Quiet to Noisy to Fools Rush In
As Bucky neared 12 years old, his formerly feisty nature disappeared and he became placid, hanging out on the porch and wagging his tail.
What is tranquil, calm.
The suspect was reticent, wary that he might reveal something that could be used against him in court.
What is tight-lipped, not offering one’s thoughts freely.
The weekend spa retreat offered a cornucopia of indulgences, everything from a two-hour massage to energy healing.
What is a large supply of something desirable?
William became dogmatic in his insistence on the superiority of his wine, stating its many excellent attributes, even though we all found it undrinkable.
Wha is claiming one’s opinion as though it were the unarguable truth.?
A voracious eater, Mark ploughed through a mountain of food that summer.
What is having an extremely large appetite?
The rambunctious trio of toddlers bounced about the room, oblivious to the adults whispering “shush.”
What is out of control and overly excited.
While many faulted Nate for being garrulous, it was just his way of building rapport.
What is speaking more than necessary, chatty.
There is a surfeit of online news sources, though most tend to fall on one side or the other of the political spectrum.
What is too much of something?
Heather’s attention began to wander as the lecturer became increasingly didactic about the difference between a semicolon and a comma.
What is trying to instruct or impart knowledge, but typically in a way that is slightly condescending?
As soon as January rolled around, Trevor became ascetic, eating only small servings of rice and chicken for 30 days.
What is denying oneself simple pleasures, typically for religious reasons?
The late autumn wind made itself known in the susurrus of freshly swept leaves.
What is a whispering or rustling sound.
Patrick tended to be verbose; he believed that the more he talked, the more his personality would shine through.
What is using more words than necessary.
He had already notified his friends via text that he would be late for the movie, so he figured that posting an additional message on social media would be superfluous.
What is excessive, nonessential?
Once video footage revealed that she had accidentally scratched her own car, she retracted the statements she’d made earlier about my careless driving.
What is to take back a statement or an offer?
In an effort to be kind to his liver, Harold became abstemious, drastically cutting his vodka intake.
What is refraining from drinking or eating too much?
The squirrel is known for being prudent, storing acorns away for later rather than eating them all at once.
What is careful and thoughtful.
This word comes from the Latin for “throat” (to remember garrulous, think of the word “gargle,” which involves your throat, as does speaking). This word is a synonym of loquacious.
What is the word garrulous?
This word comes from the “horn of plenty,” a legendary horn capable of conjuring up whatever its owner desired.
What is the word cornucopia?
This word is from a Greek word meaning “to teach.”
What is the word didactic?
A word from the Latin word "temetum" which means “intoxicating drink” and the Latin root "ab-" meaning “away.”
What is the word abstemious?
This word derives from an Old Norse word for “attentive.” A good way to think of this word is “on the lookout” or “on one’s toes.”
What is the word wary.
This word comes from the Latin meaning “full of words.” Whereas garrulous refers only to speech, verbose can also be used to describe writing. In this context, two good antonyms to know are succinct and concise.
What is the word verbose?
This word is from the French verb faire meaning “to do” and sur-meaning “over.” This word is often used in the context of food and drink, which is not surprising given that one of its older meanings was “overindulgence.”
What is the word surfeit?
This word is from the Latin for “to draw back.” Forswear is a synonym, along with deny.
What is the word retract?
This word was originally used to describe Christians who went to the desert to live in seclusion with very few means.
What is the word ascetic?