Sir Faisal Amin

Negative personality Adjectives with short descriptions.

Aggressive (=bellicose)

Jim's voice became aggressive[=angry and threatening]

Teachers apparently expect a certain amount of aggressive behaviour from boys.

A successful businessman has to be aggressive[=very determined to succeed or get what you want]

An aggressive marketing campaign

Abrupt

An abrupt change of plan[=sudden and unexpected]

The bus came to an abrupt halt.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be so abrupt.[= seeming rude and unfriendly]

Abusive

Smith denies using abusive language to the referee[=bad language]

He became abusive and his wife was injured in the struggle[=using cruel words or physical violence]

Afraid of sb/sth; of doing sth; Afraid to do something

There's no need to be afraid[=[= scared]

kids who are afraid of the dark

He was afraid of being caught by the police.

She was half afraid (=a little afraid) to go back in the house.

Afraid (that)

He was afraid that the other kids would laugh at him[=worried about what might happen, or that something bad will happen]

Afraid of (doing) something

I didn't tell her because I was afraid of upsetting her.

The government was afraid of a public outcry.

Afraid to do something

Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Afraid for somebody/something worried that something bad may happen to a particular person or thing:

Her father looked ill and she was suddenly afraid for him.

Many of us were afraid for our jobs.

I'm afraid [spoken] Used to politely tell someone something that may annoy, upset, or disappoint them:

That's the most we can offer you, I'm afraid.

I'm afraid (that)

I'm afraid you've come to the wrong address.

'Is she very ill?' ' I'm afraid so (=yes).'

'Did you see him?' ' I'm afraid not (=no).'

Angry with/at

comparative angrier, superlative angriest

I was angry because he hadn't told me his plans.

He was beginning to get angry.

His comments brought an angry response from opposition politicians.

'Calm down,' she said, looking at his angry face.

'Please don't be angry with me,' she said.

Jesse laughed, which made me even angrier.

Kate's still so angry about/over the whole thing.

The workers are angry that they haven't been paid for the week.

David was angry with/at himself for letting the others see his true feelings.

Annoyed with/at sb

I'll be annoyed if we don't finish by eight[=Slightly angry; irritated]

She was annoyed with/at Duncan for forgetting to phone.

He was annoyed about/by her apparent indifference.

Mr Davies was annoyed that the books were missing.

Anxious about sth/for sb

He was a bit anxious about the safety of the machinery[=worried about something]

We were anxious for you.

She gave me an anxious look.

She was anxious that it might be cancer.

We had an anxious couple of weeks waiting for the test results[= worrying]

There was an anxious moment when the plane suddenly dropped.

The company is anxious to improve its image. [= keen]

He seemed most anxious to speak to me alone.

The president is anxious not to have another crisis.

Why was she so anxious for me to stay?

We were all anxious for news.

Both sides were anxious that the agreement should be signed as quickly as possible.

She waited anxiously by the phone

Arrogant

He was unbearably arrogant[=behaving rudely due to self importance]

An arrogant attitude

Ashamed of/at sth; to do sth

I felt ashamed of the things I'd said to him.[= feeling embarrassed and guilty]

I'm ashamed to admit that I've never read any of his books.

I'm ashamed that I haven't replied to your letter yet.

bitterly/deeply/thoroughly ashamed

Anna felt thoroughly ashamed when she realized what she'd said.

Everyone cries sometimes - it's nothing to be ashamed of.

You should be ashamed of yourself.

Many children feel ashamed of their parents[=feeling uncomfortable because someone does something that embarrasses you]

Their behaviour makes me ashamed to be British.

Awful

The weather was awful.[= very bad or unpleasant]

He is a pretty awful driver.

That fridge smells awful.

The last six months have been awful for her.

I've stopped believing most of what he says. Isn't that awful?

I'm sure Suzy is dead but the awful thing is not knowing how it happened.

