Accountable – (adjective) Responsible for your decisions or actions and expected to explain them when you are asked. 1 Senior managers are directly accountable to the Board of Directors. Politicians are accountable to Parliament. Political leaders need to be accountable to the people they represent. Acute – (adjective) very serious or severe. He was suffering from acute chest pains. 2 The area has an acute water shortage. Competition for jobs is acute. Appalling– (adjective) shocking or extremely bad. Prisoners were kept in the most appalling conditions. 3 After her appalling behavior, we had no option to dismiss her. The standard of cleanliness in some of these restaurants is frankly appalling. Appealing– (adjective) attractive or interesting. Spending the holidays in Britain was appealing. 4 Brightly colored packaging made the pens especially appealing to children. A little dog with appealing big brown eyes. Apprehensive– (adjective) worried or frightened that something unpleasant may happen. 5 I'm very apprehensive about tomorrow's meeting. The long delay had made me quite apprehensive. She was deeply apprehensive that something might go wrong. Copious– (adjective) in large amounts, or more than enough. They drank copious amounts of wine. 6 He took copious notes during the lecture. She supports her theory with copious evidence. Crooked– (adjective) dishonest. All the officials are crooked. 7 She flashed him a crooked smile. The president has vowed to jail crooked executives. Crystal clear– (adjective) very easy to understand or completely obvious. I want to make my meaning crystal clear. 8 You’ve got to make your intentions crystal clear to them. The evidence is now crystal clear. Cursory– (adjective) done quickly and without giving enough attention to details. He gave the report a rather cursory look. 9 He gave the picture a cursory glance. The mayor gave a cursory glance at the report. Dejected– (adjective) unhappy and disappointed. She looked so dejected when she lost the game. 10 The dejected players left the field. She's been so dejected since her sister moved away. Genial– (adjective) friendly and cheerful. He seemed genial enough. 11 Her manner was quite genial. Graham was a genial and modest host. Hand-picked– (adjective) carefully chosen for a special purpose. The 35-year-old Australian citizen was hand-picked for the post. 12 They run a farm where you can hand-pick fresh strawberries. The executive hand-picked her successor. Hideous– (adjective) very ugly or unpleasant. He had committed a hideous crime. 13 She was wearing a hideous yellow dress. The curtains were a hideous brown colour. Ideal– (adjective) perfect, or the best possible. The houses are absolutely ideal for families with young children. 14 As a solution to the problem it was far from ideal. His apartment would be an ideal place to stay. Immaculate– (adjective) extremely clean and tidy. The property is in immaculate condition. 15 The suit he was wearing was immaculate. Though old, the books were in immaculate condition. Majestic– (adjective) impressive because of size or beauty. The Rockies are majestic in size. 16 The mountains rising majestically above the surrounding hills. The total effect is best described as majestic. Manifold– (adjective) many different types. The possibilities were manifold. 17 Manifold examples of her work have been preserved in the city archives. The benefits of this approach are manifold. Mediocre– (adjective) not very good; of only average standard. I thought the play was only mediocre. 18 They have replaced a great leader with a mediocre one. The player was under some pressure after some mediocre performances. Monotonous– (adjective) Never changing and therefore boring. New secretaries came and went with monotonous regularity. 19 The housewives were asked if they found housework monotonous. The music became monotonous after a while. Mundane– (adjective) not interesting or exciting. I lead a pretty mundane existence. 20 He had no interest in such mundane details. She forced her mind onto more mundane things. Sluggish– (adjective) moving, reacting or working more slowly than normal and in a way that seems lazy. 21 He felt very heavy and sluggish after the meal. Sales were sluggish. The housing market has been very sluggish these past few years. 22 Solicited– (adjective) to ask someone for money, information, or help. She had actively solicited funds for her election campaign. She solicited support from other teachers. Historians and critics are often solicited for their opinions. Sore– (adjective) painful and uncomfortable. My eyes feel really sore. 23 I've got a sore throat and a running nose. My throat is so sore that it really hurts when I swallow. Spell-binding– (adjective) holding your attention completely. He was a spellbinding speaker and a good organizer. 24 Their pillow talk would have been spellbinding. I found her performance spellbinding. Stellar– (adjective) Excellent. The company has a stellar reputation for its treatment of its workers. 25 His new book recounts his stellar career as a professional risk-taker. The movie has a stellar cast.