balky

• adamant
• adamantine
• averse
• bad
• contrary
• contumacious
• defiant
• discourteous
• disobedient
• disorderly
• disrespectful
• dissident
• dogged
• errant
• fractious
• froward
• hardheaded
• headstrong
• hesitant
• ill-bred
• ill-mannered
• ill-natured
• immovable
• impertinent
• implacable
• impolite
• impudent
• incompliant
• inconsiderate
• indisposed
• inflexible
• insolent
• insubordinate
• insurgent
• intractable
• loath
• misbehaving
• mischievous
• monkeying
• monkeyish
• mulish
• mutinous
• naughty
• negative
• negativistic
• nonconformist
• noncooperative
• obdurate
• obstinate
• obstreperous
• opinionated
• ornery
• peevish
• pertinacious
• perverse
• pigheaded
• rebel
• rebellious
• recalcitrant
• recusant
• refractory
• reluctant
• resistant
• restive
• rigid
• rude
• self-willed
• stubborn
• unbending
• uncivil
• uncompromising
• uncontrollable
• uncooperative
• uncouth
• undisciplined
• ungovernable
• ungracious
• unmanageable
• unmannerly
• unpredictable
• unrelenting
• unruly
• untoward
• unyielding
• wayward
• wild
• wilful
• willful
• wrongheaded

• acquiescent
• agreeable
• amenable
• amiable
• behaved
• biddable
• compliant
• conformable
• controllable
• cooperative
• courteous
• decorous
• deferential
• disciplined
• docile
• governable
• kowtowing
• manageable
• mannerly
• obedient
• obliging
• obsequious
• orderly
• polite
• proper
• respectful
• ruly
• servile
• slavish
• submissive
• subservient
• tractable
• trainable
• well-bred
• yielding

• adjective
  1. Refusing to proceed or cooperate.

• The old computer was balky and slow, taking ages to load even simple programs.
• The balky engine sputtered and stalled every time the car reached a steep incline.
• Despite its sleek appearance, the new smartphone proved to be balky, often freezing up unexpectedly.
• The balky door latch made it difficult to close the gate securely, causing frustration for the homeowner.
• She found the balky zipper on her jacket irritating, struggling to zip it up smoothly every time.

abrogating

• abating
• abolishing
• aborting
• adverse
• against
• annihilating
• annulling
• antagonistic
• anti
• avoiding
• balky
• banning
• breaking down
• calling
• calling off
• canceling
• cancelling
• colorless
• con
• contrary
• contravening
• counteractive
• countermanding
• cynical
• denying
• detrimental
• disallowing
• disannulling
• disavowing
• dismissing
• dissentient
• dissenting
• dissolving
• doing away with
• dropping
• eliminating
• enjoining
• eradicating
• erasing
• forbidding
• gainsaying
• gloomy
• impugning
• invalidating
• jaundiced
• liquidating
• naysaying
• negating
• neutralizing
• nugatory
• nullifying
• nulling
• opposing
• outlawing
• overriding
• overruling
• overturning
• pessimistic
• privative
• prohibiting
• quashing
• recalling
• recusant
• refusing
• rejecting
• removed
• removing
• repealing
• repugnant
• rescinding
• resisting
• resistive
• retracting
• reversing
• revoking
• rolling back
• setting aside
• striking down
• suspending
• throwing out
• unaffirmative
• unenthusiastic
• unfavorable
• uninterested
• unwilling
• vacating
• vetoing
• voiding
• weak
• withdrawing
• writing off

