GRE 1

worked over

verb give a beating to; subject to a beating, either as a punishment or as an act of aggression synonyms: beat, beat up --------------------------- She was worried that he'd have to work over Christmas—or worse, that he'd be spending it with his girlfriend instead of with us. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl It only takes a few weeks of work over a year to raise five hundred acres of industrial corn. The Omnivore's Dilemma He turned the work over, and I silently thanked my maa for teaching me that one side must look as well done as the other. Homeless Bird In alleyways, she might have seen union-busting goons working over those same pamphleteers. Middlesex: A Novel -------------------------------

period

نقطه

disabuse

Disabuse means to free someone of a belief that is not true. Many teachers of health find that when they teach, they spend as much energy disabusing kids of false beliefs as they do giving them the facts. Disabuse is often connected to the word notion or idea. In singing lessons, you must disabuse young singers of the idea that they can sing better by singing louder. In the first year of college, many people are disabused of the notion that their experiences are universal — by meeting so many people who have had different experiences or come from different backgrounds. --------------------------- verb free somebody (from an erroneous belief) -------------------------- Her father explained the origin of the negro to disabuse her of this colorful idea. The Underground Railroad: A Novel "Do nothing to disabuse the public of this notion." The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party He'd ridden into their cities mounted on a spectral, after all, and most of them assumed he was from Weep—at least, until Thyon Nero disabused them of that notion. Strange the Dreamer We do not disabuse them; we know that food is as important as ammunition and only for that reason must be brought up. All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel ------------------------------------ از حقیقت اگاه کردن

benefactor

Every school, museum, and struggling artist is in search for a generous benefactor, or someone to provide the financial means to keep everything running smoothly. The Latin roots of benefactor are bene, which means "well," and facere, which means "to do" — literally, "to do well." A benefactor does well by supporting (usually financially) a person or a good cause. In the old days, a struggling artist or actor might have been supported by a wealthy benefactor. Now, many struggling artists and actors have to rely on waiting tables and other odd jobs instead. ------------------------- noun a person who helps people or institutions (especially with financial help) synonyms :helper --------------------------------- He who had been my benefactor within the College of Lucidity now lay in his sheets looking as vulnerable as a child, blinking at me suddenly in fear; yet he did not speak. the Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves Still, Mollie Burkhart and many others considered him Osage County's greatest benefactor. Killers of the Flower Moon She accepted her situation at face value, and never spoke ill of her benefactor—or more accurately, her captor, for she was clearly Goddard's prisoner, even though she might not see it that way. Scythe Yet at the same time, it aroused and motivated us, and began to alter my perception of men like Dr. Wellington, whom I had automatically considered my benefactor. Long Walk to Freedom -------------------------- ادم خیر

flamboyance

Flamboyance is a quality of being showy or flashy. You might be awed by the flamboyance of the Elvis impersonator at the talent show, with his glittery, rhinestone-encrusted jumpsuit, aviator sunglasses, and fluffy sideburns. The noun flamboyance comes from the French flamboyer, "to flame," and its root word, which means "to shine, flash, or burn." Flamboyance is about extravagance, confidence, and showiness. The flamboyance of the high-kicking Rockettes dancers and male peacocks displaying extravagantly colored tail feathers is the same in its intention to draw attention. That group of flashy pink birds standing on one leg? That's actually known as a flamboyance of flamingos. ------------------------------------- noun extravagant elaborateness "he wrote with great flamboyance" synonyms: floridity, floridness, showiness ------------------------------------------- Her face had been hastily made up into a mask of almost clownish flamboyance. The Great Santini The Lyseni was a sleek, smiling man whose flamboyance was a byword on both sides of the narrow sea. A Clash of Kings Scythe Goddard was all flamboyance and bright chatter. Scythe He likes these names, likes their oddness, their flamboyance. ---------------------------------------- زرق و برق

meretricious

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. ------------------ adjective tastelessly showy "a meretricious yet stylish book" synonyms: brassy, cheap, flash, flashy, garish, gaudy, gimcrack, glitzy, loud, tacky, tatty, tawdry, trashy taste less lacking aesthetic or social taste adjective based on pretense; deceptively pleasing "meretricious praise" "a meretricious argument" synonyms :gilded, specious insincere lacking sincerity adjective like or relating to a prostitute "meretricious relationships" ------------------------- "Let us be thought over-much plain and simple, even bare, rather than gaudy, flashy, cheap and meretricious. Let us manifest the taste of gentlemen." The Devil in the White City He was a son of God--a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that--and he must be about His Father's Business, the service of a vast, vulgar and meretricious beauty. The Great Gatsby Lawrence, Nijinsky and Sri Ramakrishna rejected the meretricious facade of the world around them and tried to break through to some larger, truer reality. Washington PostAug 31, 2016 "Cherry" is written without an ounce of self-pity by an author allergic to the meretricious poetry of despair. Washington PostAug 13, 2018 -------------------------------------------- ادا دراوردن - فاحشه

lament

If you are really upset or sorry about something, you might lament it. A lament is full of regret and grief. If you lament something, then you feel sorry about it. You could lament a mistake you made, or you could lament a horrible thing that happened to a friend. Also, a lament is an expression of grief. So if you keep saying how sorry you are about something, someone could say, "Enough of your laments!" There's also an old literary form called "a lament," which expresses feelings of loss in a long dramatic poem. ------------------------------- noun a cry of sorrow and grief "their pitiful laments could be heard throughout the ward" synonyms: lamentation, plaint, wail noun a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person synonyms: coronach, dirge, requiem, threnody noun a mournful poem; a lament for the dead synonyms: elegy verb regret strongly "we lamented the loss of benefits" synonyms: bemoan, bewail, deplore verb express grief verbally "we lamented the death of the child" synonyms: keen ------------------------ As I wrote and blotted many phrases, lamenting my dull wits, Gertrude appeared at the door of her chamber, looking fretful. Ophelia He lived out the remainder of his life in Azkaban, lamenting the loss of Marvolo's last heirloom, and is buried beside the prison, alongside the other poor souls who have expired within its walls." Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince At this the bard set up a loud lament and bowed his head. The Black Cauldron At her elbow, Briony was telling Leon about the play she had written for him, and lam -------------------------------------- سوگواری کردن

tendentious

If you are writing a report on climate change and you ignore evidence that the earth is warming, the paper might be called tendentious. Tendentious means promoting a specific, and controversial, point of view. When something is tendentious, it shows a bias towards a particular point of view, especially one that people disagree about. It shares a root with the word tendency, which means "an inclination toward acting a certain way." If you have the tendency to talk in a tendentious manner about politics, people might tend to avoid you at parties. ---------------- adjective having or marked by a strong tendency especially a controversial one "a tendentious account of recent elections" "distinguishing between verifiable fact and tendentious assertion" synonyms: tendencious ----------------------------------- He remains a tendentious superstar, but a superstar nonetheless. New York TimesOct 19, 2022 Clever compositions enliven the shots of cameras and control rooms, where screens within screens transmit tendentious opinions to the American people. The New YorkerJun 30, 2019 Of course, all autobiographical works are secretly tendentious, quietly adjusting history to fit a certain hypothesis or to justify a life. Washington PostMar 26, 2019 But after a while, once we've met the principal players, the speechmaking starts and a potential comedy of political manners turns into a pious, tendentious morality play. -------------------------------------------------- دارای گرایش ویژه وعمدی

Tactium

"You are what you eat" is a dictum, and so is a law requiring you to curb your dog. A dictum is a formal pronouncement, a rule, or a statement that expresses a truth universally acknowledged. Dictum dates from the 16th Century. It descended from a Latin word that means "something said." In contemporary use, it means more like "something that is officially said." If the principal of your school issues a dictum declaring "no jeans in school," it's time to go shopping. ------------------------ noun an authoritative declaration synonyms: pronouncement, say-so noun an opinion voiced by a judge on a point of law not directly bearing on the case in question and therefore not binding synonyms: obiter dictum ----------------------------- If Clausewitz's dictum is so subtle, complex, and misunderstood, how is the reader being enlightened by being told it is false? The Sense of Style Zero clashed with one of the central tenets of Western philosophy, a dictum whose roots were in the number-philosophy of Pythagoras and whose importance came from the paradoxes of Zeno. Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea It became a rather serious game of can-you-top-this, and finally a dictum was handed down that all the signs must be made the same way, without any neon. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream "Personally," he said, "my great ambition is to count all this"—he waved vaguely at the treasure around him—"and possibly sort it into piles. 'Know thyself,' that's my dictum. Grendel --------------------------------------------- حکم

inveigle

1) 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. 2) 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. ------------------------ (v) influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering :blarney, cajole, coax, palaver, sweet-talk, wheedle ---------------------------------------- Examples from Books and Articles All sources So I drove as far as Gig Harbor, Washington, abandoned the car, and inveigled a ride on a northbound salmon seiner. Into the Wild Some god inveigled me to come without a cloak. The Odyssey However, that was a distraction; Lyra was still intent on playing Gobblers, and she inveigled Roger down into the wine cellars, which they entered by means of the Butler's spare set of keys. The Golden Compass Naturally Finny was going to be the first to try, and just as naturally he was going to inveigle others, us, into trying it with him. ------------------------------------------------ فریفتن

fabrication

A fabrication is something made up, like a lie. Telling your boss that the subway broke down when in fact you just forgot to set your alarm is a fabrication. The word fabrication was originally used to talk about manufacturing or construction, and it referred to the act of assembling something. Tires and steering wheels are necessary materials for automobile fabrication. Nowadays, the word fabrication is usually used to refer to the act of coming up with a story out of thin air. In this sense, a book of fiction is a fabrication, as is the lie you tell your girlfriend to explain why you forgot her birthday (again). ------------------------------ noun the act of making something (a product) from raw materials "the synthesis and fabrication of single crystals" synonyms: manufacture, manufacturing noun the act of constructing something (as a piece of machinery) synonyms: assembly noun a deliberately false or improbable account synonyms: fable, fiction noun the deliberate act of deviating from the truth synonyms: lying, prevarication noun writing in a fictional form synonyms: fictionalisation, fictionalization ---------------------------------- Their stuffed comfort was narcotic and had produced recollections and fabrications of hallucinations. The Bluest Eye What if her memories of her parents—her mother full of grace, bronze and dark and smelling of earth; her father cradling her chin when he dropped her off at Nin's—were fabrications too? The Reader He responded promptly, insisting that "this paper is a fabrication," urging Adams to remain skeptical "until positive and solemn proof of its authenticity shall be provided." Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation "It was just a rumor. She's fine. I overheard Du Barry talking to Madam Alieas at the Fire Teahouse. She said it was pure fabrication." The Belles ------------------- دروغ

garrulous*

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. -------------------------- adjective full of trivial conversation synonyms: chatty, gabby, loquacious, talkative, talky voluble ------------------------------------- "Sally asked so many garrulous, probative questions that at ten this morning I was reduced to answering, 'I am sufficiently well, madam.' The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves I have noticed that even the most garrulous and shameless of murderers are shy about recounting their crimes. The Secret History A little past the redbrick buildings of Peshawar University, we entered an area my garrulous driver referred to as "Afghan Town." The Kite Runner He was garrulous and sociable and loved to be at the center of attention, but at the same time he was extraordinarily guarded about his private life. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics -------------------- پرحرف

lachrymose

A good place to see a display of lachrymose sorrow is at a funeral — people sobbing openly or sniffling quietly into their hankies. To be lachrymose, in other words, is to be tearful. Lachrymose is not a word used much in everyday speech; you wouldn't say, for example, "I feel a bit lachrymose today." No, you'd probably say, "I feel a bit weepy today." Lachrymose is generally confined to use as a written critical term, often meaning much the same as sentimental. Books and plays and films can all be lachrymose, if their intent is to induce shameless sniveling. ---------------------------------- adjective showing sorrow synonyms :dolorous, dolourous, tearful, weeping --------------------------------- Doc Daneeka demanded, lifting his delicate immaculate dark head up from his chest to gaze at Yossarian irascibly for a moment with lachrymose eyes. Catch-22 "What do all of these lachrymose cliches mean?" A Confederacy of Dunces It was a role that showed off Williams's talents - the zaniness, the dressing up, the bizarrely transparent absurdity, combined with his big-hearted, faintly lachrymose vulnerability and sentimental concern for children. The GuardianAug 11, 2014 Save for a belabored sprinkler drenching the well-manicured lawn that fades into a lightly wooded area, and some wry, lachrymose songs blasting from my car stereo. ---------------------------------------- اشک زا

