Synonyms 14 Flashcards
Solitary
isolated, lonely
She lives a solitary life alone on an island.
Indifferent
uninterested, apathetic
He was indifferent to her opinion.
Hesitant
tentative, uncertain
They made a tentative guess at the answer.
Reticent
restrained, taciturn, uncommunicative
He was reticent if asked about the war.
Ambitious
aspiring, determined, motivated
Aspiring gymnasts must practise daily.
Sceptical
cynical, doubtful, distrustful
She was sceptical about the existence of ghosts.
Aghast
horrified, appalled
They were aghast at the mess in the room.
Anticipation
expectation, hope
The anticipation of eating made his mouth water.
Rhetorical
symbolic
It was a rhetorical question, he was not expecting a reply.
Muddled
incoherent, disjointed
The speech was incoherent, no one understood it.
Unpleasant
obnoxious, loathsome
There was an obnoxious smell in the room.
To thwart
foil, ruin
The plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament was thwarted.
Seriousness
gravitas, solemnity
As expected, they showed gravitas at the funeral.
To shorten
limit, curtail
The meeting was curtailed to just 5 minutes.
Obtuse
dense, slow to understand
The obtuse man couldn’t follow simple instructions.
Tenacity
stubbornness, determination
With great tenacity he continued his journey.
Perception
view, opinion
My perception is that the race is now over.
Destitute
poor, impoverished, needy
The destitute had to beg in the streets.
Pious
devout, religious
She was a devout Christian and went to church every Sunday.
To expedite
accelerate, facilitate
To expedite your recovery you need to exercise daily.
Discreet
careful, cautious
She made discreet inquiries about the altercation.
Ecstatic
overjoyed, jubilant, elated
The team was ecstatic when they won the trophy.
Remorseful
repentant, sorry, contrite
She was remorseful about her bad behaviour.
Cacophony
noise
The cacophony of city life kept her awake at night.
Ordinary
mundane, banal
The mundane job bored the youth.
