satiric
the use of ridicule, sarcasm, or irony to expose/attack follies, vices, or stupidities
whimsical
oddly out of the ordinary, fanciful, freakish, imaginative
dramatic
filled with action, emotion, or exciting qualities
dramatic
vivid, striking
learned
knowledgeable, well informed
informative
educational, instructive
somber
dark and gloomy; depressing and melancholy
urgent
calling for haste; immeadiate action; insisten, pressing
confident
self-assured, certain (antonym: diffident)
mock-heroic
mocking or burlesquing any style, action, or character
objective
without bias or prejudice; detached (antonym: subjective)
diffident
lacking self-confidence; timid, shy (antonym: confident)
ironic
meaning the opposite of what is expressed
didactic
intended for teaching or instruction; morally instructive; boringly pedantic or moralistic
petty
relatively worthless or unimportant; trivial, insignificant
factual
real; actual; unopinionated
restrained
self-disciplined, controlled
elegiac
fit for an elegy; sad, mournful, plaintive
disdainful
scornful and aloof
lugubrious
very sad and mournful, especially in an exaggerated way
pedantic
putting unnecessary stress on minor or trivial points of learning
indignant
feeling or expressing anger or scorn, especially at unjust, mean, or ungrateful action or treatment
bantering
teasing or making fun of in a playful, good-natured way
flippant
frivolous and disrespectful; saucy, impertinent
condescending
dealing with others in a proud or haughty way, as if lowering yourself to meet them on their level (syn: patronizing)
patronizing
helping someone but in a haughty or snobby way (syn: condescending)
facetious
joking or trying to be funny at an inappropriate time
clinical
purely scientific; dispassionately curious; impersonal
mock-serious
jokingly serious
inflammatory
rousing excitement, anger, or violence
benevolent
inclined to do good; kindly; charitable
burlesquing
to imitate derisively or comically; to make parody
fanciful
indulging in fantasies; imaginative in a playful way; whimsical
detached
not involved by emotion, interest, etc; aloof; impartial
cynical
implies a contemptuous [lack of] belief in human goodness; sarcastic; sneering
incisive
sharp, keen, penetrating, acute
allusive
containing allusions [references to other literature or events]
scornful
filled with contempt; showing disdain
effusive
expressing excessive emotion in an unrestrained manner; too demonstrative
colloquial
conversational
compassionate
sympathizing deeply; pitying
impartial
without prejudice or bias; fair; just
insipid
not exciting or interesting; dull; lifeless
pretentious
affectedly grand (fake); ostentatious
vibrant
vigorous, energetic, radiant, sparkling, vivacious
irreverent
lacking respect
sentimental
maudlin, mawkish; showing feelings in an excessive, superficial way
moralistic
imposing morals, rules to live by, on others
complimentary
expressing courtesy, respect, admiration, or praise
contemptuous
scornful; disdainful
sympathetic
expressing pity or compassion for another's trouble or suffering (syn: compassionate)
taunting
reproaching in scornful or sarcastic language; jeering; mocking
concerned
involved or interested
angry
inflamed, mad
turgid
bombastic; pompous; grandiloquent (syn: pretentious)
sardonic
bitterly sneering, disdainful, ironic, or sarcastic
contentious
always ready to argue; quarrelsome
insolent
boldly disrespectful; impertinent, impudent
candid
frank, honest
remorseful
expressing a torturing sense of guilt felt over a wrong that one has done; pitying
humorous
funny, amusing, comical
audacious
bold, daring and fearless
balk
to refuse, shirk; prevent; astonished
cacophonous
jarring, unpleasantly noisy
ebullient
exhilarated, full of enthusiasm and high spirits
enthrall
to captivate, enchant, enslave
fastidious
careful with details
grovel
to humble oneself in a demeaning way (syn: pleading)
hackneyed
worn out by over-use (syn: cliche)
impious
not devout in religion (ant: religious)
balm
soothing; healing influence
callow
immature, lacking sophistication
eclectic