[only before noun] [spoken] used to emphasize how much or how good, bad etc something is:

An awful lot of people (=a large number of people) died in the war.

He made me feel an awful fool.

She's lost a lot of weight and she looks awful[=to look or feel ill]

Belligerent

A belligerent attitude [= aggressive]

Boring

Her husband is about the most boring person I've ever met.[= not interesting in any way]

The job was dull and boring.

dead/incredibly/terribly etc boring (=very boring)

Callous

We were shocked at the callous disregard for human life.[= not caring that other people are suffering]

A callous attitude

The callous slaughter of seals

Clumsy

comparative clumsier, superlative clumsiest

I felt clumsy, shy and awkward at the party[=moving in an awkward way and tending to make things fall over]

A clumsy attempt to catch the ball

A clumsy object is not easy to use and is often large and heavy

David made a clumsy attempt to comfort us[=said or done carelessly or badly, and likely to upset someone]

Combative

Congress is in a combative mood[=Ready and willing to fight or argue]

Cowardly

A cowardly attack on a defenceless man

Crazy about sb/sth; to do sth

comparative crazier, superlative craziest

The neighbours must think we're crazy[=[= very strange; not sensible]

It's an absolutely crazy idea.

I know this idea sounds crazy, but it may be worth a try.

It'd be crazy to go out in this rain.

I must have been crazy to agree to this.

He often works 12 hours a day - it's crazy.

He's crazy about her[=liking someone very much, or very interested in something]

Dan's crazy about football.

Turn that music down. It's driving me crazy (=really annoying me)!

Dad will go crazy when he hears about this.

We're going to have to work like crazy to get this finished on time[=very much or very quickly]

Don't go crazy and spend it all at once[=doing sth too much insensibly due to excitement]

I feel so alone, sometimes I wonder if I'm going crazy[=mentally ill]

Creepy

making you feel nervous and slightly frightened:

There's something creepy about the way he looks at me.

The whole place feels creepy.

Cruel to sb

His death was a cruel blow[=making someone suffer or feel unhappy]

Sometimes life seems unbearably cruel.

The prisoner was a hard, cruel man[=deliberately hurting people or animals]

It was a cruel thing to say.

She was often cruel to her sister.

Cynical about sb/sth

A cynical view of human nature[=unwilling to believe that people have good, honest, or sincere reasons for doing something]

The public is cynical about election promises.

Dangerous for/to sb

Laws about dangerous dogs[=able or likely to harm or kill you]

Some of these prisoners are extremely dangerous.

It's dangerous for a woman to walk alone at night.

The virus is probably not dangerous to humans.

The aircraft caught fire, a highly dangerous situation.

The business is in a dangerous financial position[= risky]

A politically dangerous strategy

Teachers can be on dangerous ground if they discuss religion[=a situation or subject that could make someone very angry or upset]

Deceitful

His manner was deceitful[=someone who is deceitful tells lies in order to get what they want]

His lawyer argued that his client had not acted deceitfully.

Defective

Not made properly, or not working properly [= faulty]:

The disease is caused by a defective gene.

Defective products

Defiant

Mark smashed a fist on the desk in a defiant gesture[=Clearly refusing to do what someone tells you to do]

Demonic

Demonic laughter[=wild and cruel]

Depressed about sb/sth ;at sth

She felt lonely and depressed.[= very unhappy]

Don't get depressed about it.

The divorce left him deeply depressed.

I was depressed at the thought of all the hard work ahead.

b) MP suffering from a medical condition in which you are so unhappy that you cannot live a normal life:

Patients who are clinically depressed[=suffering from a medical condition in which you are so unhappy that you cannot live a normal life]

A depressed appetite[=a depressed level or amount is lower than normal]

Deranged

Someone who is deranged behaves in a crazy or dangerous way, usually because they are mentally ill:

A deranged gunman

Disagreeable to sb

Not at all enjoyable or pleasant [≠ agreeable]:

A disagreeable job

The conversation was disagreeable to him.

