Aspects and Manners: English Vocabulary List

a type of manner that is composed and confident, often when one is facing a difficult situation

"She handled the crisis with aplomb."

"Despite the unexpected chaos, the manager handled the customer complaint with remarkable aplomb and professionalism."

an insensitive and uneducated person who lacks culture and manners

"The loud boor disturbed everyone at the dinner."

"His rude comments and lack of etiquette revealed him to be a complete boor at the formal event."

a state of embarrassment due to failing, getting humiliated, or disappointed

"His mistake caused chagrin instantly."

"To his great chagrin he realized he had forgotten his wife's birthday completely."

a bad-tempered person who is easily annoyed and angered, usually old in age

"The old curmudgeon complained constantly."

"Despite his gruff exterior, the old curmudgeon secretly enjoyed the children's visits to his garden."

a way of behaving that is shamelessly rude and bold

"She had the effrontery to ask for a raise after being late."

"The student had the effrontery to argue with the professor about a grade she clearly did not deserve."

a prideful and unfriendly manner of behaving that showcases one's belief of being better than others

"His hauteur made him seem unfriendly."

"The duchess's hauteur made the servants nervous because she treated everyone with cold disdain and superiority."

a way of behaving that is relaxed, as if one has no problems or concerns

"She faced the crisis with surprising insouciance."

"His insouciance about the upcoming exam worried his parents who knew he had not studied at all."

to repeatedly annoy or harass someone with requests or questions

"Stop badgering me with questions now."

"The children constantly badgered their parents to buy them a puppy until finally their mother agreed to adopt one."

to force a person into doing something by threatening or frightening them

"The boss browbeats his employees daily."

"The aggressive manager would browbeat his employees into working overtime by threatening to fire them if they refused."

to do something in a reluctant and condescending manner

"He would not deign to reply."

"The famous actress did not deign to speak with the young reporters who were waiting outside the hotel for hours."

displaying approval or praise

"He gave an approbative nod."

"He gave an approbative nod to show that he approved of what she had just said."

extremely enthusiastic and interested in something one does

"He is an avid reader."

"The avid reader finished three books every week and she had a library of over a thousand titles in her home."

overly satisfied or content with one's current situation or achievements, often to the point of neglecting potential risks or improvements

"Don't be complacent."

"The team became complacent after winning several games and stopped practicing as hard as they should have."

knowledgeable or experienced with something

"I am conversant with the rules."

"I am conversant with the rules and can answer any questions you have about them."

not having even the smallest amount of courage

"His craven behavior was shameful."

"His craven behavior was shameful and he ran away instead of defending his friend."

(particularly of a man) handsome, stylish and full of confidence

"He looks debonair in a suit."

"He looks debonair in a suit and always dresses well for formal occasions."

making one feel worried about something

"The news was disquieting."

"The disquieting news about the spreading virus made people stock up on food and stay inside their homes."

causing or displaying great sadness or distress

"The dolorous music made me sad."

"The dolorous music made me sad and reminded me of funerals and other unhappy events."

(of a person) deliberately telling lies

"He is a mendacious person."

"He is a mendacious person who lies so often that nobody believes anything he says."

having too much pride or confidence in oneself

"His overweening pride is annoying."

"His overweening pride is annoying and he thinks he is better than everyone else."

demanding immediate obedience, particularly in a way that sounds unfriendly or rude

"She gave a peremptory order."

"She gave a peremptory order and expected everyone to obey her without asking any questions."

quick to understand and judge people, things, and situations accurately

"She is perspicacious."

"The perspicacious detective noticed a tiny clue that everyone else had missed and that discovery led him to solve the mystery."

considered to be of small importance or value

"Don't sweat picayune things."

"The committee spent hours arguing over picayune details like the color of the logo while ignoring the much more important budget issues."

lacking excitement or imagination

"His speech was prosaic."

"His speech was prosaic and boring and lacked any interesting ideas or creative language."

paying a lot of attention to the correctness of behavior or to detail

"He is punctilious."

"The punctilious accountant checked every number three times before submitting the report and she never made any errors."

causing fear due to greatness or being impressive

"He is a redoubtable opponent."

"He is a redoubtable opponent and has never lost a match in his entire career."

vulgar, indecent, or coarse, often with sexual connotations

"The joke was ribald."

"The joke was ribald and inappropriate for a family dinner with children present."

easily angered or annoyed

"He is in a splenetic mood."

"He is in a splenetic mood and seems angry at the whole world for no reason."

staying calm and displaying little or no interest or emotions

"He is stolid."

"The stolid soldier showed no emotion even when he heard that his best friend had been injured in the battle."

treating others as if one is superior to them

"She has a supercilious attitude."

"She has a supercilious attitude and looks down on people who are less educated than her."

to make someone suffer from a lot of emotional or mental pain

"Her words lacerate him."

"Her cruel words continued to lacerate his spirit long after the argument had ended, causing deep emotional distress."

(of people) open and willing to let suggestions influence them

"She is amenable to suggestions."

"She is amenable to suggestions and will consider any idea that might improve the project."

requiring so much effort, mostly physical, that will cause exhaustion

"The journey was arduous."

"The refugees made an arduous journey across the mountains in freezing cold weather hoping to find safety and a better life."

neglectful toward obligations and duties

"He is derelict in duty."

"The caretaker was found to be derelict in his duties, having neglected the essential maintenance of the historic property."

easily getting annoyed, angry, or upset

"The fractious child cried."

"The fractious child cried and screamed and refused to take a nap even though he was very tired."

resistant to being affected or damaged by something

"The jacket is impervious to rain."

"The new material proved impervious to extreme temperatures and harsh weather conditions."

slow or reluctant to understand things or respond emotionally to something

"He was too obtuse to understand the joke."

"He was too obtuse to understand the joke and asked me to explain it twice."