bad

• abhorrent
• abominable
• abominably
• abomination
• abysmal
• abysmally
• achy
• acrid
• acrimonious
• acute
• addled
• admirable
• adverse
• afflicted
• aggravating
• aggrieved
• agonized
• ailing
• airsick
• amiss
• anathema
• anguished
• annoying
• appalling
• arch
• atrocious
• atrociously
• atrociousness
• atrocity
• awe-inspiring
• awful
• awfully
• babyish
• badass
• badly
• badness
• baleful
• balefulness
• balky
• baneful
• banned
• bargain-basement
• barred
• base
• bastard
• beastly
• below par
• bilious
• bitchy
• bitter
• black
• blamable
• blameworthy
• bleak
• blemished
• blue
• broken
• brokenhearted
• brummagem
• brutal
• bum
• bush
• bush-league
• cancer
• canker
• careless
• carsick
• cast down
• catty
• caustic
• censurable
• challenged
• cheap
• cheapjack
• cheeky
• cheerless
• cheesy
• childish
• coarse
• comfortless
• common
• condemned
• conscience-stricken
• contagious
• contaminated
• contemptible
• contemptuous
• contrary
• contrite
• cool
• corroded
• corrupt
• corrupted
• corruption
• counterfeit
• crappy
• crestfallen
• criminal
• crippled
• critical
• cruddy
• cruel
• crumbled
• crumby
• crummy
• curdled
• cursed
• curst
• cussed
• cut-rate
• damaged
• damaging
• damnable
• damnably
• dangerous
• dark
• darkening
• darkness
• deadly
• debased
• debauched
• debauchery
• debilitated
• decay
• decayed
• decaying
• decomposed
• decomposing
• decrepit
• defaced
• defective
• defiant
• deficient
• deficiently
• defiled
• defiling
• degeneracy
• degenerate
• degenerated
• dejected
• deleterious
• delinquent
• deplorable
• deplorably
• depraved
• depravedness
• depravity
• deprecating
• depressed
• depressing
• derogatory
• desolate
• despairing
• despicable
• despiteful
• despondent
• destructive
• deteriorated
• detestable
• detestably
• detrimental
• devastating
• devilishness
• devilry
• deviltry
• devious
• diabolism
• difficult
• dirty
• disabled
• disadvantageous
• disagreeable
• disallowed
• disappointed
• disastrous
• disastrously
• disconsolate
• discouraged
• discouraging
• disdainful
• diseased
• disfigured
• disgraceful
• disgusting
• disheartened
• dishonest
• dishonorable
• disintegrated
• disintegrating
• dismal
• disobedient
• disobliging
• disordered
• disorderly
• disparaging
• dispirited
• displeasing
• disreputable
• disrespectful
• dissatisfactory
• dissolute
• distasteful
• distressed
• distressing
• dizzy
• doleful
• dolorous
• down
• down in the mouth
• downcast
• downhearted
• dreadful
• dreadfully
• drear
• dreary
• droopy
• egregious
• egregiously
• el cheapo
• elegiac
• elegiacal
• elfish
• enormity
• envious
• errant
• erring
• erroneous
• evil
• evil-minded
• evildoing
• evilness
• execrable
• execrably
• extreme
• fake
• fallen
• fallible
• fatal
• faulty
• feeble
• fermented
• feverish
• fiendishness
• fierce
• flagrant
• flagrantly
• flashy
• flawed
• forbidden
• forlorn
• foul
• fouled
• fragile
• frail
• from hunger
• froward
• funereal
• galling
• gangrenous
• garish
• gaudy
• ghastly
• gimcrack
• glitzy
• gloomy
• glum
• gnarly
• god-awful
• godawful
• grand
• grave
• gray
• grey
• grieving
• grim
• gross
• grossly
• guilty
• half-assed
• halt
• hangdog
• harmed
• harmful
• harsh
• hateful
• hazardous
• headstrong
• heartbroken
• heartsick
• heartsore
• heavyhearted
• heinousness
• hellish
• hideous
• hopeless
• horrendous
• horrendously
• horrible
• horribly
• horrid
• horrifically
• hostile
• hurt
• hurtful
• hypochondriac
• hypochondriacal
• icky
• ignoble
• ill
• ill-behaved
• ill-mannered
• ill-natured
• illegal
• immature
• immoral
• immorality
• impaired
• imperfect
• imperiling
• imperilling
• impish
• impolite
• imposing
• impressive
• improper
• impudent
• impure
• in pain
• inadequate
• inadequately
• inappropriately
• incapacitated
• incomplete
• inconsiderate
• inconsolable
• incorrect
• incorrectly
• indecency
• indecent
• indecently
• indecorous
• indifferent
• indisposed
• ineffective
• ineffectual
• infamous
• infantile
• infectious
• infective
• inferior
• inferiorly
• infernal
• infirm
• inimical
• iniquitous
• iniquitousness
• iniquity
• injured
• injurious
• inoperative
• insidious
• insolent
