10th Honors Vocab (Semester 2)

Acrimonious

scathing, stinging, or bitter in nature, speech, or behavior; an [term] personality can be sharp orbiting. an [term] person is not pleasant to be around; someone who is [term] isn't just angry or rude; 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; able to pick out just the right words to hurt your feelings.

*Connotation is negative.*

Sulky

silent and aloof in a sullen or offended manner; typically seem downtrodden and depressed; they're unpleasant to be around because they drag the mood down, and it may seem that everything you say offends them; likely going to be pessimistic and may be irritated by upbeat, positive individuals.

*Connotation is slight negative(?)*

Vacuous

lacking in ideas or intelligence; inane; stupid; general definition for [term] is empty/without contents - in terms of a character trait, it refers to intelligence: a [term] person's head is empty.

*Connotation is negative; used as an insult.*

Sagacious

having or showing keen mental discernment, good judgment, and practical sense; wise and, therefore, a good person to go to for advice; implies great practical and worldly knowledge rather than extensive book learning; well-respected by others; young person won't be [term] as they probably haven't had much significant life experience.

*Connotation is highly positive.*

Pensive

often engaged in deep or serious thought; very contemplative and is usually thinking deeply about things; doesn't carry the same complimentary implications as [term 4] as it can beget either positive or negative effects.

*Connotation is usually positive, but can differ depending on usage.*

Supercilious

haughtily disdainful or contemptuous; behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior toothers; thinks they're superior to others and lets everyone else know; probably think very few people are on their level, and they probably treat those who aren't poorly.

*Connotation is negative.*

Quarrelsome

argumentative; contentious; inclined to hostility; individuals are often short-tempered and are likely to react rashly and perhaps violently and quick to engage in disputes and do not avoid confrontation.

*Connotation is negative.*

Taciturn

inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation; individuals don't say much; pretty straightforward in definition, but what varies from character to character is the reason behind their silence (shy, disinterested, etc.)

*Connotation is neutral.*

Valorous

boldness in facing great danger, especially in battle; implies great bravery, specifically in feats that are PHYSICAL innature (you wouldn't use it for mental strength.)

*Connotation is highly positive.*

Tyrannical

unjustly cruel, harsh, or severe; oppressive; implies extreme cruelty; saying someone is [term] is far worse than saying they're mean; MUST be in a position of power in order to be considered [term] by using that position to subject people to harsh and unfair rules and punishment.

*Connotation is negative.*

Apprehensive

uneasy or fearful about something that might happen; perceived some sort of threat that is provoking feelings of anxiety or tension; the feeling you have when the author hasn't explicitly said so, but you just know something bad is about to happen, and you're hesitant to turn the page or keep watching; specific kind of suspense

*Connotation is neutral(?)*

Belittled

made to feel less impressive or important than one would otherwise; disparaged or criticized; if someone has made you feel [term], they've managed to provoke feelings of insecurity and possibly shame in you; you feel [term] when you've been verbally attacked and feel vulnerable, like you are less of a person than your attacker. NOT a pleasant way to feel.

*Connotation is negative(?)*

Blithe

joyous or merry, especially in a carefree way; if you have a [term] 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.

*Connotation is positive(??)*

Frank

direct and unreserved in speech; straightforward; sincere; open, honest, and candid, 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.

*Connotation is neutral.*

Jocular

feeling good-humored, as a result of joking; cheerful feeling you get from laughing at jokes; you're just having a good time, laughing with friends, you're feeling [term.]

*Connotation is positive(?)*

Mocking

mimicking or imitating with the purpose of ridiculing, deriding, or minimizing; aiming to make the subject seem silly or ridiculous; speaker is placing themselves in a position of superiority - after all, you wouldn't [term] someone you respect; you would save that for someone whom you feel is beneath you

*Connotation is negative(?)*

Portentous

ominously significant; serious and disquieting, as if something severe is about to happen; speaking in [term] tone, you're hinting that something - and in likelihood, something bad - is going to happen; trying to appeal to your audience's perceptive abilities to catch on to hints and notice subtle details that foreshadow something negative to come.

*Connotation is negative.*

Reverent

feeling, exhibiting, or characterized by deep respect; originally 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 [term] tone to or about people they respect deeply or in regard to objects/interests that are important to them like antique cars, college football teams, and giant TV screens.

*Connotation is highly positive.*

Vehement

zealous; ardent; impassioned; commonly used for intense emotions or beliefs; describes anextremely strong, powerful, or intense emotion or force; for example, are [term] opposed to politicians they didn't vote for, other people spoiling the endings of movies or books, or someone else taking the last piece of chocolate.

*Connotation is not neutral, but not negative or positive.*

Wistful

pensive, in a melancholy, yearning, or longing way; if someone is speaking in a [term] 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; (ex: elderly looking back at their youth typically speak in this tone, or someone going on and on about the person they have a crush on but who doesn't want them back is probably speaking with this tone.)

**Connotation is complex:

+ speaker clearly has positive feelings toward the subject,

- indicates inaccessibility