Acerbic
Bitterness, Roughness, Sharpness
Example:-
The acerbity of my wife's temper is sometimes frightening.
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Amalgam
a combination or mixture
Example:-
The chef blended an interesting amalgam of bananas, apricots and milk.
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Bolster
to support or to strengthen
Example:-
Every night in bed, Barb uses pillows to bolster her head and feet. She likes that the fluffy pillows support her neck and keep her back comfortable while she sleeps. The pillows also prop up her feet and help to reduce any leg soreness. When she bolsters her head and feet at night, Barb sleeps more soundly and comfortably.
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Bombastic:-
To be characterized by grand, dramatic gestures, inflated and overblown
Example:-
The bodybuilder struck a bombastic pose after winning the competition.
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Credulous
tending to believe too readily or easily convinced.
Example:-
Riley always had a credulous nature, believing almost anything people told him. His gullibility sometimes caused him to trust people who were only trying to trick him. Just the other day, Riley encountered an old man who claimed to foretell the future. Our credulous friend Riley quickly sought to learn his future from the man, even paying a large amount of money to hear his fortune.
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Diatribe
a harsh verbal attack, criticism or rant
Example:-
At dinner, my father went on a long diatribe about his boss and his bad management style.
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Garrulous
Talkative and Irritating
Example:-
I sat on the park bench next to a garrulous old man who talked excessively and wouldn't let me get a single word in.
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Germane
to the point, relevant
Example:-
I don't see how your suggestion of pretending to be dead is germane to our plan of escape.
He was asked to sit down because his objections were not germane to the case being discussed.
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Glib
Speaking without thinking or concern; to speak casually.
Example:-
When I crashed my bike, I thought Justin's reaction was a little glib; he didn't seem worried that I was really hurt.
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Implacable
Unable to eased or appeased
Example:-
Emily's grief over the damage to her rare collectible doll was implacable. Despite our best efforts to console her, Emily continued to cry relentlessly for hours. She finally calmed down and stopped crying, but it was clear that her overall sadness was implacable. We were not able to take away the sadness she felt.
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Indifferent
Having no interest, concern or preference.
Example:-
Grady.s indifferent attitude during the house fire angered his roommate and the fire fighters. He just sat by calmly, as firefighters rushed to put out the raging flames. His roommate tried to save as many items from the fire as he could, but Grady seemed uninterested in helping. Usually someone is very concerned about an out-of-control fire, but Grady was indifferent toward the whole situation.
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Madrigal:-
A short poetic song for 2-3 voices, with no music.
Example:-
Madrigals were a popular form of music during the Renaissance.
Picture:-
fter heating the metal on the fire, the blacksmith could work more easily with the malleable material. By pounding and hammering on the hot metal, the smith turned the chunk of steel into a sleek, polished sword, flexible enough to be used in almost any situation. In the hands of the experienced blacksmith, the malleable steel was as supple as putty, able to be shaped into any form.
Picture:-
Mercurial
Changeable; volatile or unstable.
Example:-
Pop singer Britney Spears has always had a mercurial personality, so it was no surprise when she suddenly shaved off her long hair. This type of erratic behavior was the norm for Britney, and most of her fans have become accustomed to her fickle nature. In fact, it was Britney's mercurial personality that kept everyone wondering just what whimsical thing she would do next.
Picture:-
Meticulous
Extremely or Excessively careful about details.
Example:-
When it came to making watches, Jared was very meticulous. He was extremely careful to make sure that he didn't overlook any important detail. His meticulous attention to every aspect of his creation meant that he never had to take apart and rebuild any of his watches.
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Obdurate
not giving in easily, stubborn or inflexible.
Example:-
Little kids can be extremely obdurate when they don't want to do something. Even when parents beg and plead, the kids can stand stubbornly, refusing to obey. The obdurate nature of some kids can be frustrating for parents dealing with them.
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Obfuscation
something that causes confusion; unclear
Example:-
The company president tried to explain the new policy, but his obfuscations didn't make sense to anyone.
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Obsequious
excessively willing to yield
Example:-
Tom is an obsequious employee of our company. Whenever his manager is around, Tom tries everything to please him. If the manager says he feels like eating a pizza, Tom would be the one who would want to go and personally bring it to his manager's office. This is no different than licking his manager's shoes. We don't think Tom's obsequious manners will help him reach a high position in our company.
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Ostentatious
Showy or pretentious
Example:-
Hollywood is often seen as a pretentious city, filled with stars, models, and other fame seekers. Their showy lifestyles and flashy personalities can be exciting to watch. However, some people don't like Hollywood's ostentatious displays and would rather watch people that are more down-to-earth.
