Quiz 3 English Vocab Words

Malevolent

Having or exhibiting ill will or an evil disposition toward others; wishing harm or evil on others; malicious.

Nebulous

Cloudy, hazy, or indistinct; lacking definition or clear form; vague or ill-defined in character.

Obsequious

Characterized by or showing servile compliance or excessive eagerness to please; fawning and subservient in attitude or behavior.

Perfidious

Deceitful and untrustworthy; characterized by deliberate faithlessness or treachery; violating trust or confidence.

Querulous

Habitually complaining; expressing grievances or protests in a whining manner; full of complaints or grumbling.

Rapacious

Aggressively greedy or grasping; living on prey; predatory and exploitative in nature.

Sycophant

A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage; a servile self-seeking flatterer.

Tantamount

Equivalent in value, significance, or effect; virtually the same as something else.

Ubiquitous

Present, appearing, or found everywhere; omnipresent; pervasive in influence or extent.

Vacillate

To waver between different opinions or actions; to be indecisive or irresolute.

Anachronistic

Belonging to a period other than that being portrayed; chronologically misplaced or outdated.

Bellicose

Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight; inclined to start quarrels or wars.

Colloquial

Characteristic of or appropriate to ordinary or familiar conversation; informal in language.

Duplicitous

Deceitful; deliberately deceptive in behavior or speech; double-dealing.

Esoteric

Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with specialized knowledge.

Facetious

Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant or joking inappropriately.

Gregarious

Fond of company; sociable; enjoying being in crowds or socializing.

Histrionic

Overly theatrical or melodramatic in character or style; excessively dramatic.

Ignominious

Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame; humiliating; dishonorable.

Jejune

Naive, simplistic, and superficial; lacking in maturity or sophistication.

Lethargic

Affected by lethargy; sluggish and lacking in energy; drowsy and dull.

Machiavellian

Cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous, especially in politics or advancing one's career.

Nonchalant

Appearing casually calm and relaxed; displaying a lack of concern or enthusiasm.

Oblique

Not explicit or direct in addressing a point; indirect or evasive.

Precipitate

Done, made, or acting suddenly or without careful consideration; hasty or rash.

Quiescent

In a state or period of inactivity or dormancy; quiet, still, or inactive.

Recondite

Little known; abstruse; difficult to understand or esoteric.

Sardonic

Grimly mocking or cynical; characterized by bitter or scornful derision.

Tenuous

Very weak, slight, or insubstantial; having little actual substance or validity.

Unequivocal

Leaving no doubt; unambiguous; clear and explicit.

Verbose

Using or containing more words than needed; wordy and unnecessarily lengthy.

Wraith

A ghost or ghostlike image; a visible spirit or apparition.

Xenophobic

Having or showing a dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.

Yoke

A wooden crosspiece fastened over the necks of two animals; something that oppresses or restrains.

Zealot

A person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.

Ambivalent

Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

Benign

Gentle and kindly; not harmful in effect or intention; gracious and pleasant.

Clandestine

Kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit or unauthorized.

Deferential

Showing respect and esteem for another; courteous and respectful in behavior.

Ephemeral

Lasting for a very short time; transitory; fleeting or short-lived.

Fallacious

Based on a mistaken belief or unsound arguments; logically flawed.

Gossamer

Extremely light, delicate, and insubstantial; flimsy or tenuous.

Heterodox

Not conforming with accepted or orthodox standards or beliefs; unorthodox.

Impetuous

Acting or done quickly and without thought or care; impulsive and rash.

Jaded

Tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having too much of something.

Labyrinthine

Complicated and confusing; like a labyrinth in structure or complexity.

Mercurial

Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind; volatile.

Nuanced

Characterized by subtle differences, variations, or distinctions.

Omniscient

Knowing everything; all-knowing; having infinite knowledge or understanding.

Paradigmatic

Serving as a typical example or pattern; exemplary or representative.