Negative and Neutral Attitudes: English Vocabulary List

a feeling of anger or annoyance aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean

"His indignation was clear from his angry voice."

"Her face flushed with indignation when she heard the rude comments about her work."

a doubtful view toward others' honesty or intentions

"His cynicism showed distrust."

"Her constant cynicism about people's motives made her seem unfriendly."

a feeling of self-satisfaction or contentment, often accompanied by a lack of awareness of potential dangers

"Complacency led to their failure."

"Dangerous complacency can prevent companies from innovating and improving their products."

the feeling that someone or something is not worthy of respect or consideration

"She wrinkled her nose in disdain."

"She looked at him with open disdain after he lied to her face."

a lasting feeling of anger or bitterness because of unfair treatment

"Resentment festered within him."

"Years of perceived unfairness had cultivated a deep-seated resentment towards his employer."

behaving without shame or fear and refusing to follow traditional rules or manners

"He is brazen."

"The brazen thief stole the purse in broad daylight and he walked away slowly as if he had done nothing wrong."

having a sullen, gloomy, or pessimistic disposition

"He has been morose all day."

"The morose teenager sat alone in his room and refused to talk to anyone all day."

bad-tempered, gloomy, and usually silent

"The sullen teenager refused to talk."

"The sullen child crossed his arms and refused to eat his vegetables at dinner time again."

prone to unpredicted and sudden changes

"Her mood is mercurial."

"The mercurial actress could be laughing one moment and crying the next and nobody knew what mood she would be in."

in a manner that shows acceptance of something undesirable or unavoidable without protest

"He sighed resignedly and gave up."

"He sighed resignedly and gave up because he knew that no matter what he did the outcome would not change."

(of a person) unwilling to talk to other people or participate in social events

"The child is withdrawn."

"The withdrawn student rarely spoke in class and preferred to sit alone in the corner reading books during lunch break."

having a tendency or inclination toward something

"He is prone to injury."

"The old house is prone to flooding during heavy rains so the owners installed a sump pump in the basement."

in a manner that shows no emotion, feeling, or reaction

"The guard stood impassively at the door."

"The guard stood impassively at the door and did not react when the protesters shouted at him from across the street."

characterized by unchecked, aggressive, or uncontrollable behavior

"Corruption is rampant."

"The rampant inflation made it impossible for ordinary people to afford basic necessities like food and housing."

stating the opposite of what one means to criticize, insult, mock, or make a joke

"His tone is sarcastic."

"The sarcastic comment made everyone laugh but the person it was directed at felt hurt and embarrassed by the joke."

displaying an attitude of superiority toward those perceived as inferior, often due to social status, wealth, or education

"She is snobbish."

"The snobbish art critic dismissed the young painter's work as amateurish without even looking at it closely."

feeling dissatisfied, often due to a sense of unfair treatment or disappointment

"The disgruntled employee complained."

"The disgruntled employee complained about the low wages and poor working conditions to anyone who would listen to him."

having or showing a negative view of the future and always waiting for something bad to happen

"Don't be so pessimistic."

"He was pessimistic about the outcome of the election and believed that no matter who won things would not get better for ordinary people."

to have doubts, reservations, or uncertainties about relying on someone or something

"She mistrusts strangers easily."

"The public has learned to mistrust the pharmaceutical company because of its history of hiding dangerous side effects."

to laugh quietly in a sneaky or mocking way

"The boys snickered at the silly joke."

"The rude students snickered at the teacher when she made a small grammatical mistake during her lesson."

to frown in a sullen or angry way

"The teacher scowled at the noisy class."

"The angry teacher scowled at the students who were talking loudly during the important exam."

in a manner that shows arrogant superiority toward others

"She spoke haughtily to the waiter."

"She spoke haughtily to the waiter as if she were better than him and everyone at the table felt embarrassed by her behavior."

in an open and unashamed way, especially when violating rules or norms

"He blatantly lied to his boss."

"He blatantly lied to his boss about finishing the report and then pretended that he had sent it already."

in a manner that tries to impress by pretending to have more importance, talent, or culture than is actually possessed

"He dressed pretentiously for the party."

"He dressed pretentiously for the party wearing a very expensive suit and acting as if he were royalty."

uncertain or reluctant to act or speak, often due to doubt or indecision

"She is hesitant."

