Feeling melancholy?
When you're ____, you're angry about an unfair situation. If you discovered that a teacher gave ten extra points on a test to all students who sat in the front row, you'd be ____.
vehement facetious indignant ominous
indignant
Choose the adjective ____ for someone who does good deeds or shows goodwill. If your teacher collects homework with a ____ smile, she's hoping that you've done a good job.
benevolent cynical whimsical fatalistic
benevolent
You feel ____ when you miss your childhood, people you know but haven't seen in a while or the things that bring you comfort, like the ____ memories you feel when you listen to the songs you loved when you were little.
nostalgic pensive pedantic obstinate
nostalgic
That Earth has one moon is objective — it's a fact. Whether the moon is pretty or not is _____ — not everyone will agree.
vindictive subjective obstinate pensive
subjective
A 10-year-old who says to his sibling, "What do you know? You're only a 6-year-old!" is being ____.
vindictive condescending indignant detached
condescending
See that person staring out the window who looks so lost in thought? He is ____, the opposite of carefree.
nonchalant macabre malicious pensive
pensive
Back in medieval times, people thought that secretions of the body called "humors" determined their feelings, so a depressed person was thought to have too much of the humor known as _____ — literally "black bile" secreted from the spleen.
melancholy obsequious macabre apathetic
melancholy
____ is an adjective that describes the feeling of being bored with what’s going on around you. If you don’t care one way or another, you’re ____.
ubiquitous apathetic objective ecstatic
apathetic
If you're ____ to your little brother, you're always picking on him and giving him a hard time — causing him agony — a word that's buried in ____.
antagonistic indignant apathetic vindictive
antagonistic
____ is a simple tone that means the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It is the main tone in any nonfictional piece. There is no opinion. It is often seen in history books and in newspapers. It is a very bland, boring tone, not recommended for entertainment.
detached assertive earnest poignant
detached
You can use the adjective ____ to describe an extremely strong, powerful, or intense emotion or force. The teenager argued for a much later curfew in a ____ speech to her parents; her parents responded with an equally ____ “No way!”
derisive vindictive derogatory vehement
vehement
____ tone is used when a writer wants to deliver information in a neutral, factual and unbiased way. ____ tones can be achieved by avoiding personal pronouns and judgmental words that may indicate personal feeling.
fervent colloquial pedantic objective
objective
____ is unusual, playful, and unpredictable, rather than serious and practical.
A fun, light-hearted movie about fairies is an example of something that would be described as _____.
whimsical audacious colloquial naive
whimsical
An ____ outcome is the opposite of what's intended. Having someone splash mud on you is always annoying, but it would be ____ if they had splashed you because they were running up to wipe dirt off you.
absurd obsequious obstinate ironic
ironic
Someone who is ____ enjoys hurting or embarrassing others. If you're writing a book about good and evil, you'll want to come up with a truly ____ character to do all the bad stuff.
pessimistic macabre facetious malicious
malicious
The adjective ____ is used to describe things that involve the horror of death or violence. If a story involves lots of blood and gore, you can call it ____.
derisive derogatory macabre melancholy
macabre
"Cities like Singapore aim to cloak themselves in _____, free Wi-Fi in the next few years," The Wall Street Journal reported recently — meaning that those savvy Singaporeans will find a wireless connection everywhere they go.
irreverent colloquial ambivalent ubiquitous
ubiquitous
When people are ____, they're teaching or instructing. This word is often used negatively for when someone is acting too much like a teacher.
pensive pedantic didactic derisive
didactic
Use the adjective ____ to describe something or someone that mocks, expresses contempt, or ridicules. You may sometimes catch your kids making ____ comments — especially if you ask them to do chores instead of whatever they think is more important.
ambivalent conciliatory audacious derisive
derisive
If the chain falls off your rusty old bicycle, a tire goes flat, the frame cracks down the middle, the seat keeps twisting around, and you say, "But look! The little bell still works — I'm sure this bike will be fine," you're being very _____.
whimsical optimistic benevolent audacious
optimisitc
Something ____ is absolutely ridiculous or total nonsense. Thinking you can wear flip flops and a bikini to the North Pole is an ____ idea, for example.
ironic absurd ambivalent irreverent
absurd
If you are ____, you don’t show respect toward something, like sitting through the pledge of allegiance while your classmates stand.
irreverent fatalistic cynical ironic
irreverent
If you are _____, it means you are serious about something. Your parents might not want you to drop out of school to follow some fly-by-night dream, but if you're _____ about wanting a career in show biz, they'll support you.
audacious subjective conciliatory earnest
earnest
A person who is too trusting can be criticized for being overly ____: "You're so ____, you think that map you bought online will really lead you to buried treasure!"
naive macabre earnest cynical
naive
It is no fun hanging out with ____ people, who are forever out to get back at people they think have hurt them. If you forget to say hello to them one day in the hall, they will carry a grudge against you into next week.
irreverent obstinate vindictive pessimistic
vindictive
____ implies a kind of hard-headed determination not to change your mind even when it might be best to rethink your position.
facetious obstinate obsequious didactic
obstinate
Use the adjective ____ to describe someone who believes outcomes are determined in advance and can't be changed. If you think there’s no way you can pass your math exam and studying won’t change anything, then you’re ____.
pessimistic macabre fatalistic facetious
fatalistic
Racial, sexist, and homophobic slurs are all _____. Insults that mean someone is stupid or crazy are ____.
derogatory facetious cynical obstinate
derogatory
Anything ____ is a joke. If you've just won a hotdog-eating contest and someone asks if you'd like to go out for burgers, they’re probably being ____.
vehement benevolent facetious haughty
facetious
If you are upfront about what you want and bold in devising a plan that helps you get it, you could be described as _____, meaning you act with authority and confidence.
audacious assertive obsequious derisive
assertive
If something looks or sounds ____, be careful: a threat or an unpleasant event is at hand. If you see an ____ frown on your boss's face, you're in trouble!
audacious irreverent ominous obstinate
ominous
____ often gets applied in situations where someone does something pretty unusual, like becoming an astronaut and going to the moon. It can also mean challenging conventions and doing things that most people don't do, such as when Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to become a doctor.
didactic audacious earnest assertive
audacious
People that are usually pretty negative and kind of a bummer to be around. Think of Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh's perpetually gloomy friend.
didactic naive absurd pessimistic
pessimistic
If you're in a fight with a friend and you want to end it, you should make a _____ gesture, such as inviting her to a party you're having. _____ describes things that make other people less angry.
ubiquitous whimsical audacious conciliatory
conciliatory
"Always expect the worst and you won't be let down"
This tone is--
ironic cynical facetious obstinate
cynical
uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
“was ____ about having children”
facetious pensive obsequious ambivalent
ambivalent
____ language is casual and conversational: it's the difference between "What are you going to do?" and "Whatchagonnado?"
pedantic didactic colloquial audacious
colloquial
If your friend is acting cool, unconcerned or in an indifferent manner, call him ____ — like when he saunters by a group of whispering, giggling girls and just nods and says, "Hey."
apathetic ironic nonchalant assertive
nonchalant
Movie critics might describe a touching portrayal as _______ if there isn't a dry eye in the house.
fatalistic audacious vehement poignant
poignant
____ people are usually not being genuine; they resort to flattery and other fawning ways to stay in the good graces of authority figures. An ____ person can be called a "suck-up"
absurd obsequious earnest objective
obsequious
There's nothing wrong with focusing on the details, but someone who is ____ makes a big display of knowing obscure facts and details.
pedantic obsequious pensive assertive
pedantic