Word of the Day Archive for 2010

canard - a false report or statement
cabal - a clique that seeks power usually through intrigue
effusive - extravagantly demonstrative
inveigle - to persuade by charm or flattery; to lure
encomium - a formal expression of warm or high praise
supplant - to take the place of
arcane - hidden; secret; obscure; esoteric
placate - to appease; to pacify
doughty - steadfastly resolute; brave; valiant; noble
sapient - wise; sage; discerning
encumbrance - a burden or impediment
hyperbole - extravagant exaggeration
bestow - to present as a gift
parlous - attended with peril; fraught with danger
gelid - extremely cold; frozen
disheveled - in loose disorder; unkempt
maladroit - clumsy; awkward; unskillful
voluble - marked by a ready flow of speech
clerisy - the well educated class or intellectual elite
diatribe - a bitter, abusive verbal attack or speech
logorrhea - pathologically excessive, incoherent talking
prevaricate - to evade the truth
germane - relevant or appropriate; fitting
primordial - having existed from the beginning
boodle - the whole collection, crowd, pack or lot
cede - to yield or surrender
ephemeral - short-lived; existing for a short time
reverie - a daydream or deep musing
inscrutable - difficult to understand; obscure
illustrious - possessing luster or brightness
vertiginous - affected with vertigo; giddy; dizzy
sanctum - a sacred place
contemporaneous - occurring in the same period of time
neophyte - a novice or beginner
incontrovertible - indisputable
indigent - extremely poor; destitute
autodidact - one who is self-taught
beneficence - the practice of doing good
cupidity - greed; avarice
proclivity - a natural inclination
missive - a written message
waylay - to await and accost
execrable - detestable; abominable
aplomb - confidence; self-possession
osculation - the act of kissing
denigrate - to attack or defame the character or reputation of
probity - integrity; honesty
circumspect - prudent; cautious
comport - behave well or properly
quagmire - a difficult or precarious position
sciolism - superficial knowledge
forsake - to desert or abandon
salubrious - promoting health or well-being
demagogue - leader who seeks power by appealing to popular passions
avuncular - of or pertaining to an uncle
evanescent - fleeting; vanishing
afflatus - a divine imparting of knowledge
finitude - the state or quality of being finite
pecuniary - relating to money
insouciant - indifferent; careless; heedless
potboiler - a composition written quickly to make money
enjoin - to prohibit or restrain
abscond - to depart secretly
modicum - a moderate or token amount
perorate - to conclude or sum up a speech
apostasy - abandonment of one's party or faith
facetious - given to wit and good humor
pandiculation - yawning and stretching
dolorous - full of grief; sad; sorrowful
maelstrom - a powerful or destructive whirlpool
eldritch - unearthly, eerie; weird
temerity - unreasonable contempt of danger
caveat - a warning or caution; protest; admonition
minatory - threatening; menacing
myopia - intolerance; narrow-mindedness
paradox - a statement that contradicts itself
equanimity - evenness of mind; composure; calmness
olfactory - pertaining to the sense of smell
cacophony - harsh or discordant sounds
eschew - to shun; to avoid
extol - to praise; to glorify or honor
palpable - easily perceptible; obvious
uxorious - being a dependent husband
irascible - prone to anger; irritable
fetor - a strong, offensive smell
badinage - playful, frivolous talk; banter
sobriquet - an affectionate or humorous nickname
approbation - the act of approving
ebullient - full of spirited enthusiasm
auspicious - giving promise of success; prosperous
unconscionable - lacking conscience
monomania - obsessive zeal for a single subject
tchotchke - a trinket or knicknack
mores - customs; habits; beliefs
quietus - final discharge, as from debt or obligation
gravid - being with child; pregnant
penury - extreme poverty; destitution
gourmand - a person who eats to excess
eremite - a recluse, especially a religious recluse; hermit
mellifluous - flowing sweetly or smoothly
deracinate - to pull up by the roots
presentiment - a premonition or foreboding
melee - a confused conflict; turmoil
incongruous - lacking in harmony or compatibility
rebarbative - tending to repel or irritate
rivulet - a small stream or brook
urbane - polite; refined; elegant
piebald - mottled; mixed
visceral - obtained through instinct rather than intellect
militate - to have force or influence
repast - a meal; a refreshment
