avaricious, facetious, munificent, contentious, cataclysmic: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Word Master set 86. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. avaricious · adjective/ˌæv.əˈrɪʃ.əs/

   having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain

   The avaricious businessman only cared about making more money, even if it hurt others.

   Synonyms: greedy, covetous, materialistic

   Origin: from Latin 'avaritia' meaning 'greed'

2. facetious · adjective/fəˈsiːʧəs/

   treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor

   When he joked about the serious accident, everyone thought he was being facetious about the situation.

   Synonyms: flippant, jokey, funny

   Origin: from Latin 'facetia' meaning 'jest' or 'humor'

3. munificent · adjective/mjuˈnɪfɪsənt/

   very generous or liberal in giving

   The munificent donation from the rich man helped the school buy new books and supplies.

   Synonyms: generous, giving, charitable

   Origin: from Latin 'munificus', meaning 'generous' or 'bountiful'

4. contentious · adjective/kənˈtɛn.ʃəs/

   causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial

   The school board had a contentious debate about the new rules for students.

   Synonyms: argumentative, controversial, disputable

   Origin: from Latin 'contentiosus', meaning 'contending, disputing'

5. cataclysmic · adjective/ˌkæt.əˈklɪz.mɪk/

   relating to a violent and sudden change or upheaval

   The earthquake caused cataclysmic changes to the city's landscape.

   Synonyms: disastrous, catastrophic, tumultuous

   Origin: From the Greek word 'kataklysmos', meaning 'a flood' or 'a disaster'.