Appearance Could be Deceptive!: English Vocabulary List

lacking a clear or distinct shape or form

"The gel is amorphous."

"The gel is amorphous and has no definite shape so it fills the container completely."

very thin or pale in a way that is suggestive of an illness

"His face is cadaverous."

"The cadaverous figure in the horror movie scared the children so much that they had nightmares for weeks after watching the film."

extremely delicate, light, as if it belongs to a heavenly realm

"Ethereal mist floated gently."

"The ethereal music of the choir seemed to float down from heaven and everyone in the church sat in complete silence listening."

composed of a wide range of different things or people

"The group is heterogeneous."

"The group is heterogeneous and includes people from many different backgrounds and age groups."

composed of things or people of the same or very similar type

"The mixture is homogeneous."

"The homogeneous mixture had the same composition throughout and no visible layers."

peculiar and not like what is considered suitable or appropriate for a situation

"The hat is incongruous with the suit."

"The hat is incongruous with the suit and looks out of place because it is too casual."

(of an object) blocking the passage of light and preventing objects from being seen through it

"The window is opaque."

"The opaque glass blocks the view from the outside and it is often used in bathroom windows for privacy."

immediately noticed due to being apparent

"His accent is pronounced."

"The patient had a pronounced limp after the accident and he walked with a cane for several months while his leg healed."

humorous in a manner that is cruel and disrespectful

"He gave a sardonic smile."

"He gave a sardonic smile that showed his contempt for the whole situation."

to fit together in a satisfactory or suitable way

"Our plans dovetail well."

"My vacation plans dovetail perfectly with yours so we can travel together and share the expenses."

to capture someone's attention and interest completely, in a way that they forget about everything else

"The singer mesmerizes the entire audience."

"The talented musician managed to mesmerize the entire audience with his beautiful and emotional performance on the piano."

a state in which little bumps appear on the skin and bodily hair becomes upright because of excitement, cold, or fear

"Cold winds gave me goose bumps."

"The horror movie was so frightening that she got goose bumps even though she had seen it before."

containing what is best of various ideas, styles, methods, beliefs, etc.

"Her taste is eclectic."

"Her taste is eclectic and includes everything from classical music to heavy metal to jazz."

the state or quality of implying the truth

"Story has verisimilitude."

"The story has great verisimilitude and feels very realistic to the readers."

simple in design or style and lacking embellishments

"The room is austere."

"The austere room had only a bed a chair and a small table with no decorations or personal items anywhere inside."

extremely delicate, light, as if it belongs to a heavenly realm

"Her beauty is ethereal."

"The ethereal glow of the moonlight made the garden look magical and she felt as if she had stepped into a fairy tale."

(of hair or eyes) without shine, sheen, or brightness

"Her hair was lackluster."

"After the illness, his eyes lost their usual sparkle, appearing dull and lackluster."

relating or belonging to the edge or outer section of something

"The peripheral vision is important."

"The peripheral devices connected to the main computer system enhanced its functionality."

falsely giving a pleasing appearance

"His argument is specious."

"His argument is specious and sounds convincing at first but falls apart under examination."

doing something secretly in an attempt to avoid notice

"He took a surreptitious glance."

"He took a surreptitious glance at his phone while the teacher was not looking."

very delicate or thin

"The connection is tenuous."

"The scientist carefully examined the tenuous strands of DNA under the microscope."

(of speech or writing) using a serious and elevated style that makes it tedious and complicated

"His writing is turgid."

"The professor's turgid prose made it difficult for the students to grasp the main concepts."

the inherent qualities that one is normally characterized by

"He has a good disposition."

"Despite facing numerous challenges, her cheerful disposition allowed her to maintain a positive outlook on life."

the marginal, or outer part of something, such as an area, activity, or group

"City fringe is quiet."

"They bought a house on the city fringe to enjoy more peace and fresh air every day."

a condition or situation that is similar or only appears to be similar to something

"It has a semblance of truth."

"Despite the chaos, the room maintained a semblance of order, which was quite surprising."