parsimonious

A parsimonious person is unwilling to spend a lot of money. You know those people who count up every penny when it's time to split a restaurant bill? You can call them parsimonious. Or cheap. Stingy is the most common and general synonym of parsimonious, but there are many other near synonyms, including thrifty, frugal, penurious, niggardly, penny-pinching, miserly, tight-fisted, tight. The adjective parsimonious was formed in English from the noun parsimony, "the quality of being careful in spending." It is a combination of the Latin verb parcere, "to spare," plus an Old French suffix -ous, "having the quality of." ------------------------------------ adjective excessively unwilling to spend "parsimonious thrift relieved by few generous impulses" synonyms: penurious stingy, ungenerous ---------------------------------------- I had become his mini-me—a parsimonious, self-sufficient Vulcan who pretended everything was great when it really wasn't. Please Ignore Vera Dietz Despite the inflow of cash and capital assets, Lawrence kept a parsimonious grip on his kingdom. Big Science Instead, my parsimonious father launches into a ten-minute-long lecture about how working for a living is hard and kids today don't get it because they're given allowances they don't earn. Please Ignore Vera Dietz "I respect your parsimonious nature," he says, and then continues arranging constellations his own way as he mumbles facts about outer space. Boy21 --------------------------- صرفه جو

pithy

A pithy phrase or statement is brief but full of substance and meaning. Proverbs and sayings are pithy; newspaper columnists give pithy advice. The root of this word is pith, which refers to the spongy tissue in plant stems, or the white part under the skin of citrus fruits. Pith is also used figuratively to refer to the essential part of something: They finally got to the pith of the discussion. Pith descends from Middle English, from Old English pitha "the pith of plants." In the adjective pithy, the suffix -y means "characterized by." ------------------------------- adjective concise and full of meaning "welcomed her pithy comments" synonyms: sententious ----------------------------------- It should synthesize a particular grievance into a succinct and pithy phrase, while mobilizing the people to combat it. Long Walk to Freedom He opened his mouth, waiting for his brain to supply the customary pithy comeback. Artemis Fowl We washed it all down with root beer and pithy lemonade. The City Beautiful I intend to draw Miss Trixie out rather shortly; 1 suspect that this Medusa of capitalism has many valuable insights and more than one pithy observation to offer. A Confederacy of Dunces ------------------------------- پرمغز-مختصر و مفید

sophomore

A sophomore is in their second year, either in high school or college. Once you became a sophomore, thinking you now knew everything, you pitied the freshmen for their confusion over how to write college papers. Sophomore comes from the word sophism which means "a bad argument that's clever but false," and that's sometimes how sophomores in college act. They're not bright-eyed newcomers anymore, and think they know a lot, but really they've much to learn. We also use the word for other seconds: a band's second album is usually called their sophomore album. -------------- noun a second-year undergraduate synonyms: soph adjective used of the second year in United States high school or college "the sophomore class" "his sophomore year" synonyms: second-year ----------------------------- Elizabeth Cuthrell recalls being fourteen years old, a high school sophomore, and in the grip of turmoil and unhappiness in her home life when she first encountered Volpe. Drama High Occasionally the sophomores won, but usually they lost. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics Five strokes later, Moch would direct his megaphone over to the sophomore boat and say, "Well, Green just opened his big mouth again. Let's pass them!" The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics Explaining the reversal to the Associated Press, Ulbrickson broke cover, abandoned the dance of doom, and said simply what he believed in his heart about the sophomores. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics ------------------------------------ دانشجوی سال دوم

berate

A strong verb for harshly cutting someone down with words is berate. "He didn't just correct the cashier who gave him the wrong change — he started to berate her, calling her names in front of the whole store." When you berate someone, you do more than just raise your voice at them; berate implies putting someone down by insulting their character. This word comes from a 16th-century English and French root meaning "to scold or blame." Often the anger behind the scolding seems over-the-top, as in "When the young man behind the counter dropped the scoop of vanilla, the manager berated him excessively by declaring him worthless and weak." ----------------------------- verb censure severely or angrily synonyms: bawl out, call down, call on the carpet, chew out, chew up, chide, dress down, have words, jaw, lambast, lambaste, lecture, rag, rebuke, remonstrate, reprimand, reproof, scathe, scold, take to task, trounce, vituperate -------------------------------- I bet my dad berates him in between smiling at customers and answering questions about extensions and tea tree oils and treating chemically damaged hair. The Sun Is Also a Star Tears were running down her face, she was already berating God for taking her husband from her, but on the other side of these proper emotions was an altogether improper relief. Middlesex: A Novel Perhaps he would berate me for my clumsy theory. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate The station commander approached the gate of the courtyard to observe us, and then came over and berated me for standing with my hands in my pockets. Long Walk to Freedom ---------------------------- سرزنش کردن

abrogate

Abrogate means to abolish or avoid. When someone cuts in front of you in line, they are abrogating your right to be the next one served. When you cut in line, you are abrogating your responsibility to those who were in line before you. The Latin root of this word is made up of the prefix ab- "away" and rogare "to propose a law." What does it mean if you propose a law away? You repeal it, of course, so abrogate means to officially revoke, cancel or abolish. The meaning of this word has expanded a bit since its earliest usage, but it still appears most often in a legal or political context, or when serious rights and responsibilities are being discussed. ------------------------- verb revoke formally ------------------------------------ It was a deeply disturbing turn of events, essentially abrogating the Treaty of Versailles and undermining the foundations on which European peace had been built since 1919. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics There was no position in reference to matter or objects; not the recognition of surfaces; the senses themselves collapsed and abrogated their wonted distinctions; and the body was left aware but bereft. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party She reestablished Sunday mass, suspended the use of red armbands, and abrogated the harebrained decrees. One Hundred Years of Solitude Where an old Englishman ghost, sickled to a tree, was abrogated by a pair of two-egg twins—a Mobile Republic with a Puff who had planted a Marxist flag in the earth beside him. The God of Small Things -------------------------------- منسوخ کردن - لغو مردن

derivative

Alert: shifting parts of speech! As a noun, a derivative is kind of financial agreement or deal. As an adjective, though, derivative describes something that borrows heavily from something else that came before it. The economic meltdown of the last decade is due largely to the mismanagement of derivatives, which are deals based on the outcome of other deals. A movie plot might be described as derivative if it steals from another film — say, if it lifts the tornado, the witch, and the dancing scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz. --------------------------- noun a compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from, another compound noun the result of mathematical differentiation; the instantaneous change of one quantity relative to another; df(x)/dx synonyms: derived function, differential, differential coefficient, first derivative noun financial instrument whose value is based on another security synonyms: derivative instrument noun (linguistics) a word that is derived from another word "`electricity' is a derivative of `electric'" adjective resulting from or employing derivation "a derivative process" "a highly derivative prose style" Synonyms: derived ----------------------------------- NOTE.—In derivatives through the French, super- takes the form sur-, as sur-vey, to look over. New Word-Analysis Since limits are logically airtight, by defining a derivative in terms of limits, it becomes airtight as well—and puts calculus on a solid foundation. Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea NOTE—In Division II, the English derivatives from Latin roots are given in abbreviated form, and are arranged in paragraphs under the particular radicals, from which the several groups of derivatives are formed. New Word-Analysis The same thing goes for taking the derivative. -------------------------------

histrionic

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. --------------------------- adjective overly dramatic or emotional adjective characteristic of acting or a stage performance; affected "histrionic gestures" synonyms: melodramatic ------------------------------- McCandless's postcards, notes, and journals ... read like the work of an above average, somewhat histrionic high school kid—or am I missing something? Into the Wild I therefore did my damnedest to ignore my histrionic imagination and grimly followed Rob into the eerie blue labyrinth. Into Thin Air In the best histrionic village style, Sourmelina unleashed soaring arias in which she lamented the death of her husband and castigated him for dying. Middlesex: A Novel I really could go on for pages about all the public histrionics in the days after Bunny's death. --------------------------- مربوط به نمایشی

meritorious

Anything that's deserving of praise or a reward could be described as meritorious. Meritorious things deserve a lot of merit, usually because they were very brave or noble in some way. If you saved a person from drowning, that's meritorious. Firefighters and doctors have meritorious careers because they're dedicated to helping people. Giving money to charity is meritorious. When something is meritorious, it deserves praise and thanks. ------------------------- adjective deserving reward or praise "a lifetime of meritorious service" "meritorious conduct" synonyms:meritable

perfervid

Anything that's perfervid is full of an intense, deep emotion. Your perfervid speeches begging your parents to get a dog may do no good if they're both allergic. When feelings are impassioned and intense, they're perfervid. The word's Latin root, fervidus, means "glowing or burning," and it also gave rise to the adjective fervid, "intensely enthusiastic or passionate." Perfervid doubles down on that emotion by adding the prefix per-, "utterly or completely." So use it when your feelings are at their most intense: "The perfervid protesters demanded to be heard." --------------- adjective characterized by intense emotion synonyms:ardent, fervent, fervid, fiery, impassioned, torrid ------------------------ It is a realm that quaintly evokes D. H. Lawrence's perfervid notions of civilized souls divided within themselves and out of touch with what he called "blood consciousness." New York TimesMay 20, 2016 Paul Gray, a reviewer for Time magazine, described its "perfervid prose," replete with exclamations. Washington PostJan 29, 2015 It takes its title from the perfervid 1912 lyric that thrust its winsome author to the center of the literary scene. New York TimesOct 26, 2018 A 1975 New York Times review described reading it as "like being trapped at a cocktail party with a normal‐looking fellow who suddenly starts a perfervid racist diatribe." --------------------------------------- خیلی قیور و با حرارت

aplomb

Aplomb is the ultimate test for cool: grace under pressure. Use aplomb to show great restraint under even the most trying circumstances. In retail, it's always a good idea to handle the angry customers with aplomb. Angry at the long lines at the grocery store? Irritated because the driver ahead cut you off? Take a deep breath, and approach life's messes with aplomb. When you think of aplomb, think cool, calm and collected. Not frazzled, furious, and fiery. Aplomb comes from the French word meaning "perpendicularity," from the phrase à plomb for "poised upright, balanced." ---------------------------- noun great coolness and composure under strain synonyms: assuredness, cool, poise, sang-froid ---------------------------- When Bernabe Montoya's doleful voice crackled over the walkie-talkie, the agent replied succinctly, thoroughly, and then absorbed the information, or rather, lack of information, from the sheriff with equal automatic aplomb. The Milagro Beanfield War The twenty-eight ostriches of the Midway ostrich farm bore the loss with their usual aplomb. The Devil in the White City Clara picked up the broken pieces of tureen with her usual aplomb, not showing any sign that she was listening to the stream of curses issuing from Esteban's lips. The House of the Spirits: A Novel Suddenly elevated into the world of the rich, she moved with an easy, charming propriety, yet had the rare grace and aplomb to make her frequent departures from convention seem amusing instead of scandalous. ------------------------ اعتماد به نفس - حالت عمودی

baleful

Baleful means the foreshadowing of tragic or evil events. If no one's listening in class and your teacher reprimands you with a baleful glance, expect a pop quiz. If your car breaks down and you take refuge in a deserted mansion, you might huddle under a dusty blanket and find yourself thinking that the wind moaning at the windows sounds baleful — maybe it's really the voice of a young woman murdered in the very bed where you sleep? --------------------- adjective threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments "a baleful look" synonyms: forbidding, menacing, minacious, minatory, ominous, sinister, threatening alarming frightening because of an awareness of danger adjective deadly or sinister "the Florida eagles have a fierce baleful look" synonyms: baneful ------------------------------------- Such as the young female ghost sitting next to Miss Alice, casting the old woman baleful looks. Ophie's Ghosts The young knight gave his cousin a baleful glance and pulled the door shut forcefully behind him. A Clash of Kings She picked up her chained dæmon, whose baleful eyes glared at Lord Asriel over her shoulder, and went through to make herself tidier. The Amber Spyglass When she was angry her eyelids drooped halfway down over her pupils, giving her a baleful aspect. Black Boy -------------------------------------------------- محنت بار،

deface

If you deface something, you've blemished or disfigured it in some way. For example, graffiti can deface a statue. To deface something means to damage it or just mess up its appearance. And sometimes it's both: Throwing a cup of coffee on a valuable painting ruins the face of the painting, so we say it's been defaced. Drawing a mustache on a painting is another way to deface it. What did the Mona Lisa say to the museum visitor holding a marker? "Don't mess up deface!" -------------------------------- verb mar or spoil the appearance of "scars defaced her cheeks" synonyms: blemish, disfigure ---------------------------------- But they would all be destroyed, defaced, trampled underfoot. The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge Part of me looked down in horror at how I'd defaced Mom's work, but the other part of me giggled. The Line Tender What is certain is that the site was vacated and the stelae defaced and the sculptures decapitated. 1491 He waved his flashlight back and forth as if to day of eighth grade we defaced his yearbook picture with staples and left it like an effigy behind his seat. ------------------------------------ بدشکل کردن- ازشکل انداختن - محو کردن

outright

If you do something outright, you do it in a wholehearted, unrestricted way. If you declare outright that you're never eating another cupcake, that's the end of that. If you eat one anyway, you told an outright lie. If an event is cancelled outright, there's no question about it being rescheduled, and if you buy a new car outright, you pay for it all at once, instead of making monthly payments. Outright means direct and immediate — whether it's an adverb or an adjective: "The child's outright refusal to put on his shoes exasperated his babysitter." It can also mean "right away." If you step on a slug, you'll probably kill it outright. Ew. ------------------------ adverb without reservation or concealment "she asked him outright for a divorce" adverb without restrictions or stipulations or further payments "buy outright" adjective without reservation or exception synonyms: straight-out, unlimited adverb without any delay synonyms: in a flash, instantaneously, instantly -------------------------------- The place, the time would either kill him outright or mark him somehow. Kindred Famous hits like that had bought controlling interests in lots of Harlem's bars and restaurants, or even bought some of them outright. The Autobiography of Malcolm X He looked up, looked side to side, examined the massive slabs of stone as the uneasy feeling blossomed into outright dread. The Maze Runner But what he reported was usually gibberish or outright fabrication. Long Walk to Freedom -------------------------------------- بی درنگ

epitomize

If you epitomize something, you're a perfect example of that thing. If you never get nervous when playing basketball and can always make that last-second shot, your teammates might say you epitomize mental toughness. A person can epitomize something — usually an abstract quality, like grace or greed — but epitomize can apply to other things as well. A popular band might epitomize the spirit of the new decade, which means it has all the main characteristics associated with the era's music, like long folksy beards, pretty harmonies, and earnest lyrics. A frustrating situation at work involving careless coworkers might make you say that they epitomize everything that's wrong with your job. ------------------------------- verb embody the essential characteristics of or be a typical example of synonyms: epitomize, typify ------------------------------------------ Altogether there were four brothers—he, Henry, Walter, and Garland—and they epitomized old-time cool: suave, handsome black men who worked hard, drank hard, dressed well, liked fine women and new money. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother He too epitomized Chief Luthuli's precept: "Let your courage rise with danger." Long Walk to Freedom The time-tested strategy of using those who epitomize moral virtue as symbols in racial justice campaigns is far more difficult to employ in efforts to reform the criminal justice system. The New Jim Crow Altogether there were four brothers—he, Henry, Walter, and Garland—and they epitomized old-time cool: suave, handsome black men who worked hard, drank hard, dressed well, liked fine women and new money. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother ----------------------------------------------- خلاصه کردن

confound

If you have an identical twin, you've probably tried dressing alike so that people confound you with, or mistake you for, one another. You've also probably learned that, unfortunately, this trick doesn't work on your mom. The verb confound means both "to mistake" and "to confuse." If you decide to treat yourself to a delicious dessert, you might find yourself confounded by the overwhelming number of choices. If you end up ordering the chocolate cake but the waiter brings you chocolate mousse, the waiter has somehow confounded those two options. Another meaning you may come across in literature is "to damn," as in "Confound it! You are the most exasperating person on the planet." --------------------- verb be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly synonyms: bedevil, befuddle, confuse, discombobulate, fox, fuddle, throw confuse, disconcert, flurry, put off cause to feel embarrassment verb mistake one thing for another synonyms: conflate, confuse blur, confuse, obnubilate, obscure make unclear, indistinct, or blurred confuse, jumble, mix upassemble without order or sense verb hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of synonyms :baffle, bilk, cross, foil, frustrate, queer, scotch, scuttle, spoil, thwart verb overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof synonyms: rebut, refute verb (mild expletive) consign to eternal punishment; bring to perdition ---------------------------------- The paradigm was simple enough to make their behavior confounding: Good/Bad. Becoming "I've got to stay for this confounded supper, but I shall be home early tomorrow. You'll come and meet me as usual, girls?" Little Women My willingness to eat confused and annoyed the staff, confounding their efforts to understand what I was doing there. How I Live Now It is no small thing to confound the High King's general, to sneak out of Faerie with his baby in your belly and hide for almost ten years. The Cruel Prince ---------------------------------- گیج کردن

shun

If you purposely stay away from someone, you shun that person. A sensitive baker may ask why you are shunning her cookies. Although the verb shun means to deliberately avoid anything, it has a specific meaning in certain groups and communities. In this case, it means to ostracize or expel from that group or community. The Amish, for example, may shun members of their order who repeatedly ignore the beliefs and rules of Amish society. The word may also be used in more casual group settings. After many attempts at being polite, you and your friends began to shun the obnoxious classmate who never let you get a word in edgewise. ------------------------------ verb avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of synonyms: eschew verb expel from a community or group synonyms: ban, banish, blackball, cast out, ostracise, ostracize -------------------------------------- Occasionally a Negro Communist—defying the code that enjoined him to shun suspect elements—came to my home and informed me of the current charges that Communists were bringing against one another. Black Boy Since my dad left, I've always felt shunned and that it was my fault. The Freedom Writers Diary "Instead, almost all of them shunned us and wanted nothing to do with us," Jack said. Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps "The Milk Men shun him. Khaleesi, do you see the girl in the felt hat? There, behind the fat priest. She is a—" "—cutpurse," finished Dany. A Clash of Kings ---------------------------------- اجتناب کردن

gregarious

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. ------------------- adjective instinctively or temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others "he is a gregarious person who avoids solitude" Synonyms: social living together or enjoying life in communities or organized groups adjective (of animals) tending to form a group with others of the same species "gregarious bird species" Synonyms: social living together or enjoying life in communities or organized groups social tending to move or live together in groups or colonies of the same kind adjective (of plants) growing in groups that are close together Synonyms: clustered growing close together but not in dense mats ---------------------------- He was intensely private but could be convivial and gregarious in the extreme. Into the Wild He inherited other traits from her as well: Anna was gregarious and opinionated, and had a strong sense of right and wrong. Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brot His gregarious nature and sense of humor earned him friends. Ambushed! Daddy's favorite was Walter, the most fun-loving and gregarious of his brothers. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother -------------------------------------

desultory

If you lack a definite plan or purpose and flit from one thing to another, your actions are desultory. Some people call such desultory wanderings spontaneous. Others call it "being lost." The adjective desultory comes from the word desultor, which was a circus rider who would leap from the back of one galloping horse onto another. From this literal sense of jumping from one thing to another, we get the modern meaning of desultory as jumping between things without a logical purpose. ------------------- adjective marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another "desultory thoughts" "the desultory conversation characteristic of cocktail parties" Synonyms:purposeless --------------------------------- he dragged her feet down the jet bridge, holding my hand and staring at the floor desultorily, until we stepped into the terminal and she caught the scent of Subway. Darius the Great Is Not Okay Cardan swings his sword in a desultory manner, and Balekin brings down his staff hard, smacking him in the side of the head. The Cruel Prince They talked desultorily for some minutes, then, without apparent reason, a yell from the telescreen bade them be silent. 1984 This time they came from the Bible, through which she made desultory progress: gainsay, ravening, hoar. -------------------------------------------------- سرسری

mordant

If you like Edgar Allan Poe and "The Addams Family," you have a taste for mordant entertainment — that is, anything particularly grim or dark in nature. The original meaning of mordant (which comes from the Latin word modere, meaning "to bite or sting,") was that of a physical substance that literally bit into something, such as the one used to set dye into fabrics, or etch lines into a copper plate. Now, mordant generally refers to a dark or biting artistic style, sense of humor, or psychological outlook. ---------- adjective harshly ironic or sinister "fun ranging from slapstick clowning ... to savage mordant wit" synonyms: black, grim sarcastic expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds adjective of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action synonyms: caustic, corrosive, erosive, vitriolic destructive causing destruction or much damage noun a substance used to treat leather or other materials before dyeing; aids in dyeing process ------------------------- The dwarf had been whetting the edge of his axe and making some mordant jest when Bronn spotted the banner the riders carried before them, the moon-and-falcon of House Arryn, sky-blue and white. A Game of Thrones The clinging, overpowering conviction of death spread steadily with the continuing rainfall, soaking mordantly into each man's ailing countenance like the corrosive blot of some crawling disease. Catch-22 "And the mordants too. You must learn those. Sometimes sumac. Tree galls are good. Some lichens. "Best is — here, come; let me show you. Gathering Blue The ocean looked dead too, dead gray waves hissing mordantly along the beach, which was gray and dead-looking itself. A Separate Peace -------------------------------- نیش دار

briefing

If you plan on going to the briefing at the White House, you'd better bring your audio recorder. These informational sessions can get very detailed, and you'll need to review the audio record. When a lawyer appears before a court, they bring with them a "brief," a detailed explanation of their case that's anything but brief. This brief is a sort of briefing for the judge on the details of the case. Whenever you give someone a detailed explanation or set of instructions about something, it's a briefing. Briefing is the noun form of the word brief. The White House press corps meets in the "briefing room" to get briefed on the news of the president's day. ------------------ noun detailed instructions, as for a military operation --------------------------- He was on his way to the air station for additional briefings on the squadron he would soon command. The Great Santini With a resounding smack, Zahra slaps a stack of magazines down on the West Wing briefing room table. Red, White & Royal Blue After all, these press briefings had been his idea in the first place. Schooled He'd flown into Guam eight times before, and in fact, he had specifically mentioned it in the briefing he gave before takeoff. Outliers ------------------------------------------------ جلسه توجیحی - دستورالعمل

piddling

If your part time job pays badly, you might describe your income as piddling, or insignificant. Why does English have so many words for suggesting that something is contemptibly small? The adjective piddling is a favorite choice when sums of money are concerned; a more dignified, but no less contemptuous word, is paltry. Piddling comes from piddle, which has changed in meaning over the years — in the early 1600's it meant "pick at one's food," while by the late 1700's it meant "to urinate." ------------------ adjective (informal) small and of little importance ------------------------------ Nothing else to do with their lives, piddling away their lives. The Chocolate War Another time he tried a new variety—Rainiers—that wouldn't take because he used too much nitrogen: lots of green, plants high and fluffy, but small hard fruit, a piddling harvest. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel "Dragons don't mess with your pidd

pitch

In baseball, the ball is pitched (thrown). Elsewhere, writers, salesmen, and other folks make pitches (proposals). There's a long list of pitches, both nouns and verbs. A salesman can give you a sales pitch, when he tells you all the reasons you should buy what he's selling. A high, short golf shot is a pitch. If you are singing the right notes to a song then you are on pitch. A rocking boat is pitching. The only way to know which pitch is meant is to look at the situation and who's using the word. --------------------------------------------------- noun the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration verb set to a certain pitch "He pitched his voice very low" verb set the level or character of "She pitched her speech to the teenagers in the audience" synonyms: gear noun the action or manner of throwing something "his pitch fell short and his hat landed on the floor" noun (baseball) the act of throwing a baseball by a pitcher to a batter synonyms: delivery verb throw or toss with a light motion synonyms: flip, sky, toss verb throw or hurl from the mound to the batter, as in baseball synonyms :deliver verb hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with a backspin noun a high approach shot in golf synonyms: pitch shot noun promotion by means of an argument and demonstration synonyms: sales pitch, sales talk noun a vendor's position (especially on the sidewalk) "he was employed to see that his paper's news pitches were not trespassed upon by rival vendors" verb sell or offer for sale from place to place synonyms: hawk, huckster, monger, peddle, vend noun abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance) synonyms lurch, pitching verb move abruptly synonyms: lurch, shift verb fall or plunge forward "She pitched over the railing of the balcony" verb heel over synonyms: cant, cant over, slant, tilt noun degree of deviation from a horizontal plane "the roof had a steep pitch" synonyms: rake, slant verb be at an angle synonyms: incline, slope noun an all-fours game in which the first card led is a trump synonyms: auction pitch verb lead (a card) and establish the trump suit verb erect and fasten "pitch a tent" synonyms: set up noun any of various dark heavy vi

inchoate

Inchoate means just beginning to form. You can have an inchoate idea, like the earliest flickers of images for your masterpiece, or an inchoate feeling, like your inchoate sense of annoyance toward your sister's new 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! ---------------------- adjective only partly in existence; imperfectly formed "a vague inchoate idea" synonyms: incipient ------------------------------------- He mumbles a few inchoate phrases to someone who is not there. Grendel Feelings of contempt born of inchoate, unacknowledged fear—civilization's fear of nature, men's fear of women, power's fear of powerlessness. The God of Small Things She had spoken English all her life, led the debating society in secondary school, and always thought the American twang inchoate; she should not have cowered and shrunk, but she did. Americanah The words rose inchoately to his throat and he could not speak them. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter ------------------------------------------- نیمه تمام- اغاز کردن چیزی

intrepid

Intrepid is just a fancy word for describing a person or action that is bold and brave. Super heroes are intrepid in their struggle for truth and justice. Some synonyms are fearless, courageous, dauntless, or valiant, but the word intrepid suggests a lack of fear in dealing with something new or unknown. This adjective comes from Latin intrepidus, formed from the prefix in-, "not" and trepidus, "alarmed." ----------------------------------- adjective invulnerable to fear or intimidation "intrepid pioneers" synonyms: audacious, brave, dauntless, fearless, hardy, unfearing ------------------------------------ Gravity gets weaker the farther you are from the star, so the gravitational force on our intrepid astronaut's feet would always be greater than the force on his head. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays Our job is simple: walk along the wall, make sure the shamblers don't get too intrepid and climb over. Dread Nation Dr. Montague's intentions with regard to Hill House derived from the methods of the intrepid nineteenth-century ghost hunters; he was going to go and live in Hill House and see what happened there. The Haunting of Hill House Grace wanted intrepid explorers who mined for gold—because they were about to strike it rich. Far from the Tree ------------------------------------------------------- شجاع

