Tone Vocab Flashcards
ardent
enthusiastic or passionate; burning; glowing
eulogistic
involving formal praise in speech or writing, usually for the dead
grave
something serious or solemn
pensive
dreamily thoughtful; engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought
pious
displaying a reverence of God
venerative
regarding with reverence
fervent
warmth; intensity of spirit
giddy
frivolous; lighthearted
laudatory
containing and expressing praise
elegiac
of, relating to, or involving mourning or expressing sorrow
lugubrious
mournful, dismal, gloomy, especially to a ludicrous degree
bantering
good-humored, playful in conversation
cynical
tendency to believe human behavior is selfish and opportunistic
derisive
ridiculing, mocking
facetious
lightly amusing; unserious; frivolous, especially at the wrong time
farcical
comedic with high exaggeration
flippant
lacking in seriousness; disrespectfully casual; uncaring
ludicrous
ridiculous; laughable; outlandish; silly
mock-heroic
satiric imitation of heroic traits
sardonic
scornfully or cynically mocking; sarcastic
satiric
characterized by satire, the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues
wry
satiric; bitter
choleric
easily angered; bad-tempered or irritable
indignant
feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment
inflammatory
likely to stir up anger or trouble
vexed
annoyed; irritated; distressed
blithe
joyous, merry, glad
euphoric
beyond earthy happiness
jocund
cheery, joyful, and happy
whimsical
playful; humorous or fanciful; unpredictable
bemused
preoccupied; deep in thought; bewildered or confused
expectant
having expectation
antagonistic
hostile, unfriendly
belligerent
aggressively hostile; warlike
vitriolic
scathing or bitter
apprehensive
uneasy about the future
diffident
timid; reserved in manner
fatalistic
in the belief that everything is predetermined and out of our hands
foreboding
to have inward conviction that something bad will happen
stark
plain; harsh; bleak or grim
timorous
timid
effusive
unrestrained and excessive in emotional expression
picturesque
striking expressive or vivid
sentimental
colored by emotion rather than realism
convoluted
very complicated
abstract
theoretical; without reference to specifies
allusive
characterized by indirect references
classical
formal; standard; traditional
cogent
convincing; reasonable; logical
cultured
characterized by refined taste and manners and good education
epistolary
involving letters
erudite
learned; scholarly
idiomatic
peculiar to a particular language
urbane
sophisticated; suave, courtous
acerbic
sharp or sour
bombastic
pretentious and pompous
brusque
blunt
callous
emotionally hardened
condescending
in a patronizing, degrading manner
contemptuous
scornful, expressing in disgrace
contentious
involving or likely to cause contention
disdainful
scornful
evasive
tending to avoid commitment or self-revelation, especially by responding only indirectly; directed toward avoidance or escape
haughty
proud and vain to the point of arrogance
iconoclastic
inclined to attack cherished beliefs or institution
imperious
arrogantly domineering; overbearing
insolent
rude; not showing proper respect; arrogant
irreverent
showing disrespect for things that are normally respected
patronizing
to treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority
petulant
easily irritated or annoyed
pretentious
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., that is actually possessed
provocative
causing annoyance, anger, or another strong reaction, especially deliberately
strident
loud, harsh, and unpleasantly noisy
aloof
indifferent, disinterested
banal
pointless and uninteresting
detached
disinterested; unbiased
objective
uninfluenced by emotions
restrained
held back; deprived
stolid
having or revealing little emotion
turgid
tediously pompous or bombastic; excessively ornate or complex in style or language
ambiguous
doubtful, uncertain from obscurity or indistinctiveness
incredulous
unbelieving
skeptical
showing doubt; not easily convinced
tentative
in an unsure state of mind; done without confidence; hesitant; provisional
ambivalent
mixture of opposite feelings
obscure
not clearly expressed; ambiguous or vague
pedantic
overly concerned with formal rules and trivial points of learning
austere
stern; strict; frugal
didactic
inclined to teach or moralize (often excessively)
moralistic
having or showing strong opinions about what is right behavior and what is wrong behavior; characterized by a narrow moral attitude
puritanical
strict or severe in matters of morality
candid
open and sincere; straightforward; honest
colloquial
ordinary and informal (usually refers to conversation)
homespun
simple and homely
insipid
vapid; bland
lucid
easily understood; clear
mundane
ordinary; common; everyday
terse
effectively concise; brief
audacious
fearless; recklessly daring; unrestrained; insolent
baroque
elaborate; ornamental
cinematic
having the qualities of a motion picture
conciliatory
agreeable; characterized by appeasement
crepuscular
having to do with shadowy areas (usually has to do with humanity)
decadent
marked by a decay in morals and values; indulgent
discursive
moving pointlessly from one subject to another; rambling
evocative
having the ability to call forth memories or other responses
lethargic
slow; sluggish
petty
lesser; minor; trivial
provincial
limited in perspective; self-centered; narrow-minded
prurient
preoccupied with lewd and lustful thoughts
self-concerning
aware of oneself as an individual; egotistic
sepulchral
pertaining to burial; gloomy; dismal
transitory
short-lived; temporary
trite
stale; warn out; overused
zealous
highly motivated; fervent
emotive
arousing or able to arouse intense feelings