• insufficient
• insufficiently
• insurgent
• intense
• interdicted
• intimidating
• intolerably
• intractable
• invalid
• invidious
• irreverent
• irritating
• jaundiced
• jealous
• jejune
• jeopardizing
• joyless
• junky
• juvenile
• kiddish
• killer
• kitsch
• kitschy
• knavish
• lachrymose
• lacking
• lackluster
• lame
• lesser
• lethal
• libertine
• light-headed
• loathsome
• loose
• lousily
• lousy
• low
• low-grade
• low-minded
• low-rent
• low-spirited
• lugubrious
• malefaction
• malevolent
• malicious
• malign
• malignant
• marred
• meager
• meagerly
• meagre
• mean
• mean-spirited
• meanly
• mediocre
• melancholic
• melancholy
• menacing
• meretricious
• mighty
• mildewy
• misbehaving
• mischievous
• miscreant
• miserable
• miserably
• miserly
• moldering
• moldy
• monkeying
• monkeyish
• morbid
• morose
• mournful
• murky
• mutinous
• nasty
• naughtily
• naughty
• nauseated
• nauseating
• nauseous
• nefarious
• negative
• niggardly
• nocuous
• noisome
• nonbinding
• nonvalid
• noxious
• nugatory
• null
• null and void
• objectionable
• obnoxious
• obscene
• obstreperous
• odious
• odiously
• off
• offensive
• ominous
• on the blink
• opprobrious
• ornery
• ostentatious
• out of sorts
• outlawed
• painful
• paltry
• parlous
• pathetic
• peaked
• peaky
• perilous
• pernicious
• perverse
• perversion
• perverted
• pervertedness
• pestiferous
• pestilent
• pestilential
• phoney
• phony
• pixieish
• plaintive
• poisonous
• polluted
• poor
• poorly
• poxy
• prankish
• prejudicial
• prohibited
• proscribed
• puerile
• punk
• putrefied
• putrefying
• putrescent
• putrid
• qualmish
• queasy
• queazy
• rancid
• rancorous
• rank
• rascally
• rebellious
• recalcitrant
• refractory
• regretful
• remorseful
• repellant
• repellent
• reprehensible
• reprehensibly
• reprobate
• repugnant
• repulsive
• resentful
• restive
• revolting
• revulsive
• risky
• roguish
• rot
• rotten
• rottenly
• rotting
• rowdy
• rubbishy
• rude
• rueful
• ruffianly
• ruinous
• run-down
• sad
• saddened
• sassy
• satanism
• saturnine
• scandalous
• scantily
• scantly
• scanty
• scathing
• schlock
• schlocky
• scornful
• scoundrelly
• scrofulous
• scurrility
• scurrilous
• scurrilousness
• scurvy
• seamy
• seasick
• second-class
• second-rate
• seedy
• selfish
• serious
• severe
• shabbily
• shabby
• shaky
• sham
• shameful
• shlock
• shlocky
• shocking
• shoddily
• shoddy
• short
• showy
• sick
• sickened
• sickening
• sickish
• sickly
• sin
• sinful
• sinfulness
• sinister
• skimp
• skimpily
• skimpy
• sleazily
• sleazy
• slipshod
• sly
• snakelike
• snide
• snotty
• somber
• sombre
• sordid
• sorrowful
• sorry
• sour
• soured
• sourish
• spare
• sparely
• spiteful
• splashy
• spoiled
• squalor
• squeamish
• stingily
• stingy
• stinky
• suboptimal
• subpar
• substandard
• sucky
• suicidal
• sullen
• sunk
• supercheap
• swank
• swanky
• symptomatic
• taboo
• tabu
• tacky
• tainted
• tawdry
• tearful
• terrible
• terribly
• thoughtless
• threatening
• tough
• toxic
• transgressing
• trashily
• trashy
• troubled
• troublesome
• troubling
• trumpery
• turned
• ugly
• ultracheap
• unacceptable
• unacceptably
• unauthorized
• unbearably
• unbecoming
• unclean
• uncongenial
• uncontrollable
• uncouth
• under par
• under the weather
• uneasy
• unethical
• unfavorable
• unfortunate
• unfriendly
• ungodly
• ungovernable
• unhappy
• unhealthful
• unhealthy
• unholy
• unkind
• unkindly
• unlawful
• unlovely
• unloving
• unmannerly
• unpalatable
• unpleasant
• unpleasing
• unprincipled
• unquiet
• unrighteous
• unruly
• unsafe
• unsatisfactorily
• unsatisfactory
• unsavory
• unscrupulous
• unseemly
• unsound
• unspeakable
• unspeakably
• unsuitably
• untoward
• unwelcome
• unwell
• unwholesome
• upset
• upsetting
• useless
• valueless
• venomous
• vexatious
• vexing
• vicious
• vile
• vilely
• vileness
• villainous
• villainy
• vindictive
• virulent
• vitiated
• vitriolic
• void
• vulgar
• vulgarly
• wack
• waggish
• wailing
• wanting
• wayward
• weak
• weakly
• weeping
• wicked
• wickedness
• wild
• wilful
• willful
• woebegone
• woeful
• woozy
• worried
• worthless
• wretched
• wretchedly
• wrong
• wrongheaded
• yucky
• yukky

