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Definitions
liveliness and eagerness
"The young school children waited with great alacrity for recess to start."
"The new recruit started bootcamp with great alacrity and a readiness to learn."
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally
"The cat had apathy for all humans, even for the person who fed him."
"The interviewer did not seem to even listen to the interviewee's responses; his apathy made the interviewee believe that she would not get the job."
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
To lessen the intensity of, to mitigate or relieve (hunger, emotion, pain etc.).
"The light rain assuaged the unpleasant nature of the dry and hot day."
"My teammates' confidence assuaged my nerves before the game."
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
Showing willingness to take bold risks; recklessly daring.
"The bunny made an audacious attempt to go out in the field when the fox was looming."
"It was audacious for the worker to ask for a raise after working for the company for only a month."
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
Common in a boring way, to the point of being predictable; containing nothing new or fresh.
""Everything is going to work out in the end" is sometimes considered a banal, unthoughtful phrase."
"Most greeting cards have a banal message written inside."
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
To brace, reinforce, secure, or support.
"One should use wooden planks to bolster the walls and prevent a cave collapse."
"The steel rod inserted into her clavicle bolstered the bone until it fully healed."
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
Apt to change suddenly; freakish; whimsical; changeable.
"His temperament was so capricious that he could switch from joyful to angry in a moment's notice."
"The weather in Oklahoma can be so capricious that you might be wearing a winter coat on Sunday evening but shorts on Monday morning."
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
To deprive of nerve, force, strength, or courage; to render feeble or impotent; to make effeminate; to impair the moral powers of.
"Not getting enough sleep would enervate just about anyone."
"The wrestler's plan was to slowly wear out his opponent in order to enervate him."
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
Short-lived; existing or continuing for a short time only.
"Love is often an ephemeral feeling that leaves just as quickly as it arrives."
"The ephemeral rainstorm ended before we even had time to grab an umbrella."
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
A word or expression capable of different meanings; an ambiguous term.
"The inconclusive test gave equivocal results."
"His equivocal response showed that he had never pondered the question deeply."
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
having or showing profound knowledge
"The erudite professor always gave such insightful lectures."
"The book offered such erudite perspectives that one would feel they earned a degree upon finishing it."
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
Naive and trusting.
"The ingenuous puppy greeted every stranger on the street with extreme innocence."
"The kitten's ingenuous eyes made it very difficult not to adopt her."
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
Harmless; producing no ill effect.
"Most diseases have only innocuous side effects if you have taken the vaccine."
"Because these cleaning materials are innocuous to the skin, you do not need to wear gloves when you clean with them."
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
lacking interest or significance or impact
"His insipid additions to the discussion bored everyone at the party."
"The drink had an insipid taste: it had no more flavor than water."
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
Expressing much in few words; brief and pithy; concise; brusque; epigrammatic
"The interviewee gave only short, laconic responses."
"The shy receptionist gave only a laconic response when asked about her day."
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
worthy of high praise
"The smalltown hero was forever given praise for his laudable acts of selflessness."
"Kindness to strangers and philanthropy are just a couple of acts we consider laudable."
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
Given to continual talking; talkative; garrulous.
"The loquacious leader could give a speech for hours."
"Professions like lawyers, professors, and sales representatives require a loquacious disposition."
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
(of language) transparently clear; easily understandable
"Her lecture made seemingly complicated ideas lucid."
"The corporate strategy was far from lucid: no employee had a clear idea of the company goals for the quarter."
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
Flexible, liable to change.
"The molding clay was wet and malleable."
"The bed was so malleable that one could see their silhouette caved in the bed after only a few nights of sleeping there."
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
To make less severe, intense, harsh, rigorous, painful, etc.; to soften; to meliorate; to alleviate; to diminish; to lessen
"The unemployment check mitigated financial pressures for the single mother."
"Renter's insurance can help mitigate losses from a house fire."
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
Stubbornly persistent, generally in wrongdoing; refusing to reform or repent.
"The obdurate dog refused to go back inside the house."
"His obdurate personality was the king's downfall; he did not listen to his advisors when it mattered most."
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
To urge or press on with eager haste or violence; to cause to happen, or come to a crisis, suddenly or too soon.
"Unfortunately, the small dosage of doctor prescribed drugs precipitated a lifelong dependency."
"The economic crisis only precipitated the political unrest that was already under way."
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
"The politician was famous for prevaricating with his indirect and ambiguous answers."
"Most people can tell when you prevaricate instead of answering the question directly."
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
Given to extravagant expenditure; expending money or other things without necessity; recklessly or viciously profuse; lavish; wasteful; not frugal or economical
"The prodigal student could not help but shop online way beyond her means."
"His prodigal spending lead to suffocating debt."
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
found in the ordinary course of events
"The phrase "Everything works out in the end." is such a quotidian and overused phrase."
"It's best to be original and thoughtful when consoling a friend; quotidian phrases feel insincere."
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
