shortchanged -
To treat someone unfairly, by giving them less than they deserve
Bill felt he had been shortchanged by life, because he was born poor, and was orphaned at the age of 2.
adjective
182 of 1395
Bad /
Disorganized
audio
ramshackle -
(especially of a house or vehicle) in a state of severe disrepair
The ramshackle house was in such poor shape that nobody was allowed to live there anymore.
verb
183 of 1395
Bad /
Small
audio
tweak -
To twist or pull something with a small sharp movement
Mechanics use wrenches to tweak the various parts of a car.
verb
184 of 1395
Bad /
Aggressive
Picture
audio
preempt -
To take the place of something or someone by acting before they do.
He tried to preempt any objections by anticipating and addressing their concerns right away.
adjective
185 of 1395
Bad /
Old
audio
stodgy -
Having old-fashioned opinions and attitudes
Mary knows that her grandchildren regard her as just a stodgy old woman, but she thinks their 'free' ways are dangerous and fool-hardy.
noun
186 of 1395
Bad /
Delay
Picture
audio
backlog -
A quantity of work that should have been done already, but has not yet been done
When Bill got back from his vacation, there was such a backlog of work to catch up on, that he had to work until 10pm every night for a month to catch up.
adjective
187 of 1395
Bad /
Weak
audio
wimpy -
Fearful and lacking courage
Sam took boxing lessons, hoping that it would strengthen him physically and emotionally, so he could improve his generally wimpy attitude towards challenging situations.
adjective
188 of 1395
Bad /
Unhappy
audio
wistful -
Having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing
Sipping her coffee after a hard day's work, Becky was wistful about her life before all of the stress.
verb
189 of 1395
Bad /
Aggressive
Picture
audio
confiscate -
To take something away from someon, or seize property, as a penalty or punishment.
The authorities confiscated the illegal goods at the border
nounverb noun
See verb
190 of 1395
Bad /
Small
audio
peek -
A quick and typically furtive look
Before the play started, Jake took a peek at the audience sitting in their seats.
verb
191 of 1395
Bad /
Aggressive
audio
oust -
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.
nounverb noun
See verb
192 of 1395
Bad /
Weak
audio
wobble -
An unsteady movement from side to side
When a baby first learns to walk, its steps look more like an unsteady wobble.
