Art Critique Vocabulary

adjective having a sour or sharp taste or character

• The acidulous taste of the lemonade was refreshing on a hot summer day.
• I can't stand the acidulous flavor of pineapple juice.
• That soda is way too acidulous for my liking.
• Her acidulous remarks left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth.

noun a negative mark or stain on one's reputation or record

• Receiving a black mark on your record can have serious consequences for your future employment prospects.
• Getting caught cheating on the exam will definitely give you a black mark with the professor.
• If you bail on me last minute, that's gonna be a black mark against your name.
• The scandal was a black mark on the company's reputation that took years to recover from.

adjective expressing disapproval or criticism

• Her deprecatory remarks towards her colleagues were not well received in the professional setting.
• I don't appreciate your deprecatory comments about my cooking skills.
• Stop being so deprecatory, it's not cool.
• His deprecatory attitude towards life is holding him back from achieving his goals.

noun a dull, uninteresting color or appearance

adjective lacking brightness or interest; drearily dull

• The office decor was quite drab, with neutral colors and minimal decoration.
• I'm tired of wearing drab colors every day, I need to add some more color to my wardrobe.
• That party was so drab, there was no music or energy at all.
• Her personality used to be so vibrant, but lately it seems a bit drab.

noun a person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type

• She was considered the epitome of elegance and grace at the ball.
• That new sports car is the epitome of cool.
• His new mixtape is the epitome of fire.
• The old oak tree in the park is the epitome of strength and resilience.

noun frivolous or unnecessary ornamentation or decoration

adjective relating to something characterized by frivolous or unnecessary decoration

• The royal family is known for their avoidance of frippery in their attire.
• I don't understand why she always wears so much frippery, it's too much.
• She's all about that frippery life, always decked out in the latest trends.
• His speech was filled with frippery, lacking any substance or real meaning.

noun a tactless or clumsy act

• Her gaucherie at the dinner party was quite noticeable, as she spilled her drink on the host's lap.
• I couldn't help but cringe at his gaucherie when he accidentally insulted the bride's dress.
• Man, her gaucherie was off the charts last night when she tripped and knocked over the entire dessert table.
• His gaucherie in handling the delicate situation only made matters worse, causing more tension among the group.

adjective impressive or magnificent in appearance or style

• The architect presented a grandiose design for the new city hall.
• She always has grandiose ideas for our weekend plans.
• That party was going to be so grandiose, but it got shut down by the cops.
• His grandiose dreams of becoming a famous actor kept him going through tough times.

adjective unwarranted or uncalled for; given or done free of charge

• The gratuitous violence in the movie was unnecessary and excessive.
• I can't stand all the gratuitous ads on this website.
• That movie had way too many gratuitous explosions, it was over the top.
• Her gratuitous compliments were thinly veiled attempts to gain favor.

adjective extremely unpleasant, ugly, or shocking in appearance

• The hideous statue was deemed inappropriate for public display.
• That dress is absolutely hideous, why would you wear it?
• His new car is so hideous, it's like a clown car.
• The hideous truth about the situation finally came to light.

adjective excessively critical; overly judgmental

• The professor was known for being hypercritical of his students' work.
• My mom can be so hypercritical about how I dress.
• Some people are just way too hypercritical for their own good.
• Her hypercritical attitude was like a dark cloud hanging over the office.

adverb In a manner that is perfectly clean, neat, or tidy; without any flaw or error.

• The house was immaculately clean, with not a speck of dust in sight.
• She always keeps her car immaculately maintained, inside and out.
• His outfit was immaculately on point for the party.
• The dancer moved across the stage with immaculately graceful movements.

adjective distorted or deformed in shape

• The misshapen vase was carefully crafted by the skilled artisan.
• That misshapen cake you baked still tastes delicious!
• His misshapen haircut made him the talk of the town.
• Her misshapen dreams were slowly reshaped into reality.

adverb to a small extent; somewhat

conjunction used to indicate that a statement is only approximately accurate or valid

• The project is expected to be completed in six months, give or take a few weeks, more or less.
• I think there were more or less 50 people at the party last night.
• She's more or less obsessed with that new TV show.
• His explanation was more or less like trying to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded.

adjective having such a strong effect that it is overwhelming

• The overpowering smell of the flowers filled the entire room.
• The perfume she was wearing was so overpowering, I could hardly breathe.
• That spicy dish was so overpowering, it blew my taste buds away.
• The team's overpowering offense led them to victory in the championship game.

noun the state or quality of being childishly silly or immature

• The puerility of his behavior was evident in the way he refused to take responsibility for his actions.
• His puerility really showed when he started throwing a tantrum over not getting his favorite dessert.
• I can't believe the level of puerility he displayed when he started a fight over a video game.
• The puerility of their arguments was like watching children squabble over toys.

noun the action of driving back an attacking force

verb to drive back or force to retreat; to disgust or repel

• The gruesome scene in the horror movie was enough to repulse even the bravest of viewers.
• I can't stand the smell of that food, it totally repulses me.
• That guy's attitude really repulses me, he's so full of himself.
• The idea of working overtime repulses me like nothing else.

adjective lacking vitality or energy; dull; lifeless

• The sapless tree stood bare in the winter landscape.
• That plant looks so sapless, maybe it needs more water.
• The sapless flowers in the garden are looking pretty sad.
• His speech was sapless, lacking any real substance or depth.

adjective showy but cheap and of poor quality; morally low; base or vulgar

• The tawdry decorations at the event did not reflect the elegance of the occasion.
• I can't believe she bought that tawdry dress for the party.
• That tawdry jewelry she's wearing looks so cheap.
• His tawdry behavior at the meeting was embarrassing for everyone involved.

adjective relating to the viscera

• The artist's use of color and texture evoked a visceral response from the viewers.
• Watching that horror movie gave me a visceral reaction.
• The music was so intense, it gave me a visceral vibe.
• The novel's vivid descriptions painted a visceral picture in my mind.

adjective describing someone or something that appears unwell or unhealthy in appearance

• The ill-looking patient was immediately taken to the emergency room for further examination.
• I saw an ill-looking stray cat on my way to work this morning.
• That guy at the party last night was seriously ill-looking.
• The ill-looking sky signaled an approaching storm.

adjective having an excessively proud or haughty attitude; arrogant or disdainful

• The orgulous queen refused to bow before anyone.
• She always acts so orgulous, like she's better than everyone else.
• That orgulous guy thinks he's the shit.
• His orgulous attitude was like a shield, protecting him from criticism.

adjective having strong sexual desire; lustful

• The novel explores the complex nature of human desire, delving into the characters' concupiscent tendencies.
• She couldn't help but feel concupiscent whenever he was around.
• That movie is so steamy, it's full of concupiscent scenes.
• His concupiscent appetite for success drove him to work tirelessly towards his goals.

noun a certain degree or extent; somewhat

adverb to some extent; in a way

• The project was completed after a sort of restructuring within the team.
• I guess we finished the job after a sort of reshuffling things around.
• We managed to fix the issue after a sort of mix-up.
• She found her way back to happiness after a sort of dark period in her life.