WORDS TO CAPTURE TONE 200 - LONG DEFINITION Flashcards
Optimistic
An optimistic person thinks the best possible thing will happen, and hopes for it even if it’s not likely. Someone who’s a tad too confident this way is also sometimes called optimistic. If you see the glass as half-full when others see it as half-empty; if you look on the bright side of things, you’re optimistic. If the chain falls off your rusty old bicycle, a tire goes flat, the frame cracks down the middle, the seat keeps twisting around, and you say, “But look! The little bell still works — I’m sure this bike will be fine,” you’re being very optimistic, though some might venture to call you “delusional.”
Pessimistic
Pessimistic describes the state of mind of someone who always expects the worst. A pessimistic attitude isn’t very hopeful, shows little optimism, and can be a downer for everyone else. To be pessimistic means you believe evil outweighs the good and that bad things are more likely to happen. So pessimistic people are usually pretty negative. And kind of a bummer to be around. Think of Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh’s perpetually gloomy friend. The word comes to us, not surprisingly, from the Latin pessimus — meaning “worst”
Neutral
Commonly used to describe a person who doesn’t pick sides in disputes, neutral also pegs anything that refuses to be bold: the color beige, bland clothing, people with no preferences on where to eat for dinner. Being neutral sounds kind of boring. But neutrality is really important in some cases: Judges, for example, must remain totally neutral when hearing a case. Manners mavens say that it’s best to remain neutral when topics like politics and religion come up during a party. And boxers can look to the neutral corners in the ring to escape a punch
Ambivalance
Someone who shows ambivalence about a person or thing has conflicting feelings. If you love your mom but find her totally embarrassing, you might feel ambivalent about having her give a presentation at your school. Originally a psychological term, ambivalence was borrowed from the German word Ambivalenz, coined in 1910 by the Swiss psychologist Eugen Bleuler. The German word was formed from the Latin prefix ambi- “in two ways” plus Latin valentia “vigor, strength”
Frank
To be frank is to be honest. Also, it’s a hot dog. Eating a frank at the ballpark is, to be frank, an all-American experience. If you’re open, honest, and candid, you’re frank — that can mean refreshing honesty or too much information. Frank also has some lesser known uses. It can also mean to stamp with a postmark, or to pass someone through for free — like how your museum job lets you frank your friends into the planetarium. The most delicious meaning is for what you may know as a dog, frankfurter, hot dog, hotdog, weenie, wiener, or wiener-wurst
Indignant
When you’re indignant, you’re angry about an unfair situation. If you discovered that a teacher gave ten extra points on a test to all students who sat in the front row, you’d be indignant. Indignant is from Latin indignus “unworthy,” and it refers to anger based on unworthy or unfair behavior rather than merely injury to one’s own interests. You may be angry, even furious, if someone shoves you, but you are indignant if the shove is directed at someone weak or helpless. The related noun is indignation, and something that arouses indignation is an indignity
Empathetic
An empathetic person is someone who can share another person’s feelings. If you tell an empathetic person that your heart is broken, she might touch her own heart and gaze at you sadly through moist eyes. Empathetic is a recent term; it comes from empathy, which was coined by the German philosopher Rudolf Lotze in 1858. Lotze believed that when you look at a work of art, you project your own sensibilities onto it. So if you feel sad when you see a painting of a woman weeping over a dying lover, that’s because you can imagine what it’s like to lose someone you love. To make the word, Lotze turned to the ancient Greek empatheia, which means “passion”
Appreciation
When you have an appreciation for something, you can see and truly understand its good qualities. One way to show your appreciation for a particularly wonderful musical performance is to give a standing ovation when it’s over. A slightly different kind of appreciation is having good taste or the ability to see aesthetic beauty in something, like members of a wine appreciation group or the teacher of a music appreciation class. There’s also the appreciation that means a rise in monetary value — you might refer to the appreciation of the value of a house, for example
Critical
The adjective critical has several meanings, among them, “vital,” “verging on emergency,” “tending to point out errors,” and “careful”. If you’re an emergency-room doctor with a patient in critical condition (on the highest alert), it’s absolutely critical (vital or essential) that you be critical (careful and judicious) in your approach to their care, so that at the critical (decisive) moment, you can save their life. You must also be critical (that is, you must point out all the errors and flaws) of the jobs your colleagues are doing
Scornful
A scornful remark is full of contempt, disdain, or — as you might imagine — scorn. Your obsessively fashionable friends might be scornful of others who don’t wear the latest styles. First used in the late 14th century, the adjective scornful originates from the Old French word escarn, meaning “mockery,” “derision,” or “contempt.” You may have witnessed a contestant in a beauty pageant give scornful looks to her leading competitors. A list of scornful reviews from film critics usually precedes a film or actor’s nomination for a Razzie, an award that recognizes the best of the worst in film each year
Disdain
If you feel that something isn’t worthy of your consideration, you may disdain it (or treat it with disdain). In Old French, deignier meant “to treat something as worthy.” To disdain something, then, is to treat it with contempt: “Management at [the company] displayed a certain disdain for safety and appeared to regard safety-conscious workers as wimps in the organization.” As a verb, disdain carries an air of self-righteousness not associated with similar words like despise, abhor, detest, loathe and scorn. So if you disdain something, you might reject it with a haughty scoff, “Ha!”
