Significance: English Vocabulary List

having considerable importance, influence, or gravity

"This is a weighty matter."

"The committee discussed the weighty implications of the new policy on the community."

signifying a matter of deep concern

"The situation is grave."

"The grave situation required immediate action and the president called an emergency meeting of his top advisors."

possessing the quality of being the most important or basic part of something

"Honesty is cardinal."

"The cardinal rule of wilderness survival is to always carry enough water because dehydration can kill you faster than hunger or cold."

not central or of primary importance

"A peripheral concern arose."

"The peripheral details of the story were not important so the teacher told the students to focus on the main events instead."

lower in position or importance

"A subordinate role was assigned."

"The subordinate employees were afraid to question the manager's decisions because they did not want to lose their jobs or get into trouble."

outstanding or excellent in quality or performance

"His performance was stellar."

"The actor gave a stellar performance in the movie and critics praised his emotional range and depth."

unnecessary or unrelated to the matter or subject at hand

"Cut extraneous information."

"The essay contained too many extraneous details and the teacher advised the student to remove anything that was not directly relevant to the topic."

extremely serious or urgent

"A dire situation unfolded."

"The country faced a dire shortage of clean drinking water after the drought and the government declared a state of emergency."

having a lack of depth or concern for serious matters

"He spends money on frivolous items."

"He spends money on frivolous items like expensive watches and shoes that he does not need."