wistful, zealot, jubilant, gritty, surly: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Word Master set 76. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. wistful · adjective/ˈwɪstfəl/

   having a feeling of vague or regretful longing

   She looked at the old photos with a wistful smile, remembering the happy times.

   Synonyms: longing, nostalgic, yearning

   Origin: from Middle English wistful, meaning 'thoughtful, pensive', derived from wist (old past participle of witen, meaning 'to know')

2. zealot · noun/ˈzɛlət/

   a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals

   The political zealot expressed his views loudly at the rally, showing no interest in any other opinions.

   Synonyms: fanatic, extremist, radical

   Origin: The word 'zealot' comes from the Greek 'zēlōtēs', meaning 'one who is zealous'.

3. jubilant · adjective/ˈdʒuː.bɪ.lənt/

   feeling or expressing great joy or triumph

   The children were jubilant when they won the soccer game.

   Synonyms: joyful, elated, happy

   Origin: from Latin 'jubilans', present participle of 'jubilare', meaning 'to shout for joy'

4. gritty · adjective/ˈɡrɪti/

   having a rough, coarse texture or quality

   The gritty texture of the old stone made it hard to climb.

   Synonyms: rough, coarse, grainy

   Origin: From Middle English 'grit', meaning small hard particles, related to Old English 'grit' and the Proto-Germanic word 'grits' meaning 'sand, gravel'.

5. surly · adjective/ˈsɜrli/

   bad-tempered and unfriendly

   The surly man at the store yelled at everyone who tried to ask him a question.

   Synonyms: grumpy, rude, unfriendly

   Origin: Middle English, from 'sour' or 'sore', possibly derived from Latin 'soror' (sister), influenced by Old Norse 'surligr' meaning 'sullen' or 'grumpy'.