Provocative
If something is provocative, it provokes a reaction. A provocative book might get people talking about a controversial idea. A provocative statement, such as “I hate babies,” will get another kind of reaction. The action, thought, or feeling is often a desired one, called forth on purpose. In fact, provocative is often used to describe actions or ways of dressing that cause sexual feelings. But provocative things can also call forth something unwanted: “She was angered by the provocative remarks.” This adjective was borrowed from French provocatif, from Late Latin provocativus “calling forth,” from Latin provocare “to call forth, challenge”
Hostile
If something is hostile, it’s unfriendly. If you are zealous about the political causes you believe in, you will be hostile to any suggestion that the other side of the argument is reasonable. Hostile comes from the Latin word hostis, for enemy, and you can hear its relation to the word hostage. But you don’t have to be from a warring nation to be hostile. You can talk about a hostile nation, a hostile takeover, a hostile remark, or a hostile attitude. Some synonyms are inimical, antagonistic, unfavorable, unfriendly
Advocate
An advocate is someone who supports a cause, like an advocate for outdoor recess. Advocate is also a verb meaning to speak in favor of, so you can advocate for that outdoor recess by urging your school to play outside! When something amuses you, it makes you laugh, holds your attention, entertains you, or all three. An amusement is an activity that produces that type of feeling. Watching a basketball game and flying a kite are amusements. Also, doing something fun fills you with the emotion of amusement. To amuse is to entertain, and when you add the suffix -ment to the end of the verb, you get the noun or the feeling you gain from being amused
Amusement
Amusement is a feeling of being entertained and happy. Just think about how you feel when you visit an amusement park, and you will get the idea. When something amuses you, it makes you laugh, holds your attention, entertains you, or all three. An amusement is an activity that produces that type of feeling. Watching a basketball game and flying a kite are amusements. Also, doing something fun fills you with the emotion of amusement. To amuse is to entertain, and when you add the suffix -ment to the end of the verb, you get the noun or the feeling you gain from being amused
Sympathic
A sympathetic person is one who’s motivated by compassion. You can imagine that most of the people who work for the Red Cross are sympathetic types. In literature and film, the sympathetic character is the one who is likable or who evokes feelings of sympathy from the audience. The sympathetic character in a romantic comedy is probably the romantic male lead who keeps getting ignored by the beautiful women. Eventually the sympathetic character will get noticed and the leading lady will fall in love with him, then they will live happily ever after
Affection
Affection is the positive feeling you may have or express for other people or things. Your grandma may show her affection for you by pinching your cheek, and you may show your affection for your dog by rubbing her belly. Not everybody is good at showing affection to their loved ones, like old-school dads or tough guys in action movies. If people don’t get enough affection, they crave it, and will go to great lengths to get it. You might say that affection is what Luke wanted from Darth Vader all along, in Star Wars
Reverent
When you have great awe and respect for someone or something, and you show it by respectfully worshiping that person, thing, deity, or musical group, you are being reverent. Originally, the word reverent was used only in religious contexts, but now it works when people are just acting like they’re in a religious setting (even if the object of their worship is a sports star or political pundit). People are occasionally reverent in regard to antique cars, supermodels, spelling bee champions and giant TV screens. Reverent is related to the verb revere, which is also about having or showing respect for someone or something
Mocking
When you talk to or about someone in a mocking tone, you’re making fun of them in a nasty, mean way. But if you’re a comedy writer or political satirist, a mocking attitude is a tool of your trade. If you’re writing a skit about the outrageous proposal some politician has just made, you’ll write it in a mocking tone, imitating the politician’s voice and mannerisms in a way that makes him look as ridiculous as you think he is. Seen any mockingbirds lately? That’s the bird that sings almost nonstop, imitating the calls of other birds
Resignation
Resignation can mean either stepping down from a job or accepting an unpleasant but inevitable situation. You could even feel resignation as you announce your resignation. Once you’ve announced or handed in your formal resignation to a job, organization, or political office, you’re finished. You’ve formally quit or stepped down. If you’ve left the position due to budget cuts, you’ll probably leave with a feeling of resignation — acknowledging that there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it
Incredulous
