Ups and Downs: English Vocabulary List

a sudden, intense, and pleasurable feeling of excitement, shiver, fear, or thrill, often accompanied by a tingling sensation on the skin

"The eerie music sent a frisson down her spine."

"A pleasant frisson ran down her spine when she heard the beautiful music."

marked by causing irritation and annoyance

"It is galling to lose."

"It is galling to lose after being so close to winning the championship for the first time."

to cause someone persistent worry or discomfort

"Guilt gnaws at his conscience."

"The constant worry began to gnaw at her mind making it impossible for her to sleep peacefully at night."

extremely quick to show how one feels inside; especially with strong emotions like anger and passion

"He is a hot-blooded youth."

"He is a hot blooded youth who acts on impulse without thinking about the consequences of his actions."

to breathe at a very fast pace

"She hyperventilates during panic attacks."

"The anxious patient began to hyperventilate before the surgery so the nurse gave her a paper bag to breathe into."

displaying intense admiration or devotion that surpasses rationality or reason

"His worship was idolatrous."

"The tribe is idolatrous and worships statues of their ancestors and animal spirits."

a situation or event that causes embarrassment or a loss of respect, particularly when experienced in a public or widespread manner

"He suffered the ignominy of defeat."

"The general chose death rather than face the ignominy of surrender and public humiliation."

lacking the ability to be comforted due to being too sad or disappointed

"The child was inconsolable."

"The child was inconsolable after losing his favorite toy and cried for hours without stopping."

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."

having a desire to learn many different things and asks many questions to gain knowledge or understanding

"The child is inquisitive."

"The inquisitive child asked endless questions about how the television worked and why the sky was blue and where birds slept at night."

the quality of being short-tempered

"His irascibility was clear."

"His sudden irascibility made everyone in the room feel quite uncomfortable and tense."

to dislike something or someone very much, often with a sense of disgust

"I loathe rude and arrogant people."

"I absolutely loathe waking up early on cold winter mornings when my bed is still warm and comfortable."

boring because of being the same thing all the time

"The job is monotonous."

"The monotonous sound of the clock ticking drove him crazy after he had been listening to it for hours."

mentally unbalanced, appearing irrational or dreamy

"He looks moonstruck."

"He looks moonstruck as if he is in a trance and cannot focus on anything around him."

emotionally distressed and worked up

"She is overwrought with emotion."

"She is overwrought with emotion and cannot stop crying after hearing the sad news about her friend."

showing sadness, typically in a mild manner

"The cry was plaintive."

"The plaintive cry of the lost puppy broke her heart and she searched the neighborhood until she found its owner."

frequently or constantly finding fault and complaining

"The querulous old man complained."

"The querulous old man complained about the food the weather and the noise from the street."

experiencing extreme hunger

"I am ravenous."

"The ravenous hikers devoured their sandwiches in minutes because they had not eaten anything since breakfast."

the feeling of hatred or disgust toward someone or something

"Feeling of revulsion."

"She felt strong revulsion when she saw the terrible accident scene."

showing sadness and regret inspired by compassion

"He gave a rueful smile."

"He gave a rueful smile when he realized that he had forgotten his wife birthday again."

to feel extremely worried and angry internally while trying not to show it externally

"He seethes with silent anger."

"He seethed with silent anger as he listened to his coworker take credit for all of his hard work."

having a gloomy atmosphere that reminds one of tombs or graves

"His voice was sepulchral."

"His voice was sepulchral and echoed in the empty hall like a ghost from the grave."

expressing a strong or sincere feeling that comes from within the heart

"She has a soulful voice."

"She has a soulful voice that makes everyone stop and listen whenever she sings."

to really confuse someone by giving them information that is too complex or hard for them to understand

"The news will stupefy everyone."

"The complex math problem seemed to stupefy the entire class because no one could figure out how to solve it."

an emotional outburst, usually associated with anger or frustration, that involves screaming, crying, kicking, and sometimes even physical aggression

"The child threw a tantrum in the store."

"The child had a loud tantrum in the supermarket yesterday afternoon."

to be in a bad mood and to remain silent and resentful due to feeling upset, angry, or disappointed

"The child began to sulk."

"After not getting his way, the little boy decided to sulk in his room for the rest of the afternoon."

experiencing frequent changes in mood or behavior, often in an unpredictable or inconsistent manner

"The actor is temperamental."

"The temperamental chef threw his knife across the kitchen when a customer complained about the soup being too salty for their taste."

a state of nervousness or fear, anticipating that something bad may occur

"She entered with trepidation."

"The investors watched market fluctuations with growing trepidation throughout the financial crisis."

(of the voice or body) shaking in a slight, fragile manner, often due to nerves, fear, age or illness

"Her voice is tremulous."

"The old man's tremulous hands made it difficult for him to pour his tea and he often spilled it on the table."

having a feeling or desire that is not returned in the same way by another person

"He has unrequited love."

"He has unrequited love for his best friend who only sees him as a friend."

sorrowful in appearance, looking very sad or miserable

"The woebegone dog looked sad."

"The woebegone dog looked sad and lonely sitting alone in the corner of the shelter."

annoyed or irritated, feeling frustrated or troubled

"He is vexed by the delay."

"He is vexed by the delay and cannot understand why the train is running so late today."

fully absorbed or captivated by something

"The audience is rapt."

"The audience is rapt and listens carefully to every word the speaker says."

a steady and sharp stare that conveys anger, disapproval, or hostility

"She gave him a glare."

"His condescending remark earned him a sharp glare from his furious colleague."

an intense and selfish desire for something such as power and wealth

"Greed caused problems."

"Greed can lead people to act unfairly."

great excitement, anger, or fear that makes someone unable to control their emotions, and as a result, they start laughing, crying, etc.

"The news caused mass hysteria."

"Mass hysteria spread quickly among the frightened crowd after the false alarm."

a feeling of self-consciousness, restraint, or a limiting factor that hinders the free expression of one's thoughts, emotions, or actions

"Alcohol can lower your inhibition and make you act differently."

"An inhibition is a psychological restraint that prevents a person from acting on their natural impulses"

a state that provokes bitter emotions like pity, regret, or sadness

"The film's ending had great poignancy."

"The story had great poignancy that moved everyone to tears at the end."

having a calm or restrained manner

"The lighting is subdued."

"The lighting is subdued and creates a romantic atmosphere in the restaurant."

serious in mood, often reflecting sadness

"The mood was somber."

"A somber mood settled over the crowd as they heard the unfortunate news."