Paragon

A perfect example of something, a model of excellence or perfection

As a paragon of purity, a nun would never dress inappropriately.

The editors of the magazine described the supermodel as a paragon of beauty.
When talking to the class, the teacher described Johns essay as a paragon that
everyone should strive to reproduce.
The minister of my church is viewed as a paragon of virtue.
Since I am in poor health, I am not a paragon of wellness.
Mark was recognized as a paragon of integrity when he returned the stolen diamond ring
to its owner.
In the movie, the angel represents the paragon of goodness that will save the world.
My husband is a paragon of patience who never complains about sitting for hours while I
try on shoes.
A paragon of punctuality, Mary is never late for an event.
The chocolate cake contained five types of chocolate and was a paragon of richness.

Virtue
Behaviour showing high moral standards, a moral and praiseworthy trait

Since Jason is such a mean man, I doubt if he has a single virtue.

Honesty is not the only virtue a bank teller must have.

In a surprise twist, the survivor winner was the person who showed tremendous
virtue by helping others during the contest.

The company showed its lack of environmental virtue when it started dumping
chemical waste in the lake.

In our small town, Judge Jones is viewed as a man of great virtue.

Vice
(Opposite of virtue)
An unpleasant habit

Daud Ibrahim is the paragon of vice.

I begged my husband to quit his unhealthy vice of smoking cigars.

On the questionnaire, I could not think of any vice other than my addiction to
energy drinks.

Mrs. Jenkins is the neighbourhood hypocrite who talks about the sins of others
but fails to mention her own vice of shoplifting.

During the religious holiday, I will try to give up one vice and live a better life.

Drinking in excess is a vice that could lead to an addictive behaviour.

Hypocrite
A person who pretends to be what he is not

You're a hypocrite if you criticize other people for wearing fur, but pull out your big mink
jacket as soon as it gets cold.

He's a hypocrite - he's always lecturing other people on

the environment but he drives around in a huge car.

An example of a hypocrite is a person who says they care about the environment, but
are constantly littering.

Cynical
Always doubting, distrustful of human nature and motives

(Antonym: Trusting, Trustworthy)

Helen is a cynical woman who does not trust anyone.

After being dumped by his girlfriend, Jack was cynical about dating other women.
Because Larry is such a cynical person, he has very few friends.
Although Helen is not cynical, she does not expect much from anyone.
The king was cynical of his advisers motive for wanting to declare war.
I am incredibly cynical of any politician who wants to shake my hands.
After Janes husband left her for another woman, she became cynical of love.
Even though Hank had experienced many disappointments in his life, he did not allow
himself to become cynical.
When the author wrote a book about the decline of mankinds morals, everyone knew he
was a very cynical man.
The cynical woman did not believe a word the car salesman told her.

Bohemian
People who are iconoclastic, People who are unorthodox.

The young man led a bohemian lifestyle while amongst the hussle & bussle of city
life.

Iconoclast
Someone who attacks the beliefs, customs, and opinions that most people in a society accept

Because Jared was an iconoclast and dared to question the companys mission, he was
fired from his job.
The successful entrepreneur is an iconoclast who is not afraid to introduce something
new to the market.
The church leader was deemed an iconoclast when he spoke out against his religions
views.
Out of the twelve jurors, there was only one iconoclast who thought the defendant was
guilty.
When drunk, my uncle is an annoying iconoclast who insults the beliefs of others.
Because my neighbour does not believe in the concept of marriage, I consider her to be
an iconoclast.
Even though Mrs. White wanted to fit in with the other teachers, her unusual teaching
philosophy made her an iconoclast at the school.
As an iconoclast, I have no problem attacking your traditional political beliefs.
While Greg is a follower and does what everyone else does, his twin brother Henry is an
iconoclast who always makes his own rules.
Anyone who dares to disagree with societys values is viewed as an iconoclast.

Unorthodox
Contrary to what is usual

Not wearing the school uniform in the Christian school is viewed as unorthodox
behaviour.

My husband has an unorthodox habit of eating spaghetti with a spoon.

Despite Mitchs unorthodox upbringing in the monastery, he was still able to

socialize well in a public school environment.

I left the church after the minister started preaching unorthodox sermons about
disliking people of different races.

When the teacher started using unorthodox teaching methods, the principal
reprimanded him.

Reprimand
an act of disapproval, generally done in an official manner

When I misbehaved in school, my teacher sent me home with a written reprimand for my
parents to sign.