If you are incredulous that means you can’t or won’t believe something. If you tell people about those aliens you met the other night, they’ll probably give you an incredulous look. Incredulous is the opposite of credulous, which means “believing too easily.” Both words come from the Latin word credere, which means “to believe.” Incredulous is stronger than skeptical; if you’re incredulous of something, you refuse to believe it, but if you’re skeptical, you’re doubtful but you haven’t ruled it out completely. If someone insists that your best friend is actually an underworld spy, you’ll probably look at them with incredulous anger
Caustic
Use the adjective caustic to describe any chemical that is able to burn living tissue or other substances, or, figuratively, a statement that has a similarly burning effect. Caustic in this sense means harshly critical. In the chemical sense, a near synonym is corrosive. In the figurative sense, near synonyms are biting, scathing, and sarcastic. The source of the word caustic is Latin causticus, from Greek kaustikos, from kaiein “to burn”
Elegiac
If there’s one song on your playlist that always brings tears to your eyes, maybe it’s because it has an elegiac quality. Elegiac means “mournful or sad”. The adjective elegiac is useful when you’re talking about music, a movie, a book, or another work of art that has a sorrowful tone. Sometimes elegiac specifically refers to something or someone that’s gone: a person who’s died, or a time in the past, especially if you feel a sense of longing for it. You can speak in an elegiac way, or sing an elegiac tune. The word comes from the Greek elegos, “poem or song of lament”
Vehement
You can use the adjective vehement to describe an extremely strong, powerful, or intense emotion or force. The teenager argued for a much later curfew in a vehement speech to her parents; her parents responded with an equally vehement “No way!” Vehement is from Latin and was originally applied to intense natural phenomena: pain, heat, wind, etc. It is now more commonly used for intense emotions or beliefs. With the adverb form, people can be vehemently in favor of something, but the more common usage is for people to be vehemently opposed to something. Many people, for example, are vehemently opposed to politicians they didn’t vote for, other people spoiling the endings of movies or books, or someone else taking the last piece of chocolate. The stress is on the first syllable (VEE-uh-ment)
Traditional
Traditional can describe anything that follows tradition, or a usual way of doing things. Traditional Mexican food includes tortillas and beans. A bag of corn chips with chili and fake cheese sauce, on the other hand, is not traditional. A tradition can be personal or national, and the adjective traditional has tons of uses. Traditional football might require a brown pigskin ball or a white soccer ball, depending on where you live. Your traditional national costume could be a sari, while your friend’s is a kimono. And that walking taco? It’s traditional carnival food for some
Dubious
Choose the adjective dubious for something you have doubts about or you suspect is not true. That bridge you just “bought” might be of dubious value. Dubious stems from Latin dubiosus, “doubtful” or “uncertain,” and contains the Latin root duo in this case meaning “of two minds.” This is apparent in that dubious generally describes something that appears one way but is truly another. A dubious claim is probably not true, whereas a dubious website or character is of questionable quality. Dubious can also be synonymous with doubtful, as in “she was dubious about the idea”
Foreboding
When you get a foreboding, you get a sense that something bad is going to happen. A foreboding is a foretelling, a sign or a glimpse, that “something wicked this way comes” — or might come. If something doesn’t “bode” well, it means that the future doesn’t look good. A foreboding is a glimpse or a feeling that bad things are going to happen. It’s a premonition, or look into the future. Most times foreboding implies that something evil is coming, but sometimes it’s used for anything bad up ahead, as in “she had a foreboding that the trip would get canceled due to the hurricane.” Even if the future looks bright, a foreboding casts dread over what’s ahead
Malicious
Someone who is malicious enjoys hurting or embarrassing others. If you’re writing a book about good and evil, you’ll want to come up with a truly malicious character to do all the bad stuff. Malicious is the adjective based on the noun malice, which means the desire to harm others. Both words come from the Latin word malus, for bad. If someone is malicious he doesn’t just make bad things happen; he loves to make bad things happen
Callous
A callous person is insensitive or emotionally hardened. If you laugh at your little sister while she’s trying to show you her poetry, you’re being callous. Callous comes from the Latin root callum for hard skin. If you walk barefoot a lot, your feet will become calloused. We usually use callous in the metaphorical sense for emotionally hardened. If someone is unmoved by other people’s problems, you might say he shows a callous indifference to human suffering
Dismay