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Pedantic
Related to displays of knowledge which are often arrogant or unnecessary.
Example:-
The teacher's pedantic ramblings side-tracked the entire class discussion. The class was only supposed to last an hour. If he continued his pedantic lecture on the origin of the word liberty, instead of discussing the Declaration of Independence, he would run out of time.
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Pervade
to spread through or throughout, especially subtly or gradually.
Example:-
The smell of turkey baking in the oven gradually pervaded the house on Thanksgiving Day. The delicious aroma spread from the kitchen to the staircase to all the bedrooms upstairs. The entire family was trying to save their appetites for the big meal, but with the smell of turkey pervading the entire house, it was hard to resist.
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Phlegmatic
Calm, not easily excited
Example:-
Even with children running around the room like maniacs, our phlegmatic cat continued to sit on the sofa, undisturbed by the commotion. They threw toys at each other, screamed and yelled, and even sent a vase crashing to the floor, but the cat simply ignored them. We always knew he was a very calm cat, but this behavior was so phlegmatic that we checked to see if he was still breathing!
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Polemical
Extremely argumentative
Example:-
Darren was famous for making polemical arguments that usually angered his classmates. What's worse is that he frequently fails to make sure his facts are correct before he starts. Most people will just walk away rather than listen to Darren's polemical rants.
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Sedulous
Hard-working, diligent, or persistent.
Example:-
Stephanie’s sedulous attention to her job makes her a top employee. Her supervisor points to her hard work and diligence as some of the key characteristics of her strong work ethic. Every year, Stephanie receives a raise in her salary due to her sedulous approach to her work.
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Bitterness, Roughness, Sharpness
Example:-
The acerbity of my wife's temper is sometimes frightening.
Picture:-
Amalgam
a combination or mixture
Example:-
The chef blended an interesting amalgam of bananas, apricots and milk.
Picture:-
Amenable
Ready to be changed or controlled.
Example:-
Mitch was always amenable to whatever the boss wanted, but his constant willingness to agree got a little irritating to others in the office. He was always submitting to the boss, telling him that everything he did was right, going along with his ideas for the business. If he'd been a little less amenable, though, the boss wouldn't have liked him as much and would have found someone else to agree with him on everything.
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to support or to strengthen
Example:-
Every night in bed, Barb uses pillows to bolster her head and feet. She likes that the fluffy pillows support her neck and keep her back comfortable while she sleeps. The pillows also prop up her feet and help to reduce any leg soreness. When she bolsters her head and feet at night, Barb sleeps more soundly and comfortably.
Picture:-
Bombastic:-
To be characterized by grand, dramatic gestures, inflated and overblown
Example:-
The bodybuilder struck a bombastic pose after winning the competition.
Picture:-
Credulous
tending to believe too readily or easily convinced.
Example:-
Riley always had a credulous nature, believing almost anything people told him. His gullibility sometimes caused him to trust people who were only trying to trick him. Just the other day, Riley encountered an old man who claimed to foretell the future. Our credulous friend Riley quickly sought to learn his future from the man, even paying a large amount of money to hear his fortune.
Picture:-
Diatribe
a harsh verbal attack, criticism or rant
Example:-
At dinner, my father went on a long diatribe about his boss and his bad management style.
Picture:-
Flout
to mock or scoff at, to show scorn or contempt
Example:-
The teenagers flouted the law as they scribbled graffiti on the side of the police station. Their destruction mocked the police and scorned the law against vandalism. By flouting the law, the teens showed contempt for the honor and discipline of the local police squad.
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Fortuitous
happening by chance or accident and bringing good luck.
Example:-
Molly's day was filled with fortuitous events that began almost as soon as she awoke. This morning she happened to find a $50 bill in her jeans pocket, and later, she was fortunate to run into an old friend that she hadn't seen in many years. Her entire day proved to filled with fortuitous wonders.
Picture:-Garrulous
Talkative and Irritating
Example:-
I sat on the park bench next to a garrulous old man who talked excessively and wouldn't let me get a single word in.
Picture:-
Germane
to the point, relevant
Example:-
I don't see how your suggestion of pretending to be dead is germane to our plan of escape.
He was asked to sit down because his objections were not germane to the case being discussed.
Picture:-
Glib
Speaking without thinking or concern; to speak casually.
Example:-
When I crashed my bike, I thought Justin's reaction was a little glib; he didn't seem worried that I was really hurt.
Picture:-
Implacable
Unable to eased or appeased
Example:-
Emily's grief over the damage to her rare collectible doll was implacable. Despite our best efforts to console her, Emily continued to cry relentlessly for hours. She finally calmed down and stopped crying, but it was clear that her overall sadness was implacable. We were not able to take away the sadness she felt.
