Eating Out
Opposite adjectives side by side, with plain definitions and real examples.
laid-back vs stuffy
laid-back
relaxed and informal; nobody minds what you wear
We ate at a laid-back beach shack where everyone was in flip-flops.
stuffy
too formal and serious to feel comfortable
That stuffy steakhouse makes you wear a jacket, so we're going somewhere else.
buzzing vs dead
buzzing
full of people, noise and energy
The ramen bar is always buzzing on Friday nights, with a line out the door.
dead
very quiet, with hardly any customers
The café was dead when we walked in, so we had our pick of tables.
courteous vs rude
courteous
polite and respectful, even when things go wrong
Our waiter stayed courteous after my son knocked a glass of juice across the table.
rude
not polite; showing no respect for others
The host was rude to us, rolling his eyes when we asked for a window seat.
piping hot vs stone-cold
piping hot
very hot, straight from the kitchen
The dumplings will come out piping hot, so let them cool for a minute.
stone-cold
completely cold, when it should be warm
My soup arrived stone-cold, so I sent it back to the kitchen.
hearty vs meager
hearty
big, warm and filling
After a morning of skiing, we each ordered a hearty bowl of beef stew.
meager
too small to be satisfying
The new bistro serves meager portions, like three shrimp on a huge white plate.
juicy vs dry
juicy
full of juice and flavor
She bit into a juicy burger, and sauce ran down her wrist.
dry
lacking moisture, so it's hard to chew
The chicken was so dry that I needed a whole glass of water to get it down.
reasonable vs overpriced
reasonable
fair and not too expensive
The lunch special is reasonable: soup, a sandwich and a drink for under ten dollars.
overpriced
costing much more than it's worth
The airport café charged us fifteen dollars for two tiny coffees, which is totally overpriced.
memorable vs forgettable
memorable
so good you'll remember it for years
Our anniversary dinner on the rooftop, under the string lights, was truly memorable.
forgettable
so ordinary that you soon forget it
The pasta was forgettable; by the next morning I couldn't remember what sauce it had.