noun

1 of 60

Bad / Small

nub - A small lump or protuberance

To end a call when using old rotary phones, a person would have to place the phone down on the two nubs sticking out on top of the dial.

verb

2 of 60

Other / Inward

primp - To spend time making minor adjustments to one's hair, makeup, or clothes.

The groomsmen primped so much in the mirror that it seemed they were actually getting married.

noun

3 of 60

Bad / Stupid

lackey - A servant, especially a liveried footman or manservant

The king would assign small tasks to his lackey because others considered such work to be beneath him, and he knew it wouldn't look right if he did such things himself.

noun

4 of 60

Good / Smart

wonk - A person who takes an excessive interest in minor details of political policy

Rachel Maddow is a policy wonk on TV who walks her audience through the minor details of legislation and current events.

verb

5 of 60

Bad / Aggressive

oust - To drive out or expel (someone) from a position or place

Standing outside the university and waving their signs, the angry protestors demanded that the board oust the controversial dean.

adjective

6 of 60

Bad / Old

fusty - Smelling stale, damp, or stuffy

The old library had plenty of books but unfortunately it had a fusty smell that indicated its age.

adjective

7 of 60

Good / Flexible
Url

deft - Neatly skillful and quick in one's movements

The ballet dancers impressed everyone with their deft footwork.

noun

8 of 60

Good / Big

whopper - A thing that is extremely or unusually large

Weighing in at 30 pounds and containing thousands of pages, the ancient book would be considered a whopper by today's standards.

noun

9 of 60

Other / Shape

perch - A thing on which a bird alights or roosts, typically a branch or a horizontal rod or bar in a birdcage

Polly the parrot stood on its perch in the birdcage, carefully watching its surroundings.

verb

10 of 60

Bad / Small

skimp - To expend or use less time, money, or material on something than is necessary in an attempt to economize

When Dana saw the pizza only had tomato sauce and pepperoni, she knew the chef had skimped on the cheese.

verb

11 of 60

Good / New

revamp - To give new and improved form, structure, or appearance to something.

Every year, Apple revamps its iPhone line with a new model that has different features.

verb

12 of 60

Good / Busy

gallivant - To move from one place to another in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment

After he graduated high school, Damian decided to gallivant across Europe for a whole year instead of heading straight to college.