selecting from various sources (syn: random)
fetter
to bind, chain, confine
heinous
shocking, wicked, terrible
importune
to ask repeatedly, beg
beleaguer
to harass, plague
canny
smart; founded on common sense
effulgent
brilliantly shining
entreat
to plead, beg (syn: importune)
flamboyant
flashy, garish; exciting, dazzling
hiatus
break, interruption, vacation
impudent
audacious, arrogant
bellicose
warlike, aggressive
carp
to find fault, complain constantly
defunct
no longer existing, dead, extinct
eminent
towering; celebrated, distinguished; outstanding
espouse
to support or advocate
foment
to arouse or incite; fired up
hoary
very old, whitish or gray from age
inchoate
imperfectly formed or formulated
castigate
to chastise, punish, criticize severely
diatribe
bitter verbal attack
emulate
to copy, imitate
excruciating
agonizing, intensely painful
incipient
beginning to exist or appear; in an initial stage
catharsis
purification, cleansing
diffidence
shyness, lack of confidence
encumber
to hinder, burden, restrict motion
incorrigible
incapable of being corrrected
extraneous
irrelevant, unrelated, unnecessary
foster
to cultivate, nourish, promote
hone
to sharpen
insidious
sly, treacherous, devious
caustic
biting, sarcastic; able to burn
disparage
to belittle, speak disrespectfully about
enervate
to weaken, sap strength from
fraught
full of, accompanied by (figurative)
ignominious
disgraceful and dishonorable
iota
very tiny amount
cavalier
carefree, happy; with lordly disdain
disdain
to regard with scorn or contempt
enigmatic
puzzling, inexplicable
exorbitant
extravagant, greater than reasonable
frenetic
wildly frantic, frenzied, hectic
gaunt
thin and bony
impertinent
rude
cavort
to frisk, frolic
furtive
secret, stealthy
impetuous
quick to act without thinking
intrepid
fearless
juggernaut
huge force destroying everything in its path
lassitude
lethargy, sluggishness
maladroit
clumsy, tactless
meticulous
painstaking, fastidious, extremely careful
mishap
accident; misfortune
nuptial
relating to marriage
obsolete
no longer in use
oscillate
to move back and forth
panache
verve, flamboyance
pejorative
having bad connotations; disparaging
perfunctory
done in a routine way; indifferent
pragmatic
practical; moved by facts rather than abstract ideals
querulous
irritable, inclined to complain
ribald
humorous in a vulgar way
ruminate
to contemplate, reflect upon
saccharine
excessively sweet or sentimental
skulk
sneak; to move in a stealthy or cautious manner
stymie
to block or thwart
tacit
slightly understood or implied
taciturn
uncommunicative; not inclined to speak much
juxtaposition
side-by-side placement
licentious
immoral; unrestrained by society
malapropism
humorous misuse of a word
mirth
frivolity, gaiety, laughter
nomadic
moving from place to place
obsequious
overly submissive, brown-nosing
ostensible
apparent
paradigm
ideal example, model
pensive
thoughtful
perspicacious
shrewd, astute, keen-witted
precipitous
hasty, quickly, with too little concern
quiescence
inactivity, stillness
quintessence
most typical example; concentrated essence
reticent
not speaking freely; reserved
retort
cutting response
slipshod
careless, hasty
slovenly
untidy, messy
sobriety
seriousness
sufferable
bearable
strident
loud, harsh, unpleasantly noisy
kudos
fame, glory, honor
loquacious
talkative
malediction
curse
misanthrope
person who hates human beings
non sequitur
conclusion not following from apparent evidence
obdurate
stubborn
ostentatious
showy
paramount
supreme, dominant, primary
perennial
present throughout the years; persistent
philanthropy
love of humanity; generosity to worthy causes
polemic
controversy, argument; verbal attack
preponderance
majority in number; dominance
pugnacious
quarrelsome, eager and ready to fight
seque
an immediate transition from one party to another
quotidian
occurring daily; common place
remuneration
pay or reward for work, trouble, etc.
replete
abundantly supplied
sojourn
visit, stay
sophomoric
immature and overconfident
superflous
extra, more than necessary
tangential
digressing, diverting