Vocabulary Building: Understanding Negative Traits

Vocabulary

• Alacrity refers to a brisk and cheerful readiness or enthusiasm.

Negative Traits

• Bellicose individuals demonstrate aggression and a willingness to fight.
• Demagogues are political leaders who appeal to people's desires and prejudices rather than using rational argument.
• Garrulous people are excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
• Lugubrious individuals or things appear or sound sad and dismal.
• Nefarious actions or activities are wicked or criminal.
• Obfuscate means to render something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.
• Perfidious individuals are deceitful and untrustworthy.
• Recalcitrant individuals have an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline.

Positive Traits

• Effulgent things shine brightly or radiate brightness.
• Felicitous choices are well-suited to the circumstances.
• Munificent individuals are more generous than usual or necessary.
• Sanguine people are optimistic or positive, even in bad or difficult situations.
• Venerate means to regard someone or something with great respect; to revere.
• Winsome individuals are attractive or appealing in appearance or character.

Other Vocabulary

• Cacophony is a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
• Halcyon denotes a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.
• Ineffable things are too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.
• Juxtaposition is the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.
• Quixotic individuals are exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
• Tantamount means equivalent in seriousness to; virtually the same as.
• Uxorious individuals have or show an excessive or submissive fondness for their wife.
• Xenophile individuals are attracted to foreign peoples, cultures, or customs.
• Yen is a longing or yearning.
• Zephyr is a soft, gentle breeze.