Semester 2- complete 10th honors vocab list (copy)

Acrimonious

scathing, stinging, or bitter in nature, speech, or behavior.

connotation: quite negative (more than peevish, less than profane)

An acrimonious personality can be sharp or biting. An acrimonious person is not pleasant to be around. They convey things in a very bitter manner - their words are harsh and insulting in a way that can really cut you to the core and sting. This kind of person is likely perceptive and able to pick out just the right words to hurt your feelings. If you're speaking in an acrimonious tone, you likely want your audience to feel ashamed, disparaged.

Ex. Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl (when she really wants to hurt someone's feelings); Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter (especially when insulting Ron's family); Alex Karev from Grey's Anatomy

Sulky

silent and aloof in a sudden or offended manner

These individuals typically seem depressed; they're unpleasant to be around because they drag the mood down, and that everything you say offends them. A sulky individual is likely going to be pessimistic and may be irritated by upbeat, positive individuals.

Ex. Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh; Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter; Nwoye

Vacuous

lacking in ideas or intelligence; inane; stupid

connotation: negative, typically insulting, (although the vacuous individual might not realize they are being insulted).

A more general definition for vacuous is empty/without contents - in terms of a character trait, it refers to intelligence: a vacuous person's head is empty.

Ex. Karen from Mean Girls; Crabbe and Goyle from Harry Potter;

Sagacious

having or showing keen mental discernment, good judgment, and practical sense.

connotation: highly positive

A sagacious person is wise and, therefore, a good person to go to for advice. Great practical and worldly knowledge rather than extensive book learning. Sagacious individuals are well-respected by others. It is unlikely that a young person will be sagacious as they probably haven't had much significant life experience.

Ex. Dr. Bailey and Dr. Weber from Grey's Anatomy; Gandalffrom Lord of the Rings

Pensive

often engaged in deep or serious thought

connotation: generally positive but can be used to describe negative effects (someone might be so pensive as to be distracted from reality, or they may overthink things.)

This person is very contemplative and is usually thinking deeply about things.

Ex. Tris from Divergent;

Supercilious

haughtily disdainful or contemptuous; behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others

connotation: negative

A supercilious person thinks they're superior to others and lets everyone else know. They probably think very few people are on their level, and they probably treat those who aren't poorly.

Ex. Blair Waldorf

Quarrelsome

argumentative; contentious; inclined to hostility

connotation: negative

These individuals are often short-tempered and are likely to react rashly and perhaps violently. They are quick to engage in disputes and do not avoid confrontation.

Ex. Tybalt from Romeo and Juliet; Jack from Lord of the Flies

Taciturn

inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation.

connotation: neutral

Definition is straightforward but the reason as to “why?” varies from character to character.

Ex. Simon from Lord of the Flies; Neville Longbottom at the beginning of the Harry Potter series;

Valorous

boldness in facing great danger, especially in battle

connotation: highly positive

It implies great bravery, specifically in feats that are physical in nature. Wouldn’t be used to describe someone who displays emotional or mental courage (e.g. someone who isn't afraid to tell others how they feel or take intellectual risks).

Ex. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games

Tyrannical

unjustly cruel, harsh, or severe; oppressive

connotation: negative

It implies extreme cruelty. Saying someone is tyrannical is far worse than saying they're mean. Has to be in a position of power in order to be considered tyrannical. They use that position to subject people to harsh and unfair rules and punishment.

Ex. Jack from Lord of the Flies; Regina George from Mean Girls

Apprehensive

uneasy or fearful about something that might happen

connotation: negative?

If you’re feeling apprehensive, you've perceived some sort of threat, that is provoking feelings of anxiety or tension. This is the feeling you have when the author hasn't explicity said something but you just know something bad is about to happen.

Belittled

made to feel less impressive or important than one would otherwise; disparaged or criticized

connotation: negative

If someone has made you feel belittled, they've managed to provoke feelings of insecurity and possibly shame in You. You feel belittled when you've been verbally attacked and feel vulnerable, like you are less of a person than your attacker.

Blithe

joyous or merry, especially in a carefree way.

connotation: positive

If you have a blithe attitude, you are feeling pretty dang good! The things and people that we feel this way about are precious to us, and they evoke feelings of lighthearted contentment, as if weights are being lifted off of our shoulders.

Ex. Harry Potter feels blithe when playing quidditch

Frank

Direct and unreserved in speech; straightforward; sincere

connotation: neutral (pos/neg depending on situation)

If you're open, honest, and candid, you're frank. Speaking in this way means you're not embellishing anything or trying to make things seem better or different than they are; you're just telling it like it is.