The policemans warning was my reprimand for speeding in rainy weather.

Because I was mean to a customer on the phone, my supervisor placed a reprimand in

my employee folder.

The reprimand Hank received from the fire department is enough to make him stop
burning leaves in the summer time.

When John sat down at the table with his angry parents, he knew a reprimand was
coming his way.

My daughter received a strong reprimand when she broke my glass figurine.

In the absence of their parents, Jane felt it was her responsibility to give her naughty
brother a reprimand.

Will the ambassadors scandalous behaviour merely earn him a reprimand or will it cause
him his job?

Since the soldiers knew they had missed curfew, they were not shocked when they
received a reprimand from their commanding officer.

When training your dog, you should give him a gentle reprimand for negative behaviour
and a reward for positive behaviour.

Quixotic

unrealistic and impractical, a plan which is not routed in practical reality

(Antonym: Practical)

Although Jacks plan for killing the giant was quixotic, it was the villages only hope.
Henry knew running for class president was a quixotic idea, but he was not going to let
his enemy run unopposed.
It is quixotic to think you can get away with walking into the prison and breaking out your
boyfriend.
While the knights quest sounded noble, in reality it was a quixotic plot which could only
end in the young mans death.
While the knights quest sounded noble, in reality it was a quixotic plot which could only
end in the young mans death.
The idea of an obese person participating in a triathlon is a quixotic notion.
When the kidnappers received their ransom money, they were still stuck in the city
because their quixotic getaway plan had failed.
Everyone told Jennifer her dream of being a Hollywood star was quixotic, but she proved
them wrong when she became a ten million dollar actress.

Everyone told Jennifer her dream of being a Hollywood star was quixotic, but she proved
them wrong when she became a ten million dollar actress.
Because reality does not always have a happy ending, most women prefer to watch
quixotic romantic-comedies that normally end with the girl getting her guy.
Nobody believed the tiny boy would achieve his quixotic goal of making the football team.
Even when my students have quixotic ideas which will not work, I always do my best to
support them.

Brazen
Excessively brave to the extent of foolishness, bold and without shame

In a brazen assault, the gang fired their weapons at the policeman.

When the actress took off her blouse in public, she shocked everyone with her brazen
behaviour.
The thieves were brazen enough to leave a mocking note for the investigators.
If you wear that short dress to church, many people will consider you to be brazen.
The troops were shocked by their enemys brazen early morning attack.
When I wasnt looking, the brazen monkey reached out of his cage and grabbed my box
of popcorn.
The brazen crooks walked right into the store and stole the diamonds from behind the
jewellery counter.
Although Jenny knew she had not finished her assignment, she made a brazen attempt
to fool her supervisor with a partially finished project.
The brazen reporter did not hesitate to ask the star an unsuitable question.

Ingenious
Clever

We came up with an ingenious plan that would light a fire in the belly of the digital
revolution.
We'll also learn about ingenious technologies for women's economic advancement.
A reviewer from the New York Times said that Lyndsey had the quiet, ingenious
consciousness of a poet.
The ingenious, exuberant, excessive tactics these activists used to force action from the
political and medical establishment are legendary.
It was an ingenious plan, until I realized that it was September and it was still hot
outside, he says.
There are too many gags I need to immediately re-watch, too many ingenious
expressions that demand closer inspection.
He gained fame for ingenious designs like his torch for the 2012 London Olympics,
known as the Caldron.
But if your goal is a kind of worldwide saturation, then collaborating with Ikea, with its 387
stores in 48 countries, is an ingenious tack.

Exuberant
Filled with energy and enthusiasm

Even though Johnny was not a very good basketball player, he had such an
exuberant attitude that he came across as one of the stars of the team.
The travel writer was exuberant in her praise of the luxurious cruise ship.
Because Carol has such an exuberant personality, she is a fantastic hostess.
The contest winner was exuberant when she learned she would receive the prize
money that would allow her to go to college.
Although I am a healthy adult, I found it hard to keep up with the exuberant teenagers
on the hike.
The exuberant puppy would not stop running around the house.
Since Marie was not exuberant about playing the piano, she often skipped her
lessons.
The exuberant photographer was willing to climb the mountain to get the perfect
photo.
When Larry jumped out of his seat, everyone knew he was about to make an
exuberant marriage proposal to his girlfriend.
The teenage girl was exuberant when her mother surprised her with concert tickets
for her favourite singer.

