WORDS TO CAPTURE TONE 200 - SHORT DEFINITION Flashcards
Optimistic
hopeful that the best will happen in the future
Pessimistic
expecting the worst possible outcome
Neutral
having no personal preference
Ambivalance
mixed feelings or emotions
Frank
characterized by directness in manner or speech
Indignant
angered at something unjust or wrong
Empathetic
showing ready comprehension of others’ states
Appreciation
understanding of the nature or meaning of something
Critical
of a serious examination and judgment of something
Scornful
expressing extreme contempt
Disdain
lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
Provocative
serving or tending to excite or stimulate
Hostile
characterized by enmity or ill will
Advocate
a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea
Amusement
a feeling of delight at being entertained
Sympathic
expressing compassion or friendly fellow feelings
Affection
a positive feeling of liking
Reverent
feeling or showing profound respect or veneration
Mocking
expressing contempt or ridicule
Resignation
the act of giving up, as a claim or office or possession
Incredulous
not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
Caustic
harsh or corrosive in tone
Elegiac
resembling or characteristic of a lament for the dead
Vehement
marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions
Traditional
consisting of or derived from a practice of long standing
Dubious
fraught with uncertainty or doubt
Foreboding
a feeling of evil to come
Malicious
having the nature of threatening evil
Callous
emotionally hardened
Dismay
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
Rejection
the state of being turned down
Superior
of high quality or performance
Patronizing
characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance
Candor
the quality of being honest and straightforward
Contradictory
not able to be true at the same time
Averse
strongly opposed
Disgust
strong feelings of dislike
Genuine
not fake or counterfeit
Sincere
open and genuine; not deceitful
Enthusiastic
having or showing great excitement and interest
Puerile
displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
Idealistic
motivated by noble or moral beliefs rather than practicality
Conciliatory
making or willing to make concessions
Jovial
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
Witty
demonstrating striking cleverness and humor
Derisive
expressing contempt or ridicule
Morose
showing a brooding ill humor
Belliscose
having or showing a ready disposition to fight
Sardonic
disdainfully or ironically humorous
Dire
fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
Negative
characterized by denial or opposition or resistance
Positive
characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance
Sanguine
confidently optimistic and cheerful
Grave
causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
Somber
grave or even gloomy in character
Serious
of great consequence
Placid
not easily irritated
Severe
unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment
Imposing
befitting an important, distinguished, or powerful person
Outspoken
given to expressing yourself freely or insistently
Scandalous
giving offense to moral sensibilities
Sinister
wicked, evil, or dishonorable
Methodical
characterized by orderliness
Momentous
of very great significance
Heroic
having qualities appropriate for brave figures
Audacious
disposed to venture or take risks
Curious
eager to investigate and learn or learn more
Bitter
proceeding from or exhibiting great hostility or animosity
Insolent
marked by casual disrespect
Dejected
affected or marked by low spirits
Smug
marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
Cavalier
showing a lack of concern or seriousness
Irreverent
showing lack of due respect or veneration
Flippant
showing an inappropriate lack of seriousness
Vexed
troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
Intense
possessing a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
Engaging
attracting or delighting
Exuberant
joyously unrestrained
Fleeting
lasting for a markedly brief time
Jealous
suspicious or fearful of being displaced by a rival
Petulant
easily irritated or annoyed
Ambitious
having a strong desire for success or achievement
Reckless
marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
Undermine
weaken or impair, especially gradually
Deference
courteous regard for people’s feelings
Disparagement
a communication that belittles somebody or something
Obstinate
marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
Opposition
being against something that you disapprove or disagree with
Quarrelsome
given to arguing
Contentious
showing an inclination to disagree
Rancorous
showing deep-seated resentment
Vituperative
marked by harshly abusive criticism
Receptive
open to arguments, ideas, or change
Reluctant
not eager
Seductive
tending to entice into a desired action or state
Pernicious
exceedingly harmful
Ominous
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
Anxiety
a vague unpleasant emotion in anticipation of a misfortune
Obsequious
attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
Dominating
power to defeat
Eager
having or showing keen interest or intense desire
Emphasize
stress or single out as important
Persuasive
intended or having the power to induce action or belief
Pervasive
spreading or spread throughout
Intentional
done or made with purpose and will
Motivated
given incentive for action
Perceptive
having the ability to understand
Reservation
an unstated doubt that prevents you from accepting something
Unanticipated
not expected
Unprecedented
novel; having no earlier occurrence
Hollow
devoid of significance or point
Superficial
of, affecting, or being on or near the surface
Brash
offensively bold
Brusque
rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
Tactful
having a sense of what is considerate in dealing with others
Passive
lacking in energy or will
Agitated
physically disturbed or set in motion
Apprehensive
in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
Timid
showing fear and lack of courage
Candid
openly straightforward and direct without secretiveness
Console
give moral or emotional strength to
Irate
feeling or showing extreme anger
Inflammatory
arousing to action or rebellion
Inquisitive
given to questioning
Elated
exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
Insincere
lacking the quality of being open and truthful
Artificial
contrived by art rather than nature
Novel
original and of a kind not seen before
Stability
the quality or attribute of being firm and steadfast
Tentative
hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
Assertion
a declaration that is made emphatically
Concern
an anxious feeling
Despair
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
Solidarity
a union of interests or purposes among members of a group
Imprudent
not sensible, responsible, or wise
Aggravated
made more severe or intense especially in law
Astonishment
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
Coarse
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
Creative
having the ability or power to invent or make something
Esctatic
feeling great rapture or delight
Fanciful
indulging in or influenced by the imagination
Hopeful
having or manifesting optimism
Inspiring
stimulating or exalting to the spirit
Judgmental
relating to an assessment of a person, situation, or event
Objective
undistorted by emotion or personal bias
Urgency
an earnest and insistent necessity
Condescending
characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance
Crude
conspicuously and tastelessly indecent
Lyrical
expressing deep emotion
Profound
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
Curt
brief and to the point
Demure
shy or modest, often in a playful or provocative way
Earnest
characterized by a firm, humorless belief in one’s opinions
Seemingly
from appearances alone
Substantiate
establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
Surly
unfriendly and inclined toward anger or irritation
Vibrant
vigorous and animated
Admonish
scold or reprimand; take to task
Befuddled
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
Contemplative
deeply or seriously thoughtful
Cynical
believing the worst of human nature and motives
Forlorn
marked by or showing hopelessness
Haughty
having or showing arrogant superiority
Negligent
characterized by undue lack of attention or concern
Pedantic
marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
Poignant
keenly distressing to the mind or feelings
Solemn
dignified and somber in manner or character
Skeptical
marked by or given to doubt
Wistful
showing pensive sadness
Complacent
contented to a fault with oneself or one’s actions
Acerbic
sour or bitter in taste
Apathetic
showing little or no emotion or animation
Bombastic
ostentatiously lofty in style
Conducive
tending to bring about; being partly responsible for
Despondent
without or almost without hope
Didactic
instructive, especially excessively
Disgruntled /dɪsˈɡrʌn.təld/
in a state of sulky dissatisfaction
Effusive
uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
Facetious /fəˈsiː.ʃəs/
cleverly amusing in tone
Gregarious
temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others
Laudatory /ˈlɔː.də.tər.i/
full of or giving praise
Mercurial /mɜːˈkjʊə.ri.əl/
liable to sudden unpredictable changeliable to sudden unpredictable change
Quizzical
perplexed
Incisive
demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
Zealous
marked by active interest and enthusiasm
Fervent
characterized by intense emotion
Acrid
strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
Choleric
characterized by anger
Churlish
having a bad disposition; surly
Diffident
showing modest reserve
Fatous /ˈfætʃ.u.əs/
devoid of intelligence
Histrionic
characteristic of acting or a stage performance
Jejune
lacking interest or significance or impact
Melancholic
characterized by or causing or expressing sadness
Mordant
harshly ironic or sinister
Saturnine
bitter or scornful
Supercilious
having or showing arrogant disdain or haughtiness
Unctuous
unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
Vivacious /vɪˈveɪ.ʃəs/
vigorous and animated