The corrections officer was criticized for being too ________ with inmates who violated security protocols.
lenient
The doctor assured her that the rash was merely a ________ reaction that would fade within a day.
transient
The billionaire was so ________ that he reportedly washed his own paper plates to reuse them.
miserly
The philosopher's books have had a ________ influence on modern political thought across Europe.
profound
Parents often feel ________ about letting their young teenagers travel abroad completely unsupervised.
ambivalent
Survival in the wild requires an ________ mindset, as weather conditions and food sources change constantly.
adaptable
He speaks ________ English without a trace of a foreign accent, despite only moving here two years ago.
impeccable
The bird is easily recognizable by its ________ call, which sounds exactly like a human whistle.
distinctive
Since the paperwork was never officially signed by a notary, the contract is legally ________.
null
She is a highly ________ critic who can spot subtle themes in a movie that most viewers completely overlook.
perceptive
The telecommunications industry is notoriously ________, with firms suing each other constantly over patents.
cutthroat
The administration's policy decisions seemed entirely ________, changing from week to week based purely on the director's mood.
capricious
The band's performance sounded ________ because two of the guitarists had not tuned their instruments properly.
discordant
The structural failure of the dam had a ________ impact on the villages located downstream.
catastrophic
The plants found in this ________ region have evolved deep root systems to tap into underground water tables.
arid
Factory workers often find operating the assembly line machinery to be an incredibly ________ job.
monotonous
The contract contains ________ terms stating that subletting the property is strictly forbidden.
explicit
The economic outlook for the small town looked ________ after the main manufacturing plant shut down permanently.
bleak
The venom of the box jellyfish is so ________ that it can cause cardiac arrest within minutes.
potent
The diplomat adopted a ________ tone, hoping to persuade the opposing nation to return to negotiations.
conciliatory
The bank robbers hatched an ________ plan to tunnel into the vault directly from the city subway system.
audacious
The medical board rejected the treatment because it deviated too far from ________ clinical practices.
orthodox
Local economies must be ________ enough to bounce back quickly after structural disruptions or global financial shocks.
resilient
Without any physical fingerprints or DNA, the police acknowledged that their case was entirely ________.
circumstantial
The residents grew tired of the ________ construction noise coming from the apartment block next door.
ceaseless