Lesson 5

Question 0

Ardent (adj)

Answer 0

Full of passion and emotion

A pop star’s ARDENT admirers might go so crazy at his concert that they faint from excitement.

Question 1

Aloof (adj)

Answer 1

Uninterested; showing no concern; emotionally removed or distant

Question 2

Berate (v)

Answer 2

To rebuke or scold in a harsh tone

A strong verb for harshly cutting someone down with words

Question 3

Carp (v)

Answer 3

To find fault; to be critical

To carp is to complain and gripe repeatedly, especially about little things. People who carp find fault with almost everything.

Question 4

Chastise (v)

Answer 4

To punish or scold harshly

a fancy word for telling someone that something they did was really bad

Question 5

Compliant (adj)

Answer 5

Yielding, submissive

If you are willing to submit to someone’s request, then you are compliant.

Question 6

Deprecate (v)

Answer 6

To show mild disapproval

to make someone feel unimportant by speaking to them disrespectfully, like seniors who deprecate younger students just for fun.

Question 7

Detached (adj)

Answer 7

Aloof; indifferent

If something is detached, it stands apart from something else

Question 8

Ebullient (adj)

Answer 8

Filled with a bubbly excitement, as if boiling over with excitement

Question 9

Fawning (adj)

Answer 9

Gaining the favor of another by acting overly kind or by using flattery

a FAWNING admirer who just won’t stop complimenting your looks, showering you with gifts and otherwise kissing the ground you walk on.

Question 10

Impassive (adj)

Answer 10

Lacking emotion or drive

having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited

Question 11

Indifferent (adj)

Answer 11

Apathetic; showing little or no concern or care

an adjective that refers to a lack of opinion or interest, or being just plain, old, average.

Question 12

Indolent (adj)

Answer 12

Lazy; not wanting to do any work

Question 13

Languor (n)

Answer 13

A weak or lifeless feeling

When you are sick or heartbroken and too tired to get out of bed, the listlessness you feel is called languor

Question 14

Lassitude (n)

Answer 14

A tired feeling, usually resulting from depression or too much work

Question 15

Lethargic (adj)

Answer 15

Having little or no energy

When you feel lethargic, you don’t have any energy to spare.

Question 16

Listless (adj)

Answer 16

Lacking interest in something; having little or no energy

Question 17

Malicious (adj)

Answer 17

Intending to hurt or harm another; spiteful

Question 18

Nonchalant (adj)

Answer 18

Casual and indifferent; not showing any concern or worry about anything

If your friend is acting cool, unconcerned or in an indifferent manner, call him NONCHALANT

Question 19

Obsequious (adj)

Answer 19

Fawning or servile

like the teacher’s pet or a celebrity’s assistant

Question 20

Odious (adj)

Answer 20

Loathsome; evil; revolting in a disgusting way

If something is ODIOUS it’s hateful. If you become a historian of slavery, you’ll learn all the details of that odious trade.

Question 21

Ominous (adj)

Answer 21

Pertaining to an evil omen; foreboding

an ominous sky or ominous clouds promise rain or a storm.

Question 22

Phlegmatic (adj)

Answer 22

Slow-moving; unemotional

little dull in expressing feelings or showing emotion.

Question 23

Rebuff (v)

Answer 23

To snub; to bluntly refuse

A REBUFF can be quite rude, like pretending you don’t hear their question.

Question 24

Rebuke (v)

Answer 24

To reprimand or scold sharply

Question 25

Remote (adj)

Answer 25

Emotionally distant and disinterested; uninvolved

far, far away, like a campsite way out in the woods, a distant planet, or the chance you’ll win the lottery.

Question 26

Reprove (v)

Answer 26

To speak to in a disapproving manner; to scold

It is closer to the verb criticize

Question 27

Sedentary (adj)

Answer 27

Having to do with sitting around a lot

refers to a person or job that is not very physically active.

Question 28

Slavish (adj)

Answer 28

Slave-like; overly humble; involving very hard work

Question 29

Sluggish (adj)

Answer 29

Slow and lazy

An old computer that takes forever to load a piece of software is SLUGGISH

Question 30

Stagnant (adj)

Answer 30

Lacking movement or energy

lacking movement, stale, and inactive, especially with exaggerated pronunciation, “staaaagnant.”

Question 31

Stolid (adj)

Answer 31

Lacking emotion or not showing any emotion; stoical

A STOLID person can’t be moved to smile or show much sign of life, in much the same way as something solid

Question 32

Submissive (adj)

Answer 32

Voluntarily obeying another

When you are SUBMISSIVE, you submit to someone else’s will

Question 33

Subordinate (adj)

Answer 33

Inferior; lower in rank or status

a SUBORDINATE is someone who works for someone else, and to SUBORDINATE means to place or rank one thing below another.

Question 34

Subservient (adj)

Answer 34

Obedient; slavish

having the qualities of a servant.

Question 35

Toady (n)

Answer 35

A flatterer; a suck-up

Question 36

Upbraid (v)

Answer 36

To scold bitterly

When you UPBRAID people, you scold them, tell them off and criticize them

Question 37

Virulent (adj)

Answer 37

Extremely poisonous; deadly; full of spiteful hatred