If you discover late Sunday night that the dog really did eat your homework, you might cry out in dismay. Dismay describes an emotional state of alarm, fear, or serious disappointment. The first part of dismay comes from the Latin prefix dis-, which comes in handy when you want to put a negative spin on words (dishonest, discount, disenchant, etc.). The last bit of dismay most likely comes from the Germanic word magan, meaning “to be able to.” You can employ the word dismay to describe how you feel in a variety of negative situations that you doubt you are able to handle
Rejection
The noun rejection can refer to the actual act of rejecting something or to the feeling one has after being rejected. In other words, you might have feelings of rejection after experiencing the rejection of others. The Latin noun r?icere, which means “to throw back,” is the ancestor of the word rejection. Nobody likes to feel the rejection of being excluded. The word rejection became popular in psychology in 1931, when parental rejection was seen as a motivation of bad behavior in children. The word found a medical meaning by 1943, as the body’s refusal to accept a transplant
Superior
The salesman boasted to his customer that the $1 million car was well worth the price because it was far superior, meaning of higher quality, to any car that had come before it. This car, the salesman bragged, could fly. Superior comes from the Latin word meaning above and it literally means something that is above others in quality or status. Sometimes being superior can be perceived as a negative, as in the woman who acts superior to all of her friends, having a high opinion of herself just because she has millions of dollars in the bank after winning the lottery
Patronizing
If you are patronizing, you tend to speak down to others, acting as though you are smarter, classier, or just plain better than anyone else. For the record, your snobby attitude is not impressing anyone. A “patron” is someone who subsidizes or finances another person or organization — usually an artist or charitable institution. So the word patronizing stems from this idea of someone bestowing money or help on another. Today, the sense of condescension is strongly attached to the adjective, while the word “patron” is still a positive description of someone who gives
Candor
Candor usually means the quality of being open, honest, and sincere. If someone tells you they think you’re boring, you might reply with, “While I appreciate your candor, I don’t think we need to be friends anymore”. The corresponding adjective is candid, as in “I want you to be candid. Did everyone notice the spinach between my teeth when I gave my speech?” Candor is from French candeur, from Latin cand?re, “to shine or be white.” The color white is associated with purity, which is a now obsolete meaning of candor
Contradictory
A contradictory statement is one that says two things that cannot both be true. An example: My sister is jealous of me because I’m an only child. Contradictory is related to the verb contradict, which means to say or do the opposite, and contrary, which means to take an opposite view. When witnesses give contradictory accounts of crimes—one saying the assailant had a knife and the other a gun—police officers often assume that at least one of the witnesses is lying
Averse
To be averse to something is to be opposed to it on moral, philosophical or aesthetic grounds: my father is averse to people smoking cigarettes in the house, but he would not be averse to your smoking a cigar. Averse comes from a Latin word, aversus, which means “turned away from.” To be averse to something is to shun it, turn away from it, or dislike it. Some people are averse to the use of cilantro in any food that comes near them, some others are averse to wearing itchy wool sweaters, and others are averse to any form of exercise. Aversions are really very personal
Disgust
Disgust is a strong feeling of dislike. If you can’t stand peas, you might wrinkle your nose in disgust when you are served a bowl of pea soup. Disgust is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it’s a reaction to something you think is gross or terrible, like showing your disgust at a movie by getting up and leaving. As a verb, disgust means “to offend,” like when your class’s bad behavior at the assembly disgusts all the teachers, or “to gross out or revolt.” If you pick your nose in public, you will disgust everyone around you
Genuine
Genuine things are true or authentic. When you’re talking about people, being genuine has to do with being sincere. This word has to do with things and people that are true. A genuine blonde is a real blonde — no hair dye involved. A genuine friend is a real friend you can trust when the chips are down. Genuine feelings are real feelings — not fake feelings put on as a show. A genuine hundred dollar bill is the real McCoy, not a counterfeit bill. When something is the real thing, it’s genuine.
Sincere
Being sincere is being genuine. If someone compliments you on your outfit, but you notice them rolling their eyes when they think you’re not looking, they probably weren’t being sincere. If you’ve been offered a sincere thanks for something you’ve done, the person is probably really grateful. Sometimes when people say “thank you,” they don’t always mean it, but when they add the adjective sincere, the emphasis is usually for a very good reason. You may hear a charity sending out a sincere thanks to sponsors for their donations, which help keep the charity running.
