BIASED
/ˈbaɪ.əst/

The newspapers gave a very biased report of the meeting.
I think she's beautiful but then I'm biased since she's my daughter.

APPRECIABLE
/əˈpriː.ʃə.bəl/

There has been an appreciable drop in the number of unemployed since the new government came to power.
My little donation will not make an appreciable difference.

GENERIC
/dʒɪˈnɛrɪk/

A lot of courses that I would be interested in aren't available in the summer, so I'm stuck with generic classes.

APT
/æpt/

1. This may be correct as a statement of general principle, but it is not apt in the circumstances of this case.
2. This old roof is apt to leak when it rains.

SPIRITED
/ˈspɪr.ɪ.tɪd/

They played an exciting and spirited game but met with strong opposition.

PLUMP
/plʌmp/

2. He's got rather plump since I last saw him.

EYE - WATERING

The costs are eye - watering.
99-year-old Captain Tom Moore has raised an eye-watering 28 million pounds for charity.

BEMUSED
/bɪˈmjuːzd/

I was bemused at his sudden anger.

UNEASY
/ʌnˈiː.zi/
1. Who can predict how long this uneasy peace between the two countries will last?
She has a slightly uneasy relationship with her mother-in-law

2. If you travel, you know that uneasy feeling you get when you arrive in a strange city and don’t have a hotel reservation.

GRUMPY
/ˈɡrʌm.pi/

I hadn't had enough sleep and was feeling kind of grumpy.

OBSOLETE
/ˌɒb.səlˈiːt/
Gas lamps became obsolete when electric lighting was invented.

BECOME / BE RENDERED OBSOLETE
Typewriters have been rendered obsolete by computers.
Will computers render books obsolete?

BLATANT
ˈbleɪtnt/

It was a blatant lie, and both men knew it, but neither cared all that much.
He called the advertising a blatant attempt to buy votes for the coming election.

FLAGRANT
/ˈfleɪ.ɡrənt/

It's difficult to imagine a more flagrant violation of our founding principles than that.

SUBSTANTIAL
/səbˈstæn.ʃəl/

She inherited a substantial fortune from her grandmother.
The company posted a substantial increase in profits during the year to £3.5m.

CONTENTIOUS
/kənˈtenʃəs/

Even a decade ago, that would have been a contentious assertion.

TIRESOME
/ˈtaɪə.səm/

I find it very tiresome doing the same job day after day.
He has the tiresome habit of finishing your sentences for you.

INFATUATED
WITH / BY
/ɪnˈfætʃ.u.eɪ.tɪd/

1. She was infatuated with her boss.
2. We cannot afford to be infatuated by the progress we have made.

DAY - TO - DAY
1. As her abilities decrease, she will need increasing help to do day-to-day tasks.
2. I seem to have no purpose beyond day-to-day survival.

STUDIOUS
/ˈstjuːdɪəs/

He made a studious inspection of the buffet

RESENTFUL
/rɪˈzent.fəl/

She was resentful of anybody's attempts to interfere in her work.
Nurses are often resentful of this additional and unpaid demand on their time.

TRANSIENT
/ˈtræn.zi.ənt/

1. A glass of whisky has only a transient warming effect.
2. The city has a large transient population.

CAUSTIC
/ˈkɔːstɪk/

1. Never use caustic household chemicals to clean your leather items.
2. Her caustic, waspish comments on the other housemates were biting and bitchy, but always spot on.

DECEPTIVE
/dɪˈsep.tɪv/

It's deceptive - from the outside the building looks small, but inside it's very big.
The firm was found guilty of publishing a misleading and deceptive advertisement.
Appearances can often be deceptive.

CURT
/kɜːt/

She dismissed him with a curt nod of the head.
A curt note of rejection arrived from the company director.

THORNY
/ˈθɔː.ni/

The thorny issue of illegal immigration remains unresolved.

INCOHERENT
/ˌɪnkəʊˈhɪərənt/

1. She broke off, incoherent with anger.

2. The present, incoherent system does need reform.

INSTANTANEOUS
/ˌɪn.stənˈteɪ.ni.əs/

Her reaction was almost instantaneous.

The technology must be developed to make the transacting of money instantaneous.

HIDEOUS
/ˈhɪd.i.əs/

1. The bathroom was pink and green and silver – it was absolutely hideous.

2. I have a dear friend, who went through a hideous divorce after a very messy marriage.’

BLISTERING
/ˈblɪs.tər.ɪŋ/

We went out in the blistering heat.
The runners set off at a blistering pace.
The vice president launched a blistering attack on Senate Republicans.

PALTRY
/ˈpɔːl.tri/

The company offered Frazer a paltry sum, which he refused.

a paltry gesture

SNIDE
/snɑɪd/

I am sure that he did not intend it, but it came over as rather a snide remark.

APPREHENSIVE
/ˌæp.rɪˈhen.sɪv/

I'm very apprehensive about tomorrow's meeting.
I've invited a lot of people to the party, but I'm a little apprehensive that no one will come.

EXQUISITE
/ɪkˈskwɪzɪt/

1. Her wedding dress was absolutely exquisite.
an exquisite piece of china
2. The pain was quite exquisite.
A good comedian needs to have an exquisite sense of timing.

ABOMINABLE
/əˈbɒm.ɪ.nə.bəl/

The prisoners are forced to live in abominable conditions.
The weather's been abominable all week.
I think you are utterly selfish and your behaviour has been abominable.

WISTFUL
/ˈwɪst.fəl/

I thought about those days in Spain and grew wistful.
She cast a wistful glance at the bridal gowns in the window.

FLEET
/fliːt/

She was slight and fleet of foot.

FLEET of foot