G2T - vocab Flashcards
gainsay
gainsay
take exception to - [v]
- Gainsay*, a verb, means “contradict” or “speak out against.” When you challenge authority, you gainsay, as in teachers don’t like it when unruly students gainsay them.
- Gainsay* comes from an Old English word that means “contradict” or “say against,” as in, no one dared gainsay the principal, who is well-known for giving detention to students who so much as frown at him. If you know someone who constantly corrects others, tells them that they’re wrong, and says, “That’s not true,” more than anyone else, you have first-hand experience with the art of the gainsay.
gambol
gambol
play boisterously - [v]
gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement - [n]
run or jump about playfully - [n]
the gamboling lambs in the meadows
To gambol is to run around playing excitedly. There are some really fun-sounding synonyms for gambol, such as “frolic,” “romp,” and “cavort,” and though it sounds like “gamble,” when you gambol with an “ol” you never lose — you just have a great time!
If you’ve ever sprinted around, jumping up and down, yelling “woo-hoo!,” you already know how to gambol. Being really excited or even just slap-happy makes people gambol, and it’s so energizing that animals do it too. Dogs gambol when they rise on two legs to greet each other, and squirrels gambol when they chase each other up and down trees. And when springtime comes after a long winter, it seems to make every living thing gambol with extra life.
garrulous
garrulous
full of trivial conversation - [adj]
A garrulous person just won’t stop talking (and talking, and talking, and talking…).
Garrulous comes from the Latin word garrire for “chattering or prattling.” If someone is garrulous, he doesn’t just like to talk; he indulges in talking for talking’s sake — whether or not there’s a real conversation going on. If you discover that you have a garrulous neighbor sitting next to you on the plane, you might just want to feign sleep, unless you really want to hear everything going through his mind for the entire trip.
gauche
gauche
lacking social polish - [adj]
too gauche to leave the room when the conversation became intimate
“their excellent manners always made me feel gauche”
Use the word gauche when you want to call something tacky, graceless, tactless, rude, boorish, or awkward and foolish. Have you just pointed out someone’s misuse of this word? Oh dear, how gauche!
Gauche was used for a long time to refer to things that were just so wrong, it almost hurt to talk about them, like publicly asking someone why they don’t like you. That is so gauche, it could induce a cringe! Gauche is almost a gauche word, as it is comes from a French word meaning left (as opposed to right). It would be gauche to call left-handed people tacky!
geniality
geniality
a disposition to be friendly and approachable (easy to talk to) - [n]
Geniality is a fancy word for friendliness. We show geniality when we are pleasant, kind, and nice to be around.
People usually like other people who show geniality. Having the synonyms “amiability” and “affability,” this word has to do with bring friendly and approachable. Mean, scary people show no geniality at all. Smiling, giving compliments, laughing, listening to others, and helping out are all signs of geniality. If you think about the people you like, part of what you like is probably their geniality — they’re congenial.
gerrymander
gerrymander
divide unfairly and to one’s advantage; of voting districts - [v]
an act of gerrymandering (dividing a voting area so as to give your own party an unfair advantage) - [n]
Some politicians change the boundaries of their voting districts in order to benefit themselves or their political party. To manipulate the boundaries like this — often viewed as unfair — is to gerrymander.
The verb gerrymander first appeared in 1812 when Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry redrew district boundaries, hoping it would help his party in an upcoming senate election. Then somebody noticed that the new district looked like a salamander, so they combined Gerry and -mander to create the new word gerrymander. And then a newspaper printed a cartoon with a giant salamander making fun of Gerry, which is what happens to politicians who don’t behave.
glib
glib
artfully persuasive in speech - [adj]
having only superficial plausibility - [adj]
marked by lack of intellectual depth - [adj]
a glib tongue
“glib promises”
“glib generalizations”
A hiring manager might think you’re being glib, or slick and insincere, if you say you’ve led a successful multinational corporation when you were actually in charge of flipping burgers for a fast-food restaurant chain.
The word glib might be used to describe the slick car salesman who uses his polished sales pitch to talk his customers into buying lemons. In fact, the word comes from old German and Dutch words for “slippery,” another word that could be used to describe the very same salesman. In addition to meaning “smooth” and “persuasive,” glib can be applied to the kind of thoughtless comment that could get you into big trouble. Telling your boss that you had a “hot time” with his daughter is the kind of glib remark that could end your career.
goad
goad
stab or urge on as if with a pointed stick - [v]
urge with or as if with a goad - [v]
goad or provoke,as by constant criticism - [v]
give heart or courage to - [v]
a pointed instrument that is used to prod into a state of motion - [n]
A goad is a pointy stick or other instrument used to prod something along. To goad is to poke something with that pointy stick. Either way, the pointiness is really essential for making things leap into action.
Originally spelled gad, meaning “spearhead,” goad first came into use as a verb in the 1570s. But say you left your pointy goading stick at home. Have no fear! You can goad people with words, too. Literally or figuratively, a goad prods and pokes and provokes people into doing something. A sheep herder might hustle his flock along with a goad, just as your mom’s constant nagging and goading might finally get you sit up straight at the dinner table.
gossamer
gossamer
a gauze fabric with an extremely fine texture - [n]
filaments from a web that was spun by a spider - [n]
characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy - [adj]
so thin as to transmit light - [adj]
gossamer shading through his playing
“gossamer cobwebs”
Gossamer is something super fine and delicate — like a spider web or the material of a wedding veil.
The original gossamer, from which these meanings come from, is the fine, filmy substance spiders excrete to weave their webs. A dress can be gossamer-like, if its fabric is so sheer as to be see-through, or almost. Your chances of going to a good college are “gossamer thin” if you’ve never cracked a book in high school.
gouge
gouge
an impression in a surface (as made by a blow) - [n]
and edge tool with a blade like a trough for cutting channels or grooves - [n]
the act of gouging - [n]
force with the thumb - [v]
make a groove in - [v]
gouge out his eyes
Gouge means stealing by overcharging. If your local gas station puts the price of gas way up because a storm is coming, you may say that the station owner gouges prices — and that’s illegal.
The verb gouge means to cut or carve. You can use special chisels to gouge linoleum for interesting design in printing. As a noun, a gouge is the tool you would use — instead of a flat-head chisel, a gouge has a trough — to make the gouge marks of the design. Another meaning of the verb gouge is an indentation in the surface of something. If you’re not careful with the screwdriver, you’ll accidentally gouge a hole in the wall.
grandiloquent
grandiloquent
lofty in style - [adj]
puffed up with vanity - [adj]
a grandiloquent and boastful manner
Grandiloquent is a fancy term for, well, being fancy or pretentious. In fact, you might say grandiloquent is itself a pretty grandiloquent word.
The word grandiloquent generally refers to the way a person behaves or speaks. Politicians and schoolteachers are the usual suspects of this manner of behavior, known as grandiloquence, but it can refer to anything that’s overbearing or pompous in style or manner. Architecture, especially, is highly guilty of being grandiloquent — if you check out just about anything built in the Baroque style, you could describe it as grandiloquent.
gregarious
gregarious
instinctively or temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others - [adj]
(of animals) tending to form a group with others of the same species - [adj]
(of plants) growing in groups that are close together - [adj]
he is a gregarious person who avoids solitude
“gregarious bird species”
If you know someone who’s outgoing, sociable, and fond of the company of others, you might want to call her gregarious.
The word was originally used to describe animals that live in flocks — it’s from the Latin word grex, meaning “herd.” Not surprisingly, people began using it to describe humans who liked being in groups. Today biologists still speak of gregarious species, but you’re more likely to hear it in reference to people. Despite what you might suspect, it has no historical connection to the name Gregory — but if you know an outgoing fellow with that name, you could call him Greg-arious.
grouse
grouse
popular game bird having a plump body and feathered legs and feet - [n]
complain - [v]
A grouse is a small game bird. But the verb to grouse is different. It means to gripe about how unhappy you are. It’s not recommended for most people, because grousing is unattractive.
People’s excitement about the rise of the Internet has been largely replaced by disappointment that it’s turned out to be essentially a forum for people to grouse. No disappointment is too small to grouse about on the Internet. Did you stub your toe? Grouse about it in your blog! Did your sister tattletale? Get online and start grousing. “I grouse, therefore I am,” might be the motto of the Internet. Oh well: now I’m grousing too.
guile
guile
shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception - [n]
the quality of being crafty - [n]
the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them) - [n]
Use the noun guile for cunning, craftiness, and artful duplicity. Acting like you have a job on Wall Street when you’re actually unemployed would take a lot of guile.
The noun guile has quite negative connotations, as it refers to the kind of knowledge and skill that can be used by comic book villains for evil and not good! People who have guile are also thought of as being wily (which is also a related word), sneaky, and deceitful. Those who are free of guile are pure and upstanding, and Henry David Thoreau affirms those feelings when he wrote: “It is the work of a brave man surely, in whom there was no guile!”
guileless
guileless
free of deceit - [adj]
If you are guileless, you are not a liar; you are innocent, and you might be a touch on the gullible side.
To be guileless is to be without guile. Guile is “deceit, duplicity and trickery.” The young and uninitiated are the ones we call guileless, and they are the ones who often get stung by the more heartless among us. You might recall being a guileless freshman trying out for the school play, and being told by a veteran performer that it would be best to come to the audition for Our Town in a chicken costume, so you did.
guise
guise
an artful or simulated semblance - [n]
under the guise of friendship he betrayed them
Guise, a noun, is the art of pretending to be something you aren’t, like when, in the guise of an invited guest, you fake your way into the party of the century.
No doubt you’ve noticed the similarity between guise and disguise. Both involve the art of deception: it’s the methods that differ. Guise is about trying on new attitudes and mannerisms, such as speaking and acting in the guise of a native in a place where you are actually a tourist. Disguise involves hiding your real identity, disappearing in the new role.
gullible
gullible
naive and easily deceived or tricked - [adj]
easily tricked because of being too trusting - [adj]
at that early age she had been gullible and in love
“gullible tourists taken in by the shell game”
If you are gullible, the joke is on you because you are easily fooled.
It is thought that gullible might be derived from the verb gull, meaning “to swallow.” This would be a funny coincidence as gullible describes an overly trusting person who tends to swallow the stories he hears whole. The related word, gull, can be used as a noun “don’t be such a gull!” or as a verb “you can’t gull me into believing that!”
gustatory
gustatory
of or relating to gustation - [adj]
If you want to improve the gustatory appeal of a grapefruit, you might add a spoonful of sugar. Gustatory is an adjective that refers to tasting or the sense of taste.
You may be tempted to link gustatory with the word gust, meaning “a quick, strong rush of wind.” However, gustatory has its roots in the Latin gustare, meaning “to taste,” while gust can be traced back to the Old Norse gustr, meaning to “to gush.” But if a gust of wind brings with it the savory aroma of a nearby backyard barbecue, you might find yourself licking the air in gustatory frustration.
halcyon
halcyon
a mythical bird said to breed at the time of the winter solstice in a nest floating on the sea and to have the power of calming the winds and waves - [n]
idyllically calm and peaceful; suggesting happy tranquillity - [adj]
marked by peace and prosperity - [adj]
a halcyon atmosphere
“the halcyon days of the clipper trade”
An old man watching his grandchildren play might look back fondly on his halcyon days, remembering the peaceful, happy time of his youth.
The word halcyon comes from a story in Greek mythology about the halcyon bird, which had the power to calm the rough ocean waves every December so she could nest. Like those calm waters, halcyon has come to mean a sense of peace or tranquility. People often use the phrase halcyon days to refer idyllically to a calmer, more peaceful time in their past.
hallowed
hallowed
worthy of religious veneration - [adj]
Jerusalem’s hallowed soil
The adjective hallowed is used to describe something that is sacred and revered, usually something old and steeped in tradition.
The word hallowed often has a religious connotation, but it can also be used playfully to convey a sense of reverence about something that isn’t religious in nature but that nonetheless inspires worship. A football fan, for example, may talk about the hallowed tradition of tailgating on a game day Saturday, or an avid shopper may describe the hallowed grounds of the Macy’s shoe department. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln used the word with its more traditional sense to ponder man’s inability to show the proper reverence to those men who died in battle: “But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate…we cannot consecrate…we cannot hallow…this ground.”
harangue
harangue
a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion - [n]
deliver a harangue to; address forcefully - [v]
A harangue is more than a speech, louder than a discussion, and nastier than a lecture. It is a verbal attack that doesn’t let up, delivered as a verb or received as a noun. Either way, it’s pretty unpleasant.
The word harangue developed its modern spelling around 1530, when the word was recorded as harangue in French. The word, meaning a strong, nasty rant, appears to have evolved from the Old Italian word aringa, probably from the word for a public square or place for public speaking. This in turn appears to have evolved from a Germanic word related to ring, as in “circular gathering,” which is clearly similar to the Italian meaning.
harrowing
harrowing
extremely painful - [adj]
Being attacked by a hungry shark or being chased by an unruly mob on the streets can be described as harrowing, which means “provoking feelings of fear or horror.”
The adjective harrowing is often used to describe a firsthand experience that is terrifying, such as a harrowing drive home in icy weather, but it can also refer to a secondhand experience, such as reading or watching something that is very frightening or disturbing. If you read someone’s account of being shipwrecked in Antarctica, you might describe that as a harrowing story. A harrowing experience typically unfolds over a period of time. For example, if you bump into a shark while swimming, that’s merely scary. If the shark attacks you, then it becomes a harrowing ordeal.
herbivorous
herbivorous
feeding only on plants - [adj]
A buffalo, a goose, a grasshopper, and a stegosaurus sit down to eat dinner. This isn’t a joke, it’s an example of herbivorous creatures who exist on a diet of plant life only.
Herbivorous comes from the Latin word herba, which means “green plants,” and that’s what herbivorous animals eat all the time: grass, leaves, and other plants. Some massive and strong animals actually have peaceful herbivorous eating habits, like gorillas and hippopotamuses. The opposite of herbivorous is carnivorous, which describes meat-eating beasts like lions, sharks, crocodiles, and your uncle Marvin who eats nothing but steak all day long.
hermetic
hermetic
completely sealed; completely airtight - [adj]
If you want to keep cookies crisp for a long time, store them in a jar with a hermetic, or airtight, seal. Hermetic means sealed so that no air can get in.
The word can be used metaphorically as well. A child who is completely protected from the outside world might be said to come from a hermetic environment. The word comes from the name of the Greek god, Hermes Trismegistus, who was a magician and alchemist and was credited with creating the process for making a completely airtight glass tube, a god-like feat if there ever was one.
heterodox
heterodox
characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards - [adj]
Heterodox is from the Greek root words heteros, meaning “the other,” and doxa, meaning “opinion.” The adjective heterodox was first applied to people who held a different religious opinion from the standard beliefs and teachings.
Today, although the religious meaning remains, the adjective heterodox can describe someone who adheres to any atypical beliefs, such as scientists who buck the current thinking or politicians who do not toe the party line. The word can be a synonym of heretical, which describes someone with contrary beliefs. If you are a teacher with a heterodox teaching style, you may win over students but alarm your more traditional colleagues.
hirsute
hirsute
having or covered with hair - [adj]
What do Santa Claus, Bigfoot, and unicorns have in common? Aside from the fact that they’re completely real, they’re also hirsute: very, very hairy creatures.
All mammals have hair, but the ones that have way more than others, you might call them hirsute. There are hirsute people, like lumberjacks with a jungle of chest hair, bearded ladies at a circus, or just someone with a scraggly hairdo. The word is pronounced “HER-suit,” so if you see a woman wearing a furry jacket with matching pants, you could say, “Her suit is hirsute.” Just make sure it’s actually a suit and not her real hair.
histrionic
histrionic
characteristic of acting or a stage performance; often affected - [adj]
histrionic gestures
Anything that has to do with actors or acting can be called histrionic, like a Broadway actor’s histrionic voice projection that would sound strange in everyday life but is perfect for the stage.
The adjective histrionic, pronounced “his-tree-ON-ic,” comes from the Latin words histrionicus and histrio which mean “actor.” It can describe things that have to do with acting on the stage, but it can also describe a person who in regular life is a little too dramatic and even over-acts, like your friend whose histrionic rantings make a trip to the grocery store seem like a matter of life and death.
homeostasis
homeostasis
(physiology) metabolic equilibrium actively maintained by several complex biological mechanisms that operate via the autonomic nervous system to offset disrupting changes - [n]
* Homeostasis* is a word you learn in biology. It refers to a cell’s home state––the way it wants to be, and should be if everything that regulates the cell is working.
Although seeing stasis inside the word homeostasis might make you think there’s something static or still about it, there’s not; homeostasis is only achieved through the running of complicated systems in the body that regulate metabolic activity. “Once all the poison had been flushed from the body, the patient’s cells began again to maintain homeostasis. The patient’s color returned and she was able to get out of bed.”
homily
homily
a sermon on a moral or religious topic - [n]
A homily is a sermon or religious speech offering encouragement or moral correction. Isn’t it strange how sometimes, when you’re struggling with something, a preacher comes on TV giving a homily on that same problem?! Too bad it happens when you do bad stuff, too.
In many churches and lecture halls, a homily is just a short message on a religious topic or moral issue that’s meant to encourage those who hear it. Another type of homily, though, is one that’s judgmental or condemning. If you hear a homily and feel better afterward, even if it delivers hard truths about right and wrong, you’ve heard an uplifting homily. One that leaves you mad and frustrated, however, might make you need another homily on forgiveness and self-control.
homogeneous
homogeneous
all of the same or similar kind or nature - [adj]
a close-knit homogeneous group
If a group of things are homogeneous, they’re all the same or similar, like a room full of identically dressed Elvis impersonators.
The adjective homogeneous comes from the Greek homogenes, meaning “of the same kind.” You can break down the root of the word further into two parts: homos, meaning “same,” and genos, meaning “kind, gender, race, stock.” It sounds very scientific, but if you look around the table at home and everyone is eating a bowl of oatmeal, you could safely describe your family’s breakfast tastes as homogeneous.
jaundiced
jaundiced
affected by jaundice which causes yellowing of skin etc - [adj]
showing or affected by prejudice or envy or distaste - [adj]
looked with a jaundiced eye on the growth of regimentation
“takes a jaundiced view of societies and clubs”
So you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror. To your surprise, and horror, instead of your usual rosy complexion, your skin is yellow and the whites of your eyes are yellow, too! You, my friend, are jaundiced.
Jaundice is from the Greek, ikteros, which referred to both the disease and a rare, yellow bird. It was thought that someone with jaundice could stare at this yellow bird, and the jaundice would be magically transferred to the bird. Jaundiced can also refer to ideas or feelings being distorted by negative views or qualities, since yellow has been associated with bitterness and envy. Too bad there is no bird to get rid of that!
jibe
jibe
shift from one side of the ship to the other - [v]
an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect - [n]
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics - [v]
To jibe with someone is to agree with them. Jibe can also mean “be compatible with or similar to.” If two people jibe, they get along quite well.
A jibe can also be an insulting remark as another way to spell gibe. If someone directs that kind of jibe at you, the best response is a really good comeback. And in nautical terminology, jibe refers to a particular manner of changing the course of a ship. How did this word come to have such different meanings? Your guess is as good as ours. Just try to remember that if you want to jibe with others, don’t insult them.
jocose
jocose
characterized by jokes and good humor - [adj]
Your friend Robert who always makes funny observations and light-hearted quips? He’s jocose, meaning he’s good humored and jokes around a lot.
Latin may not seem like a lot of laughs sometimes, but it is responsible for injecting a little humor into English words that have their origins in jocus, the Latin word meaning “joke” or “jest.” Jocose, jocular, joke — they all come from jocus. Jocose first came into English in the seventeenth century as a way to describe something that’s characterized by a playful, merry humor.
juggernaut
juggernaut
a massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its way - [n]
Juggernaut means a massive force. If the army marching into your country is a juggernaut, you’re doomed. If you’re trying to market a new Cola product, you’re up against corporate giant Coca-Cola, a beverage juggernaut if ever there was one.
With its roots in Hindi, juggernaut originally referred to a crude statue from which the Hindu god, Brahma, turned into the living god, Krishna. There continues to be a festival in honor of this miracle, in which a statue of Krishna is carted through town. It is said that in times past, devotees would throw themselves under the cart’s wheels.
junta
junta
a group of military officers who rule a country after seizing power - [n]
When a government is overthrown, the coalition or group that forms and takes control is called a junta. If the military has seized control, as so often happens, then the group is called a military junta.
Junta is pronounced with an initial h sound, which gives you a clue to its origins. It’s from the Spanish junta, for a military or political group ruling the country after it has been taken over. Spanish got junta from the Latin jungere, to join. Remember, all the players in the junta must join together to over through the government.
juxtapose
juxtapose
place side by side - [v]
The fauvists juxtaposed strong colors
See the word “pose” in juxtapose? When you juxtapose, you are “posing” or positioning things side by side.
The verb juxtapose requires contrasting things placed next to one other: “The collage juxtaposed pictures of Jane while she was growing up and as an adult.” Juxtapose is used often when referring to contrasting elements in the arts. “The music juxtaposed the instrumentation of jazz with the harmonies of soul.”
iconoclastic
iconoclastic
characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions - [adj]
destructive of images used in religious worship; said of religions, such as Islam, in which the representation of living things is prohibited - [adj]
The word iconoclastic is an adjective referring to a breaking of established rules or destruction of accepted beliefs. It might refer to an artist with an unorthodox style, or an iconoclastic attack, either physical or verbal, on a religious doctrine or image.
Consider the Greek word eikōn, or “image,” coupled with -klastēs, “one who breaks,” and you get a good image of someone who is iconoclastic. An iconoclastic approach to religion involves tearing down the icons representing the church. While this was once done physically, through riots and mayhem, today’s iconoclasts usually prefer using words. Not all iconoclasts are destructive, however. An iconoclastic approach to art and music has given rise to the development of new genres and styles through breaking the rules.
idolatry
idolatry
the worship of idols; the worship of images that are not God - [n]
religious zeal; the willingness to serve God - [n]
- Idolatry* means the worship of images as if they were gods. Many religions prohibit idolatry, some even to the extent of forbidding any representational objects in houses of worship.
- Idol* sits at the head of the word idolatry. If you worship––or even just look up to––a person or a thing, you are said to idolize them. For some modern idolaters, money is their idol, while for others it is celebrities and for still others their jobs.
igneous
igneous
produced by the action of fire or intense heat - [adj]
produced under conditions involving intense heat - [adj]
like or suggestive of fire - [adj]
rocks formed by igneous agents
“igneous rock is rock formed by solidification from a molten state”
“igneous fusion is fusion by heat alone”
You might remember this one from earth science class. An igneous rock is one that forms through intense, fiery heat––usually in a volcano. It starts out molten (so hot it melts into liquid), then solidifies as it cools. So, it’s rock that has “ignited.”
Igneous comes from the Latin ignis “fire.” Granite and basalt are good examples of igneous rock that started out as blazing hot lava and morphed into harder stuff as their temperature dropped. FYI, the other main types of rocks are sedimentary and metamorphic and, technically, you could use igneous to describe other things that are rare or fiery, but it would sound pretty stilted and most people wouldn’t know what you meant.
imbroglio
imbroglio
an intricate and confusing interpersonal or political situation - [n]
a very embarrassing misunderstanding - [n]
An imbroglio is a complicated or confusing personal situation. To rephrase the J. Geils band song, “Love Stinks,” if you love her and she loves him and he loves somebody else, you’ve got quite an imbroglio.
Although an imbroglio is a tangled situation or a messy complicated misunderstanding, its history is just the opposite, clear as a bell. Imbroglio is just a borrowed word from Italian meaning “entanglement.” If something embarrassing happens at a public event, such as a mishap during the musical performances at the Super Bowl, it is sometimes called an imbroglio.
immutable
immutable
not subject or susceptible to change or variation in form or quality or nature - [adj]
the view of that time was that all species were immutable, created by God
If you can’t change it, it’s immutable. There are many things in life that are immutable; these unchangeable things include death, taxes, and the laws of physics.
The adjective immutable has Latin roots that mean “not changeable.” The Latin prefix for not is in, but the spelling changes when the prefix is put before the consonant m. It is im before a root word starting with m as in immutable. If you learn this rule, you’ll know the immutable fact that immutable begins with i-m-m.
impair
impair
make worse or less effective - [v]
make imperfect - [v]
His vision was impaired
If you make bad decisions in the morning after drinking coffee, you might conclude that caffeine tends to impair your judgment. When you impair something, you damage it or make it work poorly.
The root of the verb impair traces back to the Latin word pejorare, meaning “to make worse,” and that’s still what happens if you impair something. Whether it’s communication, visibility, or your marriage prospects, if you impair it, you make it worse. The word can be used for situations that describe something that has deteriorated, such as “Snow continued to impair driving conditions.”
impassive
impassive
having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited - [adj]
deliberately impassive in manner - [adj]
her impassive remoteness
““he remained impassive, showing neither interest in nor concern for our plight”- Nordhoff & Hall”
Someone who doesn’t seem to react — who is always “taking a pass” in the conversation of life can be described as impassive.
Impassive is tricky, as it sounds it should be the opposite of passive. It’s not, though. The fact is you can be passive and impassive at the same time. When a passive person gets passed over for a promotion at work, their face might remain impassive upon hearing the news.
impecunious
impecunious
not having enough money to pay for necessities - [adj]
If you are hard up, broke, penniless, or strapped for cash, you could describe yourself as impecunious. Then maybe you could make some money teaching vocabulary words.
Impecunious comes from the old Latin word for money, pecunia, combined with the prefix im, meaning not or without. But impecunious doesn’t just mean having no money. It means that you almost never have any money. If you go into the arts, you are most likely facing an impecunious future. If you gamble away your cash instead of saving it for rent, your landlord might throw you out for being impecunious.
impede
impede
be a hindrance or obstacle to - [v]
block passage through - [v]
She is impeding the progress of our project
To impede something is to delay or block its progress or movement. Carrying six heavy bags will impede your progress if you’re trying to walk across town.
Impede comes from the Latin impedire which literally means “to hold the feet,” formed from the prefix in- “in” plus pes “foot.” Think about walking with a cast on your foot––how slow and awkward that would be. If you have a hard time reading, that will impeded your progress in math. An impediment is something that impedes, such as a physical defect that affects speech––a speech impediment.
impermeable
impermeable
preventing especially liquids to pass or diffuse through - [adj]
impermeable stone
“an impermeable layer of scum”
“a coat impermeable to rain”
If you have a waterproof raincoat, you could say that your coat is impermeable to the rain. Something that is impermeable does not allow water or liquid to pass through it.
Made up of the prefix im-, meaning “not,” and the adjective permeable, meaning “allowing to pass through,” impermeable is used in much the same way as impervious or impenetrable. However, more so than these words, impermeable is especially associated with liquids and is often used in a scientific or technical context. Some gadgets, like waterproof watches and underwater cameras, are designed to be impermeable.
imperturbable
imperturbable
not easily perturbed or excited or upset; marked by extreme calm and composure - [adj]
hitherto imperturbable, he now showed signs of alarm
“an imperturbable self-possession”
If you’re imperturbable you are not easily upset. If your goal is to be imperturbable, then you can’t let things bother you or get you stressed, confused, or angry.
The adjective imperturbable is the flip side of perturbable, which comes from perturb, which in turn traces back to the Latin word perturbare, meaning “to confuse” or “to disturb.” If something really annoying is going on, like one neighbor is jack-hammering his driveway and another has a dog that’s barking while you’re trying to sleep because you were up all night studying and you really really need a nap, but you stay calm and don’t get upset, you are imperturbable.
impervious
impervious
not admitting of passage or capable of being affected - [adj]
a material impervious to water
“someone impervious to argument”
An impervious surface is one that can’t be penetrated. The word is often followed by “to,” as in “His steely personality made him impervious to jokes about his awful haircut.”
Most of the sentences you’ll run across using impervious will be followed by the word “to” and a noun. Things are often described as being impervious to physical assaults like heat, water, bullets, weather, and attack, but just as frequently to less tangible things, like reason, criticism, pain, and pressure. The word comes from Latin: in- + pervius, meaning “not letting things through.” A common synonym is impermeable.
impinge
impinge
impinge or infringe upon - [v]
advance beyond the usual limit - [v]
This impinges on my rights as an individual
Whether you have a habit of standing too close when talking to others or bringing luggage on a crowded rush-hour subway car, you’ll find people don’t like it when you impinge on their personal space.
When you impinge, you intrude on something, whether it’s someone else’s space, time, or rights. Think of it as moving in on someone’s territory. The word also can be used in the sense of affecting something, usually negatively, often by restricting it. For example, constantly inviting your friend to go shopping and meet you in nice restaurants might impinge on her desire to save money.
implacable
implacable
incapable of being placated - [adj]
an implacable enemy
An implacable person just can’t be appeased. If you really offended your best friend and tried every kind of apology but she refused to speak to you again, you could describe her as implacable.
Implacable is derived from the verb to placate, which means to soothe, or to appease. If you’re babysitting and the kid starts screaming the moment that his parents leave the house, and nothing you give him, be it a toy or ice cream, can calm him down, he might seem implacable. But try the TV. It tends to turn screaming kids into silent, happy zombies.
implausible
implausible
highly imaginative but unlikely - [adj]
having a quality that provokes disbelief - [adj]
an implausible explanation
“gave the teacher an implausible excuse”
Something that’s Implausible is farfetched or unlikely. If it’s 3pm and you still have to study for three exams and write an essay before midnight, it’s implausible that you’ll also have time to watch a movie.
The adjective implausible breaks down into im, meaning “not,” and “plausible,” meaning likely. So it simply means “not likely.” Implausible ideas or stories usually get high marks for creativity, but they’re just too crazy to be believable. But as philosopher Rene Descartes noted, “One cannot conceive anything so strange and so implausible that it has not already been said by one philosopher or another.”
implicit
implicit
implied though not directly expressed; inherent in the nature of something - [adj]
being without doubt or reserve - [adj]
an implicit agreement not to raise the subject
“there was implicit criticism in his voice”
“anger was implicit in the argument”
Use the adjective implicit when you mean that something is understood but not clearly stated. You might think you and your boyfriend might have an implicit understanding that you are going to get married, but it’s probably better to talk it through.
A very near synonym of implicit in this particular meaning is the word implied. But the adjective implicit also means “complete without any doubt,” so we can say that we have implicit trust or confidence in someone. The Latin root implicāre means “to involve or entangle.” Another English word with a more obvious connection to the Latin is the verb implicate.
implode
implode
burst inward - [v]
The bottle imploded
When something implodes, it explodes inward — instead of outward. With extremely large buildings, it helps to implode them rather than explode them, because by falling inward they take up less space.
Why bother to have a word like implode when you already have explode? Well, imagine there is something deep beneath the sea, being subjected to the intense pressure there. If the pressure is high enough that the object bursts, it would collapse in rather than out. It would, in fact, implode. People also sometimes use implode to describe a person subjected to intense pressures who, emotionally at least, bursts inward: “All that stress just made Jess implode.”
imprecation
imprecation
the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult) - [n]
a slanderous accusation - [n]
he suffered the imprecations of the mob
If you really don’t like someone you can shout out an imprecation at them. More than simply the use of bad language (although that can be involved, too), an imprecation is a damning curse wishing them nothing but ill.
Originally from a Latin word meaning to “invoke evil” or “bring down bad spirits upon.” Not to be confused with implication, a similar-sounding word with the completely unrelated meaning of implying something indirectly. These are two very commonly confused words, so be careful. You don’t want an imprecation blasted down upon you from someone who really cares about language.
impute
impute
attribute or credit to - [v]
attribute (responsibility or fault) to a cause or source - [v]
People impute great cleverness to cats
“The teacher imputed the student’s failure to his nervousness”
The verb impute can be used to blame someone for doing something bad, give credit for good work, or just tell it like it is, like when you impute your lateness to my not telling you where to meet me.
When you impute something, you name the cause of something that has happened. For example, you might impute your ability to sing well to the thousands of dollars your parents spent in voice lessons. In other words, you name the source. You can also impute a person, like imputing to a teacher your love of learning — he or she helped you become more interested in school and your classes.
inadvertently
inadvertently
without knowledge or intention - [adv]
Inadvertently is an adverb that means “without knowledge or intent,” like when you inadvertently take someone else’s coat from the coatroom because it looks just like yours.
When you do something inadvertently, you don’t mean to do it — you might inadvertently step in a puddle, leave something important at home, or hurt your friend’s feelings. Some things that happen inadvertently aren’t mistakes, though: They happen by chance. For example, if you just happen to park your car at the exact place that blocks a bus from hitting a pedestrian, you’ve inadvertently saved a life.
incarnate
incarnate
possessing or existing in bodily form - [adj]
invested with a bodily form especially of a human body - [adj]
represent in bodily form - [v]
make concrete and real - [v]
an incarnate spirit
“a monarch…regarded as a god incarnate”
Incarnate means “having a bodily form.” If you encounter someone who pulls off butterflies’ wings for fun, you might describe that person as “evil incarnate.”
The meaning of incarnate is precisely what its Latin roots suggest. The prefix in- means “in” and caro means “flesh,” so incarnate means “in the flesh.” The word can be used in positive or negative situations, but it always describes an unusual, possibly miraculous instance in which something that can’t normally be seen or touched assumes a bodily form. For example, the Christian religion was founded on the belief that Jesus was God incarnate.
inchoate
inchoate
only partly in existence; imperfectly formed - [adj]
a vague inchoate idea
- Inchoate* means just beginning to form. You can have an inchoate idea, like the earliest flickers of images for your masterpiece, or it can be a feeling, like the inchoate sense of anger toward your new neighbor’s talking parrot.
- Inchoate* comes from a Latin word for beginning. When something is inchoate, although you don’t yet understand what it is fully, you have a strong sense that it is indeed coming. It’s stronger than the wisp of an idea that never turns into anything. But it’s hard to really find the language to describe an inchoate idea. That’s the whole point: you don’t have the words for it yet!
incongruity
incongruity
the quality of disagreeing; being unsuitable and inappropriate - [n]
Incongruity means out of place — something that doesn’t fit in its location or situation. The art show patrons couldn’t help but chuckle at the incongruity of a toilet sitting in the middle of an exhibition of Renaissance paintings.
An incongruity is very different from everything around it, to the point of being inappropriate to the situation. A cat at a dog’s birthday party would be an incongruity, as would a pacifist at a meeting of the War Lovers’ Society. Incongruity is the idea that something is incongruous, or inappropriate. A purple towel is an incongruity in an all black-and-white bathroom.
inconsequential
inconsequential
lacking worth or importance - [adj]
not following logically as a consequence - [adj]
his work seems trivial and inconsequential
If something is considered of little worth or importance, it is inconsequential. If astronomers forecast a tremendous meteor shower, it might turn out to be no more than space junk, too inconsequential to record.
You can use the adjective inconsequential to describe things that just don’t matter or are of no relevance, as in “the rainy forecast is totally inconsequential — the bowling tournament is inside!” It also describes things that don’t make sense in a certain order, “trying to win their votes is inconsequential: the election’s over.” Something small or minor can be inconsequential too, though the red bump on your nose on picture-day may not seem as inconsequential to you as it does to the photographer.
incorporate
incorporate
make into a whole or make part of a whole - [v]
form a corporation - [v]
She incorporated his suggestions into her proposal
“incorporate this document with those pertaining to the same case”
To incorporate is to include or integrate a part into the whole. Incorporate is a more active version of the word “include”; if you incorporate, you are adding something to the mix.
In the business world, to incorporate is a legal process. In other usages, the word incorporate really just means to include something or work something into whatever was already existing. You could incorporate your new roommate’s furniture into the decor of your apartment, but you may not find a way to incorporate her cat’s litter box.
incursion
incursion
the act of entering some territory or domain (often in large numbers) - [n]
the mistake of incurring liability or blame - [n]
the incursion of television into the American living room
When an army crosses a border into another country for battle, they are making an incursion into enemy territory. An incursion is an invasion as well as an attack.
Incursion can also be used to describe other things that rush in like an army such as an invasive species into a new region or floodwaters entering your home. When an airplane heads onto a runway it is not supposed to land on, risking airport safety, it is known as a runway incursion. And an incursion of cold air could make September feel like December.
indeterminate
indeterminate
not precisely determined or established; not fixed or known in advance - [adj]
of uncertain or ambiguous nature - [adj]
having a capacity for continuing to grow at the apex - [adj]
not capable of being determined - [adj]
not leading to a definite ending or result - [adj]
of indeterminate age
“a zillion is a large indeterminate number”
“an indeterminate point of law”
Indeterminate means not known or decided. When someone contracts a rare stomach parasite but has not been traveling internationally, you might say it had indeterminate origins.
It’s important to distinguish indeterminate from undetermined, which means not yet decided. When you buy an antique vase and don’t know when it dates from, you might describe it as of an indeterminate era. If you are traveling and don’t know when you plan to return home, you could say that your return is as yet undetermined.
indigence
indigence
a state of extreme poverty or destitution - [n]
their indigence appalled him
Indigence is a synonym for extreme poverty. If you experience indigence, you have a critical need for food, money, and other resources.
To correctly pronounce indigence, accent the first syllable: “IN-dih-genz.” It means “great lack of material resources,” like money. Indigence a noun, and indigent, an adjective, are related words that have to do with need. If you are indigent — suffering from extreme poverty — you are living in indigence, the state of extreme poverty.
indolent
indolent
disinclined to work or exertion - [adj]
(of tumors, e.g.) slow to heal or develop and usually painless - [adj]
an indolent hanger-on
“an indolent ulcer”
“leprosy is an indolent infectious disease”
Indolent is an adjective meaning slow or lazy. It can take an indolent teenager hours to get out of bed on a weekend morning. Often it’s noon before he finally comes shuffling down to breakfast in his pajamas.
An indolent person is slow and lazy — not the type of person you’d want running your corporation or competing with you in a relay race. Doctors use the word indolent to describe medical conditions that are slow to progress. If you’re diagnosed with an illness, you’d prefer an indolent one over one that spreads quickly.
ineluctable
ineluctable
impossible to avoid or evade:”inescapable conclusion” - [adj]
an ineluctable destiny
Huh? Are you scratching your head at this word? The ineluctable conclusion is that you haven’t the faintest idea what it means. Ineluctable means impossible to avoid.
A five syllable beauty like ineluctable is obviously not the kind of word you throw around in daily speech. It’s far more often used as a written word, as in the common phrase “ineluctable conclusion.” Used interchangeably with the more common unavoidable, though ineluctable implies an unsuccessful attempt to battle against whatever is ineluctable: after all, it comes from the Latin word “to struggle.”
inert
inert
unable to move or resist motion - [adj]
having only a limited ability to react chemically; chemically inactive - [adj]
she was fat and inert“inert matter”
Something that’s unable to move or moving without much energy can be described as inert. Wind up in a body cast and you’ll find yourself not only itchy, but totally inert.
When motion is restricted or sluggish, or when something or someone appears lifeless, the adjective to use is inert. A dog who’s playing dead is inert, as is a really boring movie. Or for those of you paying attention in chemistry class, you may have heard of inert gases — those elements that won’t react with other elements or form chemical compounds.
ingenuous
ingenuous
lacking in sophistication or worldliness - [adj]
characterized by an inability to mask your feelings; not devious - [adj]
his ingenuous explanation that he would not have burned the church if he had not thought the bishop was in it
“an ingenuous admission of responsibility”
Someone who is ingenuous shows a childlike innocence, trust, and openness. One of the things kindergarten teachers value is the chance to work with kids while they’re still relatively ingenuous––their open, trusting natures are a joy.
A near synonym is naive. Its opposite is disingenuous, which means “giving a false impression of being honest and sincere.” Don’t confuse the word ingenuous with the similarly spelled ingenious, which means “very smart or clever.” Ingenuous is from Latin ingenuus “having the qualities of people born free, noble, honest, open,” ultimately formed from the prefix in- “in” plus gignere “to produce.”
inherent
inherent
existing as an essential constituent or characteristic - [adj]
in the nature of something though not readily apparent - [adj]
shortcomings inherent in our approach
Use the adjective inherent for qualities that are considered permanent or cannot be separated from an essential character.
We use the adjective inherent to describe attributes that are part of the essential nature of something. It’s different from you being tall, rather than being a description, it has to be a quality and this quality is unchangeable. So, for example, if you have never been able to eat spinach, you have an inherent dislike of it.
innocuous
innocuous
not injurious to physical or mental health - [adj]
lacking intent or capacity to injure - [adj]
not causing disapproval - [adj]
it was an innocuous remark
“confined himself to innocuous generalities”
If you want to reassure someone that something isn’t harmful or likely to cause injury, call it innocuous. Even an innocuous letter from your boyfriend is embarrassing if your parents find it!
The adjective, innocuous, does not really say what something is, but rather what it is not. Some chemicals, viruses, snakes or websites may be harmful, some remarks or questions may be offensive, but if one of these is innocuous, it is not. The word comes from the Latin roots in- “not” and nocere “to injure, harm.”
insensible
insensible
barely able to be perceived - [adj]
incapable of physical sensation - [adj]
unresponsive to stimulation - [adj]
unaware of or indifferent to - [adj]
an almost insensible change
“insensible to pain”
“insensible earth”
The adjective insensible is used to describe someone who is unconscious. If you keep your bowling ball on the top shelf of the closet and it rolls out and conks you on the head, you will be probably rendered insensible.
The adjective insensible describes a lack of emotional response or being indifferent. If your friend says that the roller coaster was so scary it nearly made him vomit and you shrug and say, “Eh, it was okay,” he may think you are insensible to fear. A lack of physical sensation can also be described as insensible. If your nerve endings are not acute and you don’t feel much pain, you are insensible to pain. This can be dangerous, though, because you might not notice if you get hurt skateboarding.
insinuate
insinuate
give to understand - [v]
introduce or insert (oneself) in a subtle manner - [v]
I insinuated that I did not like his wife
“He insinuated himself into the conversation of the people at the nearby table”
Insinuate means you imply or suggest something that may or may not be true. If you say things seemed to go wrong about the time your brother took over, you insinuate that he had something to do with the decline.
There’s another way to insinuate. Suppose you’re in line to get into a popular dance club when a celebrity appears, surrounded by a big entourage. If you strike up a conversation with one of the entourage, you may be able to insinuate that you’re part of the group and go in with them. Don’t feel bad — people have been doing it at least since the 1520s, when insinuate evolved from the Latin word insinuare, meaning “wind one’s way into.”
insipid
insipid
lacking interest or significance or impact - [adj]
lacking taste or flavor or tang - [adj]
an insipid personality
“insipid hospital food”
Some insipid is lacking in flavor or interest. You’ll probably find the generic poems inside of greeting cards insipid.
Insipid comes from the Latin insipidus, the opposite of sapidus which means flavorful. Because spices and salts are left out, hospital food is usually insipid. The most common use of the word is in a metaphorical sense for dull or flat. You might think that your goody-two-shoes cousin is the most insipid girl you’ve ever met.
insouciant
insouciant
marked by blithe unconcern - [adj]
an utterly insouciant financial policy
“an elegantly insouciant manner”
Only people with no real troubles can afford to be insouciant during times like these. Runway models are great at looking insouciant, strolling the catwalk apparently without a care in the world.
Some prefer their musical idols to be insouciant, seeming not to care what their fans think or want. Others like them more eager to please, happy to take requests and engage. The two obvious examples are Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis. Armstrong would smile and encourage the audience to participate, while Davis was the insouciant master who showed no concern for or interest in what his listeners might prefer: some people found his insouciant manner irresistible.
insularity
insularity
the state of being isolated or detached - [n]
The noun insularity refers to the quality of being isolated or detached. In fact, the word is based on the Latin word insula, for “island.” The phrase “no man is an island” means that no one can be completely separate from others.
The word insularity has a sense of detachment and insulation, but sometimes the meaning is extended to mean being narrow-minded. Parents always try to protect their kids from harm, but sometimes their insularity goes too far. If you grew up in the 1950s, for example, your parents may have wanted to protect you from the evils of Elvis and rock and roll.
insuperable
insuperable
incapable of being surmounted or excelled - [adj]
impossible to surmount - [adj]
insuperable odds
“insuperable heroes”
Perhaps if you are a superhero, you can tackle an insuperable problem — one that is considered impossible to overcome.
Insuperable is an adjective that is often paired with nouns like difficulty, obstacle, and barrier. An insuperable difficulty is not just difficult; it’s impossible. And an insuperable obstacle is not like a hurdle on a running track that slows you down a little; it stops you entirely. The opposite of insuperable is, of course, superable, though it’s less commonly used than its negative counterpart.
intangible
intangible
incapable of being perceived by the senses especially the sense of touch - [adj]
lacking substance or reality; incapable of being touched or seen - [adj]
(of especially business assets) not having physical substance or intrinsic productive value - [adj]
hard to pin down or identify - [adj]
assets that are saleable though not material or physical - [n]
the intangible constituent of energy”- James Jeans”
“that intangible thing–the soul”
“intangible assets such as good will”
You can’t touch this word — it is intangible. You can grasp the meaning of the word in your head, but you can’t close your hands around it; you’ll just put fingerprints on your monitor.
The Latin verb tangere means “to touch,” and the 16th-century English word tangible comes from it. Something intangible can’t be touched physically, but most of the time it is understandable or even felt in the heart. Sadness can’t be picked up and thrown in the garbage can because it is intangible, but you can throw away the tissues wet with tears. Laughing is intangible too, but you can hold onto movies, pets, and friends that make you laugh.
interdict
interdict
command against - [v]
destroy by firepower, such as an enemy’s line of communication - [v]
Interdict means to forbid, to nix, to veto. If your parents find out you’re planning a party for a time when they’re away , they will interdict it.
If your principal has interdicted gum-chewing at school, he might set up a few random check points, interdicting gum-chewing students with detentions and a command to instantly spit out their offensive, long-lasting candy. To interdict, pope-style, is to in essence excommunicate, or prohibit a person or especially a place from the functions and privileges of the church.
internecine
internecine
(of conflict) within a group or organization - [adj]
characterized by bloodshed and carnage for both sides - [adj]
an internecine feud among proxy holders
“internecine war”
Prepare yourself, because internecine is a gloomy word. It’s an adjective you’d use to describe a bloody battle where both sides are badly hurt. On a lighter note, it can also mean a conflict that tears an organization apart.
A combination of the Latin inter- (“among”) and necare (“to kill”), internecine conflicts are full of blood and death, and they end up destroying everyone involved, which sounds fair but also awful. Many wars are internecine, as are most Shakespearean tragedies and Hollywood action films. An internecine meeting would be one where everyone gets mad, says really horrible things, and then suddenly leaves, plotting revenge. It’s probably the last meeting for that group, which might be a good thing.
interpolate
interpolate
insert words into texts, often falsifying it thereby - [v]
estimate the value of - [v]
In math, to interpolate means to estimate the value of something given certain data. If you are looking at a chart that gives the level of pollutants in a lake on Jan. 1 and Feb. 1, you must interpolate the level for Jan. 15.
At a bake sale, if you check the cash box and look at how many cookies are left over, you can interpolate the results of your fundraiser. When you interpolate words into a text, you alter the text by adding words in. Scholars can identify the original text from material interpolated at a later date. If you are describing an author’s work, you might want to interpolate a few examples of his writing into your description.
interregnum
interregnum
the time between two reigns, governments, etc. - [n]
Interregnum describes the period between the reigns of two leaders. If you’re a rebel leader, you may try to gain power during an interregnum.
Pronounce interregnum with the accent on the third syllable: “in-ter-REG-num.” It comes from Latin: inter- means “between” and regnum means “kingship, dominion, rule, realm.” An interregnum can be marked by no government at all, or it can refer to a different kind of leadership between two similar regimes.
intimate
intimate
imply as a possibility - [v]
marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity - [adj]
intimate friend
““intimate relations between economics, politics, and legal principles” - V.L. Parrington”
“pretending she is on an intimate footing with those she slanders”
Intimate means being close. A small restaurant is called intimate because you’re sitting close to the other people, and your best friends are considered your intimate friends.
This adjective can mean very friendly, or very personal or private. The original spelling was intime, from French, from Latin intimus “innermost,” from intus “within.” The related verb intimate means to hint or suggest. Intimate is also a noun meaning a close friend or associate. And when you get intimate with someone, it can mean that you’re sexually involved.
intractable
intractable
not tractable; difficult to manage or mold - [adj]
an intractable disposition
“intractable pain”
“the most intractable issue of our era”
Can’t manage your stubborn little brother who won’t do what anyone says? You could call him intractable, or you could call your mother. Problems are intractable when they can’t be solved.
Intractable means not tractable. Helpful, right? No? Let’s break it down. In both words you see the word tract. A contract is a written document that explains how a legal situation is to be managed together. When someone is tractable they are able to be managed or handled. When they are intractable, they are as unmanageable as a hungry two-year old.
intransigence
intransigence
the trait of being intransigent; stubbornly refusing to compromise - [n]
If you refuse to compromise with your sister about whose turn it is to do the dishes, your mother might accuse you both of intransigence. Intransigence is a stubborn refusal to change your views.
Inside of intransigence you see the Latin transigere which means to come to an understanding. People who show intransigence refuse to do this. Nations are often accused of intransigence when they refuse to comply with international standards or will.
introspective
introspective
given to examining own sensory and perceptual experiences - [adj]
Someone who is introspective spends considerable time examining his own thoughts and feelings. If you take to your diary after an unhappy break-up, you are being introspective.
The Latin word introspicere means to look inside, and that’s what an introspective person does, metaphorically speaking. It’s different from meditative and pensive in that they can refer to contemplating anything, whereas introspection involves specifically contemplating yourself.
inundate
inundate
fill or cover completely, usually with water - [v]
fill quickly beyond capacity; as with a liquid - [v]
the basement was inundated after the storm
To inundate means to quickly fill up or overwhelm, just like a flood. Your bathroom could be inundated with water if the pipes burst, and hopefully your inbox is inundated with nice emails on your birthday.
Commonly used to refer to a deluge of water, inundate can also refer to an overflow of something less tangible, like information. Right before the holidays, toy stores are often inundated with eager parents scrambling to get the latest action figures and video games. Attempt to read the entire dictionary in one sitting and you’ll inundate your mind with vocabulary. But you probably won’t remember any of it tomorrow.
inured
inured
made tough by habitual exposure - [adj]
a peasant, dark, lean-faced, wind-inured”- Robert Lynd”
““our successors…may be graver, more inured and equable men”- V.S.Pritchett”
If you have gotten so many mosquito bites in your life that they no longer bother you, you have become inured to them. This means you have become accustomed to tolerating them.
This adjective is derived from the 16th-century phrase in ure, meaning “in use” or “in practice.” When you are inured to something, you have probably had a lot of persistent exposure to it, and it’s usually something negative. People can become inured to pain, inured to violence, and even inured to the sound of a little yappy dog that won’t stop barking.
invective
invective
abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will - [n]
- Invective* is harsh, abusive language, like, “you dirty rotten scoundrel.” I’m sure you can think of harsher and more obscene examples, but we won’t get into them here.
- Invective* comes from the Latin for “abusive.” It kind of sounds like a harsh word, actually, with those sharp, dagger-like V’s. People usually put a colorful verb or phrase before it. Some examples: “She spewed invective,” “She hurled invective,” “She burst forth into invective.” You can follow it with a phrase like, “picking up her plate and throwing it across the room.”
inveigh
inveigh
complain bitterly - [v]
speak against in an impassioned manner - [v]
Picture an old man banging his fist on the dinner table, inveighing against the evils of teenagers’ being allowed to listen to music and dance. Inveigh means to rail against something with hostility and passion.
Related to vehicle, inveigh comes from Latin in- + vehere “to carry.” During the Vietnam War, war protesters held rallies where young men burned their draft cards and inveighed against the imperialist motives by which our country was being driven and the war’s escalation without its ever being properly authorized in Congress.
inveigle
inveigle
influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering - [v]
When you tell your boyfriend he’s not just the best boyfriend ever but also the world’s best driver, and this makes him offer to drive the whole way on your upcoming road trip, then congratulations. You know how to inveigle, or use charm to coax someone into doing something.
If you successfully inveigle your sister to doing something for you, she must be so caught up in your flattering that she is blind to your true intention. In fact, inveigle comes from the Middle French word aveugler, meaning “delude, make blind,” which can be traced back to the Medieval Latin word ab oculis, or “lacking eyes.” The people you inveigle don’t see what you are really up to.
inveterate
inveterate
habitual - [adj]
in a habitual and longstanding manner - [adv]
If you’re an inveterate doodler, all your notebooks are covered with drawings. If you’re an inveterate golf player, you probably get twitchy if you haven’t been out on a course in a week.
In Middle English inveterate was associated with chronic disease. Now it simply refers to something that is a signature habit with a person. Unless you’re an inveterate gambler, drinker or smoker––in which case you’re addicted and we’re back to talking about being sick.
invidious
invidious
containing or implying a slight or showing prejudice - [adj]
invidious comparisons
Something can be described as invidious when it is resentful, discriminatory or envious, as in: “Fred was angered by the invidious gossip about his divorce being spread by his ex-wife’s allies.”
The adjective invidious is used to describe an act, thought, opinion or critique that is full of ill will or prejudice. It comes from a Latin word that means “hostile.” When the captain of a cheerleading squad says nasty things about an opposing cheer captain’s new party dress, those are invidious comments.
irascible
irascible
quickly aroused to anger - [adj]
characterized by anger - [adj]
an irascible response
If you’re irascible, you get angry easily — perhaps blowing up in rage when someone brushes into you.
Irascible comes from the Latin root ira, which means “anger” or “rage,” the same root that gives us the word ire, “anger.” The -sc in the middle of irascible, means “becoming,” so irascible doesn’t just mean you’re angry — it’s got action built into it. If you’re looking for a fight most of the time, then you’re irascible — ready for the spark that’s going to set you on fire.
irresolute
irresolute
uncertain how to act or proceed - [adj]
the committee was timid and mediocre and irresolute
- Irresolute* describes someone who feels stuck. A decision must be made, a plan acted on, but the irresolute person just doesn’t know what to do.
- Resolute* describes certainty. When someone is resolute, things get done: plans are made and carried out. But add the prefix ir to resolute and you get its opposite. An irresolute person isn’t necessarily a slacker — he or she just doesn’t know what to do. Maybe it’s confusion. Maybe it’s a matter of waiting for better information to come along. Either way, if someone is irresolute, you’ll need to be patient — or willing to nudge him or her into action.
itinerant
itinerant
traveling from place to place to work - [adj]
a laborer who moves from place to place as demanded by employment - [n]
itinerant labor
“an itinerant judge”
“itinerant traders”
An itinerant is a person who moves from place to place, typically for work, like the itinerant preacher who moves to a new community every few years.
Itinerant is pronounced “eye-TIN-er-ant.” It might remind you of itinerary, the traveler’s schedule that lists flights, hotel check-in times, and other plans. It’s no surprise that both words come from the Latin word itinerare, meaning “to travel.” Itinerant was first used in the 16th century to describe circuit judges who traveled to faraway courtrooms. Today, almost anyone can be an itinerant.
kudos
kudos
an expression of approval and commendation - [n]
If you’re really good at judo, you will get kudos, or praise and congratulations, for your speed and strength.
You get kudos for doing something well, whether a class presentation, a chore, or a performance in a game or recital. Getting kudos for doing something that makes you famous or well-known is possible too, though it’s easier to get kudos just for doing a good job. Kudos looks like a plural noun, but the s is just the ending of the original Greek word.
labile
labile
liable to change - [adj]
(chemistry, physics, biology) readily undergoing change or breakdown - [adj]
an emotionally labile person
Labile is an adjective used to describe something that is easily or frequently changed. Radioactive elements, such as uranium or plutonium, are labile. It is this lability that makes them unstable and dangerous.
From the Latin verb lābī, “to slide or slip,” labile is often found in a technical context, especially in science, to refer to some sort of instability. For example, in chemistry, a compound that can be easily broken down by heat is called labile. The term can also be used in psychology to describe someone who is emotionally unstable.
laconic
laconic
brief and to the point; effectively cut short - [adj]
the laconic reply
Laconic is an adjective that describes a style of speaking or writing that uses only a few words, often to express complex thoughts and ideas. A more laconic way to write that last sentence might be this: laconic means brief.
There’s a friend of yours who doesn’t talk very much, and when he does, he says maybe three words and then becomes quiet again. You could describe that friend as laconic. The word comes from Laconia, a region in ancient Greece where the local Spartan rulers gave very short speeches. Being laconic can be bad when it sounds rude to be so brief, but it can be good if you’re in a rush to get somewhere.
lambaste
lambaste
censure severely or angrily - [v]
beat with a cane - [v]
To lambaste is to reprimand or berate someone severely. People lambaste those who have angered or disappointed them.
Have you ever watched a basketball game and noticed a coach yelling like a maniac at a referee? That coach is lambasting the referee. Lambasting is also called chewing out, taking to task, scolding, reprimanding, berating, bawling out, and chiding. Parents lambaste disobedient kids. A boss might lambaste a worker who is late all the time. Lambasting is severe and goes way beyond criticizing. When you are lambasting, you are furious at someone and letting them know it.
lascivious
lascivious
driven by lust; preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful desires - [adj]
Use lascivious to describe a person’s behavior that is driven by thoughts of sex. If someone gives you a lascivious smile, they’ve got only one thing in mind.
Latin-based lascivious and the Old English word lust both share the same Indo-European root las- “to be eager, wanton.” The much older word lust originally meant “desire, pleasure” and over time developed to mean sexual desire. Lascivious, on the other hand, entered the English language in the early 15th century complete with the meaning “lewd, driven by sexual desire.”
lassitude
lassitude
a feeling of lack of interest or energy - [n]
weakness characterized by a lack of vitality or energy - [n]
a state of comatose torpor (as found in sleeping sickness) - [n]
If you are feeling lassitude, you’re weary and just can’t be bothered. Couch potatoes make lassitude into an art form.
Lassitude might sound like latitude, but the two words don’t mean the same thing. Latitude describes the distance of a particular location from the equator. Lassitude is the weariness you’d experience after attempting to run a marathon around the equator. Lassitude can also describe a lack of interest, like deciding you’d rather lie on your couch rather than run that marathon along the equator.
latent
latent
potentially existing but not presently evident or realized - [adj]
(pathology) not presently active - [adj]
a latent fingerprint
“latent talent”
“latent infection”
Latent is an adjective that you use to describe something that is capable of becoming active or at hand, though it is not currently so.
The adjective latent is a tricky word to define because it refers to something there but not there. That is, latent means something that is capable of becoming active or at hand but has not yet achieved that state. The word arrived in Middle English from the Latin word latēre which means “to lie hidden.” It can have somewhat negative connotations because it is often used in a medical context, as in a latent illness or infection, but it can also mean good things, such as someone discovering they have latent talents or capabilities.
laud
laud
praise, glorify, or honor - [v]
To laud someone doesn’t mean to give them knighthood, but to praise them extravagantly — usually in a very public manner. Being lauded, of course, can have the same tonic effect as having been made a lord.
Fun fact: the word laud is related to the drug laudanum, a potent combo of alcohol and opium first invented in the sixteenth century. Its creator, the alchemist Parcelsus, clearly knowing the effect it had on people, took its name from the Latin word laudere, meaning “to praise.” Not surprisingly, it remained one of the world’s most lauded drugs until its use became strictly controlled in the early twentieth century.
lethargic
lethargic
deficient in alertness or activity - [adj]
bullfrogs became lethargic with the first cold nights
When you feel lethargic, you’re sluggish or lacking energy. Being sleepy or hungry can make anyone lethargic.
Being lethargic makes it hard to get anything done: you feel weak and sleepy. Whatever the reason, a lethargic person needs to snap out of it and get some energy, maybe by eating something or by taking a nap. Being lethargic also goes well with watching TV, since that takes almost no energy at all. When you feel lethargic, you don’t have any energy to spare.
levee
levee
a pier that provides a landing place on a river - [n]
a formal reception of visitors or guests (as at a royal court) - [n]
A levee is an embankment, like a dam, constructed to prevent the overflow of a body of water. It can also mean a formal reception. How do these two words relate? Read on…
In French, lever means to lift and se lever means to rise, literally “lift yourself.” When the king rose from his bed and received visitors, that was a levee. When you raise up dirt or other materials to build a dam or levee, that’s also a levee. Now, official levees don’t involve kings––but you might hear of “a governor’s levee at the state capital.” And levee can be used as a verb, meaning to make an embankment, or shore up.
levity
levity
a manner lacking seriousness - [n]
feeling an inappropriate lack of seriousness - [n]
Joking that your dead grandmother “never looked better” could inject some levity, or frivolity, into her funeral, but your relatives might find your joke inappropriate to the occasion.
Levity literally means “lightness,” and it’s often an attempt to inject some lightness or humor into an otherwise somber situation. Telling your Aunt Edna a joke while she recuperates from a skiing accident could provide the levity needed to brighten her mood. Yet levity is often used to describe humor that’s not appropriate to the occasion, like telling your Aunt the joke, “Two corpses walk into a bar…” after her husband has just died.
libertine
libertine
unrestrained by convention or morality - [adj]
a dissolute person; usually a man who is morally unrestrained - [n]
If you drink a lot, eat a lot, and live a wild and unrestrained life, you might be called a libertine.
A libertine is someone who lives life unencumbered by morals. Although it can be use neutrally, often if someone calls you libertine, they disapprove of your lack of morality. The city of New Orleans, where the drinking age is 18 and prostitution is legal, might be called a libertine city. While not all of the people who live there are libertines, they tend to have libertine attitudes and views, and do not mind when tourists spend their money on libertine activity.
libido
libido
(psychoanalysis) a Freudian term for sexual urge or desire - [n]
* Libido* is a person’s sexual desire. Once a year? Once a week? Once a day? There is no correct answer, because everyone’s libido is different. However, you hope your partner’s is similar to yours!
* Libido* has only been a word for about 100 years, though the urge to have sex has been around, well, as long as we have. It is Latin for “desire, lust.” You may have heard that the libido changes over the course of a person’s life, and that you can even “lose” it if you are, for example, depressed or taking certain medications. People often think famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud coined the term. It isn’t true, though he did popularize it in his writings on sexual urges.
lilliputian
lilliputian
very small - [adj]
(informal) small and of little importance - [adj]
a very small person (resembling a Lilliputian) - [n]
a lilliputian chest of drawers
“our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war”
Something that’s lilliputian is extremely small, like the lilliputian tables and chairs that might surprise you when you visit your kindergarten classroom years later.
The word lilliputian comes from Jonathan Swift’s 1726 novel, Gulliver’s Travels. Lilliput is the name of a fictional island whose people, the Lilliputians, stand only about six inches high. In addition to acting as an adjective to describe something that is very small — like the lilliputian cups and plates in a child’s doll house — lilliputian can also be a noun that refers to extremely small people.
limn
limn
make a portrait of - [v]
trace the shape of - [v]
Limn is a verb that means to represent or portray. It is most often used to describe the act of drawing or painting a portrait, but it can also refer to describing or outlining a scene or event.
The verb limn evolved from the Latin lumināre, “to illuminate.” The word referred originally to coloring (illuminating) manuscripts. The sense of “portray” or “depict” did not come into use until the late 16th century, but that meaning is close to the original, since someone who paints a portrait usually illuminates something about the subject’s character. The word is less often used of written description, as in “Her reviews tended to limn the worst aspects of the performance, ignoring the best.”
limpid
limpid
clear and bright - [adj]
transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity - [adj]
(of language) transparently clear; easily understandable - [adj]
limpid blue eyes
“could see the sand on the bottom of the limpid pool”
“writes in a limpid style”
The adjective limpid describes something (often liquid) that is clear, serene and bright. Nature calendars often feature glamour shots of a limpid stream or a limpid lake.
The adjective limpid may also describe language that is easily understandable. Your teacher might ask you to give an answer in a single limpid sentence. But he probably won’t because limpid is a word that’s fallen out of use. Maybe because it sounds too much like limp. Or maybe because it’s associated with the king of all clichés: “Her eyes were like limpid pools.”
linguistic
linguistic
consisting of or related to language - [adj]
of or relating to the scientific study of language - [adj]
linguistic behavior
“a linguistic atlas”
“linguistic theory”
Use the adjective linguistic to describe anything related to language, like the linguistic difficulties you might have if you visit a place where you do not speak the same language as everyone else.
The word linguistic combines the noun linguist, meaning “a master of language, one who uses his tongue freely,” with the adjective suffix -ic. It describes something that’s related to language, such as a linguistic theory about why some people drop the g sound in saying words ending in -ing. Or, if you want to brag about how good your vocabulary is, then rave about your linguistic skills.
litany
litany
any long and tedious address or recital - [n]
the patient recited a litany of complaints
“a litany of failures”
If you’ve got a whole slew of complaints to get off your chest or requests to make, you’ve got yourself a litany — a long, drawn-out list.
From Greek origins meaning “entreaty” or “supplication,” litany often refers to certain long responsive petitions offered to God, particularly by practitioners of the Christian faith. For some reason, litany is usually used in reference to negative things — such as a litany of complaints or a litany of injuries.
litigation
litigation
a legal proceeding in a court; a judicial contest to determine and enforce legal rights - [n]
Litigation is what goes on in court; it is the name for the process of suing someone or trying them for a crime. When families fight over their inheritance, the assets they want may end up being tied up for decades in litigation.
If you paid a man to repair your roof and he never finished the job, and he ignores your calls, the best option is to bring litigation against him: take him to court! We can use litigation to talk about one court case, or about cases in general. When the Congress debates health care, they try to find ways to reduce for medical malpractice litigation, which is one of the most expensive aspects of medicine.
log
log
a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches - [n]
measuring instrument that consists of a float that trails from a ship by a knotted line in order to measure the ship’s speed through the water - [n]
a written record of messages sent or received - [n]
the exponent required to produce a given number - [n]
they kept a log of all transmission by the radio station
“an email log”
A log is the trunk of a tree minus the branches: logging is cutting down trees. A log is also a written record of something, and logging is keeping such a record.
The first type of log is a tree that’s been cut down with the branches stripped. Think of a log cabin: it’s made up of logs. Logging is when trees are cut down for lumber. The other type of log is some type of written record or list of messages. A ship captain keeps a log of notes on the ship’s status and progress. When you make such a record, you’re logging. Logging can be written or orally recorded.
loquacious
loquacious
full of trivial conversation - [adj]
A loquacious person talks a lot, often about stuff that only they think is interesting. You can also call them chatty or gabby, but either way, they’re loquacious.
Whenever you see the Latin loqu-, you can be sure that the word has something to do with “talking.” So a loquacious person is a person who talks a lot, and often too much. Sitting next to a loquacious person at a dinner party can make dinner a real drag. Of course, if you’ve got nothing to say, a loquacious person might make a good dinner companion, because they’ll do all the talking. All you will have to do is smile and eat.
lucid
lucid
(of language) transparently clear; easily understandable - [adj]
transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity - [adj]
lucid directions
“a lucid moment in his madness”
“a lucid thinker”
Something that’s lucid is clear and understandable. Lucid writing is important in journalism, so that readers easily get the point of the article they’re reading.
When what you write or say is lucid, it’s straightforward and its meaning is crystal clear. You can also use the adjective lucid to describe your mind or thoughts when you’re thinking in a rational, sensible way: “I was worried about my grandmother’s confusion yesterday, but she seems really lucid today.” Another meaning is “translucent,” or letting light shine through — which makes sense since lucid comes from the Latin lucidus, “light or clear,” with its root of lux, “light.”
lucre
lucre
informal terms for money - [n]
the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses) - [n]
Lucre is another word for money, or profit. It’s most often used to describe money gotten illegally, or immorally.
Well-heeled bankers and lawyers make profits; drug dealers and bank robbers get filthy, rotten lucre. You might think of lucre as the term that gets at the dark side of capitalism. Some people will do anything in the pursuit of lucre. Political groups that call Hollywood immoral, still accept the lucre that it offers. We all love money, except when it causes us to do terrible things to ourselves and others. Then it’s lucre.
luminous
luminous
softly bright or radiant - [adj]
a sky luminous with stars
Luminous means full of or giving off light. During the winter holidays, with all their emphasis on light, you can see luminous displays of candles everywhere.
This word has several figurative meanings that are related to the basic sense of something shining. For example, luminous prose is clear and easily understood. And a luminous career is bright and inspiring. The Middle English adjective is from Latin luminosus, from lumen “light.”
lustrous
lustrous
reflecting light - [adj]
made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow - [adj]
brilliant - [adj]
lustrous auburn hair
“she brushed her hair until it fell in lustrous auburn waves”
“set a lustrous example for others to follow”
In shampoo commercials, the hair you see swinging is lustrous. It is brilliant, in the shiny sense.
Lustrous has its root in the Latin lustrare which means “to illuminate or shine light over.” When something is lustrous, it reflects light in a glossy and shiny way. A bright smile and a glowing reputation are both lustrous. If someone has a long and successful work history, you might say their career is illustrious, meaning it has been lustrous for a long time.
machiavellian
machiavellian
of or relating to Machiavelli or the principles of conduct he recommended - [adj]
a follower of Machiavelli’s principles - [n]
Machiavellian thinking
Especially when it’s capitalized, the word Machiavellian is useful for talking about a person who follows Machiavelli’s philosophical ideas. However, it’s more frequently used to describe someone who is sneaky, cunning, and lacking a moral code.
You can use the adjective Machiavellian to describe someone who is a fan of the Italian philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli. Modern psychiatrists even use the adjective to describe a specific kind of personality disorder, a cold selfishness. When Machiavelli’s first works were published in the 1600s, they were seen by some to be dangerous and amoral, and the word Machiavellian was coined.
machinations
machinations
a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends - [n]
When a James Bond villain comes up with a plan to destroy the world, he doesn’t use a simple plan. No, he uses a machination — a complex plot that relies on numerous elements coming together to work.
Not surprisingly, machination derives from the Medieval French machina, meaning “machine.” And, like many a machine, a machination is subject to going wrong, often comically (see James Bond movies). Politicians love a good machination, and their machinations are frequently exposed in the press as scandals.
maelstrom
maelstrom
a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides) - [n]
A maelstrom is a powerful whirlpool. A luckless ship might go down in one, conflicting ocean currents might cause one. You hear it more often metaphorically, to describe disasters where many competing forces are at play.
When an economy or a government fails, the situation is often described as a maelstrom. Following some precipitous event, all the forces at play––banks, governments, consumers––are trying as hard as they can to protect themselves. This creates a maelstrom — a perfect storm, so to speak — that drags any potential for rescue down with it. Maelstrom comes from an obsolete Dutch phrase meaning “whirling stream.”
magnanimity
magnanimity
liberality in bestowing gifts; extremely liberal and generous of spirit - [n]
Magnanimous behavior is noble, generous, or unselfish, and to exhibit magnanimity is to be this way. He showed great magnanimity in not pressing charges when I drove his car into the pond. “Accidents happen my friend,” he said, and patted me on the back.
In Latin, magnus means “great”: a magnate is a great man; a magnum is a great big bottle of champagne. Magnanimity is the generous greatness of spirit. When you are being the bigger person, you are behaving with magnanimity. “The supermodel grabbed the magnum of champagne, lifted it to her mouth and drained the bottle. With great magnanimity, her host smiled and offered her another.”
malign
malign
speak unfavorably about - [v]
evil or harmful in nature or influence - [adj]
having or exerting a malignant influence - [adj]
prompted by malign motives
“believed in witches and malign spirits”
“gave him a malign look”
If you malign someone, you badmouth them — just like the jilted girlfriend who tells the whole school her ex has bad breath and head lice.
It’s no surprise that malign comes from a Middle English word that means “to attack.” Because when you malign someone you’re attacking their character or reputation with a lot of trash talk. That would actually make it appropriate to then describe you as “a malign influence” — in other words, evil and full of malignant purpose.
malleable
malleable
capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out - [adj]
easily influenced - [adj]
malleable metals such as gold
A malleable personality is capable of being changed or trained, and a malleable metal is able to be pounded or pressed into various shapes. It’s easier to learn when you’re young and malleable.
Similarly, there are ductile metals that can be hammered out into wire or thread; gold, silver, and platinum are examples. The adjective malleable dates back to Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin malleābilis, from malleāre “to hammer,” from Latin malleus “a hammer.”
maverick
maverick
someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action - [n]
an unbranded range animal (especially a stray calf); belongs to the first person who puts a brand on it - [n]
independent in behavior or thought - [adj]
maverick politicians
A maverick is a rebel, someone who shows a lot of independence. A maverick on a motorcycle might blaze his own trail, or show a maverick touch in a rough sport by wearing a helmet with the word “Mom” inside a heart.
Samuel A. Maverick owned a lot of cattle, and he let them roam around Texas without a brand, or identification mark, seared into their skins. Samuel was a maverick for going against the common practice of tracking his animals, and his last name became part of the English language as both an adjective and a noun in the 19th century. Someone who acts very independently is a maverick, and individual actions that stand out are maverick, as in “her maverick jumping style on the ice was both wild and delicate.”
megalomania
megalomania
a psychological state characterized by delusions of grandeur - [n]
- Megalomania* is a crazy hunger for power and wealth, and a passion for grand schemes. Comic book villains often suffer from megalomania. Their plans are thwarted only by superheroes.
- Megalomania* comes from the Greek megas (“great”) and mania (“madness”). It is a madness of greatness, but not a great kind of madness! Megalomaniacs in history: Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte, Josef Stalin, and maybe even the tycoon Donald Trump.
menagerie
menagerie
a collection of live animals for study or display - [n]
the facility where wild animals are housed for exhibition - [n]
A menagerie (pronounced muh-NA-juh-ree, with NA as in “national”) is a collection of live animals that people visit, study, or keep as pets. If you really want a backyard menagerie of farm animals after visiting the petting zoo, take a long sniff and remember what comes with them.
Pet lovers can have a menagerie of cats, dogs, and birds or exotic animals such as snakes, ferrets, and piranhas. Zoos have animal collections like the menagerie of sea creatures in the aquarium and the swinging apes in the jungle menagerie. And a science or medical center may have a menagerie of rats for studying behavior. If you want a menagerie, an ant farm is a good one: lots of animals in a container, always working, and never stinking up the place.
mendacious
mendacious
given to lying - [adj]
intentionally untrue - [adj]
a mendacious child
“a mendacious statement”
A mendacious person is one who tells lies habitually and intentionally. Don’t get stuck at the water cooler or bus stop next to someone you consider mendacious!
People may tell “white lies” if they forgot your birthday or really don’t like your new haircut, but if you catch someone intentionally manipulating you with a falsehood, that person is just plain mendacious. So think of the most deceptive, insincere, perfidious, duplicitous, false person you’ve ever met, and then add the word mendacious to that list.
mendicant
mendicant
practicing beggary - [adj]
a pauper who lives by begging - [n]
a male member of a religious order that originally relied solely on alms - [n]
mendicant friars
People who live off begging can be called mendicants. However, you probably wouldn’t call your kids mendicants, even though they beg you for stuff, because the word mendicant also implies extreme poverty.
The noun mendicant can also refer to a man belonging to a religious order, such as the Franciscan Friars — who do not own personal property but live together in a monastery and survive off alms donated by others. As an adjective, mendicant describes someone who lives such an existence.
meretricious
meretricious
tastelessly showy - [adj]
based on pretense; deceptively pleasing - [adj]
like or relating to a prostitute - [adj]
a meretricious yet stylish book
“meretricious praise”
“a meretricious argument”
Have you ever heard the phrase “fake it until you make it”? That is advice that encourages you to be meretricious, pretending to be something you aren’t, like the meretricious flaunting of gigantic fake diamond earrings, pretending they are real — and that you can afford them.
To correctly pronounce meretricious, accent the third syllable: “mer-uh-TRISH-us.” Don’t mistake something that is meretricious for having merit. In fact, it is just the opposite. From an expensive restaurant that looks expensively furnished but when the lights are turned up, you can see that “leather” chairs are just cheap vinyl or a woman who pretends her counterfeit handbags are designer originals, meretricious actions are meant to deceive.
mesmerize
mesmerize
attract strongly, as if with a magnet - [v]
induce hypnosis in - [v]
You meet someone and you can’t take your eyes off them, like you are connected by an invisible cord and can’t break free. Those kinds of people have the power to mesmerize, holding your attention like you’re under hypnosis.
The word mesmerize comes from the last name of 18th century German physician Franz Mesmer, who believed that all people and objects are pulled together by a strong magnetic force, later called mesmerism. If you ever start to feel mesmerized, maybe it’s because you find someone fascinating, or maybe you’ve been hypnotized by a magician. Hard to tell from here.
metamorphosis
metamorphosis
a striking change in appearance or character or circumstances - [n]
a complete change of physical form or substance especially as by magic or witchcraft - [n]
the marked and rapid transformation of a larva into an adult that occurs in some animals - [n]
the metamorphosis of the old house into something new and exciting
In Kafka’s novel entitled Metamorphosis, a man wakes up to find he has turned into a cockroach. That kind of complete and startling change pretty much sums up the word.
When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it goes through a metamorphosis. An idea can undergo metamorphosis, or metamorphosize, too as can feelings. After you spend a full summer with your grandmother, your feelings about the woman may undergo a complete metamorphosis. While you were once afraid of the old woman, you now love her dearly.
meticulous
meticulous
marked by precise accordance with details - [adj]
marked by extreme care in treatment of details - [adj]
meticulous research
“a meticulous craftsman”
“almost worryingly meticulous in his business formalities”
People who are meticulous can be pretty annoying, what with their extreme attention to detail. But if that person is, say, your surgeon or your accountant, you’ll want them to be meticulous.
The Latin root of meticulous is metus, which means “fear,” so it’s easy to see how eventually meticulous got its meaning. Someone who’s meticulous is afraid of what will happen if they’re not careful enough to get every detail right. “Detail oriented” and “perfectionist” are other ways of describing someone who cares deeply about the small things and about getting things exactly right, every time. Concert pianists must be meticulous, because audiences are always listening for wrong notes.
mettle
mettle
the courage to carry on - [n]
Mettle is the courage to carry on. If someone wants to “test your mettle,” they want to see if you have the heart to follow through when the going gets tough.
Having the mettle to do something means you have guts. In short, you’re a pretty impressive person. If you have the intellectual mettle to enter a political debate, not only do you know a lot about politics, but you have the spunk to show it off. Metal and mettle were used interchangeably meaning a solid material like gold, and the “stuff a person is made of” until everyone got confused and the words went their separate ways.
microcosm
microcosm
a miniature model of something - [n]
When you think of microcosm, picture your home town inside a snow globe. The teeny tiny city is a microcosm of the one you live in. It is that place in miniature.