A rude, disagreeable woman[=unfriendly and bad-tempered]

Disillusioned by/with sth

As she grew older, Laura became increasingly disillusioned(= disenchanted) with politics[=Disappointed because you have lost your belief that someone is good, or that an idea is right]

Disturbed at/about/by sth

He is mentally/emotionally disturbed.

The care of emotionally disturbed children[=not behaving normally because of a mental condition]

Police are very disturbed about/at the latest trend[=worried or upset]

Seriously/deeply/greatly etc disturbed

Disturbed to find/see/discover/learn etc

She was disturbed to learn he had bought a motorbike.

I'm disturbed that so many of the students appear to be illiterate.

Disturbed sleep [=sleep that is interrupted]

Domineering

Someone who is domineering tries to control other people without considering their feelings or ideas - used to show disapproval:

A domineering mother

Embarrassed about/at ; to do sth

She gets embarrassed if we ask her to sing.

He looked embarrassed when I asked him where he'd been.

Very/deeply/highly/acutely embarrassed

Michelle was acutely embarrassed (=very embarrassed) at having to ask for money.

Embarrassed smile/laugh/grin etc

she gave her an embarrassed smile.

There was an embarrassed silence.

He was embarrassed to admit making a mistake.

I felt embarrassed at/ about how untidy the house was.

Financially embarrassed [=having no money or having debts]

Envious of sb/sth

Colleagues were envious of her success.[= Wanting something that someone else has]

Envious looks

Erratic

Something that is erratic does not follow any pattern or plan but happens in a way that is not regular:

His breathing was becoming erratic.

His erratic behaviour

He always drives erratically.

Evasive about sth

Paul's being a bit evasive about this job[=not willing to answer questions directly]

An evasive reply

take evasive action[=to move or do something quickly to avoid someone being hurt]

Both pilots took evasive action and a collision was avoided.

She answered evasively.

Fierce

Fierce fighting in the city[=done with a lot of energy and strong feelings, and sometimes violent]

Fierce attack/opposition/criticism etc

The government's policies came under fierce attack.

A fierce debate

Fierce competition between the companies.

A fierce person or animal is angry or ready to attack, and looks very frightening:

Fierce guard dogs

She turned round, looking fierce.

These people take fierce pride in their independence.[= fierce emotions are very strong and often angry]

Fierce cold, heat, or weather is much colder, hotter etc than usual:

A fierce wind

Something fierce [American English spoken] more loudly, strongly etc than usual:

It was snowing something fierce.

Filthy

Comparative filthier, superlative filthiest

The house was filthy, with clothes and newspapers strewn everywhere[=very dirty]

Filthy language/story/joke etc

Your problem is you've got a filthy mind.

Simon had been drinking and was in a filthy temper.

She gave him a filthy look.

Filthy weather/night/day[= the weather, a night etc that is very cold and wet]

It's a filthy night to be out.

Finicky

Too concerned with unimportant details and small things that you like or dislike [= fussy]:

She's very finicky about what she eats.

Needing to be done very carefully, while paying attention to small details [= fiddly]:

A finicky job

Flashy

Big, bright, or expensive, and intended to be impressive - used to show disapproval:

Large flashy cars

Someone who is flashy wears expensive clothes, jewellery etc in a way that is intended to be impressive - used to show disapproval:

A flashy dresser

Flippant about sth

A rather flippant remark[=not being serious about something that other people think you should be serious about]

You shouldn't be flippant about such things.

Flippancy [uncountable noun]

This is no time for flippancy.

Frantic with sth

Extremely worried and frightened about a situation, so that you cannot control your feelings

Get/become frantic

There was still no news of Jill, and her parents were getting frantic.

Your mother's been frantic with worry wondering where you've been.

Extremely hurried and using a lot of energy, but not very organized [= hectic]:

I spent three frantic days trying to get everything ready.

