garish, gaunt, vociferous, obdurate, venal: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Proficient Plus set 66. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. garish · adjective/ˈɡɛr.ɪʃ/

   tastelessly bright and showy

   The garish colors of the carnival made it hard to focus on anything else.

   Synonyms: flashy, gaudy, showy

   Origin: from Middle English 'garish', possibly from Old French 'garir' meaning to make ready or adorn

2. gaunt · adjective/ɡɔnt/

   very thin and bony, especially because of suffering or hunger

   The gaunt child looked for food after days without eating.

   Synonyms: thin, bony, emaciated

   Origin: Middle English 'gante', from Old French 'gant', meaning 'to be thin or lean'

3. vociferous · adjective/voʊˈsɪf.ɚ.əs/

   expressing feelings or opinions in a loud and forceful manner

   The vociferous crowd cheered loudly for their team during the game.

   Synonyms: noisy, loud, boisterous

   Origin: from the Latin 'vociferari', meaning 'to shout, to yell'

4. obdurate · adjective/ˈɑb.dʒə.rət/

   stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action

   Despite everyone's advice, he remained obdurate about his decision to quit the job.

   Synonyms: stubborn, unyielding, inflexible

   Origin: from Latin 'obduratus', meaning 'hardened'

5. venal · adjective/ˈviː.nəl/

   susceptible to bribery or corruption

   The venal official took money to ignore the building code violations.

   Synonyms: corrupt, bribable, unprincipled

   Origin: from Latin 'venalis' meaning 'for sale', from 'venum' meaning 'sale'