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English > Tone Words > Flashcards

Tone Words Flashcards

1
Q

Doctrinaire

A

adjective (or noun if person)
1.
seeking to impose a doctrine in all circumstances without regard to practical considerations.
“a doctrinaire conservative”
synonyms: dogmatic, rigid, inflexible, uncompromising

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2
Q

Pedantic

A

adjective
of or like a pedant.
“many of the essays are long, dense, and too pedantic to hold great appeal”
synonyms: overscrupulous, scrupulous, precise, exact, perfectionist, punctilious, meticulous, fussy, fastidious, finicky

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3
Q

Bookish

A

adjective
(of a person or way of life) devoted to reading and studying rather than worldly interests.
“by comparison I was very bookish, intellectual, and wordy in a wrong way”
synonyms: studious, scholarly, academic, intellectual, highbrow, erudite, learned, lettered

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4
Q

Moralizing

A

verb
comment on issues of right and wrong, typically with an unfounded air of superiority.
“the self-righteous moralizing of his aunt was ringing in his ears”
synonyms: pontificate, sermonize, lecture, preach
“it isn’t your job to moralize to me”

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5
Q

Didactic

A

adjective
intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.
“a didactic novel that set out to expose social injustice”
synonyms: instructive, instructional, educational, educative, informative, informational, edifying, improving, preceptive, pedagogic, moralistic
“the reforming, didactic function of art”

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6
Q

Satirical

A

adjective
containing or using satire.
“a New York-based satirical magazine”

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7
Q

Ironic

A 
adjective
using or characterized by irony.
"his mouth curved into an ironic smile"
synonyms:	sarcastic, sardonic, cynical, mocking, satirical, caustic, wry
"Edward's tone was ironic"
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8
Q

Sardonic

A

adjective
grimly mocking or cynical.
“Starkey attempted a sardonic smile”
synonyms: mocking, satirical, sarcastic, ironical, ironic

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9
Q

Sarcastic

A

adjective
marked by or given to using irony in order to mock or convey contempt.
“sarcastic comments on their failures”
synonyms: sardonic, ironic, ironical

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10
Q

Wry

A

adjective
1.
using or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor.
“a wry smile”
synonyms: ironic, sardonic, satirical, mocking, sarcastic

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11
Q

Ardent

A

adjective
enthusiastic or passionate.
“an ardent baseball fan”
synonyms: passionate, fervent, zealous, fervid, wholehearted, vehement, intense, fierce, fiery

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12
Q

Fervent

A

adjective
having or displaying a passionate intensity.
“a fervent disciple of tax reform”
synonyms: impassioned, passionate, intense, vehement, ardent, sincere, fervid, heartfelt

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13
Q

Avid

A

adjective
having or showing a keen interest in or enthusiasm for something.
“an avid reader of science fiction”
synonyms: keen, eager, enthusiastic, ardent, passionate, zealous, hard-core

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14
Q

Zealous

A

adjective
having or showing zeal.
“the council was extremely zealous in the application of the regulations”
synonyms: fervent, ardent, fervid, fanatical, passionate

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15
Q

Impassioned

A

adjective
filled with or showing great emotion.
“she made an impassioned plea for help”
synonyms: emotional, heartfelt, wholehearted, earnest, sincere, fervent, ardent, passionate, fervid, intense, burning

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16
Q

Flippant

A

adjective
not showing a serious or respectful attitude.
“a flippant remark”
synonyms: frivolous, facetious, tongue-in-cheek

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17
Q

Glib

A

adjective
(of words or the person speaking them) fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow.
“she was careful not to let the answer sound too glib”
synonyms: slick, pat, fast-talking, smooth-talking

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18
Q

Bantering

A

verb
talk or exchange remarks in a good-humored teasing way.
“the men bantered with the waitresses”
synonyms: joke, jest, quip;

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19
Q

Frivolous

A

adjective
not having any serious purpose or value.
“rules to stop frivolous lawsuits”
synonyms: flippant, glib, facetious, joking, jokey, lighthearted

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20
Q

Irreverent

A

adjective
showing a lack of respect for people or things that are generally taken seriously.
“she is irreverent about the whole business of politics”
synonyms: disrespectful, disdainful, scornful, contemptuous

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21
Q

Imperious

A

adjective
assuming power or authority without justification; arrogant and domineering.
“his imperious demands”
synonyms: peremptory, high-handed, commanding