Enthusiastic
Enthusiastic appreciation for something is more than just liking it — it’s loving it. You’re an enthusiastic fan of Italian food if you not only like it, you can’t live without it. Enthusiastic’s Greek origins paint a vivid picture of how an enthusiastic person got that way, as the word literally means “possessed by a god.” You may recognize the “god” part of the word — theos, as in theology — “the study of God.”
Puerile
Some people like their movies to have sophisticated humor and others prefer the more puerile humor of pratfalls or jokes about smelly underwear, inappropriate belching, and passing gas. Although the adjective, puerile can be used to describe anything related to childhood, more often than not, it is used in a derisive manner to comment on the immaturity, silliness, or juvenile nature of something or someone. So if you hear someone talk about puerile toys, they may merely be remarking on the toys of childhood, but it is more likely they are discussing whoopee cushions, fake dog poo, and the like
Idealistic
When you’re idealistic, you dream of perfection, whether in yourself or other people. For example, you might have the idealistic goal of bringing an end to childhood poverty in the world. The adjective idealistic describes someone whose plans or goals of helping others are lofty, grand, and possibly unrealistic. Do you think world peace is within reach? You’re idealistic. If your vision of the world is idealistic, you believe all problems can be solved and that all people can reach their full potential. Idealistic comes from the Greek idea, or “ideal prototype.”
Conciliatory
If you’re in a fight with a friend and you want to end it, you should make a conciliatory gesture, such as inviting her to a party you’re having. Conciliatory describes things that make other people less angry. The context is often a situation in which a dispute is settled by compromise. A synonym is propitiatory, though this adjective usually refers to avoiding the anger of someone who has the power to harm. In the word conciliatory, the –ory suffix means “relating to or doing,” and the root is from Latin conciliatus, from conciliare “to bring together, win over,” from concilium “council”
Jovial
Use jovial to describe people who show good humor and are full of joy. Santa Claus, with his constant “ho-ho-hoing” is a jovial figure. Jocose and jocular are similar words, but they refer more to things that actually cause laughter. Jovial is from Middle French, from Late Latin jovialis “relating to Jupiter, the ancient Roman god of the sky,” from Jupiter “Jupiter” plus the Latin prefix -alis “relating to.” In astrology, people born under the sign of Jupiter are joyful.
Witty
A witty remark is clever and funny and timed just right. When you make such a remark, you are also considered to be witty. The adjective witty can be used to describe those quick little funny remarks that often demonstrate a sharp, biting humor delivered in a playful manner. Witty usually describes things that are off-the-cuff amusing, rather than remarks that are elaborate or carefully planned in advance. This adjective is usually used in a complimentary way, but, like its cousin clever, it can be used sarcastically, as when someone who doesn’t appreciate your one-liners says, “Well, aren’t we witty today.”
Derisive
Use the adjective derisive to describe something or someone that mocks, expresses contempt, or ridicules. You may sometimes catch your kids making derisive comments — especially if you ask them to do chores instead of whatever they think is more important. Derisive comes from the Latin word deridere, meaning “to ridicule,” and is from the roots de-, which means “down,” and ridere, which means “to laugh.” The adjective derisory comes from the same Latin word, but it has a different sense. If you say something derisive, you show contempt or ridicule, as in a derisive glare at your noisy neighbors. If you say something is derisory, you mean it invites or deserves ridicule or contempt, especially if it is laughably small, such as a derisory diamond chip in an engagement ring.
Morose
A morose person is sullen, gloomy, sad, glum, and depressed — not a happy camper. When someone is morose, they seem to have a cloud of sadness hanging over them. This word is stronger than just sad — morose implies being extremely gloomy and depressed. We all can be morose at times, like after the death of a friend or family member. Whether you’re morose due to an event or just because you’re feeling blue, you should try skipping or whistling a little tune to perk things up.
Belliscose
If you walk into a high school where you know no one, find the toughest looking girl in the halls and tell her she’s ugly, them’s fighting words. Or bellicose ones. Bellicose means eager for war. Bellicose is from Latin bellum “war.” A near synonym is belligerent, from the same Latin noun. You may wonder if they’re connected to the Latin bellus “pretty, handsome,” which gives us the names Bella or Isabella, as well as belle “a beautiful woman.” They’re not. War and beauty are not related, except in the case of Helen of Troy.
Sardonic
If someone is being scornful and mocking in a humorous way, call her sardonic. If you want to write comic sketches for late-night talk shows, work on being sardonic. Sardonic comes from the Greek adjective Sardonios, which actually describes a plant from a place called Sardinia that supposedly made your face contort into a horrible grin…right before you died from its poison. The Greeks used sardonic for laughter, but we only use it when someone’s humor is also mocking or ironic.
