Word of the Day Archive for August 2009

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