lissome

Lissome describes people or things that are slender, flexible, light, and graceful. If you watch long, thin blades of grass swishing in the breeze, they look like lissome dancers with swaying arms and torsos. Some examples of lissome bodies are those of mermaids twisting through the water, small snakes squiggling into sand piles, and men and women who bound up stairs as if they're light as air. A straw is thin and bendy, and you can use it to lift some liquid from a glass. Lissome sounds a little like "lift some," and it's an adjective for thin and flexible people, like a lissome ballerina with a gracefully arched back. Light, lean, liquid in movement — lissome. -------------------- adjective moving and bending with ease synonyms: lissom, lithe, lithesome, slender, supple, svelte, sylphlike graceful --------------------------------- There were some who looked like human women, but had skin the color of moss and lips like bark; they moved with a lissome grace, treading circles in their cages. Huntress A lissome, blond, sinuous girl with lovely legs and honey-colored skin laid herself out contentedly on the arm of the old man's chair and began molesting his angular, pale, dissolute face languidly and coquettishly. Catch-22 "A likely looking lot of lissome ladies, eh, Mr. Shakespeare?" The Shakespeare Stealer Of course, they made sure the blowhard mogul was seated beside the lissome ingénue. New York Times ------------------------------------------- قابل انحنا

saturnine

Medieval alchemists ascribed to the planet Saturn a gloomy and slow character. When people are called saturnine, it means they are like the planet — gloomy, mean, scowling. Not exactly the life of the party. Saturnine is a word you don't hear often nowadays, though you probably know people with saturnine dispositions. The ultimate saturnine character in literature is Heathcliff — and for clarification's sake, that would be the bitter, brooding, obsessive hero of Wuthering Heights, not the lovably pudgy cat of comic-strip fame. ----------------------- adjective bitter or scornful ""the face was saturnine and swarthy, and the sensual lips...twisted with disdain"- Oscar Wilde" Synonyms: sarcastic expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds adjective showing a brooding ill humor ""a saturnine, almost misanthropic young genius"- Bruce Bliven" synonyms: dark, dour, glowering, glum, moody, morose, sour, sullen -------------------------------- The doctor was a frequent visitor at Miss Trumball's establishment, preferring it to the Lanchester House, whose girls had a saturnine disposition in his opinion, as if imported from Maine or other gloom-loving provinces. The Underground Railroad: A Novel The man who glowered before him conformed to the classic stereotype of Marine barber Ben had envisioned in his mind: the face was saturnine, pock-marked, and the mouth was grim. The Great Santini Sour and saturnine, with a maimed hand, Hungerford had been company paymaster for a time, until the Tattered Prince had caught him stealing from the coffers and removed three of his fingers. A Dance with Dragons He had a dark complexion and a small, wise, saturnine face with mournful pouches under both eyes. ----------------------------------------------

droll

Need a mental picture for the word droll? Think of one of those cute-homely troll dolls — blend those two words together — "doll" and "troll" — and you get droll, a description of a figure that is adorably strange and whimsically cute. The word droll comes from the archaic French word drolle, referring to a jolly good fellow. The French word comes perhaps from the Middle Dutch drolle, or "imp." The word came into English as both noun ("funny person, buffoon") and adjective ("funny, quaint, strange") in the 17th century. --------------------------- adjective comical in an odd or whimsical manner "a droll little man with a quiet tongue-in-cheek kind of humor" Synonyms: comedic, humorous, humorous ----------------------- "Do I know any West—oh, Farm Boy, it's you, how droll!" The Princess Bride "It reminds me of a certain snake I knew. A droll fellow, till a mountain fell on him." A Dance with Dragons At gatherings, droller members of the audience would sometimes ask him if he could get his elements to play them a little tune. A Short History of Nearly Everything He opened his green eyes wider and gave us his maniac look, and only the smirk on his wide mouth with its droll, slightly protruding upper lip reassured us that he wasn't completely goofy. --------- مضحک

opulent

Opulent is a word that you will hear a lot around rich people looking to show off. "Remember the opulent buffet at Carrie's sweet sixteen? Sixteen chocolate cakes iced in gold leaf!" If you want to remember that opulent is a word describing lavish displays of wealth, you can think of the word opal to help you remember it — opal being a rare gem. And if you are lucky enough to be able to afford opulence yourself, don't describe it that way. The word contains connotations of pretentious. And gold leaf cake aside, who wants that? ----------------------- adjective rich and superior in quality synonyms: deluxe, gilded, grand, luxurious, princely, sumptuous -------------------------------------- I'd love to have a Court dress like the ones I have seen in Oriana's wardrobe, opulent patterns intricately stitched on skirts of gold and silver, each as beautiful as the dawn. The Cruel Prince All had the same rich, opulent smell as Cowslip. Watership Down: A Novel The green was opulent; and I almost fell upon my knees with thanks. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party As James Madison put it, the nation ought to be constituted "to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority." The New Jim Crow ---------------------------

Permafrost

Permafrost is ground that is frozen permanently. As you can imagine, permafrost is extremely cold. If you know that frost has many cold-related meanings and permanent means "always," then you should be able to figure out what permafrost is: ground that is permanently frozen. You won't be able to plant a garden in permafrost — or do much with it — since it's so hard and cold. You won't find permafrost in warm climates or places that have distinct seasons. Permafrost only exists in areas where it's cold all the time, so the ground never thaws out.

inveigh

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. ----------------- verb complain bitterly synonyms: rail verb speak against in an impassioned manner synonyms: declaim ------------------------------ "Integration anywhere means destruction everywhere," Almond inveighed in his inaugural address, his words a dark mirror of Lyndon Johnson's anxious commentary on Sputnik. Hidden Figures He no longer inveighed against the United States but against a segment of the United States represented by overt white supremacists in the South and covert white supremacists in the North. The Autobiography of Malcolm X The Collinses didn't know what to say to Bobby about his newfound convictions, which on their face seemed contradictory: If everyone has the right to be here, why was Bobby inveighing against Jews? Endgame Newspapers inveighed against Milo with glaring headlines, and Congressmen denounced the atrocity in stentorian wrath and clamored for punishment. ---------------------------------------- یا سخن حمله کردن - سخت حرف زدن

quotidian

Quotidian is a fancy way of saying "daily" or "ordinary." Quotidian events are the everyday details of life. When you talk about the quotidian, you're talking about the little things in life: everyday events that are normal and not that exciting. Going to the store, doing chores, working or going to school, and brushing your teeth are all quotidian. If you take a spaceship to Mars, that would be unusual and extraordinary: the opposite of quotidian. ------------------------------- adjective found in the ordinary course of events ""there's nothing quite like a real...train conductor to add color to a quotidian commute"- Anita Diamant" synonyms: everyday, mundane, routine, unremarkable, workaday ------------------------------------ This theory is bound to provoke a variety of reactions, ranging from disbelief to revulsion, and a variety of objections, ranging from the quotidian to the moral. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything But there was more quotidian work to be done as well. The Devil in the White City They are passionate spokespeople for their brand of life, giving Gogol and Moushumi a steady, unquestionable stream of advice about quotidian things. ---------------------------------------- شبانه روزی

redoubtable

Redoubtable means honorable, maybe even intimidatingly so. If your grandmother worked tirelessly to raise four kids on her own and started her own taxi cab business and to this day, keeps all of her cabbies in line, she is without a doubt redoubtable. The adjective redoubtable traces back to the French word redute, meaning "to dread," a combination of the prefix re-, which adds emphasis, and duter, which mean "to doubt." But it isn't the redoubtable person that you doubt — it's yourself or your ability to compete against or be compared to him or her. That's where the dread comes in. But you can learn a lot from and be inspired by redoubtable people, if you can just get over being afraid of them. ------------------- adjective inspiring fear ""a tougher and more redoubtable adversary than the heel-clicking, jackbooted fanatic"- G.H.Johnston" synonyms: formidable, unnerving alarming frightening because of an awareness of danger adjective worthy of respect or honor "born of a redoubtable family" Synonyms: reputable having a good reputation ------------------------------------ In October, the redoubtable Professor Matthews was called as our final witness. Long Walk to Freedom Physics was taught by Christian Doppler, the redoubtable Austrian scientist who would become Mendel's mentor, teacher, and idol. The Gene He never was to them the mean whining deity of the Iliad, but magnificent in shining armor, redoubtable, invincible. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes Each day at lunchtime we were permitted to sit outside in the spacious garden of a neighboring vicarage where we were supplied with a meal cooked by the redoubtable Mrs. Thayanagee Pillay and her friends. Long Walk to Freedom ---------------------------------------------- سزاوار احترام/سهمناک

cupidity

Remember the saying "Greed is good"? It could just as easily be "Cupidity is good," though admittedly it doesn't roll off the tongue quite the same way. Cupidity means a burning desire to have more wealth than you need. Though it sounds like it might have something to do with the little winged figure who shoots arrows and makes folks fall in love on Valentine's Day, cupidity is all about the love of money. It comes to us from Latin cupidus, which means "desirous." It's not a word that crops up a lot in conversation, though you might run across it in newspapers and magazines, particularly those blaming Wall Street's unbridled cupidity for America's economic woes. ------------------------- noun extreme greed for material wealth synonyms: avarice, avariciousness, covetousness --------------------------------- "O'Dell," Quentin replied, in all sincerity, "I'm worried that your insatiable cupidity will ultimately prove to be something less than a virtue for our club." October Sky The coins in his hand, he stared at her, helpless before his own cupidity. Tiger, Tiger Above all, it is pragmatic, its idealism tempered not by timidity or cupidity or corporate fealty but by a respect for its own limits. New York TimesMay 21, 2018 St. Augustine said that Christian Scriptures needed to be guided by the "principle of charity": "Scripture teaches nothing but charity, nor condemns anything but cupidity." ------------------------------------------------- حرص از برای بدست اوردن مال

idler

noun person who does no work ------------------------- So they took to keeping her below decks when they passed a lockkeeper's cottage or a canal basin, or anywhere there were likely to be idlers hanging about. The Golden Compass Men hurrying by stopped to stare inquisitively before moving on, idlers stood or sat around lazily indulging their curiosity. Nectar in a Sieve They were surrounded by the usual crowd of idlers and passersby. The Witch of Blackbird Pond The wide front hall was empty except for a few idlers who lounged in the doorways leading to the offices on either side. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter < prev

astute

Someone who is astute is clever and has good judgment. The kid running around with a bucket stuck on his head? Not so astute. Astute (from Latin) is a formal and flattering adjective for someone with a good head on their shoulders. It differs from its synonym shrewd in placing less emphasis on hardheadedness than on sensitivity: we talk about a shrewd bargainer but an astute interpretation. Other synonyms are perceptive (emphasizing insight) and discerning (emphasizing an ability to distinguish). --------------------- adjective marked by practical hardheaded intelligence "an astute tenant always reads the small print in a lease" synonyms: savvy, sharp, shrewd --------------------------------- That's what the counselor at school said anyway about Grandma's and Mom's ghosts, which was pretty astute considering I hardly told her anything. I'll Give You the Sun This seemed like a reasonably astute observation to me when I was eight, but it turns out to be incorrect on a few levels. Will Grayson, Will Grayson "How astute of you. I am Jean de Joinville, one of the king's companions. When the king goes out, one of us often dons an imitation crown, for the king's protection." The Inquisitor's Tale ----------------------------- تیزبین- زیرک

dilatory

Something dilatory creates a delay. Remember when your math teacher asked you to work out a problem on the board and you tried to get her talking about her favorite theorems instead? That was a dilatory tactic. The adjective dilatory comes from the Latin root word dilator, a noun that means "someone who puts off things" or "a procrastinator." If you are always late to appointments, people may accuse you of being dilatory, especially if they think you don't have a good excuse. --------------- adjective wasting time synonyms: laggard, pokey, poky slow -------------------------- King George was in a fury over the dilatory, cautious behavior of his general. Johnny Tremain Thank you for sending us Two Figures by a Fountain, and please accept our apologies for this dilatory response. Atonement After a pause he added "sir" in a dilatory, grudging way. The Great Gatsby The dilatory limousine came rolling up the drive. The Great Gatsby --------------------------------------------

