Tone Words Vocabulary

A collection of tone-related vocabulary words and their definitions extracted from the lecture materials.

ebullient

adj. cheerful and ful l of energy

benevolent

adj. kind; charitable; generous

conciliatory

adj. appeasing; soothing; showing wil lingness to reconcile

elegiac

adj. expressing sorrow

euphoric

adj. overjoyed; extremely happy or excited

exuberant

adj. high-spirited, enthusiastic, unrestrained; excessive, abundant

jocund

adj. cheerful and lighthearted

ominous

adj. unfavorable, threatening, of bad omen

pensive

thinking deeply about something, especial ly because you are sad or worried

sanguine

adj. (formal) optimistic or positive, especial ly in an apparently bad or difficult situation

whimsical

adj. lightly acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable

wistful

adj. thinking sadly about something that you would like to have, especial ly some- thing in the past that you can no longer have

wry

adj. showing that you are both amused and disappointed or annoyed

lugubrious

adj. looking or sounding sad and dismal

simpering

adj. smiling in a sil ly, self-conscious, often coy manner

haughty

adj. arrogantly superior and disdainful

didactic

intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive

lyrical

expressing the writer's emotions in an imaginative and beautiful way

pithy

brief and ful l of meaning and substance; concise

reminiscent

awakening memories of something similar

admonitory

giving or conveying a warning or reprimand

burlesque

give an imitation that ridicules; imitate mockingly

colloquial

characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation

diffident

lacking self-confidence

effusive

emotional ly excessive; overly demonstrative

fervent

having or displaying a passionate intensity

mock-heroic

imitating the style of heroic literature in order to satirize an unheroic subject

mock-serious

pretending to be serious

nostalgic

longing for the past

reticent

reserved

stoic

indifferent to pleasure or pain; impassive

zealous

enthusiastic

audacious

(adj.) bold, adventurous, recklessly daring

brusque

(adj.) abrupt, blunt, with no formalities

choleric

(adj.) easily made angry, bad-tempered

contentious

quarrelsome, inclined to argue

derisive

unkind and showing that you think somebody/something is ridiculous

facetious

(adj.) humorous, not meant seriously

flippant

lacking proper respect or seriousness

insipid

lacking flavor; dul l; not at al l stimulating

insolent

showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect

pretentious

trying to appear important, intel ligent, etc., in order to impress other people

sardonic

cynical; scornful ly mocking

staid

(adj.) serious and dignified--possibly even boring; quiet or subdued in character or conduct

timorous

timid, easily frightened and nervous

vitriolic

(adj.) bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid)