In 2008, I made a New Years resolution to learn a new word a week. I learned new words that were interesting, and eventually became part of my regular usage...since then I have "collected" words to remember and to use instead of similar words that can relay a similar message.
While I did not learn a new word a week that year (I stopped somewhere in September), I did learn the value of knowing additional meanings, finding the unique aspect of how I speak.
Now, if only I could find other words to use instead of situation, scenario, circumstance, and moment, I will be on my way to better writing for 2011...that is my goal for this year, the goal of writing my words better, speaking my words more clearly, and understanding the need to enrich my life with additional verbage.
________________
fulsome - (adjective ) [foo l-suh m, fuhl-]
1. offensive to good taste, esp. as being excessive; overdone or gross: fulsome praise that embarrassed her deeply; fulsome décor.
2. disgusting; sickening; repulsive: a table heaped with fulsome mounds of greasy foods.
3. excessively or insincerely lavish: fulsome admiration.
4. encompassing all aspects; comprehensive: a fulsome survey of the political situation in Central America.
5. abundant or copious.
________________
desideratum - (noun, plural -ta )[dih-sid-uh-rey-tuh m, -rah-, -zid-]
1. something wanted or needed.
________________
jejune - (adjective ) [ji-joon]
1. without interest or significance; dull; insipid: a jejune novel.
2. juvenile; immature; childish: jejune behavior.
3. lacking knowledge or experience; uninformed: jejune attempts to design a house.
4. deficient or lacking in nutritive value: a jejune diet.
________________
effete - (adjective ) [ih-feet]
1. lacking in wholesome vigor; degenerate; decadent: an effete, overrefined society.
2. exhausted of vigor or energy; worn out: an effete political force.
3. unable to produce; sterile.
enormity – (noun, plural -ties) [ih-nawr-mi-tee]
1.outrageous or heinous character; atrociousness: the enormity of war crimes.
2.something outrageous or heinous, as an offense: The bombing of the defenseless population was an enormity beyond belief.
3.greatness of size, scope, extent, or influence; immensity: The enormity of such an act of generosity is staggering.
esoteric – (adjective) [es-uh-ter-ik]
1. understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest; recondite: poetry full of esoteric allusions.
2. belonging to the select few.
3. private; secret; confidential.
4. (of a philosophical doctrine or the like) intended to be revealed only to the initiates of a group: the esoteric doctrines of Pythagoras.
2. belonging to the select few.
3. private; secret; confidential.
4. (of a philosophical doctrine or the like) intended to be revealed only to the initiates of a group: the esoteric doctrines of Pythagoras.
counterpart – (noun) [koun-ter-pahrt]
1. a person or thing closely resembling another, esp. in function: Our president is the counterpart of your prime minister.
2. a copy; duplicate.
3. Law . a duplicate or copy of an indenture.
4. one of two parts that fit, complete, or complement one another.
________________2. a copy; duplicate.
3. Law . a duplicate or copy of an indenture.
4. one of two parts that fit, complete, or complement one another.
prevaricate – (verb -used without object, -cat·ed, -cat·ing.) [pri-var-i-keyt]
1. to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.
proscribe – (verb -used with object, -scribed, -scrib·ing.) [proh-skrahyb]
1. to denounce or condemn (a thing) as dangerous or harmful; prohibit.
2. to put outside the protection of the law; outlaw.
3. to banish or exile.
4. to announce the name of (a person) as condemned to death and subject to confiscation of property.
2. to put outside the protection of the law; outlaw.
3. to banish or exile.
4. to announce the name of (a person) as condemned to death and subject to confiscation of property.
transgression– (noun) [trans-gresh-uh n, tranz-]
1. an act of transgressing; violation of a law, command, etc.; sin.
________________
turbid – (adjective) [tur-bid]
1. not clear or transparent because of stirred-up sediment or the like; clouded; opaque; obscured: the turbid waters near the waterfall.
2. thick or dense, as smoke or clouds.
3. confused; muddled; disturbed.
2. thick or dense, as smoke or clouds.
3. confused; muddled; disturbed.
compunction – (noun) [kuh m-puhngk-shuh n]
1. a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; contrition; remorse.