Picture:-
Indifferent
Having no interest, concern or preference.
Example:-
Grady.s indifferent attitude during the house fire angered his roommate and the fire fighters. He just sat by calmly, as firefighters rushed to put out the raging flames. His roommate tried to save as many items from the fire as he could, but Grady seemed uninterested in helping. Usually someone is very concerned about an out-of-control fire, but Grady was indifferent toward the whole situation.
Picture:-
Laconic
Brief with words, concise or something said with few words.
Example:-
The old men sat on the bench making laconic remarks from time to time.
Picture:-
A short poetic song for 2-3 voices, with no music.
Example:-
Madrigals were a popular form of music during the Renaissance.
Picture:-
Malleable:-
able to be hammered, pounded or pressed into shapes, without breaking.
Example:-fter heating the metal on the fire, the blacksmith could work more easily with the malleable material. By pounding and hammering on the hot metal, the smith turned the chunk of steel into a sleek, polished sword, flexible enough to be used in almost any situation. In the hands of the experienced blacksmith, the malleable steel was as supple as putty, able to be shaped into any form.
Picture:-
Mercurial
Changeable; volatile or unstable.
Example:-
Pop singer Britney Spears has always had a mercurial personality, so it was no surprise when she suddenly shaved off her long hair. This type of erratic behavior was the norm for Britney, and most of her fans have become accustomed to her fickle nature. In fact, it was Britney's mercurial personality that kept everyone wondering just what whimsical thing she would do next.
Picture:-
Meticulous
Extremely or Excessively careful about details.
Example:-
When it came to making watches, Jared was very meticulous. He was extremely careful to make sure that he didn't overlook any important detail. His meticulous attention to every aspect of his creation meant that he never had to take apart and rebuild any of his watches.
Picture:-
not giving in easily, stubborn or inflexible.
Example:-
Little kids can be extremely obdurate when they don't want to do something. Even when parents beg and plead, the kids can stand stubbornly, refusing to obey. The obdurate nature of some kids can be frustrating for parents dealing with them.
Picture:-
Obfuscation
something that causes confusion; unclear
Example:-
The company president tried to explain the new policy, but his obfuscations didn't make sense to anyone.
Picture:-
Obsequious
excessively willing to yield
Example:-
Tom is an obsequious employee of our company. Whenever his manager is around, Tom tries everything to please him. If the manager says he feels like eating a pizza, Tom would be the one who would want to go and personally bring it to his manager's office. This is no different than licking his manager's shoes. We don't think Tom's obsequious manners will help him reach a high position in our company.
Picture:-
Ostentatious
Showy or pretentious
Example:-
Hollywood is often seen as a pretentious city, filled with stars, models, and other fame seekers. Their showy lifestyles and flashy personalities can be exciting to watch. However, some people don't like Hollywood's ostentatious displays and would rather watch people that are more down-to-earth.
Picture:-
Pedantic
Related to displays of knowledge which are often arrogant or unnecessary.
Example:-
The teacher's pedantic ramblings side-tracked the entire class discussion. The class was only supposed to last an hour. If he continued his pedantic lecture on the origin of the word liberty, instead of discussing the Declaration of Independence, he would run out of time.
Picture:-
Pervade
to spread through or throughout, especially subtly or gradually.
Example:-
The smell of turkey baking in the oven gradually pervaded the house on Thanksgiving Day. The delicious aroma spread from the kitchen to the staircase to all the bedrooms upstairs. The entire family was trying to save their appetites for the big meal, but with the smell of turkey pervading the entire house, it was hard to resist.
Picture:-
Phlegmatic
Calm, not easily excited
Example:-
Even with children running around the room like maniacs, our phlegmatic cat continued to sit on the sofa, undisturbed by the commotion. They threw toys at each other, screamed and yelled, and even sent a vase crashing to the floor, but the cat simply ignored them. We always knew he was a very calm cat, but this behavior was so phlegmatic that we checked to see if he was still breathing!
Picture:-
Polemical
Extremely argumentative
Example:-
Darren was famous for making polemical arguments that usually angered his classmates. What's worse is that he frequently fails to make sure his facts are correct before he starts. Most people will just walk away rather than listen to Darren's polemical rants.
Picture:-
Sedulous
Hard-working, diligent, or persistent.
Example:-
Stephanie’s sedulous attention to her job makes her a top employee. Her supervisor points to her hard work and diligence as some of the key characteristics of her strong work ethic. Every year, Stephanie receives a raise in her salary due to her sedulous approach to her work.
Picture:-
