List 5

Aloof
Pronunciation: uh-LOOF
Meaning: Not friendly, distant, or detached.

Think of “A Roof” — imagine someone staying distant like sitting alone on a roof.
Or picture “All-Off” — they’ve switched off emotions and become detached.

Sentence:
He stayed aloof at the party, preferring not to interact with anyone.

Clangor
Pronunciation: KLANG-er
Meaning: A continuously loud banging or ringing sound.

“Clang + Anger” – Imagine two knights angrily clashing their swords in a duel. The swords make loud, metallic “clang, clang!” sounds. Their fight is so noisy, it’s pure clangor! ⚔️🔊

Sentence:
The clangor of the church bells echoed through the valley.

Conventional
Pronunciation: kuhn-VEN-shuh-nl
Meaning: Following traditional forms or norms.

Think of “Convention” — doing what’s agreed upon by society, sticking to tradition.

Sentence:
Her taste in music is rather conventional, favoring old classics.

Debunk
Pronunciation: dee-BUHNGK
Meaning: To expose the falseness or hollowness of an idea or belief.

Think of “De-Bunk” — removing someone’s idea from their “bunk” or pedestal.
Deer Throw lies into bunkers

Sentence:
The documentary debunked several myths about ancient civilizations.

Diminutive
Pronunciation: dih-MIN-yuh-tiv
Meaning: Extremely or unusually small.

Think of “Mini” — something diminutive is like a miniature version.
Or picture “Dim in Size” — small and faint in appearance.

Sentence:
He was startled by the diminutive figure of the peoples hiding behind the door.

Discernible
Pronunciation: dih-SURN-uh-buhl
Meaning: Able to be perceived, noticeable.

Think of “Discover-Able” — something clear enough to be seen or identified.
Or picture “Disc + Earn + Able” — earning recognition through clear distinctions.

Sentence:
There was a discernible improvement in his performance after additional training.

Enigmatic
Pronunciation: en-ig-MAT-ik
Meaning: Difficult to understand; mysterious.

Think of “Enigma” — something puzzling and hard to figure out.
Or imagine “E-Night-Magic” — a magical night full of mystery.

Sentence:

Her enigmatic smile left everyone guessing what she was thinking.

Estranged
Pronunciation: ih-STREYND
Meaning: No longer close to someone; alienated.

Think of “Estranged = Strange” — a once-close relationship now feels unfamiliar.
Or picture “Ex-Change” — people who’ve grown apart and no longer exchange emotions.

Sentence:
Mother and daughter became estranged after a bitter argument.

Extravagant
Pronunciation: ik-STRAV-uh-guhnt
Meaning: Excessive or elaborate in style, spending, or behavior.

Think of “Extra-Va-Gain” — going beyond limits in a way that seems wasteful.
Or picture “Extra-Vegan” — overly fancy about being vegan with elaborate dishes.

Sentence:
The wedding was an extravagant affair with hundreds of guests and decorations.

Fanciful
Pronunciation: FAN-si-fuhl
Meaning: Over-imaginative, unrealistic, or highly ornamental.

Think of “Fancy-Full” — full of elaborate and unrealistically fancy ideas.
Or picture “Fantasy-Filled” — creative but unrealistic ideas or decorations.

Sentence:
The architect’s fanciful designs were admired but deemed impractical for construction.

His aviation dreams were as fanciful as a bird’s soaring flight.

Frivolous
Pronunciation: FRIV-uh-luhs
Meaning: Carefree; lacking serious purpose or value.

Imagine someone offering free volcanoes at a garage sale, shouting, “Get your free volcano! It erupts fun, not lava!” Everyone laughs at how frivolous the idea is. 🌋🤣
Think of “Free-Volunteers” — engaging in activities without any serious purpose.
Or imagine “Fry-Very-Less” — treating cooking lightly, like not frying enough food.

Sentence:
He was criticized for his frivolous spending on unnecessary gadgets.

Heterogeneous
Pronunciation: het-er-uh-JEE-nee-uhs
Meaning: Diverse in character or content.

Think of “Hetero-Genes” — different genes, creating diversity.
Or picture “Hetero-Genius” — a group of varied intellects working together.

Sentence:
The city’s population is wonderfully heterogeneous, with people from various cultures.

Imperious
Pronunciation: im-PEER-ee-uhs
Meaning: Arrogant and domineering.

Think of “Imperial” — behaving like an emperor who gives commands.
Or picture “I’m-Perilous” — someone who acts dangerous due to arrogance.

Sentence:
His imperious tone made it clear he expected unquestioning obedience.

Impertinent
Pronunciation: im-PUR-ti-nuhnt
Meaning: Rude or not showing proper respect; irrelevant.

picture “Imp-Proper-Tenant” — a tenant showing improper rude behavior.

Sentence:
His impertinent remarks during the meeting offended several attendees.

Invasive
Pronunciation: in-VAY-siv
Meaning: Spreading quickly and undesirably, often harmfully.

Think of “Invade” — something invasive spreads like an invader.
Or imagine “In-Vase” — weeds growing uncontrollably in a flower vase.

Sentence:
The plant is invasive and quickly takes over the entire garden.

Irresolute
Pronunciation: ir-REZ-uh-loot
Meaning: Showing or feeling hesitancy; uncertain.

Think of “I Resolve Late” — someone who hesitates before making decisions.
Or imagine “I-Rescue-Late” — hesitant to act in emergencies.

Sentence:
She stood irresolute at the crossroads, unsure of which path to take.

Laudable
Pronunciation: LAW-duh-buhl
Meaning: Deserving praise and commendation.

Think of “Applaud-Able” — something praiseworthy.
Or picture “Lord-Able” — deeds worthy of praise by a lord.

Sentence:
His efforts to help the community were truly laudable.

Lax
Pronunciation: LAKS
Meaning: Not sufficiently strict or careful; relaxed or loose.

Think of “Lack Rules” — a situation with no discipline or strictness.
Or picture “Relaxed Lax” — someone too relaxed to enforce rules.

Sentence:
The teacher’s lax attitude toward late assignments led to chaos in the class.

Marginalize
Pronunciation: MAR-juh-nuh-lahyz
Meaning: To treat a person or group as insignificant or peripheral.

Think of “Margin” — placing someone on the edge of importance.
Or picture “Margin-Less” — leaving no space for them in critical decisions.

Sentence:
The policy tends to marginalize minority communities.

Panache
Pronunciation: puh-NASH
Meaning: confidence of style or manner.

“Panda with a mustache” – Imagine a panda confidently standing around with a stylish, curly mustache, wearing sunglasses and a fancy scarf. Its flair and charm make everyone stop and stare. That panda has panache!

Sentence:
She carried herself with panache, turning heads wherever she went.

Plodding
Pronunciation: PLOD-ing
Meaning of Plodding:
Plodding refers to slow, heavy, and laborious movement or effort, often lacking excitement or energy.

Mnemonic to Remember Plodding:
“Plotting while plodding” – Imagine a turtle slowly moving forward while carefully plotting its next step. 🐢💭

Sentence:
The film was criticized for its plodding pace and lack of excitement.

Prosaic
Pronunciation: pro-ZAY-ik
Meaning: Lacking originality; commonplace; unromantic.

Imagine a super bored person sitting in a gray room, yawning at how dull life feels. They mutter, “Ugh, life is so prosaic today.” Then a bottle of Prozac (depression medicine) walks in wearing sunglasses, shouting, “Cheer up, buddy!” 🌞💊

Sentence:
The menu was rather prosaic, offering nothing beyond the ordinary dishes.

Remedial
Pronunciation: ri-MEE-dee-uhl
Meaning: Intended as a cure or correction, or for children with learning difficulties.

Think of “Remedy-All” — aimed at fixing or curing everything.
Or picture “Repair-Deal” — something intended to repair or improve.

Sentence:
The school provided remedial classes for students struggling with math.

Restive
Pronunciation: RES-tiv
Meaning: Unable to remain still or submissive, especially due to boredom.

Think of “Rest-Give” — unable to give rest to oneself.
Or imagine “Resist-Still” — refusing to stay still.
Imagine a hyperactive kid bouncing on a bed while their parent pleads, “Please rest!” The kid shouts back, “Rest? No way! I’m too restive for that!” 🛌💥

Sentence:
The audience grew restive during the lengthy and dull speech.

Sporadic
Pronunciation: spuh-RAD-ik
Meaning: Infrequent or scattered; occurring occasionally.

Think of “Spore-Add” — scattered spores growing here and there.
Or picture “Spray-Radical” — a spray pattern that is irregular and sparse.

Sentence:
The region experienced sporadic rainfall throughout the month.

Stigmatize
Pronunciation: STIG-muh-tahyz
Meaning: To brand with great disapproval.

Think of “Stigma-Size” — magnifying shame or disapproval.
Or imagine “Stigma-Ties” — labeling someone with negative ties. Imagine someone accidentally sticking a goofy, mismatched tie on themselves, and everyone starts pointing and whispering, “Look at that silly tie guy!” They’ve been stigmatized as the “weird tie person”!

Sentence:
Society often unfairly stigmatizes mental health issues.

Undermine
Pronunciation: UHN-der-myn
Meaning: To weaken or erode the base; lessen effectiveness.

Think of “Under-Mine” — secretly digging underneath to weaken something.
Or picture “Mine-Blow” — subtly exploding the foundation.

Sentence:
Her constant criticism served to undermine his confidence.

Utterly
Pronunciation: UHT-er-lee
Meaning: Completely or absolutely.

Think of “Utter-All” — everything is complete and total.
Or imagine “Utter-Leap” — going all in without hesitation.

Sentence:
She was utterly exhausted after the long day of hiking.

Weary
Pronunciation: WEER-ee
Meaning: Feeling extreme tiredness.

Think of “Wear-Out” — being worn out from exhaustion.
Or picture “Weary = Worry” — stress leading to physical exhaustion.

Sentence:
After hours of manual labor, the workers were weary but satisfied.

Zealous
Pronunciation: ZEL-uhs
Meaning: Showing great passion or fervor.

Think of “Zeal” — someone with intense enthusiasm and energy.
Or picture “Zebra-Rush” — chasing goals with fervent energy.

Sentence:
The campaigners were zealous in their fight for climate action.

Story Mode

Once upon a time in a diminutive village, there lived an aloof painter named Lila. She was known for her extravagant and fanciful artwork, which many deemed frivolous. The villagers preferred conventional styles, dismissing Lila’s creations as too heterogeneous and prosaic.

Despite their criticism, Lila remained undeterred. She was determined to debunk the notion that only traditional art could be appreciated. Her paintings were filled with enigmatic creatures and vibrant colors that were anything but marginalized in her imagination.

One day, a wealthy merchant visited the village, drawn by the clangor of excitement surrounding Lila’s latest piece. He was captivated by her work, which was both discernible and profound. However, he felt a bit irresolute, unsure if he should invest in such an unconventional artist.

As he pondered, he noticed a group of children watching Lila paint. They were filled with zealous enthusiasm, their eyes wide with wonder. Lila’s art had the power to inspire even the most impertinent of critics. The merchant realized that art should not be about being imperious or dominating; it should be about connection and expression.

Encouraged by the children’s joy, he decided to support Lila. He commissioned her to create a mural for his estate, believing it would bring life to his otherwise plodding surroundings. As she worked on the mural, she poured her heart into every stroke, creating something truly special.

However, as the mural neared completion, some villagers began to feel threatened by her growing fame. They attempted to stigmatize her work, claiming it was too bold for their tastes. But Lila remained focused and continued to create without hesitation, knowing that her passion was more important than their opinions.

Finally, the day of the mural’s unveiling arrived. The villagers gathered in anticipation, some still skeptical but many curious. When they saw the finished piece—a vibrant explosion of colors and forms—they were left in awe. It was undeniably beautiful and profoundly moving.

The merchant stood proudly beside Lila as she revealed her masterpiece. It was a moment that would forever change how the village viewed art. They learned that creativity could be both bold and subtle, and that it was important to embrace diverse expressions rather than undermine them.

From that day forward, Lila became a celebrated figure in the village. Her story served as a reminder that one should never feel lax about pursuing their dreams or allow others to undermine their worth. Instead of feeling estranged from one another due to differences, they learned to celebrate individuality.

In the end, Lila taught everyone that true beauty lies not just in conformity but in the courage to express oneself fully—an important lesson for all who dared to dream beyond the ordinary.