gruff -
An impatient, rude, and unfriendly way of speaking
When Professor Barkley's students visited him at his house on his birthday, they could see that behind his usual gruff exterior was a kind and gentle man.
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smirk -
To smile in an uncomplimentary, self-satisfied way.
Jeremy's mother saw the smirk on his face when she asked him if he had finished his homework, and she knew immediately that he had no intention of doing it.
verb
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poke -
To prod or push something with a finger, stick, or other pointed object, often in a light or playful manner.
He poked the stick into the fire to watch the flames flare up.
noun
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guff -
Trivial, worthless, or insolent talk or ideas
Wanda couldn't take her date's guff as he kept on complaining about women's rights, so she tried to figure out an excuse to leave.
adjective
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nippy -
(of the weather) rather cold; chilly
Ryan tugged at his jacket to protect himself from the nippy winter weather.
verb
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relegate -
To move someone or something to a less important role or status.
He felt unfairly relegated to simple accounting tasks, despite his superior and varied qualifications and experience.
verb
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begrudge -
To envy someone else's good fortune
Anne didn't begrudge her younger sister's happiness when attending Sarah's graduation from Medical School.
adjective
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snide -
Making derogatory or mocking comments about someone in an indirect way
Molly had a bad habit of making snide and sarcastic comments about people she didn't like.
verb
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disrupt -
To interrupt the normal flow or process of something.
The sound of people screaming at each other outside the school disrupted the teacher’s lecture.
adjective
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brusque -
Abrupt or offhand in speech or manner
Dave was terrified of his boss, who would always speak to him in a brusque manner that made him feel small.
noun
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flak -
Strong criticism
The way Donald Trump lashes out at 'fake news' is an example of the way that he doesn't take flak from anyone.
noun
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quip -
A witty remark
Gabriel's stand-up comedy career took off when audiences saw how talented he was about making mildly insulting but funny quips about people.