prodigious

Something exceptional, substantial, or great is prodigious. A blizzard includes prodigious wind and snow. A prodigious writer is one who can write a lot and do it well. Prodigious is a word for things that are impressive. If you have prodigious strength, you're very strong. If your cat had a prodigious litter of kittens, then you've got a houseful of kittens. This is a strong word that's also kind of formal. Save it for things that really blow you away because of their quality or quantity. A little drizzle isn't a prodigious rain, but a storm that floods a whole city certainly is. ------------------------- adjective so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe "a prodigious storm" synonyms: colossal, stupendous big, large above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent adjective far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree "the young Mozart's prodigious talents" synonyms :exceeding, exceptional, olympian, surpassing extra ordinary beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable adjective of momentous or ominous significance "a prodigious vision" synonyms: portentous ---------------------------------- The combination of his prodigious mind and his infectious grin was unbeatable. Double Helix Notable for its equally prodigious strength and stupidity, the troll is often violent and unpredictable. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them "He excretes in prodigious amounts, Karen, not seen on the earth since prehistoric times when dinosaurs let fly," Ben said. The Great Santini I gave the drapery a prodigious yank and was free. The Shakespeare Stealer ------------------------------------------------------- حیرت اور/شگفت انگیز

innumerable

Something innumerable can't be counted — there are just too many, like the stars in the sky. Innumerable things are infinite. Things that are countless, multitudinous, myriad, numberless, uncounted, or unnumerable are also called innumerable: you couldn't count them if you tried. There are a lot of countries in the world, but they aren't innumerable. On the other hand, the number of drops in the ocean is definitely innumerable. And if you wanted to be really nice, you'd say "Her charms are innumerable!" Even though you could probably count all of her good qualities. ------------------- adjective too numerous to be counted "innumerable difficulties" synonyms: countless, infinite, innumerous, multitudinous, myriad, numberless, uncounted, unnumberable, unnumbered, unnumerable ------------------------------------- Such spreads of technology and agriculture, arising ultimately from competition between human groups, must have happened at innumerable other times and places over the past 10,000 years. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies They have had to believe for many years, and for innumerable reasons, that black men are inferior to white men. The Fire Next Time Who really deserved the patent for a discovery that might be based on the work of innumerable scientists over years or decades? Big Science I remembered with an ache certain dishes in France and Italy touched by innumerable human hands. Travels with Charley in Search of America -------------------------------------------------------- بیشمار

nugatory

Something nugatory has no real value; it's worthless. All your excuses for why you didn't turn the bath tap off when you left the apartment are nugatory; they don't change the fact that the tub overflowed and leaked into the apartment below. An adjective meaning "trifling, of no value," nugatory comes from the Latin nugatorius, "worthless, futile," which in turn came from the verb nugari, "to trifle or act like a fool." Nugatory is a word you probably don't hear too often, but you can use it to describe something with no force or importance as nugatory. "Whether this rug is red or green is nugatory to someone who is colorblind." ------------------ adjective of no real value "a nugatory law" Synonyms: worthless ---------------------------- But nobody pointed out that in percentage terms this would be a nugatory amount of his £1m annual income, if indeed it came from his income at all. The GuardianJul 12, 2012 Moreover, even for many workers still receiving paychecks, the tax cut would be trivial to the point of being nugatory. Los Angeles TimesMay 5, 2020 The committee filed suit for enforcement, lest Congress's oversight function be rendered anemic, even nugatory. Washington PostApr 21, 2020 Yet all of these questions seem, increasingly, merely nostalgic, nugatory, in the face of the dissolution of the common solidarity of principles that had once made the liberation happen. The New YorkerJun 6, 2019 ------------------------------------------- بی ارزش

ribald

Something ribald is funny, but in a vulgar or off-color way. If someone makes a ribald joke in class, she will probably be sent to the principal's office. The word ribald can be used to describe a joke, a movie, or even a person, like a ribald comedian on a late-night talk show. Ribald humor is generally considered to be inappropriate around children, and if you make a ribald comment, you might inadvertently offend someone. This word derives from an Old French word meaning "rogue" or "debauched." ------------------ adjective humorously vulgar "ribald language" synonyms:bawdy, off-color dirty(of behavior or especially language) characterized by obscenity or indecency noun a ribald person; someone who uses vulgar and offensive language ----------------------------- There will doubtless be thousands of ribald failures, but in the world's history artists have always been drawn where they are welcome and well treated. Travels with Charley in Search of America Around her in the smoke, the trackers laughed and told ribald stories that would have made a lesser woman flush with embarrassment. The Reader In the great hall ladies and gentlemen drank until their talk grew ribald. Ophelia He was an old bird, reputed to be fifty years old, and he had lived a ribald life and acquired the vigorous speech of a ship's fo'c'sle. East of Eden -------------------- فوش بی ادبی اما خنده دار

soporific

Something that is soporific is sleep-inducing. Certain medicines, but also extreme coziness, can have a soporific effect. In the 1680's, soporific, which doubles as both adjective and noun, was formed from the French soporifique. That word, in turn, came from the Latin sopor "deep sleep." Beloved Peter Rabbit author Beatrix Potter once noted that, "It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is 'soporific'." ------------------------ adjective sleep inducing synonyms: hypnagogic, hypnogogic, somniferous, somnific, soporiferous adjective inducing mental lethargy synonyms: narcotic, soporiferous noun a drug that induces sleep synonyms: hypnotic ------------------------------- He was a man of high professional standards, a careful and deliberate, exacting judge who held himself to the letter of the law, however soporifically. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel I discovered Emerson's soporific qualities the hard way, by falling asleep with my face in the book, drooling all over an essay called "Self-Reliance" and having the vending-machine dream for the sixth time that week. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children His eyes did not leave the patrons face while his velvet voice rose passionately above the soporific air of the siesta. The House of the Spirits: A Novel In the soporific heat of those months Blanca, protected by the creature that was growing inside her, forgot about the magnitude of her disgrace. The House of the Spirits: A Novel ------------------------------ خواب اور- خواب الود

staid

Something that is staid is dignified, respectable — possibly even boring, like a staid dinner party that is heavy on the important guests but light on the laughs. Staid is pronounced just like "stayed" — in fact, it comes from stay, meaning "fixed" or "permanent." Something that is staid is sedate, slightly dull, and tends to stay the same. Whether it's a middle-class lifestyle, a conservative law firm, your unadventurous aunt, or an old navy plaid sofa, the word staid can be used to describe anything that maintains a respectable self-restraint and takes no chances. ----------------- adjective characterized by dignity and propriety synonyms: sedate -------------------------------- There she sat, staid and taciturn-looking, as usual, in her brown stuff gown, her check apron, white handkerchief, and cap. RON enters on a staircase, his side parting now super-aggressive, his robes just a little bit too short, his clothes now spectacularly staid. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child He wore the perfectly cut frock coat and vest of all Kerch merchants—dark, refined, deliberately staid. Six of Crows She looks so much like Catherine I catch my breath—the plane of her face, the cut of her hair, the slim thighs I've always imagined were under Catherine's staid skirts. ------------------------------ متین و آرام

spotty

Something that's spotty is uneven or inconsistent, especially in quality. If you can never rely on your internet connection when you're trying to watch a movie, you can call the connection spotty. The spotty reporting of your local newspaper means that every once in a while it publishes a well-written, newsworthy article, but often it's not worth reading. And your spotty attention during biology class probably means you'll need extra review sessions before you take the final exam. You can also use this adjective to mean "spotted" or "covered with spots," like your spotty Dalmatian puppy. ---------------------- adjective lacking consistency "the golfer hit the ball well but his putting was spotty" synonyms: scratchy, uneven inconsistentdisplaying a lack of consistency adjective having spots or patches (small areas of contrasting color or texture) "the wall had a spotty speckled effect" synonyms: patched, spotted ------------------------ First, the trees—those that hadn't yet been cut down for firewood—shed their spotty yellow-and-copper leaves. A Thousand Splendid Suns Bobby's play was spotty in the first several games of the tournament, as he attempted to find his chess legs. Endgame The girls did not go to school, but learned at home and, according to Etty, had a spotty education. Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith Both sails luffed in the night breeze, which was still light and spotty because of the surrounding hills. The Voyage Of The Frog --------------------------------------

successive

Successive is a word for things (or people) that follow each other in time. If three presidents in a row were over sixty, you could say, "Three successive presidents were over sixty." Successive is a word that comes up often when you're looking at the history of something. Back in the 1960s, eight successive Boston Celtics teams won the NBA championship. In school, if you do very well, you could get an A in three successive math classes. Even though successive has the word success in it, it's not necessarily a good thing: you could also miss ten successive free throws --------------------------------- adjective in regular succession without gaps synonyms: consecutive, sequent, sequential, serial -------------------------------------- Then he hit on two jump shots and led two successive fast breaks where he shuffled bounce passes to Philip and Art filling the lanes. The Great Santini After Papa took communion, he sat back and watched the congregation walk to the altar and, after Mass, reported to Father Benedict, with concern, when a person missed communion on two successive Sundays. Purple Hibiscus The brain's sentence parser starts to thrash when faced with the successive leaves at the beginning, and it crashes altogether when it gets to the pile of alones at the end. The Sense of Style Past information might be revered, but in successive retellings it would become progressively more muddled and eventually lost. ------------------------------------- متمادی

supercilious

Supercilious people think very highly of themselves, more highly than of others. If your sister tends to act snobby and superior, you can describe her as supercilious. You might expect Nobel Prize winners to be supercilious — after all, they've reached the very heights of their profession. But one-on-one, your famous physics professor might be humble and fun to talk to, anything but supercilious. Most often, it's people who have no right to be arrogant, rude, and holier-than-thou who behave in the most supercilious ways. The Latin root supercilium means "haughty demeanor," but also "eyebrow" — as in an eyebrow raised in a haughty, supercilious expression. --------------------------------- adjective 1-having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy "his mother eyed my clothes with a supercilious air" synonyms: disdainful, haughty, imperious, lofty, lordly, overbearing, prideful, sniffy, swaggering proud feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride 2-adjective expressive of contempt "curled his lip in a supercilious smile" synonyms :sneering, snide ------------------- He was even more thrilled with the reception the cyclotron was receiving on the skeptical and supercilious East Coast. Big Science Meggie couldn't decide whether it was mocking, supercilious, or just awkward. Inkheart The innkeeper glanced from his paper and gave us a supercilious up-and-down look. The Secret History Their officers claimed, with supercilious air, that they practiced speed and marksmanship in case the French should invade; but we all of us knew for what eventuality they prepared. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party ----------------------------------------- تکبرآمیز- خودپشند

terse

Terse means brief, or using very few words. If your teacher tells you to make your writing in your essay style terse and to the point, he's saying use as few words as you can and be simple and clear. A terse reply or command may seem rude or unfriendly—but the word terse itself doesn't mean unfriendly or rude. Synonyms are succinct or concise, though these words have a more positive tone. The adjective terse is from Latin tersus "clean, neat," from tergere "to rub off, wipe, polish." Polished language is neatly concise. ----------------------------------- adjective brief and to the point; effectively cut short "short and terse and easy to understand" synonyms: crisp, curt, laconic --------------------------------------- On the sidelines, Agent Jones looked angry and tense as he barked terse orders. Beauty Queens The queen's face moves through a series of expressions, settling on a terse frown, as if she's found something unsightly on the bottom of one of her kitten heels. Red, White & Royal Blue As for what people thought about his dress, he was cynical and terse: "That's their problem." Endgame Strabo's terse description of "a public walk and a place furnished with seats, and a large hall" can be interpreted to suggest some sort of ambulatory with alcoves to the side, containing the scrolls. Circumference ---------------------------------- مختصر و مفید

rambling

The adjective rambling means confused and long-winded, the way you could describe your grandfather's endless rambling stories of his childhood. Rambling always means indirect and a little confusing, which can be a negative quality in a classroom lecture or movie plot — but when you're talking about a path through the woods, rambling is a charming way to describe it. You might love to hike through the woods on rambling trails that twist and turn. Rambling comes from the verb ramble, "walk or stroll," which is a variant on the older verb romen, "to walk, or to go," and related to "roam." -------------------------------------- adjective spreading out in different directions synonyms: sprawling, straggling, straggly untidy not neat and tidy adjective winding or meandering "rambling forest paths" synonyms: meandering, wandering, winding adjective (of e.g. speech and writing) tending to depart from the main point or cover a wide range of subjects "a rambling speech about this and that" synonyms: digressive, discursive, excursive ------------------------------------- It looked like a taller, less rambling version of Mains. The Name of the Wind If Emma was rambling on like that, she didn't understand either. The Strangers Mother is mumbling, rambling, saying something that is all noise for me. The Adoration of Jenna Fox Dorothy, her husband, Howard, and their four young children lived in a large, rambling Victorian house on South Main Street with Howard's parents and grandparents. Hidden Figures ----------------------------- بی ربط- نامربوط

sylvan

The adjective sylvan refers to a shady, wooded area. The word suggests a peaceful, pleasant feeling, as though you were far away from the noise of modern life. As a noun, sylvan means a being that inhabits the woods. The Roman god of woods and fields was known as Silvanus, sometimes also known as the half-man, half-goat sylvan called Pan. Shakespeare's character Puck, in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," seems based on a sylvan, and other authors used the image as well. The adjectival use of the Middle French word sylvain evolved in the mid-16th century. The word is most often used today to describe an idyllic wooded area. --------------------- adjective relating to or characteristic of wooded regions "a shady sylvan glade" synonyms: silvan wooded covered with growing trees and bushes noun a spirit that lives in or frequents the woods synonyms: silvan -------------------------------- The darkness of natural as well as of sylvan dusk gathered over me. Jane Eyre Ihe sylvan fields, forests, and shores had been mowed down, paved over, and built up with roads, bridges, hospitals, boatyards, jails, and military bases, cities in and of themselves. Hidden Figures It was inhabited by people and dwarfs, by gnomes and sylvans and other, even queerer, folk. Stardust He is at once charming and unknowable: a force of nature, the quintessence of sylvan magic and the embodiment of entertainment.

