Adjectives Flashcards
lucrative
producing a great deal of profit
a lucrative career as a stand-up comedian
passe
/ˈpaseɪ/
no longer fashionable
minis are passé—the best skirts are knee-length
pretentious
trying to appear or sound more important or clever than you are especially in matters of art
His response was full of pretentious nonsense.
damp
/damp/
slightly or moderately wet
her hair was still damp from the shower
rancid
highly unpleasant; offensive
a rancid sexual scandal
grievous
(of something bad) very severe or serious
his death was a grievous blow
hefty
done with force
he aimed a hefty kick at the door
Swanky
Fashionable
Expensive
Swanky company car
Tender
Showing gentleness, kindness and affection
He was being so kind and tender
Precarious
not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse
A precarious ladder
Pertinent
Highly relevant
she asked me a lot of very pertinent questions
Pivotal
Very important decision, a milestone
Japan’s pivotal role in the world economy
Notable
Worthy of attention or notice
The gardens are notable for their collection of flowers
Would-be
Desiring or aspiring to be a specified type of person
A would-be actress who dresses up as Monro
Stress-induced
A medical problem caused by stress
An increase of stress-induced diseases
Abrupt
Something unexpected and sudden
I was surprised by the abrupt change of a subject
Abstruse
Not very easy to understand. Obscure
An abstruse philosophical inquiry
Attentive
Paying close attention to something
She had never had such an attentive audience
Coherent
Logical and consistent
They failed to create a coherent economic strategy
Convoluted
/ˌkɒnvəˈl(j)uːtɪd/
Extremely difficult to follow
A convoluted plot of the film
Eclectic
Deriving from a broad range of sources
Universities offer an eclectic mix of sources
Eccentric
Unconventional and slightly strange
He noted her eccentric appearance
Evasive
Tending to avoid commitments
She was evasive about her phone number
Ardent
Very enthusiastic or passionate
an ardent supporter of Manchester United
Zealous
/ˈzɛləs/
Someone who is zealous spends a lot of time or energy in supporting something that they believe in very strongly, especially a political or religious ideal
She was a zealous worker for charitable bodies.
Fierce
Having or displaying an intense aggressiveness
Fierce fighting continued throughout the day
Noteworthy
Worth paying attention to. Significant or interesting
Noteworthy features
Striking
Very unusual or easily noticed, and therefore attracting a lot of attention
She bears a striking resemblance to her mother
Prejudice
Preconceived opinion that is not based on a reason or actual experience
Prejudice against people from different backgrounds
Weighted
Attribute importance or value to
Speaking, writing and reading should be weighted equally in the assessment
Outrageous
Shockingly bad or excessive
An outrageous act of bribery
Insensitive
Showing or feeling no concern’s for other’s feelings
An insensitive remark
Trivial
Not important
huge fines were imposed for trivial offences
Murderous
Dangerously violent
A brutal and murderous despot
Obtuse
Annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand
He wondered if the doctor was deliberately obtuse
Blunt
Saying what you think without trying to be polite
I’ll be blunt- that last piece of work you did was terrible
Hideous
Extremely ugly. Extremely unpleasant
Hideous creatures. The whole hideous story
Surreptitious
Made secretly
A surreptitious glance
Clandestine
Held in or conducted with secrecy
A clandestine love affair
Covert
Hidden. Not openly acknowledged or displayed
Covert operations against the dictatorship
Menacing
suggesting the presence of danger; threatening
our officers encountered menacing looks from teenagers