Ex. Candor faction

Jocular

Feeling good-humored, as a result of joking.

connotation: positive

Jocular is the cheerful feeling you get from laughing at jokes. When you're just having a good time, laughing with friends, you're feeling jocular.

Ex. The feeling you get from watching cartoons or comedies.

Mocking

mimicking or imitating with the purpose of ridiculing, deriding, or minimizing

connotation: negative

If someone uses a mocking tone, they are aiming to make the subject seem silly or ridiculous. By using such a tone, the speaker is placing themselves in a position of superiority - after all, you wouldn't mock someone you respect; you would save that for someone whom you feel is beneath you.In fact, the subject might feel belittled, even if everyone else is enjoying it. A sardonic person might use this tone often.

Ex. Alex Karev to April Kepner

Portentous

ominously significant; serious and disquieting, as if something severe is about to happen.

connotation: negative

Like the word foreboding. If you're speaking in a portentous tone, you're hinting that something - and in likelihood, something bad - is going to happen. Through this tone, you're trying to appeal to your audience's perceptive abilities to catch on to hints and notice subtle details that foreshadow something negative to come.

Vehement

zealous; ardent; impassioned

connotation: excitement and enthusiasm

Vehement is commonly used for intense emotions or beliefs. You can use the adjective vehement to describe an extremely strong, powerful, or intense emotion or force. Many people, for example, are vehemently opposed to spoiling the endings of shows.

Ex. Piggy is vehement that the boys continue to use and respect the conch.

Reverent

feeling, exhibiting, or characterized by deep respect

connotation: highly positive

Originally, it 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 may speak in a reverent tone to or about people they respect deeply or in regard to objects/interests that are important to them like antique cars,

Ex. Lennie's tone when he discusses the dream of the farm with the rabbits (Of Mice and Men)

Wistful

pensive, in a melancholy, yearning, or longing way

connotation: complex (the speaker clearly has positive feelings toward the subject, but the word is also negative because it indicated inaccessibility.)

If someone is speaking in a wistful tone, they are pining for something (or someone) that they can't have, either because it's out of their reach, or because it's in the past. Older people looking back fondly on their youth often speak about those memories with a wistful tone. Someone going on and on about the person they have a crush on but who doesn't want them back is probably speaking with a wistful tone.

Ex. Dr. Weber's attitude toward Ellis Grey in Grey's Anatomy

Caustic

severely critical or sarcastic

connotation- negative

A caustic chemical is capable of destroying living tissue. In terms of trait or tone, caustic means very harshly critical. If we're talking about caustic sarcasm, we're talking about sarcasm that is meant to cut deep. Acrimonious is a strong synonym.

Ex. Jack's tone toward Piggy in Lord of the Flies

Ebullient

overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited.

connotation: positive

Ebullient is a much stronger word than happy. Ebullient is like exultant with an extra punch of energy. This is the emotional equivalent of the fun parts of a roller coaster: it makes you want to type in all caps and use exclamation points and, like, 5 smiley face emojis.

Ex. we're ebullient when Dory finds her parents at the end of Finding Dory!

Elegiac

expressing sorrow or lamentation; mournful or melancholy, especially toward the dead

connotation:

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. Elegiac usually 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.

Ex. students' tone when discussing Hannah Baker after listening to her tapes

Empathetic

able to feel and identify with the feelings, thoughts, experiences, or attitudes of others

connotation: positive

An empathetic person is someone who can share another person's feelings. This differs from sympathy because sympathizing with someone just means you feel sorry for them and you're on their side; empathy involves actually being able to share and identify with their feelings.

Ex. Luna is able to empathize with Harry when he sees Thestrals for the first time - because her mother was killed,

Facetious

not meant to be taken seriously or literally; cleverly humorous.

connotation:

Facetious and sarcasm are often confused, but they are not the same. Sarcasm is more extreme and biting, whereas facetious is a bit lighter in connotation. If someone is speaking in a facetious tone, they're likely using some wit and wordplay, but they're not necessarily being full-on sarcastic, and they're certainly not being sardonic.

Ex.

Incredulous

disinclined or indisposed to believe; skeptical

connotation:

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 describes how you feel when you can't believe something because it's so wrong.

Ex. when someone tells you leprechauns left two pots of gold.

Indignant

feeling, characterized by, or expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base

connotation: negative

It's how you feel when you're angry because you don't think you deserve the treatment you've received. You may be angry (even furious), if someone shoves you, but you are indignant if the shove is directed at someone weak or helpless, or if someone is punishing you for someone else's actions.