2. any uneasiness or hesitation about the rightness of an action.
2. any uneasiness or hesitation about the rightness of an action.
inveigh – (verb -used without object) [in-vey]
1.to protest strongly or attack vehemently with words; rail (usually fol. by against ): to inveigh against isolationism.
exigent – (adjective) [ek-si-juh nt]
1. requiring immediate action or aid; urgent; pressing.
2. requiring a great deal, or more than is reasonable.
2. requiring a great deal, or more than is reasonable.
emote – (verb -used without object, e·mot·ed, e·mot·ing.) [ih-moht]
1. to show or pretend emotion: to emote over the beauties of nature.
2. to portray emotion in acting, esp. exaggeratedly or ineptly; behave theatrically: The actress emoted for all she was worth.
2. to portray emotion in acting, esp. exaggeratedly or ineptly; behave theatrically: The actress emoted for all she was worth.
hebetude (noun) [HEB-i-tood', HEB-i-tyood']
1. mental lethargy or dullness: "Ken avoided my simple questions, not with artful equivocation, but with blunt herbetude and blank stares, as if I was speaking another language."
adjective form: hebetudinous
________________
sang-froid (noun) [sawn-FRWAW]
1. great coolness and composure, especially under strain; calmness: "Maya approached her boss with a series of biting criticisms, and she withstood his firestorm response with a sang-froid that only upset him further."
________________
stoicism (noun) [STOE-i-siz'-ahm]
1. an indifference to pleasure or pain; stolidity; impassiveness: "Once his team had sunk to a sufficient depth in the league standings, Anthony would regress into a dour stoicism, beyond reach for the rest of the year."
2. the philosophical system and maxims of the Stoics, founded by the Greek philosopher Zeno, about 308 B.C.
________________
williwaw noun[WIL-ee-wah']
1. a violent gust of cold wind or squall blowing from a mountainous region towards the sea, especially near polar latitudes, such as the Straights of Magellan
2. any sudden gust of cold wind: "A brisk williwaw shot over us soon as we opened the door to exit the movie theater, and our advance tickets went soaring down the block."
________________
somnolent (adjective) [SOM-nah-lahnt]
1. feeling sleepy or drowsy: "The sun came pouring through the windows, filtered gently through the greenery of surrounding trees, warming my skin and leaving me somnolent and content on the couch."
2. inducing sleep, or apt to induce sleep adverb form: somnolently
________________
confabulate (intransitive verb)[kahn-FAB-yah-layt']
1. to have an informal, easy conversation; chat: "He was a brilliant educator who always made time to confabulate with students."
2. (as in psychology) to fill in gaps in memory with fabricated accounts of events that one believes are true noun forms: confabulation, confabulator adjective form: confabulatory
________________
pneumatic (adjective) [noo-MAT-ik, nyoo-MAT-ik]
1. of, relating to, or involving air, gases, or wind: "Judith kept her windows sealed and the air conditioner and air purifier humming to fully regulate the pneumatic environment of her apartment."
2. of or relating to pneumatics (the branch of physics dealing with the mechanical properties of air and other gases)
3. moved or operated by compressed air (usually a tool or machine); 'a pneumatic drill'
4. filled with air, especially compressed air; 'a pneumatic tire'
5. (as in zoology) having cavities filled with air, as the bones of many birds; 'pneumatic bones,' 'pneumatic cells'
6. of or relating to the pneuma (in Stoicism, the soul or spirit); spiritual
________________
stymie (transitive verb, noun)[STIE-mee]
1. to thwart, stump or present an obstacle to: "In the middle of the parking lot, the locking device designed to stymie shopping cart thieves clamped down on Bailey's cart, leaving him straining and cursing miserably." noun
2. an obstacle that hinders progress
3. (as in golf) a situation in which an opponent's ball blocks the line between your ball and the hole
________________
benignant (adjective) [bi-NIG-nahnt]
1. favorable or beneficial: "We have been lucky to have had a benignant mayor that is sympathetic to our cause."
2. kind and gracious in appearance or conduct; 'a benignant king' adverb form: benignantly
No comments:
Post a Comment