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Perfunctory
With little effort or care.
Perfunctory nod
Droll
curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement.
“his unique brand of droll self-mockery”
Propitious
giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable.
“the timing for such a meeting seemed propitious”
Hewn
past participle: hewn
chop or cut (something, especially wood or coal) with an axe, pick, or other tool.
“we have finished hauling and hewing timber”
Pique
verb
past tense: piqued; past participle: piqued
1.
stimulate (interest or curiosity).
Dilettante
a person who cultivates an area of interest, such as the arts, without real commitment or knowledge.
“a wealthy literary dilettante”
Soporific
adjective
tending to induce drowsiness or sleep.
“the motion of the train had a somewhat soporific effect”
noun
a drug or other agent that induces sleep.
Entropic
adjective
Thermodynamics. of or relating to entropy, a measure of the thermal energy unavailable for work, or of the constituent randomness, in a process or system:
At very small scales, the entropic effects become significant, so a more intricate analysis, incorporating thermal fluctuations, is needed in the study of biopolymers.
(in data transmission and information theory) of or relating to entropy, a measure of the information lost in a transmitted signal or message:
In an oral culture, only those thoughts that can be formulated into sayings, proverbs, and other dicta are likely to survive the entropic effects of oral transmission.
Acceding
agree to a demand, request, or treaty.
“the authorities did not accede to the strikers’ demands”
Similar:
agree to
consent to
accept
assent to
acquiesce in
endorse
comply with
go along with
concur with
allow
recognize
grant
surrender to
yield to
give in to
give way to
defer to
relent
back down
Opposite:
refuse
deny
2.
assume an office or position.
“Elizabeth I acceded to the throne in 1558”
Irrepressible
Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
adjective
not able to be controlled or restrained.
“a great shout of irrepressible laughter
Ardent
adjective
enthusiastic or passionate.
“an ardent baseball fan”
Apparition
ap·pa·ri·tion
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noun
a ghost or ghostlike image of a person
Guady
extravagantly bright or showy, typically so as to be tasteless.
“silver bows and gaudy ribbons”
Mercurial
1.
(of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.
“his mercurial temperament”
Glower
Grimace, scowl
Jingoism
extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive or warlike foreign policy.
“the popular jingoism that swept the lower–middle classes”
Aquiline
(of a person’s nose) hooked or curved like an eagle’s beak.
“with bold features and an aquiline nose he could be mistaken for a Roman bust”
circumspect
adjective
adjective: circumspect
wary and unwilling to take risks.
“the officials were very circumspect in their statements
pernicious
adjective
having a harmful effect, especially in agradualor subtle way.
“the pernicious effects of air pollution”
Ostensible
adjective
stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.
“the delay may have a deeper cause than the ostensible reason”
Abtruse
difficult to understand; obscure.
“an abstruse philosophical inquiry
Lilt
noun
a characteristic rising and falling of the voice when speaking; a pleasant gentle accent.
“he spoke with a faint but recognizable Irish lilt”
Similar:
cadence
rise and fall
inflection
intonation
upswing
emphasis
stress
rhythm
swing
sway
beat
pulse
measure
meter
tempo
verb
speak, sing, or sound with a lilt.
“the music lilted and swaggered in a dance rhythm
Cadre
noun
plural noun: cadres
a small group of people specially trained for a particular purpose or profession.
“a small cadre of scientists”
Similar:
small group
body
team
corps
core
nucleus
key group
a group of activists in a communist or other revolutionary organization.
a member of an activist group.
Sheer
adjective
1.
nothing other than; unmitigated (used for emphasis).
“she giggled with sheer delight”
Similar:
utter
complete
absolute
total
pure
perfect
downright
out-and-out
thorough
thoroughgoing
through and through
consummate
patent
surpassing
veritable
unqualified
unmitigated
unalloyed
unadulterated
unmixed
stark
rank
plain
simple
mere
proper
fair
arrant
right-down
2.
(especially of a cliff or wall) perpendicular or nearly so.
“the sheer ice walls”
Similar:
precipitous
very steep
perpendicular
vertical
abrupt
bluff
sharp
vertiginous
acclivitous
declivitous
scarped
Opposite:
gradual
adverb
1.
perpendicularly.
“the ridge fell sheer, in steep crags”
2.
ARCHAIC
completely; right.
“she went sheer forward when the door was open”
noun
a very fine or diaphanous fabric or article.
“I put up the new curtains and sheers”
