Quality and Temperament: English Vocabulary List

doing something honestly and legally, without any trickery

"The deal is aboveboard."

"The deal is aboveboard and there is nothing illegal or dishonest about it."

relating to a health condition where a person has a lower than normal number of red blood cells, causing fatigue and weakness

"The patient is anemic."

"The patient felt weak and tired because she was anemic so the doctor prescribed iron supplements to help her produce more red blood cells."

harshness or sharpness of tone, manner, or temper

"He replied with asperity to the rude question."

"She spoke with such asperity that her children immediately knew they had done something seriously wrong."

excessive desire for money and material goods

"The king's avarice led him to overtax his people."

"The banker's avarice caused him to make risky investments that ultimately destroyed his clients' life savings."

(of a person) prone to unexpected and sudden changes of behavior, mood, or mind

"Her mood is capricious."

"The capricious boss could change his mind about project deadlines at any moment, causing considerable frustration."

to treat someone with an excessive amount of care and indulgence

"Parents cosset their firstborn child excessively."

"The wealthy parents tend to cosset their only child by giving him everything he asks for without any limits."

using clever and usually deceitful methods to achieve what one wants

"The fox is crafty."

"The crafty fox stole the farmer's chickens by digging a hole under the fence and sneaking into the coop at night."

the strong desire for attaining a lot of money or material goods

"His cupidity made him hoard gold."

"Extreme cupidity drove him to take risks that eventually ruined his career."

having or displaying enthusiasm, happiness, and liveliness

"She is ebullient and friendly."

"She is ebullient and friendly and makes everyone feel welcome at her parties."

not showing the amount of seriousness needed toward a serious matter by trying to seem clever and humorous

"His tone was facetious."

"Although he claimed it was a joke, his facetious remarks during the serious discussion were perceived as disrespectful."

having the ability to be deadly, cruel, or destructive

"He is a fell enemy."

"He is a fell enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy his opponents."

having an awkward or impolite way of behaving due to a lack of social skills or experience

"He was gauche."

"His gauche table manners at the formal dinner party made everyone feel rather uncomfortable and awkward."

an unusual or strange behavior, thought, or habit that is specific to one person

"His idiosyncrasy is very strange."

"Everyone has at least one personal idiosyncrasy that makes them unique."

showing simplicity, honesty, or innocence and willing to trust others due to a lack of life experience

"Her smile is ingenuous."

"Her smile is ingenuous and shows her pure and honest nature without any hidden motives."

causing offense or unhappiness due to being prejudice or unjust

"The comparison is invidious."

"The manager's invidious comparison of employees' performance created a hostile and unfair work environment for everyone."

experiencing or displaying an intense sexual interest

"He gave a lascivious look."

"He gave a lascivious look at the women at the bar and made them feel uncomfortable and unsafe."

having an excessive emotional quality, often in a way that seems overly sentimental or self-pitying

"She gets maudlin when drunk."

"She gets maudlin when drunk and cries about her lost loves and missed opportunities."

causing difficulties, problems, or annoyances

"The question is nettlesome."

"The question is nettlesome and difficult to answer without offending someone on either side of the debate."

self-important and very eager to give orders or help when it is not wanted, or needed

"The volunteer is officious."

"The officious neighbor constantly offered unsolicited advice and tried to organize neighborhood events without being asked."

having an extremely optimistic point of view

"Her outlook is Panglossian."

"Despite facing numerous setbacks, she maintained a Panglossian outlook, believing everything would ultimately work out for the best."

quickly and effortlessly noticing things and understanding them

"Her comment is percipient."

"Her comment is percipient and shows that she understands the situation better than anyone else."

able to keep a calm demeanor and not get emotional easily

"He is phlegmatic by nature."

"He is phlegmatic by nature and does not get excited or upset about anything."

(of ideas or plans) hopeful or imaginative but impractical

"His plan is quixotic."

"His plan is quixotic and unrealistic but it is also noble and admirable in its idealism."

reluctant to speak to others, especially about one's thoughts and emotions

"He is reticent about his past."

"The reticent student never raised his hand in class and spoke only when the teacher called on him directly."

having a confident, hopeful, and positive outlook for the future

"He is sanguine about the future."

"He is sanguine about the future and believes that everything will work out well in the end."

an individual who is very fond of enjoying luxurious pleasures and items

"The sybarite enjoyed long baths and fine wine."

"The wealthy sybarite spent his days enjoying fine dining massages and luxurious vacations around the world."

involving many extreme and powerful emotions

"Their relationship is tempestuous."

"Their relationship is tempestuous and they fight passionately and then make up just as passionately."

doing something hastily and without much thought or care

"His work is slapdash."

"The architect's slapdash approach to the design resulted in numerous structural problems later on."

putting continuous effort, care, and attention in doing something

"She is a sedulous worker."

"Her sedulous efforts in studying every night finally paid off with excellent exam results."

relating to someone who likes to talk much more than necessary

"The loquacious man talked for hours."

"The loquacious tour guide kept us entertained with stories, though we were eager to see the actual sights."

lacking in strength, energy, and effect

"The plan was anemic."

"The company's anemic marketing strategy failed to capture the attention of consumers, leading to a significant decline in sales."

having a tendency to be irritable or ill-tempered

"He has a bilious temper."

"He has a bilious temper and becomes angry and irritable at the slightest provocation."

a willingness or habit of submitting to the opinions or authority of others

"Show deference to elders."

"In many cultures, showing deference to one's elders is a sign of respect and a deeply ingrained societal value."

evaluating situations, people, or ideas with clarity and wisdom

"She has a discerning eye for art."

"The discerning customer chose the expensive wine because she knew it was better quality."

having a bitter, grumpy, and serious appearance and attitude, oftentimes in a threatening manner

"He has a saturnine expression."

"He has a saturnine expression and looks gloomy and depressed even when he is happy."

not displaying emotions and not complaining, especially in difficult and painful situations

"He remained stoic during the pain."

"He remained stoic during the pain and did not cry or complain even though his leg was broken."