Advanced English Adjectives

70 vocabulary flashcards covering advanced English adjectives from the lecture notes.

Abstruse

difficult to understand; obscure

Acrimonious

angry and bitter, especially in speech or discussion

Adamant

determined not to change one’s opinion or decision

Antiquated

old-fashioned or outdated

Appalled

very shocked and upset by something bad or unpleasant

Asinine

foolish; extremely silly

Bewildering

confusing, especially because of too many choices or events

Bleak

without anything to make you feel happy or hopeful

Chivalrous

polite, kind, generous, and honorable, especially toward women

Craven

cowardly

Decisive

definite and clear; able to make decisions quickly and confidently

Desolate

uninhabited and giving an impression of bleak emptiness

Disheveled

untidy; disarranged

Eclectic

drawing on ideas, styles, or tastes from a broad range of sources

Effeminate

(of a man) having traits regarded as typical of a woman; unmanly

Enterprising

able to think of new ideas or activities and make them work

Facetious

treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant

Fathomless

impossible to measure or understand; extremely deep

Figurative

departing from a literal use of words; metaphorical

Frivolous

not serious or sensible, especially for the occasion

Gratuitous

done without good reason; uncalled for; or given free of charge

Grisly

horrific or disgusting

Hazardous

risky; dangerous

Iconoclastic

criticizing or attacking cherished beliefs or institutions

Impalpable

unable to be felt by touch; not easily comprehended

Impeccable

faultless; of the highest standards

Incredulous

unable or unwilling to believe something

Indignant

angry and surprised because of unfair treatment

Indubitable

impossible to doubt; unquestionable

Infallible

incapable of making mistakes or being wrong

Intrinsic

belonging naturally; essential

Intrepid

fearless; adventurous

Irksome

irritating; annoying

Jaded

bored or lacking enthusiasm after excess; or physically exhausted

Laconic

using very few words

Latent

existing but not yet developed; hidden or concealed

Magniloquent

using high-flown or bombastic language

Manifold

many and various

Meek

very quiet, gentle, and unwilling to argue

Mischievous

fond of playing tricks; causing annoyance or embarrassment

Morose

sullen and ill-tempered

Mutinous

refusing to obey authority; willful or disobedient

Nimble

able to move quickly and lightly

Oblique

slanting; not expressed or done directly

Oblivious

unaware of or not noticing something happening

Officious

too eager to tell people what to do; meddlesome

Ominous

giving a sense that something bad is going to happen

Opaque

not transparent; impossible to see through

Pertinacious

holding firmly to an opinion or course of action

Peevish

irritable; easily annoyed

Petty

trivial; unkindly concerned with small matters

Prim

very formal and easily shocked by anything rude

Propitious

giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable

Punctilious

very careful to behave correctly and follow rules

Punitive

inflicting or intended as punishment

Reputable

having a good reputation

Rueful

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow

Salacious

having an undue or indecent interest in sexual matters

Salient

most noticeable or important

Sedulous

showing dedication and diligence

Studious

spending a lot of time studying; done deliberately

Sumptuous

splendid and expensive-looking

Tacit

understood or implied without being stated

Tempestuous

full of strong emotions or difficult situations

Timid

lacking courage or confidence; shy

Tremulous

shaking slightly; timid or nervous

Trite

boring, unoriginal, and insincere

Unwitting

not aware; unintentional

Vicarious

experienced through another rather than firsthand

Vulpine

relating to a fox; crafty; cunning