"The young man was hesitant to ask his boss for a raise because he was afraid of being rejected and he did not want to seem greedy or entitled."

freely expressing one's opinions or ideas without holding back

"She is outspoken."

"The outspoken activist was not afraid to criticize the government and she organized protests despite threats from the authorities."

(of a person) straightforward in expressing thoughts or opinions

"She gave a forthright answer."

"He was forthright about his intentions and told her directly that he was not looking for a serious relationship at this time."

open and direct about one's true feelings or intentions

"Be candid with me."

"The politician's candid admission of his mistakes surprised many of his usually guarded supporters."

stubbornly disregarding rules, advice, or the wishes of others

"The child is willful."

"The willful child refused to eat her vegetables and she sat at the table with her arms crossed for over an hour."

shy or timid, especially in social situations, often accompanied by a reluctance to draw attention to oneself

"The boy is bashful."

"The bashful bride blushed when the groom kissed her and she hid her face in his shoulder as the guests cheered."

reflecting deep sincerity or a lack of humor

"His face was solemn."

"The solemn ceremony honored the soldiers who had died in the war and everyone stood in silence as the names were read."

presenting information in a straightforward, unemotional, and practical manner

"Her tone was matter-of-fact."

"Her matter-of-fact tone made the bad news easier to accept because she did not exaggerate or dramatize the situation."

lacking confidence or courage

"The child is timid."

"The timid child hid behind his mother when strangers approached because he was afraid of meeting new people."

a doubting or questioning attitude towards ideas, beliefs, or claims that are generally accepted

"He shows skepticism always."

"A healthy dose of skepticism is essential when evaluating unverified claims and conspiracy theories."

the disregard and lack of respect for someone or something seen as insignificant or unworthy

"He looked at the liar with contempt."

"He felt deep contempt for people who lie and cheat others without any shame."

an intense enthusiasm or obsession for something, often to an excessive or uncontrollable degree

"She has a mania for art."

"His obsession with collecting rare stamps bordered on mania, filling every room of his house."

showing a lack of confidence or courage in an awkward way

"He looked sheepish then."

"After admitting his mistake, he gave a sheepish grin, feeling embarrassed but relieved."

having a natural tendency toward something

"He is apt to."

"Given his history of procrastination, he was apt to delay starting the important project."

a general lack of interest, concern, or enthusiasm toward things in life

"His apathy worried everyone greatly."

"Public apathy toward environmental problems delayed meaningful political reforms for decades."

a tendency to keep one's thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs to oneself

"She has a reserve."

"Despite her outward confidence, she maintained a certain reserve about her personal life."

the usual attitude of a person in any given circumstance

"She has a cheerful disposition."

"She has a naturally friendly disposition that makes people feel comfortable around her."

having a negative or belittling connotation

"The term is pejorative."

"The pejorative term used to describe immigrants offended many people and the politician apologized for his insensitive language."

to speak or express derogatory remarks about someone

"Do not belittle your colleagues' efforts."

"Good managers should never belittle their employees' contributions because doing so destroys motivation and trust within the team."

to speak or behave in a way that implies that one is more knowledgeable, experienced, or intelligent than the other person

"Don't patronize me."

"He had a habit of explaining simple concepts to his colleagues in a way that seemed to patronize their intelligence."

to ridicule someone or something in a disrespectful manner

"Do not mock people with disabilities."

"It is cruel to mock someone for their physical appearance because everyone deserves to be treated with basic respect and kindness."

to mock with contempt

"He scoffed at the warning of danger."

"He scoffed at the idea that he might need help with his homework because he thought he was smarter than everyone else in the class."

In a dismissive or indifferent manner

"He dismissed it offhand."

"The manager dismissed her concerns offhand, refusing to even consider the possibility of a problem."

having a plain and sometimes harsh way of expressing thoughts or opinions

"He is often blunt and honest."

"The blunt doctor told the patient that he needed to lose weight or he would die soon."

based only on facts and not influenced by personal feelings or judgments

"The report is objective."

"The judge must be objective and not let personal feelings affect his decisions in the courtroom."

lacking interest or emotional involvement

"He seems detached."

"The detached observer watched the argument without getting involved and he took notes on the behavior of both parties."

serious and strict in manner or attitude, often showing disapproval or authority

"The teacher had a stern look."

"His stern expression suggested that he was not pleased with their disruptive behavior."