Indigenous
Native

Meticulous
Showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise

Because Haley is a meticulous cleaner, every inch of her house is spotless.

This accounting job requires a meticulous person.
Although Jennifer was a meticulous student, she still had difficulty organizing her
essay.
Henry is known for being very meticulous with his personal hygiene.
When it came to getting ready for a role, the actor was quite meticulous in his
preparation.
Because of his meticulous skill, Dr. Jameson is considered to be one of the best
surgeons in the country.
The government records were meticulous and well-organized.
Even though the celebrity was meticulous about matching her clothing with her
accessories, she still made the worst dressed list.
As a sculptor, Alan was especially meticulous about the materials he used.
Because Sarah was meticulous about her appearance, she spent hours brushing her
hair.

Virtuoso
A person (esp. a musician) who does something in a very skillful way
(Antonym: Naive)

We sat in amazement as the young prodigy delivered a piano performance that

revealed his unstoppable future as a virtuoso.
As Jessicas parents watched her play with the flute as a toddler (a young child who
is just beginning to walk), they knew their daughter would one day be a virtuoso in
the world of classical music.
Ruben is a musical virtuoso who runs his own school of music.
Even though the virtuoso died over two centuries ago, his piano music is still being
performed on a daily basis.
The lead horn player in the jazz band is a teen virtuoso who has been playing his
instrument for only three years.
When the identity of the awe-inspiring virtuoso was revealed, everyone was shocked
to learn it was our neighbour Jim who had played the clarinet throughout the banquet.
Marilyn has spent a great deal of money on singing lessons in pursuit of her goal to
become a vocal virtuoso.
Do you think our small community can come up with enough money to convince the
famous virtuoso to play a concert at our auditorium?
While Jaime is no virtuoso on the guitar, he does maneuver the instrument well
enough to play simple songs.
Because Ray was blind, he tried even harder to prove everyone wrong by becoming
a virtuoso of the piano.

Naive
Having or showing a lack of experience or knowledge

The naive girl believed she could get pregnant by kissing.

While I may be a little naive, I do not believe in a giant rabbit that brings treats to kids
on Easter Sunday.
The naive old woman was the perfect target for a financial scam.
Because Jane grew up in a convent, she is very naive about life in the big city.
You are being naive if you think you can make a fortune without doing any work at all.
As long as you remain naive about the workings of the stock market, you will find it
difficult to make a living as a stockbroker.
The naive toddler (a young child who is just beginning to walk) chose the shiny toy
over the hundred-dollar bill.
Because Matt is naive, he really believes his wife has to work late every night at the
library.
Only a naive person would believe the robber would walk into the bank and return the
money he stole.
If you believe every word that politician says, then you are a very naive person.

Prodigy
Extremely talented person, especially a child

The high school boy was considered a prodigy when he won the national
chess championship.

Even though he was only thirteen years old, the prodigy was taking college
courses.

When she won an Oscar just before her tenth birthday, many people called
her a prodigy of the silver screen.

My nephew is a tennis prodigy rivalling Serena Williams.

The prodigy built a computer from scratch by the time he graduated high
school.

Aficionado
An ardent (very enthusiastic or passionate) follower

He invited scientists, investors, engineers, and space aficionados to brainstorm over

reusable rockets and a private path to space.

Im no music aficionado, but her picks are usually pleasant enough and I always
add a few songs and artists to my daily listening.

Supporters of bullfighting, known as "aficionados", say the tradition is an ancient art

form deeply rooted in national history.

A must-watch for Sunday show aficionados on Fox, and a former moderator of Meet
the Press.

The "Morning Joe" host and music aficionado wrote and recorded a song, "Amnesty
Don," that he posted on his public Facebook page.

Ardent

Very enthusiastic or passionate

When the rock star checks his mail, he almost always finds one or two bizarre gifts
from some of his ardent fans.
Paul feels out of place among his friends because of his ardent love of classical
music.
Melissa has always been an ardent supporter of the citys community theater.
As an ardent lover of nature, Philip plans at least two or three hiking vacations every
year.
Not only does she have her doctorate in English literature, she is one of the most
ardent admirers of Shakespeare that I have ever known.