ersatz

The ersatz version of something is an inferior substitute or imitation. You might speak in an ersatz French accent, but you won't fool the Parisian who runs the local French bakery. Used as a noun or adjective, ersatz stems from the German verb ersetzen, which means "to replace." Compared with regular Coke, Diet Coke may be considered an ersatz beverage because of its artificial sweeteners. Similarly, rich, creamy, full-fat ice cream is much better than the ersatz, fat-free version, or frozen yogurt. You would be in deep trouble if your fiancé found out that her engagement ring was an ersatz diamond. ------------------ noun an artificial or inferior substitute or imitation adjective artificial and inferior "ersatz coffee" synonyms: substitute artificial, unrealcontrived by art rather than nature ----------------------------- Despite the ersatz patina of science, Mengele's work was of the poorest scientific quality. The Gene He indicated the reclining ersatz animal, which continued to ruminate attentively, still watching alertly for any indication of oats. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? "They're worth a fortune. But I guess it would be an imitation dog: ersatz. Right? But those are made of wires and motors; they can't be eaten." Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The blind innkeeper said that the Americans could sleep in his stable that night, and he gave them soup and ersatz coffee and a little beer. Slaughterhouse-Five ---------------------- مصنوعی- ساختگی- جعلی

embellish

The word "bell" shows up in the middle of embellish, and bells are something that decorate, or embellish something, making it more attractive. If you embellish speech, though, it can get ugly if you add a lot of details that aren't true. Embellish often has the positive meaning of adding something to make it more handsome or beautifully decorated. But, while adding bells to something looks great at first, after a couple of hours of bells ringing in the ears, what was meant to embellish and beautify can get annoying. That's what can happen when you embellish by adding too many false or exaggerated details to a story. Embellishing with true, colorful details and vivid descriptions is what can really enhance the beauty of a story. ----------------------------- verb make more attractive by adding ornament, color, etc. synonyms: adorn, beautify, decorate, grace, ornament ornamentbe an ornament to verb make more beautiful synonyms: beautify, fancify, prettify verb add details to synonyms: aggrandise, aggrandize, blow up, dramatise, dramatize, embroider, lard, pad verb be beautiful to look at synonyms: adorn, beautify, deck, decorate, grace ------------------------------------ One other noteworthy event occurred while Galileo was a medical student in Pisa, although the story has been considerably distorted and embellished down the centuries. The Scientists The Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole is a paradigm, a human institution possessed of a life of its own, self-regenerating, touched all around by human meddle but constantly improved, embellished by it. The Lives of a Cell The Maidens used a small knife with an ornately embellished golden handle to cut and smooth my hair, and many hands began twining small strands into a series of formal hanging braids. The Ugly One Stories about her would be handed down from one generation to the next, embroidered, embellished, until it would be impossible to say which part was truth, which part was fiction. -------------------------------- پیراستن - اراستن

sequester

The word sequester describes being kept away from others. If your sister tells you to stay out of the way so she can cook dinner for her new boyfriend, you might sequester yourself in your room. Legal types may be familiar with the word sequester since it's often used in relation to a jury for an important trial. In that case, members of the jury are sequestered, meaning they aren't allowed to watch the news or read articles that could influence their judgment. However, sequester can describe anyone who is isolated or hidden away from others, like a pop star sequestered in a hotel room, protected from fans' mania below. ------------------------------- verb keep away from others "He sequestered himself in his study to write a book" synonyms: seclude, sequestrate, withdraw adjourn, retire, withdraw break from a meeting or gathering verb set apart from others "The dentist sequesters the tooth he is working on" synonyms: isolate, keep apart, sequestrate, set apart see more verb take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority synonyms: attach, confiscate, impound, seize verb requisition forcibly, as of enemy property "the estate was sequestered" Synonyms: attach, confiscate, impound, seizetake temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority verb undergo sequestration by forming a stable compound with an ion "The cations were sequestered" ---------------------------- Bobby worried that his funds in the Union Bank of Switzerland might be sequestered, so he wanted to get the money out of there as soon as possible. Endgame They then sequestered themselves for a few minutes to discuss the schedule. Endgame They had been sequestered on the second floor and had speculated before going to bed, said the foreman, that the snowstorm would interrupt the trial. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel Occasionally, Angie joined us, but most of the time she remained sequestered in her pink room, listening to the music we were forbidden in the rest of the house. When I Was Puerto Rican --------------------------------------------- جدا کردن

subjective

Things that are subjective are open to interpretation. If you go see a movie about a jewel thief, the topic is not subjective. But whether it's a good movie or not is subjective. Subjective things depend on your own ideas and opinions: there isn't any universal truth. Subjective is the opposite of objective, which refers to things that are more clear-cut. That Earth has one moon is objective — it's a fact. Whether the moon is pretty or not is subjective — not everyone will agree. Facts are objective, but opinions are subjective. What's the best song, band, movie, or TV show? These are all very subjective issues. There's no right answer. --------------------- adjective taking place within the mind and modified by individual bias "a subjective judgment" adjective of a mental act performed entirely within the mind synonyms: immanent --------------------------------- The increase itself is no mere matter of subjective impressions. Silent Spring In the Essays Montaigne was making a fundamental claim about our knowledge of the world, that knowledge is always subjective, personal. The Invention of Science "That's true. She knows other things. She sees things — things that might happen, things that are coming. But it's very subjective. The future isn't set in stone. Things change." Twilight This distinction between objective reality and subjective sensation was made by Lucretius. The Invention of Science --------------------------------------------

compile

When you compile something, like a recipe-book or a mix-tape, you put it together using things that already exist (recipes, songs). Poetry anthologies, greatest-hits albums, and world-record books are all compilations, because they're made up of things that were originally published or released somewhere else. If you want to skip out on soccer practice one day, you might compile of list of excuses. ------------------------------------- verb get or gather together synonyms: accumulate, amass, collect, hoard, pile up, roll up verb put together out of existing material "compile a list" synonyms: compose verb use a computer program to translate source code written in a particular programming language into computer-readable machine code that can be executed --------------------------------- Mom decided that before she could get down to any serious painting, she needed to compile a thorough art reference library. The Glass Castle I merely determined to compile a list of all the books I had ever read. Hunger of Memory Know thine enemy was Artemis's motto, so he immersed himself in the lore of the People until he had compiled a huge database on their characteristics. Artemis Fowl Here, compiled by the Tuskegee Institute, are the decade-by-decade statistics on the lynching of blacks in the United States.

cascade

Think of a cascade as something suddenly falling, tumbling down in a rush. The word cascade conjures up a vision of anything falling in a manner resembling a waterfall — think of a cascade of shining hair, a sudden cascade of tears, or the cascade of light during a meteor shower. The idea behind the word is of something falling in a progressive manner or a series of steps. A downward progression of musical themes can be called a cascade, as can the disastrous cascade of the tumbling price of a stock on Wall Street. --------------------------- noun a small waterfall or series of small waterfalls noun a sudden downpour (as of tears, sparks, etc.) likened to a rain shower "a sudden cascade of sparks" synonyms: shower noun a succession of stages or operations or processes or units "progressing in severity as though a cascade of genetic damage was occurring" "separation of isotopes by a cascade of processes" verb rush down in big quantities, like a cascade synonyms: cascade down verb arrange (open windows) on a computer desktop so that they overlap each other, with the title bars visible ------------------------------------- Cupboards were dangerous to open because clothes and books and shoes would cascade down and some of his books were heavy enough to inflict real damage. The God of Small Things All around, everything else blended into an indistinguishable, borderless cascade of blurring gray streaks. 100 Sideways Miles At night, as the stars unfurled, cool air cascaded off the hills into the valley. October Sky It cascaded over the shiny streets, drummed the tops of cars, and pooled in dark curbside gullies. Shadowshaper -------------------------------

adumbrate

To adumbrate something is to outline it. In an English essay, you could adumbrate the themes in a novel; or, in a letter to Santa, you could adumbrate all the ways you have been behaving. Adumbrate is built on the Latin root umbra, "shade," and the image it evokes is of a shadow being cast around something. Your outline is like a shadow of something bigger — like the themes in that novel or the ways you have been behaving. You can also use adumbrate to mean "foreshadow": "The scene where the princess dreams of the vampire adumbrates her later discovery that her little brother is, in fact, a vampire." ---------------------------- verb describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of synonyms: outline, sketch verb give to understand synonyms: insinuate, intimate ----------------------------------------- But the happy chance to show a tranche of Gauguin pieces somehow morphed into an exhibition about his putative "spiritual journey," which is adumbrated but not proved. Washington PostJan 18, 2019 And thus the fragility of this vast ecosystem is adumbrated by the suggestion of decay on the newly restored walls of the gallery. Washington PostNov 12, 2015 In between, works by contemporaries complicate superficial ideas about his meteoric genius, and small, delicate drawings teem with an abundance of ideas — paintings never made, thoughts adumbrated then abandoned. Washington PostOct 18, 2019 The interpolated notebook entries, meanwhile, adumbrate a serpentine journey through Poland, Budapest, Belgrade, Croatia, Odessa, Sofia and Bucharest. ----------------------------------------------- مبهم کردن

augur

To augur is to predict or indicate. A black cat passing in front of you is said to augur bad luck, but if you love cats you can choose to believe that it augurs good luck instead. In the past, when you said you would augur the future it meant you would predict it. That form of augur is rarely used today, but the sense of prediction — connected to an object or event — remains. Dark clouds augur a rainstorm. If you skip a dress rehearsal before opening night of a show, it won't augur well for your performance. The Latin root stems from an ancient Roman religious official who predicted the future from omens. --------------------------- verb predict from an omen verb indicate by signs synonyms: auspicate, betoken, bode, forecast, foreshadow, foretell, omen, portend, predict, prefigure, presage, prognosticate noun (ancient Rome) a religious official who interpreted omens to guide public policy synonyms: auspex ---------------------------------- As the story goes, when he was done birds flew down and pecked away the outlines—a development that gave Alexander pause, until someone suggested that it augured well for the town's prosperity. Circumference But her earliest days as a writer, when she was a young mother and divorcée, augured little of the success that was to come. Washington PostJul 15, 2016 Republican losses in 1874 augured another retreat, this time for the better part of a century. New York TimesDec 12, 2022 "Newspapers, television, all forms of media will tank if I'm not there," he augured in 2017, "because without me, their ratings are going down the tubes." -------------------------------------------- پیش بینی کردن- غیبگو

cadge

To cadge is to plead or beg for something. A hungry child might cadge an extra cookie from her dad while he's baking. When you cadge something, you wheedle or plead for it, manipulating someone into giving it to you. If you forget your lunch, you might have to cadge parts of your friend's meal, and if you don't have change for a parking meter, you might try to cadge some from a person walking by. Since the early 1800s, to cadge has meant "to beg," and while its origin is uncertain, it may come from cadger, "itinerant dealer" or "peddler." ---------------------------- verb obtain or seek to obtain by cadging or wheedling synonyms: schnorr, scrounge, shnorr verb ask for and get free; be a parasite synonyms :bum, grub, mooch, sponge -------------------------------------- Gaines, a black officer so big that he seldom seemed to have to raise his voice, had traded words with an inmate who tried to cadge extra juice from under his nose. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing Sam Houston tried to cadge a beer and was properly rebuffed. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate At one point, Kamen recalled, Alvarez tried to cadge more experimentation time from Lawrence by displaying a chart showing a decline in publications by members of the lab. Big Science Lawrence had spent a difficult year cadging money from philanthropists and foundations for a proton accelerator, the purpose of which had to be explained to them in the abstract terms of basic science. Big Science -------------------------------------------------------

stifness

noun the physical property of being inflexible and hard to bend noun the property of moving with pain or difficulty "he awoke with a painful stiffness in his neck" noun excessive sternness synonyms :austerity, hardness, harshness, inclemency, rigor, rigorousness, rigour, rigourousness, severeness, severity noun firm resoluteness in purpose or opinion or action "a charming host without any touch of stiffness or pomposity" noun the inelegance of someone stiff and unrelaxed (as by embarrassment) synonyms: awkwardness, clumsiness, gracelessness ---------------------------- Massage specialists came by once a week to try to soothe the constant, heavy stiffness he felt. Tuesdays with Morrie Everything was wringing wet and beginning to freeze into stiffness. The Subtle Knife I should get up, move around, and work the stiffness from my limbs. Catching Fire They sit in dark corners and braid their hair in new shapes and twists in order to control the stiffness, the unruliness, the rebelliousness. Krik? Krak!

