Long or short Flashcards
copious
abundant or plentiful
We always have copious amounts of turkey at Thanksgiveing.
abridged
shortened or condensed
Hal missed an important part of the story because he read the abridged edition.
brevity
briefness
Everyone at the dinner was grateful for the brevity of the guest speaker’s opening remarks.
chronic
Constant. lasting for a long time.
Ted’s chronic lateness earned him a permanent seat in detention.
terse
using no unnecessary words, succinct
She repelled his unwanted advances with a terse, no thank you.
profusion
extravagance, abundance
There was a profusion of lowers in his hospital room.
curtail
cut short
It would not be in your best interest to curtail your studies.
laconic
using few words to the point of rudeness
The laconic rock star was unpopular with the press.
ponderous
so large as to be clumsy and or dull
Although many of Charles Dickens’ books are long, the stories are never ponderous.
provisional
Temporary or conditional
The fig leaves were only a provisional cover-up until Eve bought a new dress.
protracted
lengthened or drawn out
John’s penchant for sweets led to a protracted visit with the dentist.
augment
make bigger, to add to
Marla augmented her receding chin with implants
perfunctory
careless and without enthusiasm
If you want to sell your car, you’ll have to make more than a perfunctory sales pitch.
circumlocutory
evasive, wordy, and avoiding the point
The lawyer tried to protect his guilty client with circumlocutory arguments.
concise
to be brief and to the point
Concise definitions are easier to remember than long, wordy ones.
circuitous
roundabout, rambling, or indirect, like a circuit
It took her a long time to ski down the mountain because she took a circuitous trail.
