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Cambridge English: CPE (C2 Proficiency) - Hostility, Temper & Aggression

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Cambridge English: CPE (C2 Proficiency)
choleric
[Adjective]

easily angered or irritated

Ex: His choleric attitude often led to tense situations in meetings .
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churlish
[Adjective]

rude, ill-mannered, or surly in behavior

Ex: The churlish attitude of the teenager towards his parents often caused tension in the household .
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contentious
[Adjective]

inclined to argue or provoke disagreement

Ex: As a contentious debater , he enjoyed challenging opposing viewpoints in intellectual discussions .
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fractious
[Adjective]

unruly, defiant, or unwilling to submit to rules or leadership

Ex: The teacher had a hard time on the first day with a particularly fractious student who would n't stay seated .
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irascible
[Adjective]

showing signs of anger

Ex: Critics saw the irascible author 's work as marred by an angry , bitter streak that characterized his writing .
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petulant
[Adjective]

showing sudden impatience, especially over minor matters

Ex: He gave a petulant shrug when asked about his late assignment submission .
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sardonic
[Adjective]

humorous in a manner that is cruel and disrespectful

Ex: The comedian 's sardonic jokes about current events crossed the line from humor to outright insult .
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fretful
[Adjective]

irritable or agitated, often expressing dissatisfaction or annoyance with trivial matters

Ex: The fretful parent nitpicked every detail of the family vacation , from the accommodations to the itinerary , making it difficult for everyone to enjoy the trip .
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huffy
[Adjective]

easily offended or quick to take things personally

Ex: You know how huffy she gets over minor details .
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peevish
[Adjective]

easily irritated, especially over trivial matters

Ex: Despite his peevish demeanor , she remained patient and tried to address his concerns calmly .
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waspish
[Adjective]

easily irritated and likely to speak or act in a sharp, stinging, or spiteful manner

Ex: A waspish comment from her ended the conversation abruptly .
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crotchety
[Adjective]

bad-tempered or prone to complaining

Ex: The long trip left him feeling crotchety, and he snapped at his friends .
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curt
[Adjective]

abruptly brief in a way that is considered as impatient, dismissive, or impolite

Ex: When I asked for help again, she gave me a curt "No" without further explanation.
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pugnacious
[Adjective]

eager to start a fight or argument

Ex: The pugnacious young man frequently found himself in disputes over trivial matters .
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abrasive
[Adjective]

behaving in a mean and disrespectful manner with no concern for others

Ex: Despite his skills , his abrasive personality made it hard for him to collaborate .
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asperity
[noun]

harshness or sharpness of tone, manner, or temper

Ex: Despite her usual calm , there was asperity in her reply .
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austere
[Adjective]

having a serious or rigid manner

Ex: The austere look on his face suggested he was upset or disapproving .
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brusque
[Adjective]

abrupt or curt in manner or speech, often coming across as rude or impatient

Ex: She found it challenging to communicate with him due to his brusque and dismissive attitude.
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callous
[Adjective]

showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for the feelings or suffering of others

Ex: The teacher 's callous treatment of students who struggled with the material created a negative learning environment .
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crass
[Adjective]

lacking sensitivity, refinement, or tact, often displaying vulgarity or rudeness

Ex: Despite his wealth , his crass displays of opulence only served to alienate him from his peers .
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obstreperous
[Adjective]

behaving in a wild or forceful manner that causes chaos

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a hostile, aggressive attitude marked by a refusal to cooperate or submit

Ex: Years of mistreatment had fueled the worker 's truculence toward management .
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to hate something or someone intensely

Ex: We abominate corruption in government and demand transparency and accountability .
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animus
[noun]

a deep-seated feeling of hostility and ill will directed at someone or something

Ex: Some groups maintain animus against certain scientific theories that conflict with their core doctrines .
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antipathy
[noun]

a strong feeling of hatred, opposition, or hostility

Ex: Despite their antipathy, they managed to work together on the project.
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to appall
[Verb]

to shock or horrify someone, causing them to feel alarmed or deeply unpleasantly surprised

Ex: The extent of the environmental damage caused by the oil spill appalled environmentalists worldwide.
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averse
[Adjective]

strongly opposed to something

Ex: I ’m not averse to trying new activities , but I prefer something low-key .
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to feel jealous or irritated because someone possesses something one desires

Ex: We begrudged our colleague 's vacation time and wished we could take a break from work too .
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bellicose
[Adjective]

displaying a willingness to start an argument, fight, or war

Ex: Jake 's bellicose attitude often leads to arguments with his classmates .
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baleful
[Adjective]

having or likely to have a harmful or evil effect

Ex: The dog watched him with baleful eyes , low growl in its throat .
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formidable
[Adjective]

commanding great respect or fear due to having exceptional strength, excellence, or capabilities

Ex: The mountain presented a formidable challenge to the climbers .
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internecine
[Adjective]

involving deadly or violent conflict where all parties suffer severe losses

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invidious
[Adjective]

causing offense or unhappiness due to being prejudice or unjust

Ex: The manager 's invidious favoritism was noticeable to everyone in the office .
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minatory
[Adjective]

giving the impression of a threat or suggesting something harmful or dangerous is likely to happen

Ex: The villain's minatory words hinted at what was to come.
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inimical
[Adjective]

not useful for friendly relations or mutual cooperation

Ex: The inimical comments made by the politician towards minority groups sparked outrage and condemnation from the public .
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blatant
[Adjective]

done openly and shamelessly, with no effort to hide or disguise

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noisome
[Adjective]

extremely repulsive and unpleasant, particularly to the sense of smell

Ex: The noisome smell of spoiled food permeated the kitchen and was unbearable.
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aloof
[Adjective]

unfriendly or reluctant to socializing

Ex: The new student remained aloof on the first day of school , making it challenging for others to approach her .
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offish
[Adjective]

distant and reserved in manner, showing little warmth or friendliness

Ex: Do n't take her offish manner personally , she 's just shy .
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vindictive
[Adjective]

showing a strong desire or tendency to seek revenge

Ex: The vindictive ex-boyfriend spread false rumors to damage her reputation .
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someone who dislikes, distrusts, or hates other human beings

Ex: After years of betrayal by friends and family , she became a misanthrope who distrusted everyone around her .
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a bad-tempered person who is easily annoyed and angered, usually old in age

Ex: Everyone avoided the curmudgeon who lived next door due to his constant complaints .
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termagant
[noun]

a woman who is harsh-tempered, constantly scolding, and often quarrelsome

Ex: Living with a termagant wore down his patience .
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rabid
[Adjective]

intensely fervent or fanatical in beliefs or actions

Ex: The author 's rabid fanbase eagerly awaited each new book release , lining up for hours to get their hands on a copy .
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acrimonious
[Adjective]

including a lot of anger, harsh arguments and negative emotions

Ex: The political debate was so acrimonious that it overshadowed any meaningful discussion of the issues .
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loath
[Adjective]

unwilling to do something due to a lack of will, motivation, or consent

Ex: The company was loath to invest in the new project without a detailed report .
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Cambridge English: CPE (C2 Proficiency)
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