gainsaying

• abjuration
• abnegation
• about-face
• abrogating
• abrogation
• abstaining
• adjuration
• adversarial
• adverse
• against
• against the grain
• allergic
• annulling
• annulment
• antagonistic
• anti
• antipathetic
• antithesis
• antithetical
• antonym
• antonymous
• at cross-purposes
• at odds
• averse
• backpedaling
• backtracking
• balky
• battling
• blank
• brush-off
• bucking
• cancellation
• challenging
• clashing
• cold shoulder
• colorless
• combating
• con
• conflict
• conflicting
• confronting
• confutation
• confuting
• contesting
• contradicting
• contradiction
• contrary
• contravening
• contravention
• contraversion
• controversion
• controverting
• converse
• counter
• counteractive
• crossing
• cynical
• declination
• defending
• defensive
• defiance
• denial
• denying
• detrimental
• difference
• disaffirmance
• disaffirmation
• disaffirming
• disagreeing
• disagreement
• disallowance
• disallowing
• disapproval
• disavowal
• disavowing
• disclaimer
• disclaiming
• disconfirming
• discrepancy
• dismissing
• disowning
• disproof
• disproving
• dispute
• disputed
• disputing
• dissension
• dissent
• dissentient
• dissenting
• enemy
• exposing
• facing
• fighting
• forget it
• forswearing
• gloomy
• hostile
• impugning
• in opposition
• incompatible
• incongruity
• inconsistency
• inimical
• invalidating
• inverse
• irreconcilable
• jaundiced
• nay
• naysaying
• negating
• negation
• negative
• negativing
• negatory
• neutralization
• neutralizing
• nix
• no
• nonacceptance
• noncommittal
• nonexistence
• nothingness
• nugatory
• nullification
• nullifying
• nullity
• objecting
• obstructive
• opposed
• opposing
• opposite
• opposition
• palinode
• pessimistic
• privative
• prohibition
• proscription
• protestation
• protesting
• questioning
• rebuff
• rebuttal
• rebutting
• recall
• recantation
• recusant
• refraining
• refusal
• refusing
• refutal
• refutation
• refuting
• rejecting
• rejection
• removed
• renegement
• reneging
• renouncement
• renouncing
• renunciation
• repelling
• repudiating
• repudiation
• repugnant
• repulse
• resisting
• resistive
• restrictive
• retractation
• retraction
• reversal
• reverse
• revocation
• rival
• statement
• statement abnegation
• traversing
• turndown
• unaffirmative
• unenthusiastic
• unfavorable
• uninterested
• unsaying
• unwilling
• up against
• vacuity
• veto
• void
• volte-face
• warring
• weak
• withdrawal

naughty

• adult
• annoying
• arch
• babyish
• bad
• badly behaved
• balky
• bawdy
• blue
• childish
• contrary
• corrupt
• defiant
• dirty
• disobedient
• disobliging
• disorderly
• disrespectful
• dissolute
• elfish
• errant
• evil
• exasperating
• fiendish
• fractious
• froward
• headstrong
• hot
• ill-mannered
• ill-natured
• immature
• impish
• impolite
• improper
• impudent
• inconsiderate
• indecorous
• infantile
• insolent
• insubordinate
• insurgent
• intractable
• jejune
• juvenile
• kiddish
• knavish
• lascivious
• lewd
• loose
• misbehaving
• mischievous
• monkeying
• monkeyish
• mutinous
• obstreperous
• off-color
• ornery
• perverse
• pixieish
• playful
• pornographic
• prankish
• puerile
• purple
• rascally
• raunchy
• rebellious
• recalcitrant
• refractory
• restive
• ribald
• roguish
• rough
• rowdy
• rude
• ruffianly
• selfish
• sinful
• steamy
• teasing
• thoughtless
• tough
• transgressing
• uncontrollable
• uncouth
• ungovernable
• unkind
• unkindly
• unmanageable
• unmannerly
• unruly
• untoward
• waggish
• wanton
• wayward
• wicked
• wild
• wilful
• willful
• worthless
• wrong
• wrongheaded