Ex. When your parents blame you for something your sibling did

Provocative

stirring, stimulating, irritating, or vexing

connotation: neutral

If something is provocative, it provokes a reaction. Provocative is often used to describe actions or ways of dressing that cause sexual feelings. However, 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.

Ex.

Resigned

characterized by submissive acceptance

Resigned is a feeling or showing acceptance that something unpleasant will happen or will not change. If you are resigned to something, you accept an unpleasant situation or reality that you can do nothing about. When resigned, you have hopelessly given up; it's the emotional equivalent of shrugging your shoulders and saying "Oh, well. This may as well happen."

Ex. George's mood when he finds Lennie in the last chapter of Of Mice and Men;

Sentimental

expressive of or appealing to tender emotions, like love, pity, or nostalgia

connotation: positive

If you're feeling sentimental, you have a deep attachment to whatever the subject is. When we talk about things having "sentimental value," what we mean is that we are attached to them emotionally. They tend to remind us of things that are dear to us and evoke feelings like love and nostalgia.

Abhorrent

horrifying and offensive to the mind.

connotation: negative

When you think of abhorrent, think of horror, as in something so vile and loathsome that you can only react to it in horror. Synonyms or near synonyms for abhorrent include: detestable, obscene, repugnant, repulsive, and offensive.

Ex. Voldemort

Abject

completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing.

connotation: extremely negative

The understanding how extreme this adjective is is important. Abject means absolutely miserable, the most unfortunate, with utter humiliation.

Ex. You might have heard the phrase "abject poverty," which is the absolute worst, most hopeless level of poverty you've ever seen.

Credulous

showing a lack of judgment or experience.

connotation: not insulting but not used as a compliment

People who believe things easily without having to be convinced are credulous. Credulous comes from the 16th-century Latin credulus, or "easily believes." Synonym- gullible

Ex. Karen from Mean Girls

Despondent

without or almost without hope.

connotation:

The adjective despondent is from Latin despondens, from despondere "to lose courage, give up." Often used in conjunction with the idea of love, if you have given up all hope of finding someone to be with, you might be despondent.

Ex. Severus Snape when he learns of Lily Potter’s death

Ethereal

characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air.

connotation: positive

Airy and insubstantial, such as a (non-frightening) ghostly figure at the top of the stairs. It might also be something delicate and light, like a singer's ethereal voice. An ethereal substance or sound is something you might see in a vision that might strike you as heavenly or supernatural.

Ex. Luna Lovegood

Haughty

having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy.

connotation: negative

Someone who is haughty is arrogant and full of pride. When you're haughty, you have a big attitude and act like you're better than other people. A haughty person acts superior and looks down on others. Haughty people are disdainful, overbearing, prideful, swaggering, and obnoxious.

Ex. Kanye West

Imperious

characterized by a commanding superiority.

connotation: negative

Someone who is imperious gives orders in a way that shows they feel superior or more important than other people. You might want the smartest kid in the class as your lab partner, but not if they have an imperious attitude and boss you around.

Ex. Darth Vader

Scrupulous

Two possible meanings here. One: characterized by extreme care and great effort, and two: having scruples, arising from a sense of right and wrong; principled.

connotation: positive

Someone is very careful to do things properly and correctly, such as paying friends back for money borrowed right away, or not returning a pair of shoes after they've been worn outdoors. This is a highly positive word, as it suggests acute attention to detail and/or moral discernment.

Ex. 1) Sherlock Holmes, 2) Simon

Scurrilous

1: using or given to coarse language. 2: vulgar and evil.

connotation: negative

If something is scurrilous, it's meant to offend. Scurrilous rumors can give you a bad rep, and scurrilous stories sell tabloid magazines.

Ex. Pirates and criminals

Vituperative

marked by harshly abusive criticism.

connotation: negative

Use the adjective vituperative to describe criticism that's so sharp it hurts. A vituperative review of a movie would make the director bitter for months. Vituperative criticism is harsh, scathing, even abusive.

Blasphemous

uttering, containing, or exhibiting impious action concerning sacred things; irreverent; profane.

connotation: highly negative

If you're acting or speaking blasphemously, you're probably trying to offend someone. Has a religious connotation.

Ex.

Capricious

subject to, led by, or indicative of a sudden, odd notion or unpredictable change; erratic.

connotation: negative but mild

Someone who is capricious is constantly changing their mind. Someone speaking in a capricious tone is likely changing positions frequently or indicating a lack of stable opinion.

Indulgent

characterized by submitting to an inclination or desire; lenient or permissive.

connotation: Indulgent can be a tricky word in terms of connotation. Indulgence can bring us great satisfaction and pleasure, but it can also suggest a lack of restraint. Unchecked indulgence can be pretty damaging.

