sŁÓWKA OD MATIOLKI

Meaning: having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. Synonyms: equivocal, uncertain, unsure, doubtful, indecisive, inconclusive, irresolute Usage: Some loved her, some hated her, few were ambivalent about her.

Meaning: abandon or leave. Synonyms: abandon, desert, leave, quit, depart from, leave behind Usage: She forsook her child, giving him up for adoption.

Meaning: not showing due respect for another person; impertinent. Synonyms: impertinent, insolent, cheeky, audacious, brazen Usage: He could have strangled this impudent upstart.

Meaning: having or showing no skill; clumsy. Synonyms: incompetent, unskillful, unskilled, inexpert, amateurish Usage: My attempts at baking were inept but I fumbled on.

Meaning: a person new to and inexperienced in a job or situation. Synonyms: beginner, learner, inexperienced person Usage: He was a complete novice in foreign affairs.

Meaning: most noticeable or important. Synonyms: important, main, principal, major, chief, primary, notable Usage: The salient points stuck out clearly in her mind.

Meaning: offence or annoyance. Synonyms: take offence, be offended, take exception, bridle, take something personally Usage: She took umbrage at his remarks.

Meaning: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. Synonyms: chance, happy chance, accident, happy accident, fluke Usage: Technical innovation may be the result of pure serendipity.

Meaning: attractively unusual or old-fashioned. Synonyms: picturesque, charming, sweet, attractive, pleasantly old-fashioned Usage: Narrow streets lead to a quaint bridge over the river.

Meaning: eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant. Synonyms: defiant, aggressive, antagonistic, belligerent, pugnacious, bellicose Usage: The truculent attitude of farmers to cheaper imports.

Meaning: hard to control or deal with. Synonyms: unmanageable, uncontrollable, ungovernable, out of control. Usage: Their problems have become more acute and intractable.

Meaning: describe or portray (something) precisely. Synonyms: describe, set forth, set out, present, outline, depict, portray. Usage: The law should delineate and prohibit behaviour which is socially abhorrent.

Meaning: characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons. Synonyms: austere, self-denying, abstinent, abstemious. Usage: An ascetic life of prayer, fasting, and manual labour.

Meaning: make (someone) feel intimidated or apprehensive. Synonyms: intimidate, abash, take aback, shake, ruffle, throw. Usage: Some people are daunted by technology.

Meaning: like an idyll; extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque. Synonyms: perfect, ideal, idealized, wonderful, blissful. Usage: An attractive hotel in an idyllic setting.

Meaning: begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish. Synonyms: grow rapidly, increase rapidly/exponentially, expand. Usage: Tourism has burgeoned over the last ten years.

Meaning: deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected. Synonyms: abnormal, atypical, non-typical, irregular. Usage: Nuclear weapons testing may have been responsible for the anomalous weather conditions.

Meaning: easily crumbled. Synonyms: crumbly, easily crumbled, powdery, dusty. Usage: The soil was friable between her fingers.

Meaning: tending or able to change frequently or easily. Synonyms: ever-changing, variable, changeable, mutable, kaleidoscopic. Usage: The diverse and protean nature of mental disorders.

Meaning: (of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse. Synonyms: obscure, abstruse, arcane, esoteric, little known. Usage: The book is full of recondite information

Meaning: noisy, energetic, and cheerful Synonyms: lively, active, animated, exuberant, spirited, bouncy, frisky Usage: A group of boisterous lads.

Meaning: persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery Synonyms: cajole, wheedle, coax, persuade, convince, talk Usage: He was attempting to inveigle them into doing his will.

Meaning: saturated with liquid, especially water; soaked through. Synonyms: soaking, soaking wet, soaked, soaked through, wet through Usage: His clothes were sodden.

Meaning: deceitful and untrustworthy Synonyms: treacherous, duplicitous, deceitful, disloyal, faithless Usage: It is highly risk to hire a perfidious labour.

Meaning: a confusing and difficult problem or question. Synonyms: problem, difficult question, vexed question, difficulty Usage: One of the most difficult conundrums for the experts.

Meaning: The final part of a play, film, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved Synonyms: final scene, final act, last act Usage: The film's denouement was unsatisfying and ambiguous.

Meaning: conceal or disguise one's true feelings or beliefs Synonyms: dissimulate, pretend, deceive, feign, act Usage: An honest, sincere person with no need to dissemble.

Meaning: slow to act Synonyms: slow, unhurried, tardy, unpunctual, lax, slack Usage: They were dilatory in providing the researchers with information.

Meaning: gather or collect (something, especially information or approval) Synonyms: accumulate, amass, assemble; store Usage: The police struggled to garner sufficient evidence.

Meaning: calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation Synonyms: impassive, phlegmatic, unemotional, calm Usage: A stolid, slow-speaking man.