Frantic effort/attempt

Despite our frantic efforts, we were unable to save the boy's life.

Frantic pace/rush/haste etc

There was a frantic rush to escape from the building.

A day of frantic activity

A frantic search for her father

He frantically searched for the key.

Fretful

Anxious and complaining, and unable to relax:

The child was tired and fretful.

Frightened of sth ; to do sth

Feeling afraid [= scared]:

Don't be frightened. We're not going to hurt you.

Frightened of

I was frightened of being left by myself in the house.

Her father had an awful temper and she was always frightened of him.

Frightened to do something

The boy was frightened to speak.

Frightened that

She's frightened that her ex-husband will find her.

To tell the truth, I was frightened to death (=very frightened).

A frightened horse

! Do not confuse frightened, which describes a feeling, and frightening, which describes something that makes you feel frightened:

A frightened child | a frightening experience

Furtive

Behaving as if you want to keep something secret [= secretive]:

There was something furtive about his actions.

Furtive glances/looks

Chris kept stealing furtive glances at me.

She opened the door and looked furtively down the hall.

Greedy for sth

Comparative greedier, superlative greediest

Always wanting more food, money, power, possessions etc than you need:

A greedy and selfish society

He looked at the gold with greedy eyes.

Have you eaten them all, you greedy pig?

Greedy for

They are greedy for profits.

He grabbed the bottle and drank greedily.

Grouchy

In a bad temper, especially because you are tired [= bad-tempered]

—grouchiness noun [uncountable]

Gruesome

Very unpleasant or shocking, and involving someone being killed or badly injured:

Police described it as a particularly gruesome attack.

Spare me the gruesome details.

Grumpy

Bad-tempered and easily annoyed:

Mina's always a bit grumpy first thing in the morning.

—grumpiness noun [uncountable]

Gullible

Too ready to believe what other people tell you, so that you are easily tricked:

Plastic replicas of the Greek pottery are sold to gullible tourists.

Gullibility [uncountable noun]

Hesitant about doing sth; to do sth

Uncertain about what to do or say because you are nervous or unwilling:

Gail gave me a hesitant little smile.

Hesitant about (doing) something

They seemed hesitant about coming in.

Hesitant to do something

She is hesitant to draw conclusions until the study is over.

Hurt

[not usually before noun] suffering pain or injury [= injured]

Badly/seriously hurt

Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt.

Sometimes players get hurt in training.

Very upset or unhappy because someone has said or done something unkind, dishonest, or unfair:

Rachel felt hurt and betrayed.

He's no good for you, Jenny. You'll only get hurt again.

She wore a hurt expression on her face.

Very/deeply hurt

Alice was deeply hurt that she hadn't been invited.

Horrible

Very bad - used for example about things you see, taste, or smell, or about the weather:

The weather has been really horrible all week.

A horrible smell

The food looked horrible, but it tasted OK.

Very unpleasant and often frightening, worrying, or upsetting:

A horrible dream

I have a horrible feeling that we're going to miss the plane.

Rude and unfriendly:

She's a horrible person.

What a horrible thing to say!

Be horrible to somebody

Why are you so horrible to me?

Her face was horribly scarred.

The plan had gone horribly wrong.

Ignorant about/of sth

Not knowing facts or information that you ought to know:

An ignorant and uneducated man

Ignorant of

Political historians are often rather ignorant of economics.

Ignorant about

Many people remain blissfully ignorant about the dangers of too much sun (=happy because they do not know about the dangers).

Caused by a lack of knowledge and understanding:

An ignorant remark

Jealous of sb/sth

Feeling angry and unhappy because someone has something that you wish you had [↪ envious]

Why are you so jealous of his success?

You're just jealous of her.

! Do not say 'jealous about' someone or something or 'jealous with' someone. Say jealous of someone or something.

Feeling angry and unhappy because someone you like or love is showing interest in another person, or another person is showing interest in them:

She gets jealous if I even look at another woman.

