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ADJECTIVES TO KNOW: AP LITERATURE (S1) Flashcards

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7741639773SatiricalContaining or using satire. (of a person or their behavior) sarcastic, critical, and mocking another's weakness. Synonyms: mocking, ironic, sarcastic, sardonic.0
7741650971SardonicGrimly mocking or cynical. Synonyms: mocking, satirical, sarcastic, ironical, ironic.1
7741659075Wry1. Using or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor. 2. (of a persons face or features) twisted into an expression of disgust, disappointment or annoyance. Synonyms: unimpressed, displeased, annoyed, irritated, irked, vexed, piqued, disgruntled, dissatisfied.2
7741670135FacetiousTreating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant. Synonyms: flippant, flip, glib, frivolous, tongue- in- cheek, ironic, sarcastic, joking, jokey, jocular, sportive, teasing, mischievous.3
7741682025FlippantNot showing a serious or respectful attitude. Synonyms: frivolous, facetious, tongue- in- cheek.4
7741687258ReticentNot revealing one;s thoughts or feelings readily. Synonyms: reserved, withdrawn, introverted, inhibited, diffident, shy.5
7741692178Taciturn(of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little. Synonyms: untalkative, uncommunicative, reticent, unforthcoming, quiet, secretive, tight- lipped, buttoned- up, close- mouthed.6
7741702639Aloof1. Not friendly or forthcoming, cool and distant. 2. Conspicuously uninvolved and uninterested, typically through distaste. Synonyms: distant, detached, unfriendly, antisocial, avoidant, remote, unapproachable, formal, stiff, withdrawn, reserved, unforthcoming, uncommunicative, unsympathetic.7
7741713697Cynical1. Believing that people are motivated by self- interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity. 2. Doubtful as to whether something will happen or whether it is worthwhile. Contemptuous mocking. 3. Concerned with one's own interest and typically disregarding accepted or appropriate standards in order to achieve them. Synonyms: skeptical, doubtful, distrustful, suspicious, disbelieving.8
7741732606SuperciliousBehaving or looking as though one thinks is superior to others. Synonyms: arrogant, haughty, conceited, disdainful, pompous, condescending, superior, patronizing, imperious, proud, snobbish, snobby, smug, scornful, sneering.9
7741755905PedanticOf or like pedant. Synonyms overscrupulous, scrupulous, precise, exact, perfectionist, punctilious, meticulous, fussy, fastidious, finicky.10
7741768551ContemptuousAllowing contempt; scornful Synonyms: scornful, disdainful, disrespectful, insulting, insolent, derisive, mocking, sneering, scoffing, withering, scathing, snide.11
7741774473CondescendingHaving or showing a feeling or patronizing superiority. Synonyms: Supercilious, superior, snobbish, snobby, disdainful, lofty, haughty.12
7741780670DogmaticInclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true. Synonyms: opinionated, peremptory, assertive, insistent, emphatic, adamant, doctrinaire, authoritarian, imperious, dictatorial, uncompromising, unyielding, inflexible, rigid.13
7741800622DerisiveExpressing contempt or ridicule. Synonyms: mocking, jeering, scoffing, teasing, derisory, snide, sneering.14
7741808807Clinical1. Relating to the observation and treatment of actual patients rather than theoretical or laboratory studies. 2. Efficient and unemotional; coldly detached. 3. (of a room or building) bare, functional, and clean. Synonyms: detached, impersonal, dispassionate, objective, uninvolved, distant, remote, aloof, removed, cold, indifferent, neutral, unsympathetic, unfeeling, unemotional.15
7741817340Caustic1. Able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action. 2. Sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way. 3. Formed by the intersection of reflected or refracted parallel rays from a curved surface. Synonyms: sarcastic, cutting, biting, mordant, sharp, bitter, scathing, derisive, sardonic, ironic, scornful, trenchant, acerbic, abrasive, vitriolic, acidulous.16
7741824823RancorousCharacterized by bitterness or resentment. Synonyms: bitter, spiteful, hateful, resentful, acrimonious, malicious, malevolent, hostile, venomous, vindictive, baleful, vitriolic, vengeful, pernicious, mean, nasty;17
7741828676Contentious1.Causing or likely to cause an argument controversial. 2. Involving heated argument. 3. (of a person) given to arguing provoking argument. Synonyms: controversial, disputable, debatable, disputed, open to debate, vexed.18
7741753547Belligerent1. Hostile and aggressive. 2. A nation or person engaged in war or conflict, as recognized by international law. Synonyms: hostile, aggressive, threatening, antagonistic, warlike, warmongering, hawkish, pugnacious, bellicose, truculent, confrontational, contentious, militant, combative.19
7813887912ObsequiousObedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree. Synonyms: servile, ingratiating, sycophantic, fawning, unctuous, oily, oleaginous, groveling, cringing, subservient, submissive, slavish.20
7813904280SmarmyIngratiating and wheedling in a way that is perceived as insincere or excessive. Synonyms: unctuous, ingratiating, slick, oily, greasy, obsequious, sycophantic, fawning.21
7813920007FecklessLacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible. Synonyms: useless, worthless, incompetent, inept, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well.22
7813930212EsotericIntended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest. Synonyms: abstruse, obscure, arcane, recherché, rarefied, recondite, abstract.23
7813940222EruditeHaving or showing great knowledge or learning. Synonyms: learned, scholarly, educated, knowledgeable, well read, well informed, intellectual24
