Hello ! Have a question . Firstly I have to tell ya I'm not an English native speaker . The problem is that everytime when I look up the meaning of a word , you know , in many dictionaries they give you an explanation using only a short definition and many times I cannot get to know if a word I want to check sounds positive to native speakers or maybe sounds a little negative . As you know , native speakers feel if it sounds good or bad to them , if it violates their personal values or not etc. I'd like to ask you for help with some words . I don't know if they express rather witty , positive meaning or maybe they're connected with being a little cruel :

- to banter

- canny shrewd cunning crafty sly


The second question is what are the differences between these words :

unwarranted
unprovoked
unjustified

When can we use all of them and when we can't ?


Thanx in advance !

I'll respond independently of Fluffy's post, so I may duplicate some remarks.

- to banter -- to engage in witty conversation, usually done good-naturedly. Some people dislike bantering, but there is certainly nothing intrinsically negative about the word or the activity.

- canny, shrewd -- both of these suggest admirable qualities of a prudent character.

- cunning, crafty, sly -- these, on the other hand, are often applied in a derogatory sense, and increase in derogation in the order they are listed here; 'cunning' in particular can also be used in a reasonably laudatory sense.


unwarranted -- with no justification, with no reasonable excuse.
unprovoked -- with no incitement: there was no stimulus from the opponent.
unjustified -- as with unwarranted (I see no significant difference between the two).

These three words are of the same formality and register, so can be used (while considering the difference in meaning) in similar circumstances.