He was talking to Nina to make me jealous.

Jealous husband/wife/lover etc

Jealous of something [formal] wanting to keep or protect something that you have because you are proud of it:

A country jealous of its heritage

Lovely

Comparative lovelier, superlative loveliest

Especially British English beautiful or attractive:

She had a lovely face.

What a lovely house!

You look lovely in that dress.

He was a lovely little boy.

What a lovely day!

[Spoken] especially British English very pleasant, enjoyable, or good:

Thank you for a lovely evening.

That was a lovely cup of tea.

[Informal especially British English] friendly and pleasant:

Richard's a lovely person.

[British English spoken] used to say that something is not at all enjoyable or good:

'The cat threw up all over the carpet!' 'Lovely!'

You've made a lovely mess in here.

Lovely and warm/fresh/clean etc [British English spoken] used to emphasize how good something is:

This bread's lovely and fresh.

[British English spoken] used to show that you are pleased with something:

Push it right across. That's it, lovely.

Malicious

Very unkind and cruel, and deliberately behaving in a way that is likely to upset or hurt someone:

A malicious girl

Malicious gossip/rumour

Who is responsible for these malicious rumours?

—maliciously adverb

—maliciousness noun [uncountable]

Materialistic

Concerned only with money and possessions rather than things of the mind such as art, religion, or moral beliefs - used in order to show disapproval:

He's so materialistic.

The materialistic values of American society

Mean to sb; with sth

That was a mean thing to do.[= Cruel or not kind]

I felt a bit mean asking him to help.

It's a mean trick to play on someone.

It was mean of him not to invite her.

Don't be so mean to her!

He's too mean to buy a present for his wife[=not generous; stingy]

He's always been mean with his money.

It was supposed to be garlic bread, but they'd been a bit mean with the garlic.

No mean feat/achievement/task etc something that is very difficult to do, so that someone who does it deserves to be admired:

They sold 1 million cards in the first year of business - no mean feat, given the problems many businesses are facing.

Be no mean performer/player etc to be very good at doing something:

Kinnock is no mean performer on the rugby field.

A mean something [informal] used to say that something is very good or that someone is very good at doing something:

He plays a mean game of poker.

They serve a mean Sunday brunch at the restaurant on Fourth Street.

Average [only before noun] technical average:

The study involved 60 patients with a mean age of 58.2 years.

The mean annual rainfall was 852 mm.

She walked briskly through the mean and dirty streets[=poor]

Mysterious sb/sth

The police are investigating the mysterious deaths of children [=difficult to explain or understand]

Benson later disappeared in mysterious circumstances.

There's something mysterious going on.

A mysterious person is someone who you know very little about and who seems strange or interesting [= enigmatic]:

I decided to find out more about my mysterious new neighbour.

A mysterious stranger

Someone who behaves in a mysterious way says very little about what they are doing, in a way that makes you want to know more [= secretive]

Helen's being very mysterious about her plans.

She hid her thoughts behind a mysterious smile.

Jackson had mysteriously disappeared.

Nasty to sb

Comparative nastier, superlative nastiest

A nasty temper[=extremely unkind]

The nasty things that were being written about her

There's a nasty streak in her character.

Drivers often have a nasty habit of driving too close to cyclists.

Don't be so nasty to your mum (=do not treat her unkindly).

Get/turn nasty especially British English (=suddenly start behaving in a threatening way)

When Harry refused, Don turned nasty and went for him with both fists.

I went to school with him - he was nasty then and he's nasty now.

Nasty shock/surprise [=unpleasant]

It gave me a nasty shock.

I had a nasty feeling that a tragedy was going to happen.

He had a nasty accident while riding in the forest.

When you feel you've been cheated, it always leaves a nasty taste in the mouth (=makes you feel upset or angry afterwards).

The weather turned nasty towards the evening.