She remained an ardent defender of the congressman until she heard about his
misadventures in Mexico.
As an ardent devotee of the Shopping Network, she had to restructure her budget to
avoid going into bankruptcy.
Megan had always had an ardent yearning to become a successful actress, so
naturally she was elated at the glowing reviews of her performance.
Its amazing how even the most ardent desires you have as a teenager tend to fade
away as you face the reality of adulthood.
In spite of herself, the famous poet found herself stammering uncomfortably under
the ardent gaze of the man in the middle of the front row.

Stammer
Speak with sudden involuntary pauses and a tendency to repeat the initial letters of
words

After more than 10 excruciating seconds of silence, the governor managed to

stammer, We have did what was right for Arizona.

Can you fictionalise a real person by adding a moustache to his face, or a

stammer to his speech?

Absurdly thin, the gentleman speaks with a stammer while his shoulders are
sloped as though with inexpressible weariness.

Excruciating

Extremely uncomfortable or painful

After watching the excruciating film, I thought about asking for a refund of my
money.
The excruciating labor pains have convinced me to never get pregnant again.
Because I was experiencing excruciating pain, my doctor gave me a strong
analgesic.
Sitting on the witness stand was an excruciating experience for the little boy.
Jane lowers her curtains and goes to bed whenever she has an excruciating
headache.

Suave
Very polished in a field, confident and captivating

It was easy for the suave detective to get the female suspect to confess.
Because the actor is such a suave man, women flock to see his movies.
The teenager tried to act suave so the club doorman would not question his
fake identification.
As soon as the suave spy (secret agent) entered the hotel lobby, all of the
women turned to stare at him.
James is a suave car salesman who once sold a car to a man who came in
the building simply to ask for directions.

Pusillanimous
(Antonym: Magnanimous)
Lacking bravery or courage

The pusillanimous soldier cried because he was scared of the gunfire.

During the fight at the basketball game, the pusillanimous man tried to run
from his opponent.
The pusillanimous girl would not stand up to the school bully.
During the storm the pusillanimous boy crawled in bed with his parents.
The pusillanimous teenager was afraid to ask the store manager for a job
application.

Magnanimous
Very generous or forgiving; unselfish

Despite the slurs made against him by his opponent, the boxer was magnanimous
enough to praise his competitor.
Even though the defendant had broken the law, the magnanimous judge gave him
the lightest sentence possible.
Because she was kind and generous, the magnanimous queen was loved by all.
When looking at all the sports, it is easy to see that boxing is the least magnanimous
to the loser.
Several magnanimous members of the congregation made sizable donations to
rebuild the community centre after the fire.
As I am in a magnanimous mood this morning, I will surprise my co-workers with
donuts and croissants.
Because he believed he was better than everyone else, Hiram was far from
magnanimous after losing the competition.
Everyone considers Joe magnanimous because he is always seeking out ways to
serve his community.
How can you be so magnanimous towards Raymond when he constantly puts you
down?
My minister is constantly urging us to be magnanimous to each other.

Philanthropist
An individual who is very generous to others

The technology mogul (an important or powerful person) is a philanthropist

who gave over fifty million dollars to colleges and universities last year.
Even though my daughter does not have a lot, she is a philanthropist because
she is always trying to feed homeless people.
The popular actor is a philanthropist who works to build homes in areas that
have been destroyed by natural disasters.
Because the philanthropist is constantly being asked for donations, he has
hired an assistant to help him sort through the requests.
This year, the philanthropist will give fifty scholarships to needy high school
graduates.

Epicure
A person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink

Even though Marie claims to be an epicure, she is not one because she will eat
anything served to her.
The food critic is an epicure who gets very happy when he eats a delicious meal.
Since Hank is an epicure, he refuses to consume any food that is not prepared by a
gourmet chef.
My uncle is an epicure who will travel across the country to find a tasty dish.
Because Mary considers herself to be an epicure, she will not eat any meal that
comes from a fast food restaurant.
The head chef is an epicure who has spent over twenty years perfecting his signature
dishes.
Although I am not a wine epicure, I do enjoy a glass of delicate wine every now and
then.
The epicure in your party will be pleased to know there are three fine dining
establishments on this cruise ship.
If the main judge likes your food, you can be happy knowing a real epicure has found
pleasure in your efforts.
People love attending my aunts dinner parties because my aunt is an epicure who
would never serve any dish that is not perfectly cooked.

Gourmet
A connoisseur (an expert judge in matters of taste) of good food

Mercer home-schools her four children and runs an online gourmet cookie
company with her sisters.
You, on the other hand, appear to be enjoying more gourmet meals than you
otherwise would.
They say the group had a gourmet meal and the venue was closed to host them.

