urbane, fractious, jovial, succinct, feckless: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from SAT Vocabulary Level 3 set 80. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. urbane · adjective/ɜrˈbeɪn/

   suave, courteous, and refined in manner

   His urbane demeanor made him the ideal host at the lavish dinner party, where every guest felt welcome and at ease.

   Synonyms: sophisticated, cultured, refined

   Origin: The word 'urbane' comes from the Latin word 'urbanus,' meaning 'of or pertaining to a city,' which is derived from 'urbs,' meaning 'city.'

2. fractious · adjective/ˈfræk.ʃəs/

   irritable and quarrelsome

   The fractious children could not settle down, arguing amongst themselves over the smallest of disagreements.

   Synonyms: irritable, petulant, quarrelsome

   Origin: The word 'fractious' originates from the early 17th century, deriving from the Latin 'fractiosus', meaning 'easily broken' or 'irritable.'

3. jovial · adjective/ˈdʒoʊ.vi.əl/

   cheerful and friendly

   The jovial atmosphere at the party made everyone feel welcome and ready to enjoy themselves.

   Synonyms: cheerful, jolly, merry

   Origin: from Latin 'jovialis', meaning 'of Jupiter', associated with the Roman god Jupiter, who was considered a source of cheerfulness

4. succinct · adjective/səkˈsɪŋkt/

   expressing ideas clearly and in a few words

   The presenter gave a succinct summary of the project's objectives, making it easy for everyone to understand.

   Synonyms: concise, brief, terse

   Origin: from Latin 'succinctus', past participle of 'succingere', meaning 'to gird up', from 'sub-' (up) + 'cingere' (to gird)

5. feckless · adjective/ˈfɛk.ləs/

   lacking initiative or strength of character

   His feckless attitude towards his responsibilities often left his colleagues to pick up the slack.

   Synonyms: ineffective, useless, incompetent

   Origin: The word 'feckless' originates from the Scots word 'feck,' which means 'effect' or 'value.' The suffix '-less' indicates a lack or absence, leading to the meaning of lacking effectiveness or strength.