Critique Terminology

adjective lacking in vitality, force, or conviction; uninspired or uninspiring

• The lackluster performance of the stock market has investors worried.
• The movie received lackluster reviews from critics.
• The party was pretty lackluster, not much going on.
• Her lackluster attitude towards the project is holding back its progress.

adjective causing laughter; amusing or funny

• The idea that such a prestigious company would make such a mistake is laughable.
• His attempt at cooking dinner was laughable, but we appreciated the effort.
• The way she tried to dance was absolutely laughable!
• The politician's promises were so empty, they were laughable.

adjective having a sentimental or overly emotional quality

• The mawkish sentimentality of the film was criticized by many reviewers.
• I can't stand all the mawkish stuff in romantic comedies.
• That movie was so mawkish, I almost cried.
• His mawkish attempts at flattery were transparent to everyone.

adjective of only moderate quality; not very good

• The quality of the product was mediocre, falling short of our expectations.
• The movie we watched last night was pretty mediocre, nothing special.
• I tried out that new restaurant everyone's been talking about, but honestly, it was just mediocre.
• Her performance in the play was mediocre at best, lacking the passion and energy we were hoping for.

adjective a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it

• The overrefined decor of the mansion was a testament to the owner's impeccable taste.
• I think the overrefined menu at that restaurant is a bit too fancy for my liking.
• Her outfit was so overrefined, it looked like she was trying too hard to impress.
• His overrefined manners made it difficult for others to connect with him on a personal level.

adjective An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. In this case, 'unimpressive' describes something that does not make a strong or favorable impact.

• The candidate's performance during the interview was unimpressive.
• The movie we saw last night was pretty unimpressive.
• That new restaurant everyone is talking about? It's totally unimpressive.
• His attempt to impress her with his cooking skills was unimpressive at best.

adjective lacking liveliness, animation, or interest; dull

• The vapid speech failed to capture the attention of the audience.
• I can't stand listening to her vapid conversations.
• Her Instagram feed is so vapid, it's just full of selfies.
• The vapid atmosphere in the room made it hard to breathe.

adjective not serious or lacking seriousness; not showing serious intent or concern

• His unserious attitude towards work is affecting the productivity of the team.
• Stop being so unserious all the time and focus on what needs to be done.
• She's always acting unserious, it's starting to annoy me.
• His unserious approach to life is like walking a tightrope without a safety net.