faithful, conscientious, skeptical, notorious, reliant: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Advanced set 37. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. faithful · adjective/ˈfeɪθfəl/

   loyal, committed

   Although the couple went through some tough times in their relationship, they have always remained faithful to each other.

   Synonyms: truthful, dedicated

2. conscientious · adjective/ˌkɑn(t)ʃiˈɛn(t)ʃəs/

   careful to do one's job well and properly all the time

   Jonathan has been considered a conscientious and dedicated father, who always did his best for his kids.

   Synonyms: diligent, meticulous, thorough

   Origin: early 17th century: from French consciencieux, from medieval Latin conscientiosus, from Latin conscientia (see conscience)

3. skeptical · adjective/ˈskɛptək(ə)l/

   lacking belief in something

   After his injury in the football game, the coach was quite skeptical of Bobby's ability to return to the team.

   Synonyms: suspicious, doubtful, disbelieving, distrustful

4. notorious · adjective/nəˈtɔriəs/

   famous in a bad way

   After the economic recession, the neighborhood gradually declined and became notorious for crime.

   Synonyms: infamous, disreputable

   Origin: late 15th century (in the sense ‘generally known’): from medieval Latin notorius (from Latin notus ‘known’) + -ous

5. reliant · adjective/rəˈlaɪənt/

   dependent on something or someone

   Nowadays, students are becoming increasingly reliant on the internet to complete their assignments.

   Synonyms: depending on