Dire
Dire refers to situations or events that cause great fear and worry. A dire calamity causes much suffering. If a family is in dire need, they need immediate help. Dire predictions or warnings tell us that a disaster may happen in the future. If you are trapped between the burning building behind you and the high cliffs in front of you, you might describe yourself as being in dire straits.
Negative
Negative means focused on what is bad or lacking. A negative ad tells you bad things about the competition. A negative person loves to complain. In math, a negative number is less than zero. People who see the glass half empty have a negative outlook. Ask your mom for ice cream and receive an answer in the negative? Don’t be too negative back to her, or it’ll be a while before you have another chance at ice cream.
Positive
In the simplest sense, positive means good — or the opposite of negative. If you have a positive attitude about homework, for example, you’re more likely to get positive feedback on your report card. Keeping track of positive’s many meanings can be positively confusing. For starters, if you’re positive about something, you’re totally sure. In math, any quantity greater than zero is positive. In medicine, a positive result on a test indicates the presence of a disease. And that isn’t a very positive experience for anyone.
Sanguine
If you’re sanguine about a situation, that means you’re optimistic that everything’s going to work out fine. Sanguine is from Latin sanguis “blood” and originally meant “bloody” — in medieval medicine it described someone whose ruddy complexion was a sign of an optimistic outlook. That was back when people thought that “bodily humors” like blood were responsible for your attitudes. Now that we no longer believe in humors, sanguine has settled down as a fancy way to say someone is cheerfully confident. Experts are frequently described as feeling sanguine about a political or economic situation — or not sanguine, if they think we’re going to hell in a handbasket.
Grave
A grave is the place where a body is buried. Usually, a grave is dug in the ground, and a stone with information about the deceased person marks its location. Grave is used as an adjective, too. It can describe something serious, or of great importance. If a situation is grave, it is serious and sad, like when a loved one is very sick. Grave can also describe causing fear or anxiety. If you are in grave danger, your personal safety is threatened. If you have a grave personality, you are solemn and dignified and don’t joke around very much.
Somber
Funerals are often somber affairs, and you might have a somber expression on your face after your teacher hands back an exam you failed. Somber is used to describe situations, facial expressions, or moods that are dark, gloomy, or depressing. Something that is somber is often thought of as “in shadow,” as in “the shadow of grief,” or “the shadow of a bad mood.” This is not just a coincidence. Somber comes from French sombre, derived from the Latin sub umbr?, “under a shadow.”
Serious
Any important situation is serious, and this word is also the opposite of humorous and playful. If you’re frowning, someone might say, “Why so serious?” This is a word for people and situations where there’s no fooling around. If you’re staring at the computer screen, typing quickly, you look serious. If you are in a car accident, that’s a serious situation. Some people are more serious than others. If you’re always making jokes and smiling, then you’re not that serious. One place everyone needs to be serious is at a funeral home.
Placid
Call a body of water placid if it has a smooth surface and no waves. Call a person placid if they don’t tend to make waves by causing a fuss. Coming from the Latin placidus “pleasing or gentle,” placid is most commonly used to describe a person who is not easily irritated or a body of water such as a lake that does not have waves to disturb the surface. Synonyms of placid in both meanings include calm, serene and tranquil. In other uses, placid describes something with little disruption — like “a placid neighborhood.”
Severe
Whether you’re talking about a punishment, the weather, or how bad your flu is, severe indicates that it’s at the limit of the spectrum. The austerity of a word like severe serves many purposes. The common usage is to describe tough or painful stuff, like icy snowstorms, merciless punishments, or grim conditions (e.g., a severe depression). If things are severe, they’re serious. Severe could also describe a person’s haircut if it’s brutally short and angular, or their wardrobe if it tends to be all black with no flourishes.
Imposing
Imposing is an adjective reserved for those things that are impressive in the sense that they are large or serious, as in the US Capitol Building or even, say, a professional wrestler. When you look at the word imposing you see the word pose, which is useful in remembering what it means. A person who is imposing might strike a pose because they feel they have a lot to show. In fact, imposing is derived from the French verb imposer, which means “to inflict.” Its French roots may inspire you to envision the enormous and expensive wigs worn by members of the French court. The larger the wig, the more imposing it was. And all the more reason to strike a pose!
