What's on Your Mind?: English Vocabulary List

not based on reason but on chance or personal impulse, which is often unfair

"The decision is arbitrary."

"The teacher's grading seemed arbitrary because students with similar answers received very different scores and nobody understood the system."

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."

to express agreement with a particular opinion, statement, action, etc.

"I concur with your assessment."

"After hearing all the evidence the majority of the jury concurred that the defendant was guilty of the crime."

in a way that is different from what has been mentioned

"Conversely small cars use less fuel."

"Conversely small cars use less fuel and are easier to park but they offer less protection in a crash."

to consider in a particular manner

"The court deems the evidence admissible today."

"The court deemed the evidence insufficient to convict the defendant and ordered his immediate release from custody."

to give or have opinions that differ from those officially or commonly accepted

"Several judges dissented from the majority opinion."

"Only two members of the committee decided to dissent from the majority opinion and voted against the proposed new policy."

having two or more possible meanings

"His answer was equivocal."

"His answer was equivocal and did not clearly say yes or no to the question."

intended for or understood by only a small, specialized group, often due to complexity

"The book is esoteric."

"The professor's lecture on quantum physics was filled with esoteric terminology that only advanced students could fully comprehend."

a supporter of a theory, belief, idea, etc. who tries to persuade others that it is true or good in order to gain their support

"She is a theory exponent."

"He is a leading exponent of modern economic theory in the academic world."

to indicate in advance that something, particularly something bad, will take place

"The dark clouds foreshadow a storm."

"The dark clouds in the distance foreshadowed the violent storm that would hit the town by midnight."

to disagree or deny that something is true

"No one can gainsay the evidence."

"No one could gainsay the evidence that the detective presented because all of the facts pointed clearly to the defendant's guilt."

used to introduce additional information that explains the extent or reasons for something

"Inasmuch as it is late"

"Inasmuch as the evidence was circumstantial, the jury found it difficult to reach a unanimous verdict."

conveying something whilst using a very small number of words

"His reply was laconic"

"His reply was laconic and consisted of a single word yes."

used to introduce an opposing statement

"It was raining nevertheless we went out."

"It was raining nevertheless we went out because we had already bought tickets for the concert and did not want to waste them."

to severely scold or express disapproval

"The teacher objurgates lazy students"

"The angry father objurgated his son for coming home late without calling to let anyone know where he was."

to state one's opinion in such a manner that shows one believes to be the only person to fully know it and be unarguably correct

"He pontificates about politics constantly."

"The professor tends to pontificate about his political views during class even though his students are only there to learn about history."

a type of teasing and joking that is friendly and good-natured

"Good natured raillery"

"The friends engaged in good natured raillery during the dinner party yesterday evening."

to argue and express one's disagreement or objection to something

"She remonstrates with him about his bad habits."

"The customer remonstrated with the manager about the poor service and demanded a refund for the unsatisfactory meal."

severely critical or harsh

"The review was scathing"

"The film critic delivered a scathing review, tearing apart the plot and the actors' performances."

not or barely relevant to something

"His comment is tangential"

"His comment is tangential and does not relate to the main topic of our discussion."

excessively unreasonable or unfair and therefore unacceptable

"The delay was unconscionable"

"The delay was unconscionable and the company should be ashamed of how long they made us wait."

to criticize someone for doing or saying something that one believes to be wrong

"She upbraided him for his dishonesty."

"The supervisor harshly upbraided the intern for being late three times in one week and warned him that he might lose his job."

a type of criticism or insult that is hurtful and angry

"His vituperation was loud"

"The politician's speech was filled with vituperation, attacking his opponents with personal insults and angry accusations."

to attentively listen

"Harken to my warning"

"The wise old man told the young people to harken to his words if they wanted to live a good life."

against someone or something's advantage

"The weather was adverse."

"The medication caused adverse reactions in some patients including nausea headaches and dizziness so the doctor prescribed a different drug."

to create an impression of something or someone that is false

"His smile belies his true sadness."

"His friendly smile belies his true feelings of anger and resentment towards the people who fired him from his job."

to decisively conclude something, such as an argument or a contract

"The team clinched the championship title."

"The team scored the winning goal in the final minute to clinch the championship title for the first time in ten years."

to firmly and persistently express an opinion, belief, or statement as true and valid

"She maintains her innocence."

"Despite all the criticism, she continued to maintain her innocence throughout the trial."

to suggest or decide to reschedule discussing something

"Let's table this discussion."

"Given the late hour and the complexity of the issue, the committee decided to table the motion for further deliberation next week."

able to think and express oneself in a way that is clear and comprehensible, particularly if one usually does not have this ability

"She gave a lucid explanation"

"She gave a lucid explanation of the complex theory and everyone understood it perfectly."