What's that nasty smell?[= having a bad appearance, smell, taste etc]

A market stall selling cheap and nasty watches

A nasty cut[=severe or very painful]

He was carried off the field with a nasty injury.

Nasty chemicals[=dangerous]

A nasty piece of work [Idm British English] someone who is dishonest, violent, or likely to cause trouble

Nervous about sth ; of sb (=frightened of sb).

She was so nervous about her exams that she couldn't sleep[=worried or frightened about something, and unable to relax]

I wish you'd stop looking at me like that. You're making me nervous.

Paul always gets nervous whenever he has to give a presentation.

Nervous smile/laugh/look/glance

'Don't be silly,' she said with a nervous laugh. 'There's no such thing as ghosts.'

By the time I got into the interview I was a nervous wreck (=was extremely nervous).

We were all a bit nervous of him at first (=frightened of him).

Often becoming worried or frightened, and easily upset:

She's a nervous, sensitive child.

The film is unsuitable for people of a nervous disposition (=who are easily frightened).

[only before noun] related to the nerves in your body

Nervous condition/illness/disorder

She was suffering from a nervous condition.

He had a nervous twitch (=his body made small, uncontrolled movements).

Nervous exhaustion/strain A mental condition in which you feel very tired, usually caused by working too hard or by a difficult emotional problem

She smiled nervously.

Mike's nervousness showed in his voice.

Obnoxious

She's really obnoxious[=Very offensive, unpleasant, or rude]

An obnoxious idea

Obnoxious behaviour

Outrageous

Outrageous prices[=very shocking and extremely unfair or offensive]

An outrageous attack on his policies

It's outrageous that the poor should pay such high taxes.

Extremely unusual and slightly amusing or shocking:

An outrageous hairstyle

He says the most outrageous things.

Panicky

Very nervous and anxious:

By 10 o'clock she was starting to get a bit panicky.

Pathetic

Something or someone that is pathetic is so useless, unsuccessful, or weak that they annoy you:

You're pathetic! Here, let me do it.

I know it sounds pathetic now, but at the time I was frightened.

She made a pathetic attempt to apologise.

The child looked a pathetic sight[=Making you feel pity or sympathy]

She whimpered pathetically.

Possessive about/of sb/sth

Wanting someone to have feelings of love or friendship for you and no one else

She was terribly possessive of our eldest son.

Unwilling to let other people use something you own

He's so possessive about his new car.

—possessively adverb

—possessiveness [uncountable noun]

Quarrelsome

Someone who is quarrelsome quarrels a lot with people [= argumentative]:

He became quarrelsome after drinking too much.

Repulsive/ disgusting

Extremely unpleasant, in a way that almost makes you feel sick [= revolting, disgusting]:

Many people find slugs repulsive.

Ruthless

So determined to get what you want that you do not care if you have to hurt other people in order to do it:

A ruthless dictator

They have shown a ruthless disregard for basic human rights.

determined and firm when making unpleasant decisions:

He ran the company with ruthless efficiency.

Throw away clothes you don't wear - be ruthless.

The uprising was ruthlessly suppressed.

—ruthlessness noun [uncountable]

Scarey

Comparative scarier, superlative scariest

A scary moment[=frightening]

A scary movie

The book is both scary and funny.

Secretive about sth

A secretive person or organization likes to keep their thoughts, intentions, or actions hidden from others:

The government has been accused of being secretive and undemocratic.

Carla was always very secretive about her work.

Selfish

Caring only about yourself and not about other people - used to show disapproval:

How can you be so selfish?

Selfish behaviour

A small child behaving selfishly

A lack of greed and selfishness

Silly

Stop asking silly questions[=Not sensible, or showing bad judgment]

You made a lot of silly mistakes.

I left my keys at home, which was a pretty silly thing to do.

'Shall we go for a walk?' ' Don't be silly, it's dark.'

I feel so silly in this outfit[=stupid in a childish or embarrassing way]

A silly hat

I hate their parties - we always end up playing silly games.