corroborate

To corroborate is to back someone else's story. If you swear to your teacher that you didn't throw the spitball, and your friends corroborate your story by promising that you were concentrating on math homework, she might actually believe you. For example, a witness in court corroborates the testimony of others, and further experimentation can corroborate a scientific theory. Near synonyms are substantiate and confirm. Corroborate, originally meaning "to support or strengthen," was borrowed from Latin corrōborāre, formed from the prefix cor- "completely" plus rōborāre "to strengthen" (from rōbur "strength"). ------------------------------- verb give evidence for synonyms: validate verb support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm synonyms: bear out, support, underpin verb establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts synonyms: affirm, confirm, substantiate, support, sustain ------------------------------- The private detectives, though, struggled to corroborate the informant's story. Killers of the Flower Moon This estimate was very roughly corroborated two decades later by the Marquis de Denonville, governor of New France, who destroyed the annual harvest of four adjacent Haudenosaunee villages to deter future attacks. 1491 These hallmarks of war in Yayoi Japan corroborate the earliest accounts of Japan in Chinese chronicles, which describe the land of Wa and its hundred little political units fighting with one another. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies To corroborate it, Agent Burger and a colleague had earlier traveled to Campbell, a town in northern Texas, where Ernest and Bryan's aunt and uncle lived. ------------------------------------- تایید کردن

destabilize

To destabilize something is to undermine it, or to make it much less stable. Seeming uncertain or confused can destabilize a teacher's ability to control a class. Political protesters might seek to destabilize a government or other institution, and lying to your best friend can destabilize your relationship. In both cases, the underlying stability of a situation is shaken, or made less sturdy. The earliest use of destabilize was in a physical sense, if something was literally unstable or shaky. By the 1920s, the word came to also have a more political meaning. -------------------------------- verb make unstable "Terrorism destabilized the government" synonyms: destabilise verb become unstable "The economy destabilized rapidly" synonyms :destabilise ----------------------------------- Over and over again, I heard the same story: the police and the defense force were destabilizing the area. Long Walk to Freedom I thought Ocean would wake up, dizzy and destabilized by this emotional train wreck to discover that it hadn't been worth it, actually; that I hadn't been worth it. A Very Large Expanse of Sea They might "build on public panic to further destabilize the system by disseminating rumors" and therefore "increase media coverage" and "stress the public health system." Zeitoun Three profoundly destabilizing scientific ideas ricochet through the twentieth century, trisecting it into three unequal parts: the atom, the byte, the gen ---------------------------- بی ثبات کردن

dispense

To dispense means to give out or distribute something. A school nurse can dispense students' medication and we all can dispense advice. The word dispense comes from the Old French word dispenser, meaning "give out." You can dispense anything from hand sanitizer to dating advice. When dispense is paired with with it means "get rid of it" or "skip." If you dispense with traditional Thanksgiving dishes, you might instead celebrate with pizza, pancakes, tacos — anything but turkey and all the fixings. ----------------------- verb administer or bestow, as in small portions "the machine dispenses soft drinks" synonyms: administer, allot, deal, deal out, dish out, distribute, dole, dole out, lot, mete, mete out, parcel out, shell out verb give or apply (medications) synonyms: administer verb grant a dispensation; grant an exemption "I was dispensed from this terrible task" ---------------------------------------- "I trained him as my assistant in the business of concocting and dispensing noise," finished the doctor, mopping his brow with a handkerchief. The Phantom Tollbooth He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths so that he could "come over" some afternoon to a stranger's garden. The Great Gatsby In fact, he envisioned a prison system that would dispense with them altogether. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing After my grandparents gave their daughter away to her husband's family, they had dispensed all the adventure and all the property. The Woman Warrior ------------------------------------------------- توزیع کردن-معاف کردن

dissemble

To dissemble is to try to deceive someone. Your little brother tried to dissemble when you asked if he ate the last doughnut, but the chocolate icing on his face gave him away. Dissemble is a little more complicated than a straight lie or denial. When you dissemble, you disguise your true intentions or feelings behind a false appearance. To dissemble is to pretend that you don't know something, to pretend that you think one way when you act another way. "He worked for six months at that company before they discovered he was dissembling: he had lied on his application about his credentials and education." ------------------------- verb behave unnaturally or affectedly synonyms: act, pretend act, behave, dobehave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself verb make believe with the intent to deceive synonyms: affect, feign, pretend, sham make, make believe, pretendrepresent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like verb hide under a false appearance synonyms: cloak, mask ----------------------------------- Even under the greatest duress, my capability to dissemble was scarcely diminished. October Sky He said that the Negro had been trained to dissemble and conceal his real thoughts, as a matter of survival. The Autobiography of Malcolm X Crooked Ava had not lost her power to dissemble since her days of harassing Cora—she hooted and stomped as if it were the height of the Christmas celebrations. The Underground Railroad: A Novel To dissemble your feelings, to control your face, to do what everyone else was doing, was an instinctive reaction. -------------------------- وانمودکردن/نادیده گرفتن/ پنهان کاری کردن

enervate

To enervate is to weaken, wear down, or even bum out. Although a three-hour lecture on the history of socks might thrill someone, it would enervate most people. So would a too-long soak in a hot tub. With your parents. Trace enervate back far enough and you'll discover that it comes from the Latin enervare which means basically "to cut the sinew" or "to cause to be cut from the muscle." That would certainly weaken someone. These days, there's no need for violence. To enervate someone is to sap their energy, like by reading your ex all the love letters your new sweetheart wrote you. When something enervates you, it does more than get on your nerves; it brings you down. ----------------- verb weaken physically, mentally, or morally verb disturb the composure of synonyms: faze, unnerve, unsettle -------------------------- Avoid it unless the meaning is clear. enervating. Woe Is I Soon my mind was saturated, my being enervated, yet my soul continued to live and hope for better days. Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography I have heard more than a little hissing and roaring through the factory door, but my presently somewhat enervated condition precludes a descent into that particular inferno at the moment. A Confederacy of Dunces On the contrary: if something's enervating, it drains you of energy. Woe Is I ------------------------------------------------- سست کردن

exceed

To exceed is to go beyond expectations, or to go too far. If you exceed the speed limit, you might get a speeding ticket. Exceed and excess share the Latin root excedere meaning to "go beyond." An excess is too much of something, like the piles of candy after Halloween, and exceed means the action of going too far in a good or bad way. You exceed in school when you get straight A's. When Dr. Jekyll transforms into Mr. Hyde, he experiences "a grinding in the bones, deadly nausea, and a horror of the spirit that cannot be exceeded at the hour of birth or death." No thanks! It helps to remember that like speed, exceed ends with -eed. --------------------------- verb be or do something to a greater degree "This exceeds all my expectations" synonyms: outdo, outgo, outmatch, outperform, outstrip, surmount, surpass verb be superior or better than some standard "She exceeded our expectations" synonyms: go past, overstep, pass, top, transcend verb be greater in scope or size than some standard "Their loyalty exceeds their national bonds" ----------------------------- My Dictionary says superfluous means exceeding what is sufficient or necessary. Mockingbird Dozens of additional lynchings had taken place in neighboring counties—and the true power of those lynchings far exceeded their number. Just Mercy "You have demonstrated a true act of valor, and in doing so exhibited a righteousness, dedication, and loyalty far exceeding your years," he murmured. Beasts of Prey "Philadelphia...seemed to strive to exceed all other places in the breaking of the Sabbath," he noted. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

garner

To garner means to gather or earn. If you want to run for office without belonging to a political party, you must garner enough signatures — usually a few thousand — to get onto the ballot. The word garner comes from the Latin granarium which means "store-house," usually for grain. The current use of the word carries with it the sense of something being stored up. It's not only that you can gather enough yes-votes to overcome the opposition, there is the sense that all the things you have garnered have some weight of their own. In its other use, garner means "earn" or "merit." Think of movie stars garnering Oscar nominations for their excellent work. ------------------------- verb assemble or get together synonyms: collect, gather, pull together verb store grain verb acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions synonyms: earn noun a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed synonyms: granary ------------------------------ By the end of election night, it was clear that although he had garnered less than 38 percent of the vote, Thompson had been elected. A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 The townlands were rich, with wide tilth and many orchards, and homesteads there were with oast and garner, fold and byre, and many rills rippling through the green from the highlands down to Anduin. The Return of the King By the time Fischer left for Nepal in the spring of 1996, he'd begun to garner more of the recognition that he thought was his due. Into Thin Air The more gruesome the photo, the more likes it's garnered. Saints and Misfits -------------------------

mince

To mince is to chop into tiny bits. Your favorite soup recipe might include directions to mince four cloves of garlic. When you dice an onion into very small pieces, you mince it, and when you grind meat very fine to make sausage or mincemeat, you also mince. Another meaning of the verb is to soften, or to express something in a gentle way: "She doesn't mince her words." This word can also mean to walk in a dainty manner, like the way your 7-year-old niece might mince across the floor while pretending to be a fancy princess. The Old French root, mincier, means "make into small pieces," and it comes from the Latin word for "small," minutus. --------------------------- verb cut into small pieces "mince the garlic" noun food chopped into small bits "a mince of mushrooms" verb make less severe or harsh synonyms: moderate, soften verb walk daintily "She minced down the street" --------------------------------- Campbell offered the Americans food now, steaks and mashed potatoes and gravy and mince pie, if they would join the Free American Corps. Slaughterhouse-Five He moved on stiff legs with little delicate mincing steps to investigate the newcomer and in the manner of dogs and people did not look directly at the object of his interest. Travels with Charley in Search of America He chopped the onions every which way and didn't mince the ginger anywhere near as fine as Kazi would have. The Night Diary Spaghetti Bolognese is mince, spaghetti, and a blob of ketchup, normally. Black Swan Green ------------------------------ ریزه ریزه کردن

whit

Whit means a small tiny part of something. If you don't even have a whit of courage, you are most likely a chicken. Whit indicates a bit of something, and usually something abstract like a feeling or emotion. You might feel the last whit of your confidence depart when your teacher hands out the 32-page final exam. Don't confuse whit with wit, meaning mental sharpness or keen sense of humor. Let's hope you have more than a whit of wit in your personality! ------------------------------ noun a tiny or scarcely detectable amount synonyms: iota, scintilla, shred, smidge, smidgen, smidgeon, smidgin, tittle ------------------------------ A man's suit or a woman's dress would not have made one whit of difference. Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad There was in her heart, it seemed, a heavy and delicately balanced burden whose weight she did not want to assume by disturbing it one whit. Native Son She had never seen anyone beg for food in America, but over there if she had given a beggar food, it would not have made a whit of difference. A Place to Belong "Lord Dunmore," said I, "cares not a whit for us, does he?" The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves ----------------------------- ذره-خرد

plead

To plead with someone is to try to convince them to see it your way. Your kids may plead with you to let them go on the super-huge outrageous roller coaster built in 1968, but you know better. The term plead comes from the word plea, which is from the legal system, where lawyers make a plea to the court and argue a case for their client. To plead is to ask for something from someone, often on the verge of begging. You may plead with the phone company to give an appointment time that spans only three hours, but, regardless of your pleading, they will make you wait eight hours for the technician to finally show ------------------------ .verb appeal or request earnestly "I pleaded with him to stop" verb offer as an excuse or plea "She was pleading insanity" verb enter a plea, as in courts of law "She pleaded not guilty" verb make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding, especially answer the previous pleading of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts ------------------------------------- Hopefully, she'd know that he was pleading because it would make his mom happy, not because he thought there was anything wrong with her. Eleanor & Park A reproachful, fly-haunted face locks eyes with you from the doormat, pleading for you to sign up. Words Like Loaded Pistols And then he cried as he described his guilt, and pleaded with them not to "become like me." A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age Clenching my teeth, 1 promised myself I wouldn't plead with nobody, but I would take what I had coming. ------------------------------------ التماس کردن- قانع کردن

proscribe

To proscribe something is to forbid or prohibit it, as a school principal might proscribe the use of cell phones in class. Proscribe sounds similar to the word prescribe, but be careful: these words are essentially opposite in meaning. While proscribe means forbid, prescribe is used when a doctor recommends a medicine or remedy. Of course, if you want an excuse for not following your doctor's orders, you could say you were confused about the meaning of these two words — but that would be lying, which is proscribed by most people's value systems. And it would also be bad for your health. ---------------- verb command against synonyms: disallow, forbid, interdict, nix, prohibit, veto see more ------------------------------ soon he was proscribing parts of salutations and signatures and leaving the text untouched. Catch-22 Malcolm spoke like a man who was free, like a black man above the laws that proscribed our imagination. Between the World and Me They would enter proscribed areas without permits, use Whites Only facilities such as toilets, Whites Only railway compartments, waiting rooms, and post office entrances. Long Walk to Freedom Technological advance required the freest possible pursuit of knowledge, so Holland became the leading publisher and bookseller in Europe, translating works written in other languages and permitting the publication of works proscribed elsewhere. --------------------------------------------------- منع کردن از- بازداشتن از