Ex. In Lord of the Flies, Jack's tribe breaks away from the rest of the group, so that they can fully indulge in their primal desires;

Innocuous

not harmful or injurious; harmless; unlikely to harm or offend.

connotation: positive

If you're speaking in an innocuous tone, you're aiming to present yourself as harmless; you might speak to a small child who's scared or nervous in this way to let them know there's nothing to fear.

Ex. In Lord of the Flies, Simon realizes that the beast is actually an innocuous dead parachutist.

Inscrutable

incapable of being investigated, analyzed, or scrutinized; impenetrable; not easily understood;

connotation: neutral

Although it might be frustrating for you to encounter something or someone that is inscrutable, the word doesn't necessarily suggest anything negative about the person or thing itself.
Something could be inscrutable because it's complicated, unfamiliar, constantly changing, or just straight up unusual.

Ex. Simon himself and his conversation with the Lord of the Flies.

Insidious

intended to entrap or beguile; stealthily treacherous or deceitful.

connotation: highly negative

Someone who is insidious is devious, sneaky, and treacherous. Insidiousness is even worse than regular old maliciousness because it's sneaky and involves some degree of betrayal.

Ex.

Serene

calm, peaceful, or tranquil; unruffled

connotation: positive

If someone is using a serene tone, they are totally at ease and likely want their audience to feel the same way.

Ex. Shell Cottage (Bill and Fleur's home in the Harry Potter series) is a small, serene seaside home;

Vitriolic

very caustic or scathing; intensely and bitingly critical

connotation: negative

If someone is speaking to you in a vitriolic tone, they want you to feel belittled and insulted. This isn't a subtle descriptor; something vitriolic is intended to be noticed.

Ex. Just about everything Jack says to Piggy;

Wanton

1) done, shown, or used maliciously or unjustifiably; 2) without regard for what is right, just, humane; careless; reckless; 3) sexually lawless or unrestrained

connotation: negative

Wanton has some slightly different definitions, but they all indicate a lack of moral soundness and a tendency to blindly fulfill personal satisfaction without consideration of consequence. The word suggests a lack of sound judgment and restraint.

Ex. Jack's tribe setting the island on fire at the end of Lord of the Flies;

Zealous

full of or characterized by eager desire; ardently active, devoted, or diligent

connotation: obsession and is often used to describe people are so vehemently following a person or belief that they might come off as a little crazy.

Ex. Bellatrix Lestrange is a zealous follower of Voldemort.

Impotent

lacking power or ability

connotation: negative

They might feel powerless over themselves and others.

Ex. Piggy

Fatalistic

characteristic of the belief that all events are predetermined and therefore inevitable

connotation: negative

All events are predetermined and can’t be changed. They always expect the worse out of a situation.

Ex. Victor Frankenstein after he creates the monster.

Reticent

not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily; withdrawn or introverted

connotation: neutral

Someone who is restrained and proper, someone who doesn’t want to draw attention to themselves.

Ex. Simon

Ignominious

deserving or causing public disgrace or shame; embarrassing

connotation: negative

Losing a game that at the end, you are lying face down in the mud.

Ex. Blair Waldorf when Gossip Girl reveals that she slept with both Chuck and Nate.

Doting

extremely and uncritically fond of someone; adoring

connotation: mostly positive

Someone who disregards your faults and only sees your good points. Can be negative when you deserve to have your faults acknowledged.

Ex. Aunt Petunias behavior toward Dudley in Harry Potter

Venerable

accorded a great deal of respect, especially bc of age, wisdom, or character.

connotation: highly positive

Admired and respected bc of status or age. You become venerable by achieving great things or just by living long enough.

Ex. Professor Dumbledore.

Paradoxical

seemingly absurd or self-contradictory;

connotation:

When two different opinions collide in one statement or action. They have seemingly contradictory-but true- personality traits.

Ex. Vic Frank during Justine’s trial- he feels remorse and could free her, but keeps his mouth shut.

Morbid

characterized by an abnormal or unhealthy interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects.

connotation: negative

Anyone who spends too much time thinking about death and disease.

Ex. Vic Frank with realiveing dead people

Indefatigable

persisting tirelessly; unwearied or unwavering

connotation: neutral

Can go on and on without tiring. Can also be super garrulous.

Ex. Christina Yang

Tawdry

showy, but cheap and of poor quality; tasteless

connotation: negative

They often have a hint of desperation and immorality. Decorations: quality has been exchanged for lots of flash and shine. Gaudy, flashy, and tacky.

Ex. Temu moms