roister - to revel; to be bold or noisy
sentient - characterized by sensation and feeling
felicitous - happily applied or expressed; appropriate
providential - as if by divine intervention
fop - a man who is overly concerned with his appearance
delectation - great pleasure; delight
moiety - one of two equal parts; a half
virago - a noisy or scolding or domineering woman
aberrant - markedly different from an accepted norm; abnormal
disquisition - elaborate analytical essay on a subject
defalcate - to misuse money entrusted to one's care
dotage - feebleness of mind, particularly in old age
insensate - without feeling and consciousness
fecund - prolific; fruitful
taciturn - habitually silent; not apt to talk
oneiric - relating to or suggestive of dreams
malfeasance - wrongful conduct by a public official
talisman - an object with magical power; lucky charm
lapidate - to stone to death
esurient - hungry; greedy
benison - blessing; benediction
vituperation - abusive or venomous language
nescience - want of knowledge; ignorance
thaumaturgy - the performance of miracles or magic
supererogatory - going beyond what is expected
crepuscular - of or pertaining to twilight; dim
syncretic - uniting different belief systems
verboten - forbidden; prohibited
deprecate - to disapprove of strongly; belittle
entreat - ask for or request earnestly; to plead
bumptious - offensively self-assertive
galumph - to move in a clumsy manner
suffuse - to fill or cover, as with something fluid
avatar - an incarnation
ellipsis - omission of one or more words
nocuous - noxious; hurtful
philomath - a lover of learning; a scholar
cosmopolite - a citizen of the world
quidnunc - a gossip
ennui - boredom; tedium
flummox - to confuse; to bewilder
cerebration - the process of using your mind; thought
rictus - a gaping grimace
emblazon - display pompously; to decorate
lenity - the state or quality of being lenient
doula - a woman who assists women during labor
supine - lying face upward; indolent; listless
sedition - conduct inciting resistance to lawful authority
equipoise - equilibrium; counterbalance
doppelganger - a spiritual or ghostly double
enervate - to render impotent; to weaken
pukka - authentic; genuine
raffish - gaudily vulgar or cheap
stertorous - deep snoring; hoarsely breathing
paean - a joyous hymn of praise
subfusc - dark and dull; dingy
autochthonous - aboriginal; indigenous; native
ersatz - a substitute or imitation
jocund - cheerful; mirthful
atelier - a workshop; a studio
venerate - to regard with deep respect or reverence
dalliance - dawdling; procrastination
frowzy - habitually dirty and untidy
alpenglow - a reddish glow seen near sunset or sunrise
subterfuge - a deceptive device or stratagem
sub rosa - secretly; covertly; privately; confidentially
plaudit - a round of applause
biddable - obedient; docile
incommunicado - without the means or right to communicate
exegete - one who provides critical explanation or analysis
lucre - gain in money or goods; profit
favonian - pertaining to the west wind; soft; mild
complaisant - inclined or disposed to please; obliging
euphonious - pleasing or sweet in sound
apogee - the farthest or highest point
ergo - therefore; consequently
cajole - to persuade; to coax
chimerical - merely imaginary; fanciful; fantastic
plethora - excess; superabundance
acrid - sharp and harsh; bitterly pungent
gregarious - enjoying the company of others; sociable
edacious - given to eating; voracious
chichi - affectedly trendy
perquisite - a benefit in addition to salary or wages
furbelow - something showy or superfluous
lionize - to treat as an object of great importance
tutelary - guardian; protecting
synecdoche - a figure of speech
spurious - not genuine; false
numinous - spiritual; sublime
desuetude - the cessation of use; disuse
nabob - a wealthy person
kismet - destiny; fate
rejoinder - an answer to a reply
camarilla - a company of secret and irresponsible advisers
sidereal - relating to the stars or constellations
algorithm - a set of rules, specifying how to solve some problem
otiose - being at leisure; ineffective; useless
luminary - a person who has attained eminence
fealty - fidelity; constancy; faithfulness
conspectus - a general sketch or outline of a subject
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traduce - to expose to contempt or disgrace by making false statements or misrepresentation
pernicious - having the quality of killing or injuring; destructive; exceedingly harmful
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