impeccable, indignant, pretentious, unattainable, secluded: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Advanced set 30. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. impeccable · adjective/ɪmˈpɛkəb(ə)l/

   free of fault, flawless

   Judging from their stylish outfits, the girls in the group clearly had impeccable taste in fashion.

   Synonyms: faultless, perfect

   Origin: mid 16th century (in the theological sense): from Latin impeccabilis, from in- ‘not’ + peccare ‘to sin’

2. indignant · adjective/ɪnˈdɪɡnənt/

   angry or annoyed because of unfair treatment

   Sue became really indignant when her classmates implied that she might have stolen the money.

   Synonyms: resentful, discontented, dissatisfied, offended

   Origin: late 16th century: from Latin indignant- ‘regarding as unworthy’, from the verb indignari, from in- ‘not’ + dignus ‘worthy’

3. pretentious · adjective/priˈtɛn(t)ʃəs/

   behaving in a way that aims to impress other people, often in an artificial way

   Mila was pretentious and never missed an opportunity to brag about her own achievements.

   Synonyms: artificial, pompous

   Origin: mid 19th century: from French prétentieux, from prétention (see pretension)

4. unattainable · adjective/ˌənəˈteɪnəb(ə)l/

   impossible to achieve or get

   The biggest reason why most small businesses fail is that they are unrealistic and set unattainable goals.

   Synonyms: unreachable, unachievable, unobtainable

5. secluded · adjective/səˈkludəd/

   private and peaceful; away from other people

   We were dying to get away from the city and were able to find a perfectly secluded, dog-friendly cabin with a private deck!

   Synonyms: isolated, secret