personable, oblivious, mettlesome, decorous, defamatory: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Proficient set 62. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. personable · adjective/ˈpɜrsənəbl/

   having a pleasant and friendly demeanor

   The new teacher is very personable and makes all the students feel welcome.

   Synonyms: friendly, charming, appealing

   Origin: From Middle French 'personable' meaning 'having a good personality', derived from 'person' and the suffix '-able'.

2. oblivious · adjective/əˈblɪviəs/

   unaware or unconcerned about what is happening around one

   She was oblivious to the noise around her while she read her book.

   Synonyms: unaware, unmindful, ignorant

   Origin: from Latin 'obliviosus', meaning 'forgetful', from 'oblivisci' meaning 'to forget'

3. mettlesome · adjective/ˈmɛt(ə)ls(ə)m/

   having a spirit of courage and determination

   The mettlesome soldier bravely faced the enemy on the battlefield.

   Synonyms: brave, courageous, daring

   Origin: Middle English 'mettel' meaning 'spirit' or 'courage'

4. decorous · adjective/ˈdɛkərəs/

   showing proper behavior and good manners

   At the wedding, everyone was decorous and showed good manners during the ceremony.

   Synonyms: proper, polite, suitable

   Origin: from Latin 'decorus' meaning 'becoming, seemly, proper'

5. defamatory · adjective/dɪˈfæ.mə.tɔːr.i/

   tending to injure the reputation of another by false or misleading statements

   The article made defamatory claims about the actor's past, hurting his reputation.

   Synonyms: slanderous, libelous, damaging

   Origin: from late Latin 'defamare', meaning 'to defame'