Vocabulary Quiz: Common Adjectives

Offhand

• Offhand means little to no preparation or thought, often used to describe comments or remarks
• Offhand comments can sometimes be problematic as they are made without consideration and may be regretted later
• Offhand can also mean thoughtless or inconsiderate, describing a person's manner

Forthcoming

• Forthcoming means something is about to be made available, produced, or appear in the future
• It can also describe a person who is honest and candid, readily providing information

Widespread

• Widespread means happening in many different places and among many different people
• It is often used in the context of negative events or situations like chaos or disease

Straightforward

• Straightforward can mean uncomplicated, easy to understand, or honest and truthful
• It can describe instructions, things or people (like a person's character)

So-called

• So-called means something is named in a particular way, often used to denote a group or category
• It can also express skepticism about the suitability of a word to describe something or someone, implying that the description is not accurate or appropriate

Egregious

• Egregious means something is extremely bad or shockingly bad
• It can be used to describe behavior, actions, or events
• Egregious is a more precise word for bad, conveying a stronger sense of negativity

Frivolous

• Frivolous means silly, foolish, or unimportant, often used to describe situations or relationships that lack seriousness
• A frivolous relationship is one that is casual and not meant to be long-term or committed

Excruciating

• Excruciating means extremely painful, often used to describe physical pain or suffering
• It is often used in conjunction with the noun "pain"

Noxious

• Noxious means harmful or poisonous, often used to describe fumes or substances
• It is important not to confuse noxious with nauseous, which describes a feeling of sickness

Inveterate

• Inveterate means habitually done, often used to describe a person with a persistent habit
• It is often used in a negative context to describe a bad habit that someone can't break

Nefarious

• Nefarious means morally bad, often used to describe actions, plans, or people with evil intentions
• It implies that the person or action is deliberately and knowingly wrong

Preposterous

• Preposterous means ridiculous or absurd, used to describe something that is unreasonable or unbelievable
• It often expresses incredulity or disbelief