Outspoken
If you often freely speak your mind, people may say that you are outspoken. How people view that particular trait in you, however, will depend on whether they agree with what you have to say or not! Use the adjective outspoken to describe someone candid and blunt, one who is direct in manner or speech. If you are an outspoken advocate for arts education in schools, you probably attend lots of school board and community meetings trying to ensure that the board does not cut music and drama from the school curriculum. If you are an outspoken critic of the way your boss does his job, you may not have yours much longer!
Scandalous
Scandalous describes something that’s shocking, and maybe a little embarrassing or even offensive. Your great-grandfather might be a scandalous character in your family history if he was married seven times, each time to younger and younger wives. The adjective scandalous can refer to something morally offensive, or even illegal, although it’s used often simply to mean “shocking”. It describes something that has potential to cause a scandal, which comes from the Greek skandalon, “a trap laid for an enemy.” This idea of a trap or a snare is a great metaphor; you can stumble into scandal as if it’s just waiting for you to make a misstep, and if you do the results will be scandalous.
Sinister
People who are left-handed might feel unlucky having to use a desk designed for right-handers, but there probably wasn’t any sinister, or evil, intent behind the design. Or was there? In the 15th century, when the word sinister came into use in English, people who were left-handed were thought to be bad luck or even evil. In his play Hamlet, Shakespeare wrote of the villain holding a human skull in his sinister — i.e., left — hand. It would seem to be sinister, or wicked, enough to see a human skull in the right hand, not to mention unlucky for the person missing a head in the first place.
Methodical
Methodical means following a method. If you follow the same sixteen steps in the same order when you make a fire, you could be said to take a methodical approach to this activity. The idea of moving slowly and orderly through a process can at times be dismissed as bureaucratic or obsessive, but when you use the word methodical to describe it, chances are you think that it’s good to follow a method. The only thing missing from a methodical approach is inspiration — dancers shouldn’t be too methodical; engineers should.
Momentous
Momentous describes an important event or moment in time. It is used for a time of great consequence or for a major accomplishment, and is almost always reserved for good things. When a moment is so great you know you’ll never forget it, you have just experienced something momentous. It can be personal — perhaps the day you were named prom queen; or something historic — like the day Elizabeth was named Queen of England. Momentous and momentary share the root word moment but momentary describes just one fleeting moment in time. A momentary occurrence can certainly be momentous, but it’s not always the case.
Heroic
Heroic means having the qualities of a hero, such as bravery. Maybe on your daily walk, you see a house on fire, and you run into the flames repeatedly to save the family and their pets, including the fish! That’s heroic. Literature offers many examples of heroic characters, who by their strength or their wiles or both overcame almost impossible obstacles. In Greek mythology, Hercules was given seven seemingly impossible tasks that he completed with heroic daring, Achilles was a warrior whose accomplishments in battle were heroic, and Odysseus showed his heroic qualities as he conquered monsters and men in his journey home.
Audacious
This adjective is very bold — if you are audacious, you are daring and unconventional! The adjective audacious comes from the Latin word audacia and means “daring, boldness, courage,” and often gets applied in situations where someone does something pretty unusual, like becoming an astronaut and going to the moon. It can also mean challenging conventions and doing things that most people don’t do, such as when Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to become a doctor. Blackwell then inspired Elizabeth Garrett Anderson to become the first female doctor in England. And the rest is history!
Curious
If you’re curious, you really want to know something — like the secret ingredient that makes these cookies so crunchy. You may wish you hadn’t been so curious when you find out it’s roasted crickets. Curious describes someone who is eager to find out answers and to explore and learn. A curious student asks lots of questions. A curious little monkey, like the famous Curious George from the children’s book series, may be so curious to know how a clock works that he breaks it trying to get a closer look inside. Curious can also describe something unusual, like a house that is painted a curious shade of purple.
Bitter
If you usually drink your coffee with lots of cream and sugar in it, you might be surprised at how bitter plain black coffee can taste. Bitter means “having a sharp or harsh flavor.” Bitter describes a particular pungent taste, like the sharpness of very dark chocolate (which is sometimes called bittersweet for its mixture of the two flavors). If you imagine taking that bitter taste on your tongue and turning it into an emotion, you’ve got another meaning of bitter: a resentful, angry feeling. And if you turn that bitter flavor into a physical feeling, you’ve got an adjective that describes a sharp, unpleasant sensation, like a cold, bitter wind.
Insolent
Someone who’s insolent is either really doing her own thing, even if it goes against what everyone else is doing, or she’s mildly disrespectful. That student in your class who is constantly snubbing the teacher, snorting when he gives assignments, and rolling her eyes when he reads passages aloud from your vocabulary textbook? Insolent, definitely insolent. There might be another student who adorns her school uniform with pins and ribbons, cuts her hair shorter than the dress code allows, and rolls her socks down. This student is also insolent, in the sense that she defies the rules.
