Acerbic
harsh/bitter - After John heard his teacher's acerbic comments, he was not motivated to complete his project.
Admonish
to scold - He was admonishing each one of you with tears.
Gregarious
outgoing; sociable - Dolphins are gregarious, and large herds often follow ships.
Haughty
arrogant; full of pride - They described the natives as very proud and haughty.
Apathetic
feeling of being bored - They are a light-hearted, apathetic people, little given to quarrelling or to the commission of violent crime.
Averse
strong dislike or opposition on something - But the two generals were equally averse to a contest a outrance, which could only end in civil war.
Bombastic
high-sounding with little meaning - His most important poem is Wladystaus IV., King of Poland, in which he sings in a very bombastic strain the various expeditions of the Polish monarch.
Candid
truthful; straightforward - The owner was candid about the things that went wrong as well as the successes.
Choleric
bad-tempered or irritable - Since I do not sleep well, I am choleric when someone calls me after I have gone to bed.
Contentious
likely to cause an argument - Everyone will enjoy the family gathering as long as Uncle Reuben doesn't bring up any contentious topics of discussion such as politics.
Didactic
intended to instruct - James was a very didactic person; he really loved teaching.
Disparagement
belittlement - Voters don't like political advertisements in which opponents disparage one another.
Elegiac
mournful or sad - His handling of the elegiac couplet, and especially of its second line, deserves especial recognition.
Fatuous
lacking intelligence - Don't look fatuous by asking the same question twice.
Forlorn
loneliness and feeling left out - He pressed his face against the window and managed a forlorn goodbye wave.
Hostile
(adj.) unfriendly; unfavorable; warlike, aggressive -
Taylor wasn't friendly, but she wasn't hostile either.
Incredulous
disbelieving, skeptical - He was at first incredulous, but eventually learned the truth.
Inflammatory
(adj.) causing excitement or anger; leading to violence or disorder - She had an acute inflammatory reaction to the drug.
Insolent
showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect - An example of someone insolent is a student who talks back to a teacher.
Irate
angry; enraged - Jim was irate when he found his wife in bed with another woman.
Laudatory
expressing praise - Placed a laudatory inscription on his tomb in the church of Sta Maria.
Melancholic
characterized by or causing or expressing sadness - Mogwai explored the use of guitar-based melodies and down-tempo, melancholic songs.
Mordant
(adj.) biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh - The salt is used as a mordant in dyeing and calico-printing.
Morose
having a gloomy or sullen manner; not friendly or sociable - His face suddenly took on a morose expression.
Obsequious
overly submissive and eager to please - The princess had obsequious servants who showered her with attention.
Obstinate
stubborn; unyielding - His obstinate resistance came to an end.
Patronizing
treating with condescension; acting superior - He felt patronized by his supervisor because she explained the situation as if he was a child.
Pernicious
(adj.) extremely harmful; deadly, fatal - The pernicious weed has spread all through the flower bed.
Petulant
easily irritated or annoyed, childish - One is that it is better to act like a mature adult than a petulant child in regards to filing Twitter lawsuits.
Placid
calm, peaceful - He watched the placid surface of the sea.
Rancorous
characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment - Mr. Knightly is a rancorous old man who is always unhappy.
Reverent
feeling or showing deep and solemn respect - He was, however, blameless in morals and reverent in religion.
Sardonic
grimly or scornfully mocking, bitterly sarcastic - He was watching her, a sardonic smile on his lips.
Sinister
(adj.) appearing evil or dangerous; threatening evil or harm - There was a moment of sinister silence, then a multitudinous stirring of the leaves.
Solemn
serious - My mother's solemn expression told me she was not in a playful mood.
Supercilious
proud and contemptuous; showing scorn because of a feeling of superiority - The supercilious student couldn't help but to brag about the high score he received on his test.
Tactful
(adj.) skilled in handling difficult situations or people, polite - A tactful native minister, Sir Donald McLean, did the rest.
Tentative
experimental in nature; uncertain, hesitant - Dean took a deep breath and crept a few tentative steps into the darkness.
Vehement
(adj.) intense, forceful, powerful - He cursed himself like a less scrupulous Job, as a vehement man will do when he loses self-respect, the last mental prop under poverty.
Vivacious
lively, sprightly, full of energy - The vivacious lilac still grows, unfolding its sweet-scented flowers each spring.
Wistful
having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing - The kitten gazed wistfully at the forbidden fruit.