Perched
-perched on, etc. something (especially of a bird) sitting or resting on something
•There was a bird perched on the roof.
-perched on, etc. something placed in a high and/or dangerous position
•a hotel perched high on the cliffs
Hostile
-aggressive or unfriendly and ready to argue or fight
•The speaker got a hostile reception from the audience.
-hostile to/towards somebody/something
•She was openly hostile towards her parents.
Sufficient
-enough for a particular purpose; as much as you need
•Allow sufficient time to get there.
•One dose should be sufficient.
Oblivious
-not aware of something
-oblivious (to something)
•You eventually become oblivious to the noise.
•The couple seemed oblivious to what was going on around them.
Notorious
-well known for being bad
•a notorious criminal
•a location made notorious by battles between local gangs
Smug
-looking or feeling too pleased about something you have done or achieved
•SYNONYM complacent
-a smug expression/smile/face, etc.
•What are you looking so smug about?
Applicable
-that can be said to be true in the case of somebody/something
-SYNONYM relevant
•Give details of children where applicable (= if you have any).
-applicable to somebody/something •Much of the form was not applicable (= did not apply) to me.
Introductory
-written or said at the beginning of something as an introduction to what follows
-SYNONYM opening
•introductory chapters/paragraphs/remarks
Monstrous
-considered to be shocking and unacceptable because it is morally wrong or unfair
-SYNONYM outrageous
•a monstrous lie/injustice
Apparent
-easy to see or understand
-SYNONYM obvious
•Their devotion was apparent.
Obedient
-doing what you are told to do; willing to obey
•an obedient child
Unsatisfactory
-not good enough
-SYNONYM inadequate, unacceptable
•The results were considered to be thoroughly unsatisfactory.
Discourteous
-having bad manners and not showing respect for other people
-SYNONYM impolite
Knowledgeable
-knowledgeable (about something) knowing a lot
-SYNONYM well informed
•She is very knowledgeable about plants.
Substantial
-large in amount, value or importance
-SYNONYM considerable
•substantial sums of money
•a substantial change
Editorial
-connected with the task of preparing something such as a newspaper, a book or a television or radio programme, to be published or broadcast
•the magazine’s editorial staff
Spatial
-relating to space and the position, size, shape, etc. of things in it
•changes taking place in the spatial distribution of the population
Valid
-that is legally or officially acceptable
•Do you have a valid passport?
Foreign
-in or from a country that is not your own
Deceptive x deciethful
Irritable
-getting annoyed easily; showing your anger
-SYNONYM bad-tempered
•to be tired and irritable
Literary
-connected with literature
•literary criticism/theory
Considerable
-great in amount, size, importance, etc.
-SYNONYM significant
Uneqalled
-better than all others
-SYNONYM unparalleled
•an unequalled record of success
Dreary
- that makes you feel sad; not bright or interesting
-SYNONYM dull - a dreary film
Complacent
-too satisfied with yourself or with a situation, so that you do not feel that any change is necessary; showing or feeling complacency
•a dangerously complacent attitude to the increase in unemployment
-complacent about somebody/something
•We must not become complacent about progress.
unparalleled
-used to emphasize that something is bigger, better or worse than anything else like it
-SYNONYM unequalled
•It was an unparalleled opportunity to develop her career.
Conterfeit
-made to look exactly like something in order to trick people into thinking that they are getting the real thing
-SYNONYM fake
•counterfeit watches
Affectionate
-showing caring feelings and love for somebody
-SYNONYM loving
• He is very affectionate towards his children.
Argumentative
-a person who is argumentative likes arguing or often starts arguing
•Everyone in the family was argumentative.
Broad-minded
-willing to listen to other people’s opinions and accept behaviour that is different from your own
-SYNONYM tolerant
-OPPOSITE narrow-minded
Crude
(of oil and other natural substances) in its natural state, before it has been processed or refined
•crude oil/metal
Ingenious
-very suitable for a particular purpose and resulting from clever new ideas
• an ingenious device/invention/experiment
Just
-that most people consider to be morally fair and reasonable
Malicious
-having or showing a desire to harm somebody or hurt their feelings, caused by a feeling of hate
-SYNONYM malevolent, spiteful
Tactful
-careful not to say or do anything that will annoy or upset other people
-SYNONYM diplomatic
• That wasn’t a very tactful thing to say!
Witty
-clever and humorous
Ambiguous
- sth. that’s very hard to interpret
Arduous
-involving a lot of effort and energy, especially over a period of time
•an arduous journey across the Andes
Perilous c2
-very dangerous
-SYNONYM hazardous
•a perilous adventure/journey
Conspicuous
-easy to see or notice; likely to attract attention
•Mary’s red hair always made her conspicuous at school.
