Word of the Day Archive for 2009

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confrere - a person who is member of one's class or profession; an intimate colleague
libation - a beverage, especially an alcoholic one
impregnable - cannot be stormed or taken by assault; incapable of being overcome
addle - make or become muddled or confused
distrait - divided in attention, especially because of anxiety; inattentive
oblivious - failing to keep in mind; forgetful
congeries - a collection; aggregation; miscellany
purblind - having greatly reduced vision
propound - to offer for consideration; suggest
callow - immature; inexperienced having not reached adulthood
chary - careful, wary; cautious
provender - food for domestic livestock; a stock or supply of foods
schadenfreude - the malicious delight in another person's misfortune
upbraid - to scold or criticize severely
castigate - to punish severely; to chastise verbally; to criticize severely
pettifogger - a person, especially a lawyer or politician, who uses unethical methods
paterfamilias - father of the family (tribe) or male head of the household
exigency - requiring urgent aid or action; pressing needs
ubiquitous - existing or being everywhere, or in all places, at once; omnipresent
descry - to catch sight of, usually objects distant or obscure; to recognize; to discern
sardonic - scornful, mocking; disdainfully or ironically humorous
heterodox - holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines
indefatigable - incapable of being fatigued; not yielding to fatigue
febrile - pertaining to fever; indicating fever, or derived from it; feverish
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commensurate - equal in measure or extent
corpulent - very fat; obese; bulky
malediction - a proclaiming of evil against someone; a curse or execration
consanguineous - of the same blood; related by birth
plenipotentiary - containing or conferring full power; invested with full power to act independently
nascent - beginning to exist or grow; coming into being; emerging
omnipresent - present in all places at once; ubiquitous
ostentation - pretentious or vulgar display; boastful showiness
foment - to nurse to life or activity; to encourage; to abet
voluptuary - a person devoted to luxury and pleasures of the senses; a sensualist
peccant - sinful; guilty of transgression
polymath - a person of great or varied learning
Brobdingnagian - extraordinarily large; gigantic; enormous; colossal
etiolate - bleach and alter the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding sunlight
flummery - empty compliment; unsubstantial talk or writing; trash
torrid - violently hot; parched; emotionally charged and vigorously energetic
plenary - full in all respects; fully attended
tergiversation - the use of evasions or deliberate ambiguities; subterfuge
paragon - a model of excellence or perfection
malodorous - having an unpleasant odor
menagerie - a collection of wild or exotic animals on exhibition
precipice - a very steep, perpendicular, or overhanging place (rock face); a cliff
bucolic - relating to or characteristic of the countryside or its people; rustic
aver - to affirm with confidence; to claim or verify (law)
nostrum - a medicine of secret composition and unproven effectiveness; a quack medicine
sacrosanct - considered sacred and inviolable
multifarious - having great diversity or variety
desultory - jumping from one thing or subject to another; aimless
blandishment - word sor actions expressive of affection or kindness to entice, flatter or persuade
abnegate - to deny or reject something; to renounce; to refuse
alacrity - a cheerful readiness or willingness
scion - a descendant; an heir
hoary - gray or white with age; ancient
sylvan - relating to or characteristic of wooded regions
abjure - to renounce under oath; to reject or renounce formally
disconsolate - hopelessly sad; inspiring dejection
hale - free from disease; healthy; robust
inveigh - complain bitterly; speak against in an impassioned manner
supplicate - to seek or ask for earnestly and humbly
hoary - gray or white with age; ancient
intransigent - refusing to compromise; uncompromising; unreasonable
agog - highly excited, in eager desire; eager; astir, keen
fastidious - hard to please; giving careful attention to detail
edify - to instruct and improve, especially in moral, intellectual or religious knowledge
conflagration - a very large and damaging fire
friable - easily crumbled or broken, pulverized, or reduced to powder
ameliorate - to make or get better; to improve
obfuscate - to make obscure or unclear; to confuse; to darken
recalcitrant - stubbornly resistant to control or authority
fetid - having an offensive smell; stinking; malodorous
incipient - beginning to develop, or to appear
abstemious - sparing in consumption of esp. food and drink; temperate; abstinent
hirsute - covered with hair or bristles; shaggy
obloquy - condemnatory speech; disgrace resulting from public abuse
punctilious - careful attention to detail in forms of behavior and etiquette
capacious - able to contain a large capacity; roomy; spacious
lambaste - to beat severely; to scold or criticize severely
imprecation - the act of imprecating, or invoking evil upon anyone
inculcate - to teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions
privation - the act of depriving, or taking away
scintilla - the least particle; a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
obdurate - hardened in feelings or wrongdoing; hard-hearted; stubbornly wicked
nonpareil - having no equal or peerless
torpid - having lost motion, or the power of exertion and feeling
doyen - a senior member of a body or group
licentious - unrestrained by law or morality; lawless; immoral
intractable - not easily governed, managed or directed; obstinate; stubborn
miscreant - holding a false religious faith; heretical; depraved
turgid - swollen; bloated; inflated
surreptitious - obtained, done or made by stealth; clandestine
extraneous - coming from the outside; introduced from an outside source
exigent - requiring immediate aid or action; urgent; pressing
verdant - covered with green vegetation or growth
laudable - worthy of praise; praiseworthy; commendable
jejune - lacking significance or uninteresting; dull; meager; dry
vapid - lacking liveliness, spirit; or interest; dull
repletion - the state of being completely filled; superabundant fullness
elucidate - to make clear or manifest; to render more intelligible
indomitable - impossible to subdue; unconquerable
mendacious - given to deception or falsehood; lying; false; untrue
succor - help or assistance that relieves and delivers from difficulty, want, or distress
obviate - to anticipate; to prevent by interception; to avoid or make unnecessary
palliate - to reduce in violence; to lessen or abate; to mitigate
wraith - an apparition of a living person seen before death
garrulous - talking much, especially about commonplace or trivial things; talkative
polyglot - containing or made up of several languages
avarice - an excessive desire of gain; greediness after wealth
uncouth - lacking refinement or cultivation or taste; strange; awkward
lassitude - lack of vitality or energy; weariness; languor
raconteur - a person skilled in telling stories and anecdotes
lascivious - lewd; lustful; as lascivious desires
consternation - fear resulting from the awareness of danger
capitulate - to surrender under agreed upon conditions
grandiloquent - speaking in a lofty style; pompous; bombastic
maudlin - easily moved to tears; excessively sentimental
didactic - instructive; teaching some moral lesson; as, didactic essays
trenchant - characterized by or full of force and vigor
evince - to show in a clear manner; manifest
vitriolic - expressing bitterness or hatred; caustic; scathing
vicissitude - regular change; change in circumstances or fortune
extricate - to release or free from difficulty or entanglement
abeyance - temporary cessation or suppression; suspension
duplicity - acting in bad faith; double-dealing
quixotic - caught up in the idealism or romance of noble deeds
interminable - tiresomely long; seemingly without end
craven - cowardly; lacking even the rudiments of courage
nefarious - wicked in the extreme; abominable; heinous; iniquitous
verisimilitude - the appearance of truth
daedal - complex and ingenious in design or function
acidulous - slightly sour in taste, tone, or manner
benignant - kind; gracious; beneficial; favorable
ingenuous - simple; naive; innocent
perspicacity - clearness of insight or understanding
lugubrious - mournful, dismal, especially in an exaggerated or affected manner
acrimony - a harsh or biting sharpness, as of language, temper, or manners
assiduous - constant in application or attention; attentive; devoted
propinquity - nearness in place, time or relation
solipsism - philosophical theory that the self is all that you know to exist
sagacious - having or showing keen discernment and sound judgment
perfunctory - done merely to complete a duty; performed mechanically or superficially
eminent - high in position, rank, merit or repute; distinguished
dissolute - loose in morals and conduct
vim - power; energy; force; spirit; activity; vigor
recrudescent - breaking out again after temporary abatement or suppression
juxtaposition - a placing or being placed in nearness or side by side
inclement - rough; harsh; stormy; as, inclement weather
discursive - passing from one thing to another
cynosure - anything that attracts attention and admiration; a center of attraction
espy - to catch sight of
expunge - to strike out or erase; to obliterate
refulgent - radiant; brilliant; resplendent; shining; splendid
factitious - artificial; sham; not natural
bellwether - someone who assumes leadership of an activity or movement
pugnacious - inclined to fight; quarrelsome
innocuous - harmless; producing no ill effect; innocent
quisling - a traitor
vociferous - making a loud outcry; clamorous; noisy
ostracize - to expel or banish from a community or group
dilatory - marked by procrastination or delay; tardy; slow
politic - political; shrewdly tactful, unscrupulous, cunning
malaise - physical discomfort, as mild sickness or depression
implacable - not to be appeased; incapable of being pacified
harridan - a worn-out strumpet; a vixenish woman; a hag
pablum - something (as writing, speech or ideas) that is simplistic
choler - irritation of the passions; anger; wrath
irenic - conducive to peace; conciliatory
tendentious - marked by a strong tendency especially a controversial one
sedulous - diligent in application or pursuit
gainsay - to contradict; to oppose
pariah - an outcast; a person who is despised and avoided
farrago - a confused mixture; an assortment; a medley
martinet - a strict disciplinarian
captious - disposed to find fault
finical - unduly particular about details; finicky
mawkish - sickly sentimentality
desideratum - something desired as a necessity
egregious - conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
diffident - lacking self-confidence; bashful; timid
amatory - pertaining to love, especially sexual