22
Q

Haughty

A

adjective
arrogantly superior and disdainful.
“a look of haughty disdain”
synonyms: proud, arrogant, vain, conceited

23
Q

Bombastic

A

adjective
high-sounding but with little meaning; inflated.
“bombastic rhetoric”
synonyms: pompous, blustering, turgid, verbose, orotund

24
Q

Supercilious

A

adjective
behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.
“a supercilious lady’s maid”
synonyms: arrogant, haughty, conceited

25
Q

Pompous

A

adjective
affectedly and irritatingly grand, solemn, or self-important.
“a pompous person who pretends he knows everything”
synonyms: self-important, imperious, overbearing

26
Q

Impartial

A

adjective
treating all rivals or disputants equally; fair and just.
“independent and impartial advice”
synonyms: unbiased, unprejudiced, neutral

27
Q

Dispassionate

A

adjective
not influenced by strong emotion, and so able to be rational and impartial.
“she dealt with life’s disasters in a calm, dispassionate way”
synonyms: unemotional, emotionless, impassive

28
Q

Detached

A

adjective
aloof and objective.
“he managed to remain detached from petty politics”
synonyms: dispassionate, disinterested, objective

29
Q

Ambivalent

A

adjective
having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
“some loved her, some hated her, few were ambivalent about her”
synonyms: equivocal, uncertain, unsure

30
Q

Unbiased

A

adjective
showing no prejudice for or against something; impartial.
synonyms: impartial, unprejudiced, neutral

31
Q

Contemptuous

A

adjective
showing contempt; scornful.
“she was intolerant and contemptuous of the majority of the human race”
synonyms: scornful, disdainful, disrespectful, insulting

32
Q

Patronizing

A

verb
treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority.
““She’s a good-hearted girl,” he said in a patronizing voice”
synonyms: treat condescendingly, condescend to, look down on

33
Q

Derisive

A

adjective
expressing contempt or ridicule.
“a harsh, derisive laugh”
synonyms: mocking, jeering, scoffing

34
Q

Disparaging

A

adjective
expressing the opinion that something is of little worth; derogatory.
“disparaging remarks about public housing”

35
Q

Disdainful

A

adjective
showing contempt or lack of respect.
“with a last disdainful look, she turned toward the door”
synonyms: contemptuous, scornful, derisive

36
Q

Nostalgic

A

adjective (or noun for person)
characterized by or exhibiting feelings of nostalgia.
synonyms: wistful, evocative, romantic, sentimental

37
Q

Contemplative

A

adjective
expressing or involving prolonged thought.
“she regarded me with a contemplative eye”
synonyms: thoughtful, pensive, reflective

38
Q

Wistful

A

adjective
having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing.
“a wistful smile”
synonyms: nostalgic, yearning

39
Q

Melancholy

A

noun
a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.
“an air of melancholy surrounded him”
synonyms: sadness, sorrow, unhappiness

40
Q

Reflective

A

adjective
relating to or characterized by deep thought; thoughtful.
“a quiet, reflective, astute man”

41
Q

Impetuous

A

adjective
acting or done quickly and without thought or care.
“her friend was headstrong and impetuous”
synonyms: impulsive, rash, hasty

42
Q

Mercurial

A

adjective
(of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.
“his mercurial temperament”
synonyms: volatile, capricious, temperamental

43
Q

Fickle

A

adjective
changing frequently, especially as regards one’s loyalties, interests, or affection.
“Web patrons are a notoriously fickle lot, bouncing from one site to another on a whim”
synonyms: capricious, changeable, variable, volatile, mercurial

44
Q

Erratic

A

adjective
not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable.
“her breathing was erratic”
synonyms: unpredictable, inconsistent, changeable

45
Q

Capricious

A

adjective
given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.
“a capricious and often brutal administration”
synonyms: fickle, inconstant, changeable

46
Q

Resigned

A

adjective
having accepted something unpleasant that one cannot do anything about.
“my response is a resigned shrug of the shoulders”

47
Q

Acquiescing (Acquiescent)

A

accept something reluctantly but without protest.

“Sara acquiesced in his decision”

48
Q

Passive

A

adjective
accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance.
“the women were portrayed as passive victims”
synonyms: submissive, acquiescent, unresisting

49
Q

Yielding

A

adjective
of a substance or object) giving way under pressure; not hard or rigid.
“she dropped on to the yielding cushions”

50
Q

Submissive

A

adjective
ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive.
synonyms: compliant, yielding, acquiescent

English (9 decks)

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