English 11 - set 12 tone words

Question 1

acerbic

Answer 1

adj. 1. sour in taste;
2. sharp or bitter of temper,
mood or expression

Question 2

bemused

Answer 2

adj. 1. caused to be bewildered,
confused;
2. caused to be engrossed
in thought

Question 3

brusque

Answer 3

adj. abrupt and curt in manner
or speech, often to the
point of rudeness; blunt

Question 4

colloquial

Answer 4

adj. characteristic of or
appropriate to the spoken
language or to writing that
seeks the effect of speech;
informal

Question 5

earnest

Answer 5

adj. 1. marked by or showing
deep sincerity or
seriousness; 2. of an
important or weighty
nature; grave

Question 6

effusive

Answer 6

adj. unrestrained or excessive
in emotional expression;
gushy

Question 7

empathetic

Answer 7

adj. characteristic of
understanding another’s
situation, feelings, and
motives

Question 8

facetious

Answer 8

adj. playfully jocular;
humorous

Question 9

flippant

Answer 9

adj. marked by disrespectful
levity or indifference

Question 10

insolent

Answer 10

adj. 1. presumptuous and
insulting in manner or
speech; arrogant;
2. audaciously impudent;
impertinent

Question 11

insouciant

Answer 11

adj. blithely unconcerned;
nonchalant

Question 12

patronizing

Answer 12

adj. in an offensively
condescending manner

Question 13

sardonic

Answer 13

adj. scornfully mocking and
derisive

Question 14

somber

Answer 14

adj. 1. dark, gloomy;
2. melancholy, dismal

Question 15

strident

Answer 15

adj. loud, harsh and grating;
shrill, i.e. a strident voice

Question 16

vitriolic

Answer 16

adj. bitterly scathing; caustic,
i.e. vitriolic criticism

Question 17

timorous

Answer 17

adj. full of apprehensiveness;
timid

Question 18

whimsical

Answer 18

adj. 1. capricious, playful, or
fanciful, i.e. a whimsical
prank; 2. characterized by
erratic behavior or
unpredictability, i.e. a
whimsical personality

Question 19

wry

Answer 19

adj. dryly humorous, often with
a touch of irony

Question 20

stately

Answer 20

adj. 1. dignified, formal;
2. majestic, lofty