noun

1 of 3209

Bad / Crazy

audio

crackpot - A slightly strange or foolish person

Wearing mismatched clothing and yelling to nobody in particular, the crackpot was amusing and ignored by the people who passed him by.

adjective

2 of 3209

Bad / Bad

audio

crummy - Dirty, unpleasant, or of poor quality

With his minimum-wage job, all Jared could afford was a crummy studio apartment.

noun

3 of 3209

Bad / Confused

Url audio

controversy - A prolonged public disagreement or heated discussion about something important.

The athlete was surrounded by controversy after the doping allegations.

adjective

4 of 3209

Bad / Strange

Url audio

provincial - Having a narrow or limited perspective, often associated with rural or less cosmopolitan viewpoints.

His provincial views on politics seemed out of touch with the broader, more progressive ideas that were popular.

verb

5 of 3209

Bad / Aggressive

audio

brandish - To wave or flourish (something, especially a weapon) as a threat or in anger or excitement

Once he saw the burglar, Terry brandished his gun in order to scare him off.

verb

6 of 3209

Other / Move

audio

pluck - To take hold of something and quickly remove it from its place

In Ralph Waldo Emerson's beautiful poem Forbearance, he suggests that it is good to appreciate a beautiful flower without plucking it from the ground.

noun

7 of 3209

Bad / Stupid

audio

sot - A habitual drunkard

The man at the bar was such a sot that he would fall asleep before finishing his latest drink.

noun

8 of 3209

Good / Exciting

audio

shebang - A matter, operation, or set of circumstances

Self-published writers are responsible for the whole shebang by not only writing the book, but also editing and marketing it as well.

noun

9 of 3209

Bad / Weak

Url audio

drawback - A disadvantage or problem that makes something less attractive.

They liked their apartment, but a major drawback was that it was a 20 minute walk from the nearest bus stop.

noun

10 of 3209

Bad / Small

Url audio

tinge - A trace of some color

The yellow tinge of the setting sun contrasted with the purple sky.

verb

See noun

11 of 3209

Other / Sound

audio

clatter - Make or cause to make a continuous rattling sound

The chains clattered against each other in the strong wind.

noun

12 of 3209

Other / Desire

audio

zeal - Great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective

Few athletes have as much zeal as Michael Phelps, who ended up with the most medals in Olympics history.