Gluttony
Drinking or eating excessively

During the holidays, I usually give in to gluttony and gain at least ten pounds.
My uncle says he drinks so much because stress causes gluttony.
Before Marge went on a diet, she engaged in gluttony quite often.
I use a meal chart to avoid the temptation of gluttony.
The depressed womans gluttony has made her extremely obese.

Precocious
Having mature qualities at an unusually early age

My precocious little girl thinks she knows everything there is to know about life.
Although Jack is smart, he is a bit too precocious at six years of age.
I was a precocious child who at the age of four was already discussing the daily news
with my parents.
While their peers were running around the playground, one precocious group of
elementary school students sat and chatted about the colleges they hoped to attend.
Because Jackson was eight years old, his precocious comments about the president
surprised everyone.
The music teacher was surprised to see the precocious toddler correctly playing the
violin.
The precocious high school athlete played basketball like he was a paid professional.
Even though Ann was only ten, she was quite precocious and had a strong interest in
the opposite sex.
At only five years of age, the precocious pianist brought the entire audience to its
feet.
Every teacher has a precocious student who always asks some really difficult
questions.

Insouciant
(Synonym: Indifferent)
Somebody who is indifferent, not concerned about anything; carefree

The insouciant mother did not blink an eye when her son complained of a tummy ache.
Because Bill is insouciant and not concerned about his retirement, he does not worry
about saving money.
Since Jane is insouciant about her health, she does not bother to take her medication.
The insouciant waitress did not seem to care that Matt had to wait over an hour for his
food.

While I can be insouciant about remembering my friends birthdays, I never forget the
birth dates of my family members.
Kelly longed to be an insouciant child again so she could avoid her adult responsibilities.
When the lion trainer walked into the lions cage in an insouciant manner, he let the
animal know he was not threatened in any way.
Instead of Will being angry when he caught his wife cheating, he was insouciant and
laughed off the affair.
Because Lily was well prepared for the test, she was insouciant about earning a passing
grade.
On the plane, I was unlucky enough to sit in front of an insouciant mother who did not
seem to care about her child kicking the back of my seat.

Erudite
Having or showing profound knowledge

The room was full of erudite scholars who made the discussion on astronomy fun and
interesting.
As a result of having studied abroad several years, Helen has become quite erudite on
the subject of art history.
While I learned everything I know from television, my sister can credit being erudite to
spending countless hours in the classroom obtaining her doctoral degree.
Our erudite instructor was able to answer every question asked by our class.
With his informative presentation, William showed his peers how erudite he truly was.
Many difficult questions were asked by the students, and they were all followed by
erudite responses from their knowledgeable teachers.
In order to understand this book on nuclear physics, I will have to review it with someone
who is erudite in that subject.
Because I am failing calculus, I am in search of the most erudite calculus tutor I can find.
Although erudite and experienced, the tired professor found it difficult to teach a simple
physics lesson.
His erudite observation about my childhood caught me off-guard.

Parvenu
An individual who moves from a lower economic and social class to a higher one while
remaining an outsider

To the town's oldest and wealthiest families, the lottery winner was a parvenu
who would never be welcome in their social circle.
Mark realized his sudden wealth would not change the fact societys elite saw him
as a parvenu or social climber.
Even though Tom married into a rich family, he was still considered a parvenu by
his brides snobby family.
When the parvenu won the lottery, he joined a country club in an attempt to fit in
with the other well-off citizens.
Although Gail received a large inheritance from a distant cousin, she was still
treated like an unwanted parvenu by the upper crust of society.

Vapid
Lacking liveliness; dull

To me, baseball is a vapid sport that quickly puts me to sleep.

Although the actress was nominated for several awards, she was still criticized for her
vapid portrayal of the world leader.
The vapid entertainment did not hold the childrens attention.
Because we did nothing but sit in the hotel room, our vacation was vapid and
uninteresting.
For a teenage girl, there is nothing more vapid than having your mom participate in your
sleepover.
Nathan was not impressed by the vapid cartoons his little brother enjoyed watching.
Because Carol was heavily medicated, all of her responses were vapid.
The vapid lecture seemed to go on for days.
Since Bill was nervous, his first stand-up routine was confusing and vapid.
Even though it lacked a great deal of colour, the picture on the wall was not vapid.