[spoken] not serious or practical:

They served us coffee in these silly little cups.

Bore somebody silly [informal] To make someone extremely bored

Drink/scare/laugh etc yourself silly [informal] To drink or laugh etc so much that you stop behaving sensibly

Sneaky

Doing things in a secret and often dishonest or unfair way:

A sneaky little trick

Snobbish also snob

Behaving in a way that shows you think you are better than other people because you are from a higher social class or know more than they do:

Her family seems snobbish.

—snobbishly adverb

—snobbishness noun [uncountable]

Spendthrift

Someone who spends money carelessly, even when they do not have a lot of it

Squeamish

Easily shocked or upset, or easily made to feel sick by seeing unpleasant things

The squeamish [plural] people who are squeamish:

His new novel is not for the squeamish.

—squeamishness noun [uncountable]

Stingy

[informal] not generous, especially with money [= mean]:

She's too stingy to give money to charity.

A stingy amount of something, especially food, is too small:

A stingy portion of vegetables

—stingily adverb

—stinginess noun [uncountable]

Strange about sth; to sb

Comparative stranger, superlative strangest

Unusual or surprising, especially in a way that is difficult to explain or understand [= odd]:

Strange noises

Does Geoff's behaviour seem strange to you?

She felt there was something strange about Dexter's voice.

Isn't it strange how animals seem to sense danger?

It's strange that we've never met before.

For some strange reason I slept like a baby despite the noise.

Strange as it may seem, I actually prefer cold weather.

That's strange. I was sure Jude was right here a second ago.

The strange thing is all four victims had red hair.

Strange to say British English (=strangely)

Strange to say, I was just thinking that myself.

It was all strange to him.

Can you get me a glass of water? I feel a bit strange[=to feel as if something is slightly wrong or unusual, either physically or emotionally]

It felt strange to be back in Dublin.

Sulky

Sulking, or tending to sulk [↪ moody]:

A sulky child

He put on a sulky expression.

Katherine sat in a sulky silence.

—sulkily adverb

—sulkiness noun [uncountable]

Tacky

tacky ornaments[=cheap or badly made, and shows poor taste]

[especially American English] showing that you do not have good judgment about what is socially acceptable:

It's kind of tacky to give her a present that someone else gave you.

The paint's still slightly tacky[=Slightly sticky]

Terrible

Their son had been injured in a terrible accident[=extremely severe in a way that causes harm or damage]

We're worried that something terrible might have happened to Greg.

A terrible storm

The hotel was absolutely terrible[=extremely bad]

I'd better write this down; I have a terrible memory.

There was a terrible noise and the roof caved in[=making you feel afraid or shocked]

She wept when she heard the terrible news.

You're making a terrible mistake[=to a very great degree]

Thoughtless of sb to do sth

Not thinking about the needs and feelings of other people, especially because you are thinking about what you want [≠ thoughtful]:

A selfish and thoughtless man

It is thoughtless of somebody to do something

It was thoughtless of her not to tell you where she was going.

—thoughtlessly adverb

—thoughtlessness noun [uncountable]

Timid

Not having courage or confidence [= shy; ≠ confident]:

I was a timid child.

A policy that is both timid and inadequate

—timidly adverb

—timidity /tÂ"mûdÂti/ noun [uncountable]

Truculent

[literary] bad-tempered and always willing to argue with people:

A truculent attitude

—truculently adverb

—truculence noun [uncountable]

Typical

Having the usual features or qualities of a particular group or thing:

Typical British weather

This painting is typical of his work.

This advertisement is a typical example of their marketing strategy.

On a typical day, our students go to classes from 7.30 am to 1pm[=happening in the usual way]

Try calculating your budget for a typical week.

Bennett accepted the award with typical modesty[=behaving in the way that you expect]

It is typical of somebody to do something

It's not typical of Gill to be so critical.

