Ethical Behavior Vocabulary

noun a pattern of alternating squares or rectangles in two or more colors

adjective having a pattern of alternating squares or rectangles in two or more colors

• The checkered pattern on the tablecloth added a touch of elegance to the dining room.
• I love wearing my checkered shirt on casual Fridays.
• That car with the checkered paint job looks sick!
• His checkered past made it difficult for him to find a job.

verb to cause someone to believe something that is not true

adjective giving a false impression

• The magician was skilled at deceiving the audience with his sleight of hand tricks.
• I can't believe she was deceiving us this whole time about her true intentions.
• I thought he was my friend, but he was just deceiving me the whole time.
• The calm surface of the lake was deceiving, hiding the strong currents below.

adjective showing a lack of consideration or respect

• His disregardful attitude towards safety regulations was concerning.
• She was completely disregardful of the rules and ended up getting in trouble.
• Don't be so disregardful, dude, you could get hurt!
• His disregardful behavior towards her feelings left her heartbroken.

adjective having or showing excessive self-esteem or arrogance; full of pride

• She was often described as prideful, always holding her head high and speaking confidently.
• He's a bit too prideful for my liking, always boasting about his accomplishments.
• Don't be so prideful, no one likes a show-off.
• His prideful attitude was like a shield, hiding his insecurities from the world.

verb to abstain or hold oneself back from doing something

• The company policy prohibits employees from refraining from wearing proper safety gear.
• I suggest refraining from talking about politics at the dinner table.
• Dude, you should totally refrain from hitting up your ex, it's not worth it.
• Sometimes refraining from saying anything is the best way to avoid unnecessary conflict.

verb to inform on someone or reveal their wrongdoing

preposition used to indicate that someone has informed on someone else or revealed their wrongdoing

• I cannot tell on my coworker for making a mistake without concrete evidence.
• Don't worry, I won't tell on you for sneaking out of the party early.
• If you tell on me to the teacher, I'll never forgive you!
• Sometimes our conscience tells on us when we try to hide our mistakes.

noun the quality or state of being without thought or consideration; lack of mindfulness or awareness

• The accident was caused by the driver's thoughtlessness.
• I can't believe his thoughtlessness led to such a mess.
• Her thoughtlessness really messed things up.
• His thoughtlessness was like a wrecking ball in our plans.

adjective showing a lack of generosity; mean or selfish

• Her ungenerous donation to the charity was met with disappointment.
• I thought it was ungenerous of him to only give me a small piece of cake.
• She's so ungenerous, she never shares her snacks with anyone.
• His ungenerous attitude towards sharing his ideas stifled creativity in the team.

adjective describing someone or something that is not telling the truth

• The witness was accused of being untruthful during the trial.
• I don't trust him, he's always so untruthful.
• Don't listen to her, she's just spouting untruthful nonsense.
• His smile was untruthful, hiding the sadness in his eyes.

adjective showing a lack of good sense or judgment; foolish.

• It would be unwise to make such a hasty decision without considering all the facts.
• It's unwise to skip breakfast if you want to have enough energy for the day.
• Dude, it's totally unwise to mess with that guy, he's got a short temper.
• Choosing to ignore the warning signs is like walking down a dark alley alone at night - completely unwise.

noun a person who fails to honor a debt or obligation, especially by not paying a bet or wager

verb to fail to honor a debt or obligation, especially by not paying a bet or wager

• The company decided to welch on their promise to provide health insurance benefits.
• I can't believe he welched on our bet!
• Don't be a welcher and pay up like you promised.
• She welched on her responsibilities and left the project unfinished.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

pronoun a word that takes the place of a noun

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

article a word that is used to specify or limit a noun

• One's personal finances should be none of someone's business.
• Hey, my dating life is none of your business!
• Mind your own beeswax, my plans for the weekend are none of your business.
• Her decision to quit her job is her own, it should be none of our business.