Microcosm can be used to describe anything that is a miniature representation of something else. Think of a specific event that symbolizes the way things always seems to go, like the way a kind act by your mom can represent the caring relationship you have with her. That weekend with your partner that started with laughter but ended in tears? That’s a microcosm of the whole lousy relationship. The dance where you regretted your outfit, giggled with friends, annoyed a teacher, and missed your chance at dancing with your crush? A microcosm of high school.
militate
militate
have force or influence; bring about an effect or change - [v]
Politeness militated against this opinion being expressed
Your father’s loss of his job may militate against the big family vacation your parents had been planning. To militate is to be a deciding factor for or against.
The word militate descends from the same Latin word as military. Imagine armed soldiers at a check point. Their presence might militate against your plan of crossing the border, or it might militate for their bringing you in for questioning. When you are young, sometimes your age works for you, and sometimes it militates against you.
minatory
minatory
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments - [adj]
- Minatory* means threatening. When you petition the school for higher academic standards––i.e. harder grading from teachers––you may receive some minatory looks, or even hate note, from the kids in your school.
- Minatory* derives from the Latin menatorius, “menace,” and has nothing at all to do with the Greek legends of the Minotaur. But think of the Minotaur anyway––it was half-man, half-bull, lived inside a labyrinth, and could only be appeased if it was being sent young women to devour. If that’s not threatening, or minatory, behavior, nothing is.
minuscule
minuscule
very small - [adj]
the characters that were once kept in bottom half of a compositor’s type case - [n]
a minuscule kitchen
“a minuscule amount of rain fell”
“e.e.cummings’s poetry is written all in minuscule letters”
When something is teeny tiny, it is minuscule. If your mother calls your miniskirt minuscule, it probably means she wants you to change into something a bit less revealing.
In minuscule, you see the word, minus, which means lesser. The word minuscule has its roots in the Latin expression minuscula littera, a phrase used to describe the smaller letters in text. In the late 1800s, the use of the word expanded to mean very small in general — so the definition of minuscule became less minuscule.
misanthrope
misanthrope
someone who dislikes people in general - [n]
A misanthrope is a person who hates or mistrusts other people. Your great aunt Edna who lashes out at anyone who approaches, convinced they’ll steal the jewelry she keeps in her handbag on her lap? A misanthrope indeed.
This is a formal word, derived from Greek misanthrōpos “hating mankind,” from misein “to hate” plus anthrōpos “a man.” From the same root, we get the English word anthropology “the study of humans.” If you make a statement or do something that is particularly hostile or untrusting, you can call that misanthropic.
miscellany
miscellany
a collection containing a variety of sorts of things - [n]
an anthology of short literary pieces and poems and ballads etc. - [n]
- Miscellany* is a collection of different sorts of things. If organization is not one of your strong points, your purse may contain a miscellany of surprising items.
- Miscellany* comes from the Latin for “mix,” and a miscellany is a mixture of things. If you don’t clean your car out very often, there may be a miscellany of relics in the backseat: a flip flop left over from your last trip to the beach, a few stale French fries, your last report card, and maybe a magazine or two.
misogynist
misogynist
a misanthrope who dislikes women in particular - [n]
If you’re someone who believes women belong in the kitchen and shouldn’t be accorded the same respect as men, you might be a misogynist. A misogynist is a person who hates or doesn’t trust women.
Misogynist is from Greek misogynḗs, from the prefix miso- “hatred” plus gynḗ “a woman.” The English suffix -ist means “person who does something.” The prefix mis-, a variant of miso- before a vowel, appears in the opposite term misandrist, which is a person who hates or doesn’t trust men. The corresponding nouns are mysogyny and misandry.
mitigate
mitigate
lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of - [v]
make less severe or harsh - [v]
mitigating circumstances
Choose the verb, mitigate, when something lessens the unpleasantness of a situation. You can mitigate your parents’ anger by telling them you were late to dinner because you were helping your elderly neighbor.
The somewhat formal verb, mitigate, comes from the Latin roots mītis “soft” and agere “to do/act,” which add up to “to soften.” It is often used with words that indicate an outcome or something harmful. When you buy car insurance, you are trying to mitigate the risks involved with driving. Sunscreen is used to mitigate the effects of the sun on your skin.
mnemonic
mnemonic
of or relating to or involved the practice of aiding the memory - **[adj]** a device (such as a rhyme or acronym) used to aid recall - **[n]**
mnemonic device
A mnemonic is a memory aid for something, often taking the form of a rhyme or an acronym. I before E except after C, is a mnemonic to help you remember how to spell words like “piece” and “receive.”
As an adjective, mnemonic describes something related to memory. “Spring forward, Fall back” is a mnemonic device to help you remember which way to set your clocks for daylight savings time. Set the clock forward an hour in the spring when daylight savings time begins, and set the clock back an hour in the fall when it ends. Well-known mnemonics exist to help you remember things like the planets, the digits of Pi, and the color spectrum.
modicum
modicum
a small or moderate or token amount - [n]
England still expects a modicum of eccentricity in its artists”- Ian Jack”
If you want to describe a small amount of something, try modicum. If you have a modicum of interest in something, you are a little bit interested.
Modicum comes from the Latin modicus, for moderate, and modus, for measure. We often use it to mean “any at all,” as if “If you had a modicum of sense (i.e. any sense at all), you’d be able to see that the pencil you’ve spent the last five minutes looking for is tucked behind your ear.”
mollify
mollify
cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of - [v]
make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate - [v]
make less rigid or softer - [v]
She managed to mollify the angry customer
To mollify is to calm someone down, talk them off the ledge, make amends, maybe even apologize.
Mollify comes from the Latin mollificare to “make soft,” and that’s still at the heart the word. When you mollify someone, you smooth things over, even if you’re maybe still a little mad: “I was angry that the guy took my seat, but I was mollified when he offered me one closer to the band.” Unlike the sharp sounds of antagonize, there are only soft sounds in this word that means to make someone feel soft and cuddly. Although dryer sheets might soften your clothes, they don’t mollify them (unless your clothes were really mad at you before).
monolithic
monolithic
imposing in size or bulk or solidity - [adj]
characterized by massiveness and rigidity and total uniformity - [adj]
the monolithic proportions of Stalinist architecture
“a monolithic society”
“a monolithic worldwide movement”
When something is monolithic it’s big, and made of one thing. A large piece of stone jutting from the earth is a monolith, and Detroit’s economy when it depended entirely on the auto industry was monolithic.
Broken into its roots mono and lithic, monolithic means simply “one stone.” When monolithic is used to describe something societal — like a religion or an organization — it has a slightly negative connotation. This is because anything made up of different people with different beliefs and goals is unlikely to be able to maintain monolithic status for long without force or oppression.
morose
morose
showing a brooding ill humor - [adj]
a morose and unsociable manner
A morose person is sullen, gloomy, sad, glum, and depressed — not a happy camper.
When someone is morose, they seem to have a cloud of sadness hanging over them. This word is stronger than just sad — morose implies being extremely gloomy and depressed. We all can be morose at times, like after the death of a friend or family member. Whether you’re morose due to an event or just because you’re feeling blue, you should try skipping or whistling a little tune to perk things up.
motley
motley
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds - [adj]
having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly - [adj]
a collection containing a variety of sorts of things - [n]
a multicolored woolen fabric woven of mixed threads in 14th to 17th century England - [n]
a garment made of motley (especially a court jester’s costume) - [n]
a motley crew
“a jester dressed in motley”
If you’ve encountered the word motley, it’s most likely in the phrase “motley crew,” which means a diverse and poorly organized group. Think of a band of pirates, or the assorted characters who became The Fellowship of the Ring.
In contemporary usage, motley can be used in virtually any context as a synonym for mismatched, heterogeneous, or ragtag. But the word was first used to describe multicolored fabric, especially the type of material used in a jester’s costume. This distinctive apparel was a sign of the fool’s place outside the class system — and, in the Elizabethan era, it signified that the jester was beyond the sumptuary laws that determined who could wear what. Thus, the fool had the exceptional ability to speak freely, even to royalty.
multifarious
multifarious
having many aspects - [adj]
multifarious interests
“the multifarious noise of a great city”
A person or thing with many sides or different qualities is multifarious. The Internet has multifarious uses, museums are known for their multifarious art collections, and Hindu gods are associated with multifarious incarnations.
You can use the adjective multifarious to describe anything that has a lot of sides or aspects, and the 16th-century roots of the word come from multi-, or “many,” parts or expressions. Comic actors who can morph their faces into a 1000 different looks are multifarious, and parents who can run businesses, coach soccer leagues, and tell good stories are pretty multifarious too.
mundane
mundane
found in the ordinary course of events - [adj]
concerned with the world or worldly matters - [adj]
belonging to this earth or world; not ideal or heavenly - [adj]
mundane affairs
“yet a mundane wonder of unimagined kind”
An ordinary, unexciting thing can be called mundane: “Superman hid his heroic feats by posing as his mundane alter ego, Clark Kent.”
Mundane, from the Latin word mundus, “world,” originally referred to things on earth. Such things were supposed to be uninteresting when compared to the delights of Heaven; hence the word’s present meaning. Writing about reality TV shows, a Newsweek writer opined, “In reality bizarro-world, the mundane is presented as the spectacular” — in other words, people’s everyday routines are now televised as entertainment.
necromancy
necromancy
conjuring up the dead, especially for prophesying - [n]
the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world - [n]
Spooky, sneaky, powerful and strange, necromancy is the art of raising the spirits of the dead, either for their predictions about the future, or their ghostly help in making something happen.
Necromancy, also called black magic, comes from the ancient Greek word for corpse necro and prophecy mancy. If you travel to the underworld to speak to the dead, then you have the power of necromancy, not to mention geomancy, the ability to read signs from the earth to find the necropolis, or city of the dead. As you might guess, necromancy isn’t discussed much these days. But if you’re reading about old witch trials, you might find accusations of necromancy abound.
negate
negate
make ineffective by counterbalancing the effect of - [v]
deny the truth of - [v]
prove negative; show to be false - [v]
be in contradiction with - [v]
This action will negate the effect of my efforts
If something neutralizes the effect of something else, then you can say the effect is negated. Hanging a disco ball from your living room ceiling negates the sleek modern effect created by the contemporary furniture.
If something is proved false or untrue, it has been negated. The discovery of one dinosaur jaw negated the conventional wisdom that all dinosaurs were vegetarians, since the tooth structure proved that guy definitely ate meat. The verb negate can also mean to counteract or counterbalance — so a really strong serve can negate your other weaknesses on the tennis court.
neologism
neologism
a newly invented word or phrase - [n]
the act of inventing a word or phrase - [n]
A neologism is a made-up or new word. Neologisms can be fun-ti-ful, but the problem is making sure others understand what you mean.
The word neologism was once a neologism itself. It was created by gluing the French prefix neo- onto the Greek logos or “word.” People coin neologisms all the time, linguists track which ones stick, and eventually, we all feel they’re old friends. Or maybe not: random samples from words coined in 2003 include: adultolescence, pastability, pre-zactly, and neomaxizoomdweebie.
neophyte
neophyte
any new participant in some activity - [n]
a new convert being taught the principles of Christianity by a catechist - [n]
a plant that is found in an area where it had not been recorded previously - [n]
Look at the little freshies, said the football team captain to his friends. “Little neophytes come to learn how the big boys play….Let’s get ‘em!”
Neo- means new, and -phyte is from the Greek phuton “plant”––like a baby plant, a neophyte is someone who is new to an activity. A political neophyte is someone who has just been elected and comes to Washington D.C. not understanding how the game of politics is played. A Frisbee neophyte is someone who has just thrown the disc for the first time.