7813959171Didactic1. Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive. 2. In the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way. Synonyms: instructive, instructional, educational, educative, informative, informational, edifying, improving, preceptive, pedagogic, moralistic.25
7813981371Brazen1. Bold and without shame. 2. Made of brass. ;harsh in sound. Synonyms: bold, shameless, unashamed, unabashed, unembarrassed.26
7814002336Audacious1. Showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks. 2. Showing an impudent lack of respect. Synonyms: bold, daring, fearless, intrepid, brave, courageous, valiant, heroic, plucky. Synonyms: impudent, impertinent, insolent, presumptuous, cheeky, irreverent, discourteous, disrespectful, insubordinate, ill-mannered, unmannerly, rude, brazen, shameless, pert, defiant, cocky, bold (as brass.)27
7814027087NostalgicCharacterized by or exhibiting feelings of nostalgia. Synonyms: wistful, evocative, romantic, sentimental.28
7814033852EndearingInspiring love or affection. Synonyms: lovable, adorable, cute, sweet, dear, delightful, lovely, charming, appealing, attractive, engaging, winning, captivating, enchanting, beguiling, winsome; kawaii.29
7814045386MaudlinSelf-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness. Synonyms: sentimental, oversentimental, emotional, overemotional, tearful, lachrymose.30
7814063133PlaintiveSounding sad and mournful. Synonyms: mournful, sad, wistful, doleful, pathetic, pitiful, piteous, melancholy, sorrowful, unhappy, wretched, woeful, forlorn, woebegone.31
7814074943Whimsical1. Playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way. 2. Acting or behaving in a capricious manner. Synonyms: fanciful, playful, mischievous, waggish, quaint, quizzical, curious, droll, fantastical, Seussian. Synonyms: volatile, capricious, fickle, changeable, unpredictable, variable, erratic, mercurial, mutable, inconstant, inconsistent, unstable, protean.32
7814096528CapriciousGiven to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior. Synonyms: fickle, inconstant, changeable, variable, mercurial, volatile, unpredictable, temperamental.33
7814107970QuirkyCharacterized by peculiar or unexpected traits. Synonyms: eccentric, idiosyncratic, unconventional, unorthodox, unusual, strange, bizarre, peculiar, odd, outlandish, zany.34
7814122229MacabreDisturbing and horrifying because of involvement with or depiction of death and injury. Synonyms: gruesome, grisly, grim, gory, morbid, ghastly, unearthly, grotesque, hideous, horrific, shocking, dreadful, loathsome, repugnant, repulsive, sickening.35
7814138705MalevolentHaving or showing a wish to do evil to others. Synonyms: malicious, hostile, evil-minded, baleful, evil-intentioned, venomous, evil, malign, malignant, rancorous, vicious, vindictive, vengeful.36
7814148518MaliciousCharacterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm. Synonyms: spiteful, malevolent, evil-intentioned, vindictive, vengeful, malign, mean, nasty, hurtful, mischievous, wounding, cruel, unkind.37
7814163313MoroseSullen and ill-tempered. Synonyms: sullen, sulky, gloomy, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, dour, surly, sour, glum, moody, ill-humored, melancholy, melancholic, brooding, broody, doleful, miserable, depressed, dejected, despondent, downcast, unhappy, low, down, grumpy, irritable, churlish, cantankerous, crotchety, cross, crabby, cranky, grouchy, testy, snappish, peevish, crusty.38
7814168164RapaciousAggressively greedy or grasping. Synonyms: grasping, greedy, avaricious, acquisitive, covetous.39
7814179207VindictiveHaving or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge. Synonyms: vengeful, revengeful, unforgiving, resentful, acrimonious, bitter.40
7814187111ReverentFeeling or showing deep and solemn respect. Synonyms: respectful, reverential, admiring, devoted, devout, dutiful, awed, deferential.41
7814196903Pious1. Devoutly religious. 2. A hypocritical display of virtue. 3. (of a hope) sincere but unlikely to be fulfilled. Synonyms: forlorn, vain, doomed, hopeless, desperate. 4. Dutiful or loyal, especially toward one's parents. Synonyms: religious, devout, God-fearing, churchgoing, spiritual, prayerful, holy, godly, saintly, dedicated, reverent, dutiful, righteous. Synonyms: sanctimonious, hypocritical, insincere, self-righteous, holier-than-thou, pietistic, churchy; informalgoody-goody.42
7814242881MagnanimousVery generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself. Synonyms: generous, charitable, benevolent, beneficent, big-hearted, handsome, princely, altruistic, philanthropic, unselfish, chivalrous, noble.43
7814253323Laudatory(of speech or writing) expressing praise and commendation. Synonyms: complimentary, praising, congratulatory, extolling, adulatory, commendatory, approbatory, flattering, celebratory, eulogizing, panegyrical.44
7814261838Poignant1. Evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret. 2. Sharp or pungent in taste or smell. Synonyms: touching, moving, sad, affecting, pitiful, piteous, pathetic, sorrowful, mournful, wretched, miserable, distressing, heart-rending, tearjerking, plaintive, tragic.45
7814288189AmorousShowing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire. Synonyms: romantic, lustful, sexual, erotic, amatory, ardent, passionate, impassioned.46
7814299674Lyrical1.(of literature, art, or music) expressing the writer's emotions in an imaginative and beautiful way. 2. Relating to the words of a popular song. Synonyms: expressive, emotional, deeply felt, personal, subjective, passionate, lyric.47
7814318248BawdyDealing with sexual matters in a comical way; humorously indecent. Synonyms: ribald, indecent, risqué, racy, rude, spicy, sexy, suggestive, titillating, naughty, improper, indelicate, indecorous, off-color, earthy, barnyard, broad, locker-room, Rabelaisian.48
7814318249RibaldReferring to sexual matters in an amusingly rude or irreverent way.49

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