-ous

Usage

• impecunious

  Someone who is impecunious has very little money, especially over a long period of time.

• circuitous

  A circuitous route, journey, or piece of writing is long and complicated rather than simple and direct.

• supercilious

  If you behave in a supercilious way, you act as if you were more important or better than everyone else.

• homologous

  Things that are homologous are similar in structure, function, or value; these qualities may suggest or indicate a common ancestor or origin.

• superfluous

  Something that is superfluous is unnecessary; it is more than what is wanted or needed at the current time.

• scurrilous

  Scurrilous accusations, stories, or articles contain untrue, unkind, and unfair statements about someone that could spoil that person's reputation.

• ludicrous

  If you describe something as ludicrous, you mean that it is extremely silly, stupid, or just plain ridiculous.

• obstreperous

  Someone who is obstreperous is noisy, unruly, and difficult to control.

• meticulous

  Someone is considered meticulous when they act with careful attention to detail.

• propitious

  Something that is propitious shows favorable conditions.

• ingenuous

  People who are ingenuous are excessively trusting and believe almost everything that people tell them, especially because they have not had much life experience.

• impervious

  If you are impervious to things, such as someone's actions or words, you are not affected by them or do not notice them.

• disingenuous

  Someone who is disingenuous is not straightforward or is dishonest in what they say or do.

• raucous

  A raucous sound is unpleasantly loud, harsh, and noisy.

• amorphous

  Something that is amorphous has no clear shape, boundaries, or structure.

• mellifluous

  A mellifluous voice or piece of music is gentle and pleasant to listen to.

• garrulous

  A garrulous person talks a lot, especially about unimportant things.

• vociferous

  Someone who is vociferous expresses their opinions loudly and strongly because they want their views to be heard.

• decorous

  Decorous appearance or behavior is respectable, polite, and appropriate for a given occasion.

• arduous

  Something that is arduous is extremely difficult; hence, it involves a lot of effort.

• solicitous

  A person who is solicitous behaves in a way that shows great concern about someone's health, feelings, safety, etc.

• pusillanimous

  To be pusillanimous is to be cowardly.

• incongruous

  Something that is incongruous is strange when considered along with its group because it seems very different from the other things in its group.

• nebulous

  If you describe something as nebulous, you mean that it is unclear, vague, and not clearly defined; a shape that is nebulous has no clear boundaries.

• callous

  A callous person's attitude is cruel, uncaring, and shows no concern for others whatsoever.

• ambidextrous

  When a person is ambidextrous, they can use their left or right hand with equal skill.

• chivalrous

  A chivalrous man behaves in a polite, kind, generous, and honorable way, especially towards women.

• credulous

  A credulous person is very ready to believe what people tell them; therefore, they can be easily tricked or cheated.

• diaphanous

  A diaphanous cloth is thin enough to see through.

• fatuous

  If you think something, such as a statement or idea, is fatuous, you consider it stupid or extremely silly; a fatuous hope is unrealistic.

• vaporous

  Something that is vaporous is not completely formed but foggy and misty; in the same vein, a vaporous idea is insubstantial and vague.

• glutinous

  Something that is glutinous is thick and very sticky, often in an unpleasant way.

• fortuitous

  Something fortuitous happens purely by chance and produces a successful or pleasant result.

• indigenous

  Living things are indigenous to a region or country if they originated there, rather than coming from another area of the world.

• gratuitous

  If something is gratuitous, it is freely given; nevertheless, it is usually unnecessary and can be harmful or upsetting.

• analogous

  If one thing is analogous to another, a comparison can be made between the two because they are similar in some way.

• numinous

  Numinous objects or places seem spiritual or holy and possess a mysterious power that makes you feel that a spiritual being may be present.

• autonomous

  An autonomous person makes their own decisions without being influenced by anyone else; an autonomous country or organization is independent and has the power to govern itself.

• ubiquitous

  If something is ubiquitous, it seems to be everywhere.

• ravenous

  If you are ravenous, you are extremely hungry.

• spurious

  A spurious statement is false because it is not based on sound thinking; therefore, it is not what it appears to be.

• rapturous

  A rapturous feeling or reaction shows extreme pleasure, excitement, or happiness.

• querulous

  Someone who is querulous often complains about things in an annoying way.

• anonymous

  When someone wishes to remain anonymous, they do not reveal their name.

• extraneous

  Something that is extraneous is not relevant or connected to something else, or it is not essential to a given situation.

• heterogeneous

  A heterogeneous grouping is made up of many differing or unlike parts.

• ominous

  An ominous sign predicts or shows that something bad will happen in the near future.

• posthumous

  A posthumous award, often given to an author, is given only after the recipient has already died.

• precipitous

  A precipitous cliff or drop is very steep or falls sharply.

• synchronous

  Two acts that are synchronous occur at the same time.

• unanimous

  All people involved in a unanimous decision agree or are united in their opinion about something.

• vainglorious

  If you are vainglorious, you are very proud of yourself and let other people know about it.

• voluminous

  Something that is voluminous is long, large, or vast in size.

• rigorous

  A rigorous teacher expects a lot from their students; therefore, they can be strict with rules and demand that their students learn a lot of information.

• simultaneous

  Two events that are simultaneous happen at the same time.

• devious

  A devious person can act in a dishonest, tricky, or secretive way for their own purposes.

• porous

  A porous substance has many holes through which liquid can be absorbed, such as a sponge.

• fastidious

  Someone who is fastidious cares excessively about small details and wants to keep everything correct, tidy, very clean, and in perfect order.

• androgynous

  The adjective androgynous describes traits or characteristics that could be feminine or masculine; as a result, gender is not readily distinguishable.

• autochthonous

  Something autochthonous to an area is native or indigenous to it.

• adventurous

  An adventurous person loves trying new things or taking risks to make their life more exciting.

• obvious

  Something obvious is easy to see or simple to understand.

• enormous

  Something that is enormous is huge, giant, or very big.

• previous

  Something that happened at a previous time happened earlier or before the present time.

• tremendous

  Something tremendous is very big, really strong, amazing, or excellent.