Mr. Stevens' appointment was a typical case of promoting a man beyond his level of competence.

Undesirable

[Formal] something or someone that is undesirable is not welcome or wanted because they may affect a situation or person in a bad way

Undesirable effects/consequences etc

The drug may have other undesirable effects.

Punishment of undesirable behaviour

Unsuitable for sb/sth

Not having the right qualities for a particular person, purpose, or situation [= inappropriate]:

Unsuitable housing

The book is unsuitable for children.

Uptight about sb/sth

Behaving in an angry way because you are feeling nervous and worried

You have to learn to laugh instead of getting uptight about things.

Vague about sth

Unclear because someone does not give enough detailed information or does not say exactly what they mean:

The governor gave only a vague outline of his tax plan.

Julia was vague about where she had been and what she had been doing.

Have a vague idea/feeling/recollection etc (that) to think that something might be true or that you remember something, although you cannot be sure:

Larry had the vague feeling he'd done something embarrassing the night before.

Not having a clear shape or form [= indistinct]:

The vague shape of a figure loomed through the mist.

—vagueness noun [uncountable]

Vengeful

[literary] Very eager to punish someone who has done something bad:

A vengeful god

Venomous

Lisa shot him a venomous glance[=full of hatred or anger]

Reid reserved his most venomous attack for the Rail Authority.

A venomous snake, insect etc produces poison [= poisonous]

—venomously adverb

Volatile

A volatile situation is likely to change suddenly and without warning:

An increasingly volatile political situation

The highly volatile stock and bond markets

Someone who is volatile can suddenly become angry or violent

Voracious

Pigs are voracious feeders[=Eating or wanting large quantities of food]

Kids can have voracious appetites.

Having an extremely strong desire to do or have a lot of something:

A voracious reader

Her appetite for information was voracious.

Voraciously [adverb]

Anne has always read voraciously.

Voracity [uncountable noun]

Vulgar

Vulgar behaviour[=not behaving politely in social situations]

A vulgar check suit[=not showing good judgment about what is beautiful or suitable]

Weary of (doing) sth

Very tired or bored, especially because you have been doing something for a long time:

She found Rachel in the kitchen, looking old and weary.

She sat down with a weary sigh.

Weary of (doing) something

He was weary of the constant battle between them.

A long and weary march[=very tiring]

—wearily adverb

—weariness noun [uncountable]

Wicked

Behaving in a way that is morally wrong [= evil]

The wicked stepmother in 'Hansel and Gretel'

[informal] behaving badly in a way that is amusing:

Carl had a wicked grin on his face as he crept up behind Ellen.

Tara hasn't lost her wicked sense of humour.

That's a wicked bike![= very good]

—wickedly adverb

—wickedness noun [uncountable]

Worried about sb; by sth

Unhappy because you keep thinking about a problem, or about something bad that might happen:

You look worried. What's the matter?

I'm really worried about my brother.

Local people are worried by the rise in crime.

I was worried we wouldn't have enough money.

Don't look so worried - we'll find him.

By this time, I was really getting worried.

Worried expression/look/frown etc

Where have you been? I was worried sick (=extremely worried)!

You had me worried [spoken] used to say that someone made you feel anxious because you did not properly understand what they said, or did not realize that it was a joke:

You had me worried there for a minute!

Worthless

Something that is worthless has no value, importance, or use [≠ valuable]:

The house was full of worthless junk.

The information was worthless to me.

A worthless person has no good qualities or useful skills:

His parents had made him feel worthless.

She struggled to overcome her feelings of worthlessness.

Wretched

Someone who is wretched is very unhappy or ill, and you feel sorry for them:

The poor, wretched girl

If you feel wretched, you feel guilty and unhappy because of something bad that you have done:

Guy felt wretched about it now.

[only before noun] making you feel annoyed or angry:

Where is that wretched boy?

[literary] extremely bad or unpleasant [= miserable]:

I was shocked to see their wretched living conditions.