Dejected
If you’re ejected from an important game, you’re going to feel dejected. If you’re rejected by the love of your life, you’ll feel dejected again. Dejected goes beyond down––it’s having given up hope. “After the theater was burned down by Mrs. Jud, the deranged school secretary, the drama students were too dejected even to sing “Pore Jud is Daid” from Oklahoma, the only song that might have made them feel better.”
Smug
A smug person is self-satisfied. You can usually recognize someone who is pleased with himself by his smug little smile and self-righteous remarks. Smug is the opposite of modest and unsure. In cartoons, the smug character often walks around with his chest puffed out and his ego leading the way. “Too much good fortune can make you smug and unaware,” thought Rachel Field, the children’s author. What she means is that successes are appreciated much more when they don’t come so often that you begin to feel entitled to them.
Cavalier
Someone who is cavalier has a dismissive attitude and regards other people as inferior. If you think you know more than your teacher and never bother doing homework, your parents might complain that you are cavalier about your studies. The word cavalier dates from mid-16th-century French, from the Latin caballus, meaning “horse.” If you have a cavalier attitude, you look down on other people — as if you are sitting on a very tall horse and other people are sitting down there on the ground.
Irreverent
If you are irreverent, you don’t show respect toward something, like your irreverent singing of your school’s alma mater in a funny voice. To be irreverent doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t like something; it’s just that you don’t display the same honor for it that other people do. You might have a more light-hearted approach, poking fun of the way other people seem to almost blindly show their devotion. For example, when people at the Louvre are standing in hushed awe in front of the “Mona Lisa” it would be irreverent to holler “What’s so great about that?”
Flippant
When a parent scolds a teenager for missing a curfew or blowing off a test and the teen snaps back, “Whatever,” you could say the teen is being flippant. His reply was casual to the point of sarcasm and disrespect. When it first showed up in the English language around the 17th century, flippant meant glib and talkative. But over the years it has developed a more negative connotation. Today flippant is used to describe a blasé attitude or comment in a situation that calls for seriousness. Make a flippant comment about your friend’s mother and the odds are good that they’ll be offended.
Vexed
Vexed means “difficult and much debated.” If your family is having trouble coming to an agreement about where to go on vacation next summer, your holiday trip has become a vexed issue. When people can’t resolve an issue or find a solution, it is a vexed problem — one that’s become complicated because of differing and probably strong opinions. Vexed can also describe being irritated. If you borrowed your sister’s car without asking permission, and if she had a fancy way of putting things, she might tell you she’s incredibly vexed with you right now.
Intense
Intense means strong or extreme. If you accidentally spill a cup of hot coffee on yourself, you’ll probably feel intense heat, intense pain, and — if anyone happened to be watching — intense embarrassment. When using intense, we often refer to a specific feeling or emotion, as in the case of “intense dread” or “intense happiness.” Intense can also be used to describe exciting experiences as well as people with strong or insistent personalities. For example, if your intense friend insists on taking you bungee jumping, you’re guaranteed to have an intense experience. Intense comes from a Latin word meaning “stretched,” implying that something has been stretched to its maximum limit.
Engaging
A story, song, or person that is engaging is entertaining, fun, and interesting — you want to see or hear more. To remember the meaning of engaging, it might help to think of what engaged means. When a couple is engaged, they’ve agreed to get married. When something or somebody is engaging, you want to spend more time with them too. Boring is the complete opposite of engaging. Think of your favorite movie or TV show — especially one you can’t stop watching — it must be very engaging
Exuberant
Are you feeling really happy and enthusiastic about something? Describe yourself with the adjective exuberant! Exuberant can be traced back to the same Indo-European root that has brought the word udder. If you picture the plentiful amount of milk a cow can give, it is easy to remember that exuberant always describes something that is abundant or plentiful like exuberant foliage. Abundance also comes into play in its primary use today to mean very enthusiastic, full of energy or overjoyed. When the bell rings on the last day of school, you will be exuberant
Fleeting
Fleeting is an adjective that describes something that happens really fast, or something that doesn’t last as long as you’d like. Driving in a car on the highway, you see a unicorn in the woods, but you only get a fleeting glimpse of it because you’re driving too fast. Bummer. Fleeting comes from the Old English word fl?otan, which means “float, swim.” Like a ghost ship floating by on a foggy night, fleeting things disappear as fast as they appear. Fleeting love may last more than a moment, but it won’t stay for very long, and that’s why it’s called fleeting.
