Traits and Behavior: English Vocabulary List

having contradictory views or feelings about something or someone

"I feel ambivalent."

"She felt ambivalent about moving to a new city because she was excited for the opportunity but sad to leave her friends behind."

not consistent with what is considered to be expected

"The result is anomalous."

"The test results were anomalous and the scientist repeated the experiment three times to confirm that the data was accurate."

indicating that something is very likely to succeed in the future

"This is an auspicious start."

"The company's auspicious start attracted the attention of major investors and they received funding to expand their operations internationally."

rude, ill-mannered, or surly in behavior

"His reply was churlish."

"His reply was churlish and rude so she decided never to speak to him again."

feeling disappointed and sad, especially due to experiencing an unexpected failure

"He looked crestfallen."

"The crestfallen child walked slowly off the field after missing the winning shot and his teammates tried to comfort him."

showing no restraint in expressing one's feelings, particularly of love

"She is a demonstrative person."

"She is a demonstrative person who hugs her friends and tells them she loves them often."

having great taste and the ability to judge something's quality

"She has a discriminating taste."

"She has a discriminating taste in wine and can tell the difference between cheap and expensive bottles."

excited and happy because something has happened or is going to happen

"She felt elated after the news."

"She was elated when she received the news that she had been accepted into her dream university across the country."

relating to something that is created artificially instead of naturally

"His enthusiasm is factitious."

"His enthusiasm is factitious and he is just pretending to be excited about the project."

lacking seriousness and respect on a serious matter in an attempt to appear humorous or clever

"Don't be flippant."

"Do not be flippant about such a serious matter because people could get hurt."

having an unpleasantly proud and arrogant demeanor, displaying a demand for obedience

"She has an imperious manner."

"She has an imperious manner and expects everyone to obey her orders without question."

behaving in an unconcerned and calm manner

"He acted nonchalant."

"The nonchalant teenager shrugged when he heard that he had won the award and he acted as if it did not matter at all."

stubborn and unwilling to change one's behaviors, opinions, views, etc. despite other people's reasoning and persuasion

"The obstinate child refused to eat."

"The obstinate child refused to wear a coat even though it was freezing cold outside."

relating to someone or something that is untrustworthy and disloyal

"The spy was perfidious."

"The spy was perfidious and sold secrets to the enemy for money."

failing to respect boundaries, doing something despite having no right in doing so

"It was presumptuous of him."

"It was presumptuous of him to assume that he would get the promotion without even applying for it."

taking place every day and thus considered as an ordinary occurrence

"The routine is quotidian."

"The quotidian routine of waking up working and sleeping bored him so he decided to travel."

feeling or displaying a great amount of admiration and respect

"The crowd was reverent."

"The crowd was reverent and spoke in hushed whispers inside the ancient cathedral."

trying to avoid drawing attention toward one's abilities or oneself, especially due to modesty

"He is self-effacing and kind."

"He is self effacing and kind and never takes credit for the good things he does."

having keen, farsighted judgment and the ability to discern deeply and wisely

"The leader is sagacious."

"The sagacious old owl watched over the forest and the other animals sought his advice whenever they had a problem."

occurring from time to time, in an irregular manner

"The rain is sporadic."

"The sporadic rain showers made it difficult to plan outdoor activities for the weekend."

taking something or someone's place or position by coming after them

"The succeeding chapters are good."

"The succeeding generations of scientists built upon the groundbreaking discoveries of their predecessors."

seeming to exist or appear everywhere

"Coffee shops are ubiquitous."

"Coffee shops are ubiquitous in this city and you can find one on almost every corner."

using or having an excessive number of words

"His speech was verbose."

"The professor's verbose explanation, filled with unnecessary jargon, confused most of the students in the class."

something that is different from what is expected and normal

"This is an aberration."

"His sudden outburst of anger was an aberration from his usual calm and composed demeanor."

an unreasonably excessive amount of pride or arrogance

"His hubris led to his downfall."

"The CEO's hubris led him to ignore all warnings until the company collapsed under massive debt."

words or actions that lack meaning, sense, or importance

"I was bored by the inanity of the conversation."

"The inanity of the television show made her change the channel after only five minutes of watching."

the usage of abusive, insulting, and rude language when one is extremely angry

"He used invective."

"The politician responded to criticism with a barrage of personal invective rather than addressing the actual issues raised."

the quality of abiding by the highest moral principles

"The politician was known for his probity."

"The judge is known for his high probity and fairness in all legal decisions."

care or worry for a person's well-being

"She showed solicitude."

"The nurse's genuine solicitude for her patients' comfort and recovery was evident in her every action."

to put a stop to someone's feelings of anger

"The manager placates the angry customer."

"The mother gave her crying child a cookie to placate him while she finished her important phone call."

to request something in an annoyingly persistent way

"Street vendors importune tourists for business."

"Street vendors often importune tourists to buy souvenirs by following them for several blocks."

showing sensibility and wisdom, especially in avoiding risks or making decisions

"It is prudent to save money."

"It is prudent to save some money every month for unexpected emergencies like car repairs or medical bills."

mischievous and playful either on purpose or pretending to be so

"She gave an arch smile."

"With an arch glance and a knowing smirk, he hinted at a secret he was keeping from the rest of the group."

behaving in an energetic, excited, and lively manner

"Her personality is effervescent."

"Her effervescent personality made her the life of every party she attended, always full of energy."

having kept its original state, being clean and in great condition

"The beach is pristine."

"The pristine wilderness, untouched by human development, offered a breathtaking panorama of natural beauty and ecological diversity."

expressing something in a forceful, effective, and clear manner

"Her critique was trenchant."

"Her critique was trenchant and pointed out exactly what was wrong with the proposal."

an individual who thinks and behaves differently and independently

"The maverick politician often voted against his own party."

"The political maverick always votes against his own party when he disagrees."

someone or something regarded as the perfect or ideal model of excellence

"She is a paragon of virtue."

"She is considered a perfect paragon of virtue and kindness by everyone who knows her."

to reveal something, such as thoughts, feelings, qualities, etc. unintentionally

"His face did betray him."

"Despite his attempts to remain composed, his trembling hands and averted gaze seemed to betray his inner turmoil and anxiety."

having a lot of energy and enthusiasm

"The young athlete is mettlesome."

"The mettlesome young team approached the championship game with incredible energy and unwavering enthusiasm for victory."