negative

• abjure
• abrogating
• acrimonious
• adversarial
• adversary
• adverse
• against
• albatross
• annul
• annulling
• antagonistic
• anti
• antipathetic
• antipode
• antisocial
• antithesis
• antonym
• argumentative
• avoid
• back down
• back off
• backtrack
• bad
• baleful
• balky
• ban
• baneful
• bar
• bellicose
• belligerent
• biased
• bitter
• blackball
• blacklist
• blow off
• bypass
• calumnious
• catch
• challenge
• check
• clashing
• clog
• cold
• colorless
• combative
• competing
• con
• conflicting
• confute
• constrain
• contentious
• contradict
• contrary
• contravening
• controvert
• converse
• cool
• correct
• counter
• counteract
• counteracting
• counteractive
• counterbalance
• countering
• counterpoint
• counterpoise
• crimp
• curb
• cynical
• damaging
• dangerous
• debit
• decline
• defamatory
• deleterious
• denial
• deny
• denying
• deselect
• despiteful
• destructive
• detour
• detractive
• detrimental
• disability
• disadvantage
• disadvantageous
• disaffirm
• disagreeable
• disallow
• disallowing
• disapprove
• disapproving
• disavow
• disavowal
• disavowing
• disbenefit
• disclaim
• disconfirm
• discourteous
• disdain
• dismiss
• disown
• disprove
• disputatious
• dispute
• dissentient
• dissenting
• distant
• down
• downside
• drawback
• embarrassment
• enjoin
• evil
• failing
• fatal
• forbear
• forbid
• foreswear
• forswear
• frigid
• gainsay
• gainsaying
• gloomy
• handicap
• harmful
• hateful
• hazardous
• hinder
• hindrance
• hitch
• hold
• hostile
• hurdle
• hurtful
• icy
• ignore
• ill
• ill-bred
• ill-mannered
• impairment
• impede
• impediment
• imperiling
• imperilling
• impertinent
• impolite
• impugning
• incommodity
• inconsiderate
• inhospitable
• inimical
• injurious
• interference
• intolerant
• invalidate
• invalidating
• inverse
• jaundiced
• jeopardizing
• keep
• kill
• let
• lethal
• liability
• malevolent
• malicious
• malign
• malignant
• manacle
• militant
• millstone
• minus
• mirror image
• mortal
• murderous
• nay
• naysaying
• negate
• negation
• neuter
• neutralize
• neutralizing
• nix
• no
• non placet
• noxious
• nugatory
• nullify
• nullifying
• obstacle
• obstruct
• obstruction
• obverse
• offensive
• offset
• opposed
• opposing
• opposite
• opprobrious
• outbalance
• outweigh
• override
• overrule
• parlous
• pass
• pass up
• perilous
• pernicious
• pessimistic
• poisonous
• prejudiced
• prejudicial
• privative
• prohibit
• proscribe
• pugnacious
• quarrelsome
• rancorous
• rebuff
• rebut
• recall
• recant
• recusant
• redeem
• redress
• refusal
• refuse
• refusing
• refutation
• refute
• reject
• rejecting
• relieve
• remedy
• removed
• renege
• renounce
• repel
• repress
• reprobate
• repudiate
• repugnant
• resistant
• resisting
• resistive
• restrain
• restrict
• retract
• reverse
• revoke
• risky
• rub
• rude
• ruinous
• scathing
• scorn
• scout
• scrappy
• shackle
• shoot down
• shortcoming
• slanderous
• spiteful
• spurn
• stick
• stop
• stranglehold
• strike
• surly
• take back
• threatening
• throw out
• throw over
• trammel
• traverse
• troublesome
• truculent
• turn down
• unaffirmative
• uncivil
• uncongenial
• uncooperative
• unenthusiastic
• unfavorable
• unfriendly
• unhealthy
• uninterested
• unkind
• unloving
• unmannerly
• unpleasant
• unsafe
• unsay
• unsociable
• unsympathetic
• untoward
• unwilling
• veto
• vindictive
• virulent
• weak
• withdraw
• withhold
• wounding

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