protract

To protract something is to stretch it out. If you have a disagreement with a friend that you continue for weeks and weeks, you are protracting the argument. Protract can also mean to draw a plan to scale. Basically when you protract something, you draw it out. You may remember from geometry that a protractor is a device used to draw exact angles. A protractor allows you to protract a plan for the perfect catapult — perfect to use to end a protracted battle. --------------------- verb lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer synonyms: draw out, extend, prolong carry, extend continue or extend ------------------------------------- I almost wondered they did not check their songs and whispers to catch the suspended revelation; but they would have had to wait many minutes—so long was the silence protracted. Jane Eyre The signs he recognized from his own marriage were there — the bickering, the indifference, the protracted silences. Interpreter of Maladies After protracted negotiations with the prison authorities, we were permitted to have consultations under very strict conditions. Long Walk to Freedom In fact, Ernest was losing his taste for the protracted patent battle. Big Science ----------------------- طولانی کردن

puzzle

To puzzle over something is to try to understand or solve it. Picture someone struggling with a jigsaw puzzle, trying to figure out how all those tiny pieces fit together to form an image. That person is puzzling over a puzzle! When something puzzles you, it confuses and mystifies you. New technology might continually puzzle your grandfather, while your grandmother is quick to figure it out. When you puzzle over a difficult book or the instructions to your new TV, it's like you're trying to piece together a tricky puzzle — a challenging game or problem. The classic puzzle is a jigsaw puzzle, a picture that's split into small, oddly-shaped pieces you need to reassemble into a whole. There are also logic puzzles, crossword puzzles, and mechanical puzzles like a Rubik's Cube. If you can't figure a person out, you can also call them a puzzle. ------------------------ verb be uncertain about; think about without fully understanding or being able to decide "We puzzled over her sudden departure" verb be a mystery or bewildering to synonyms: amaze, baffle, beat, bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, get, gravel, mystify, nonplus, perplex, pose, stick, stupefy, vex ---------------------------- Arf.Arp:' Vonetta and I were embarrassed and puzzled by Fern calling Kelvin out like he was a dog and then barking at him. One Crazy Summer "You probably didn't notice it, but the box in the attic was labeled FOR CANDICE. The letter was tucked in one of my old puzzle books." The Parker Inheritance He said it like I was a puzzle, one he was enjoying putting together. Darius the Great Is Not Okay As she moved stiffly, she saw Ginika in her side vision, watching them, her expression puzzled, mouth slightly slack, as though she did not quite believe what had happened. Americanah ------------------------------- گیج کردن

wit

Wit is brainpower or mental ability, or the person who possesses such ability, especially when it's used humorously. When we are scared out of our wits, we — figuratively, anyway — lose for a moment our mental faculties. When we are at our wits' end, we have run out of ideas or possible solutions to a frustrating situation. When we outwit someone, we make the smarter decision. Historical figures known for their wit include Voltaire, Oscar Wilde, and Mark Twain. --------------------- noun mental ability synonyms: brain, brainpower, learning ability, mental capacity, mentality noun a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter synonyms: humor, humour, witticism, wittiness noun a witty amusing person who makes jokes synonyms: card, wag ---------------------------------- Okay. So how do we use our wits and the library to find dessert?" Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library To be sure, the charade, with its "ready wit"—but then the "soft eyes"—in fact it suited neither; it was a jumble without taste or truth. Emma Just a fairy, his wits, and maybe a touch of magic. Artemis Fowl Depew's oratory on the fair quickly grew tiresome, but the man had a way of capturing with wit and brevity the true character of a situation. The Devil in the White City ------------------------------ زکاوت/هوش-بذله گویی

scramble

To scramble is to move quickly in a disorganized fashion, like people running to get out of the rain. When you scramble a message, it can no longer be read. Have you ever run somewhere, in a hurry, with no regard for how you looked? Then you scrambled. Quarterbacks scramble when they need to escape defenders trying to clobber them. A scramble is not graceful; people scramble when they want to get somewhere fast. Also, scrambling refers to altering a message so others can't read it. Putting a message into code is a type of scrambling. Scrambled messages are like scrambled eggs: all mixed up. -------------------------------- verb move hurriedly "The friend scrambled after them" verb climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling synonyms: clamber, shin, shinny, skin, sputter, struggle noun an unceremonious and disorganized struggle synonyms: scuffle noun rushing about hastily in an undignified way synonyms: scamper, scurry verb bring into random order synonyms: jumble, throw together verb make unintelligible "scramble the message so that nobody can understand it" verb stir vigorously synonyms: beat ------------------------------ Instead, she took a note to the porter's lodge at Jordan College and went home to make herself some scrambled eggs. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage No surprise that he once, drunk as anything, rode a horse across the grass while we were having classes, trampling blankets and books and sending everyone scrambling to get out of his way. The Cruel Prince Caught unawares, the rest of us had to scramble to get behind our rocks before the fuse reached the powder. October Sky I scramble to my feet and brush myself off, though I haven't accumulated any dirt that I'm aware of. Divergent

hitherto

Use the adverb hitherto when you're describing a state or circumstance that existed up until now. If you find a hitherto undiscovered hidden tunnel in your cellar, you're the first to discover it. When some particular situation has existed so far, up until the moment that you're speaking of, you can use the word hitherto to talk about it. You could say that you're taking a hot air balloon ride that you were hitherto too scared to contemplate, or that a very shy girl in your philosophy class who was hitherto totally silent finally spoke up today and asked a very intelligent question. -------------- adverb used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time synonyms: as yet, heretofore, so far, thus far, til now, until now, up to now, yet --------------------- A cloud, hitherto unseen, came upon the moon, and hovered an instant like a dark hand before a face. Rebecca The second stranger, who had hitherto lingered in the background, now drew near; a pale face looked over the solicitor's shoulder—yes, it was Mason himself. Jane Eyre It also shows us chaotic violence on a scale hitherto undreamed of. Cosmos Circumstances knit themselves, fitted themselves, shot into order: the chain that had been lying hitherto a formless lump of links was drawn out straight,—every ring was perfect, the connection complete. Jane Eyre

Aphorism

Use the noun aphorism when you have something compact and astute to say, such as "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." An aphorism is a statement or saying that is both efficiently presented and either witty or wise. While there are loads of trite and silly statements, a good aphorism is supposed to stand the test of time and remain true and elegant — a very difficult task! Friedrich Schlegel even wrote an aphorism about aphorisms: "An aphorism ought to be entirely isolated from the surrounding world like a little work of art and complete in itself like a hedgehog." ------------------------------ noun a short pithy instructive saying synonyms: apophthegm, apothegm --------------------------- Always, previously, in an emergency we could throw out something in Greek, under the guise of an aphorism or quotation. The Secret History She had a store of aphorisms which she dished out as the occasion demanded. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings After a while, he had more than fifty of these "aphorisms," which he shared with his friends. Tuesdays with Morrie In the jockeys' room he orchestrated a string of clever practical jokes, sequestered himself in corners to pore over literature, and mystified his fellow jocks with aphorisms from Omar Khayyam and "Old Waldo" Emerson. Seabiscuit: An American Legend ------------------------------------ سخن کوتاه

redound

Use the verb redound in formal situations to mean "contribute" or "have an effect." You could tell your friend that his patience with unruly children will redound to his reputation as a good school bus driver. Redound shows up only in the most formal speech and writing, but it's a good way to describe an effect on someone's good name or prestige. Your travels around Asia will redound to your fame as an adventurous traveler, while your unwillingness to talk to your neighbors could redound to your unfriendly reputation. Originally, redound described something that overflows which is the meaning of the Latin root word, redundare. ----------------------------- verb have an effect for good or ill "Her efforts will redound to the general good" verb contribute "Everything redounded to his glory" verb return or recoil "Fame redounds to the heroes" ------------------------------------- The notion that giving a relatively small number of people of color access to key positions or institutions will inevitably redound to the benefit of the larger group is belied by the evidence. The New Jim Crow A win here hasn't always redounded to the benefit of a next-door neighbor. Chicago TribuneJan 11, 2012 Whether that redounds entirely to its credit is a fair question. Seattle TimesAug 2, 2010 All of this was, I'm sure, cathartic enough for Offutt, a grueling if psychologically necessary reckoning; whether it redounds to the arena of general interest is open to debate. Washington PostFeb 4, 2016 ---------------------------------------------- کمک کردن - درنظر گرفته شدن

dwindle

What do love, money, and the earth all have in common? All can dwindle, or shrink away, if we don't handle them properly. The word dwindle has a wonderfully descriptive, almost childlike sound to it, as though it belongs in a nursery rhyme. That might help you remember the meaning, which is to shrink away gradually, like the Cheshire Cat in "Alice in Wonderland," who dwindles away until nothing is left but his grin. ----------------------- verb become smaller or lose substance "Her savings dwindled down" synonyms dwindle away, dwindle down --------------------------------- In time the flames began to dwindle, and then they were gone. A Clash of Kings We must depart into the West, or dwindle to a rustic folk of dell and cave, slowly to forget and to be forgotten.' The Fellowship of the Ring Here is the great secret, the great mystery to an immigrant's success, the dwindle of irredeemable hours beneath the cheap tube lights. Native Speaker

landslide

When dirt and rock from a mountainside are sliding down, call it a landslide. Another kind of landslide takes place when one candidate soundly defeats another in an election. With either type of landslide, it's probably safest to stay out of the way! The political meaning of landslide is commonly used, but it's not the word's original definition. A geographical landslide occurs when a huge amount of earth slides down a slope or mountain, usually displacing rocks and vegetation and often houses and buildings as well. Landslides are caused by erosion, heavy rain, and earthquakes, among other events, and they're disruptive enough to give rise to the figurative meaning. ------------------------------ noun a slide of a large mass of dirt and rock down a mountain or cliff synonyms: landslip noun an overwhelming electoral victory "Roosevelt defeated Hoover in a landslide" ----------------------------------- There were wildfires out west, landslides on the other side of the world. The Thing About Jellyfish It was the biggest landslide in human history and carried enough material to bury the whole of Manhattan to a depth of four hundred feet. A Short History of Nearly Everything Different types of disturbance shape different ecosystems: floods in the Nile, landslides on the steep pitches of the Andes, hurricanes in the Yucatan Peninsula. 1491 We passed the stack of coffins, the landslide of bones. ------------------------

refrain

When someone burps in a quiet classroom it can be hard to refrain from laughing. Use the verb refrain if you have a sudden impulse to do something and you have stopped yourself from doing it. It's usually hard to refrain from doing something: you might find it difficult to refrain from eating dessert after dinner, for example — especially when your aunt makes her double chocolate chunk brownies. The Latin word refrēnāre is formed from the prefix re-, "back," plus frēnāre, "to hold a horse back with a bridle." No need to hold back when using refrain as a noun; it's the part of a song or poem that repeats. ------------------------- verb resist doing something "He refrained from hitting him back" synonyms: forbear verb choose not to consume synonyms: abstain, desist noun the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers synonyms: chorus --------------------------------- She would refrain from wearing a costume, though she had ordered matching shepherdess dresses for Ana and Clara. Ash The refrain had always been the same: Don't worry. Becoming I repeat the refrain of the song in my head, so I won't forget it. Amina's Song In all of Montgomery only one woman refrained. Black Like Me --------------------------------- منع کردن

shrivel

When things shrivel, they wrinkle up and get smaller, the way leaves begin to shrivel and turn brown in the fall. A lack of moisture can cause something to shrivel, and in humans it tends to be the natural process of aging that makes people shrivel a bit. Flowers will shrivel if you forget to water them, and grapes will eventually shrivel into raisins if you dry them out long enough. The root of shrivel is uncertain, but it may have a Scandinavian source and be related to the Swedish word skryvla, "to wrinkle." ------------------- verb wither, as with a loss of moisture "The fruit dried and shriveled" synonyms: shrink, shrivel up, wither verb decrease in size, range, or extent "My courage shrivelled when I saw the task before me" synonyms: shrink ---------------------- The apple was yellow and slightly shriveled, but it tasted sweet and good. Coraline In the sitting room Lee was shriveled up like a leaf in the chair beside the lamp.

truckle

noun a low bed to be slid under a higher bed synonyms: truckle bed, trundle, trundle bed verb try to gain favor by cringing or flattering synonyms: bootlick, fawn, kotow, kowtow, suck up, toady verb yield to out of weakness see more ----------------- "I don't truckle, and I hate being patronized as much as you do!" returned Amy indignantly, for the two still jangled when such questions arose. Little Women He had decided not to truckle with Might any more—to cut it out root and branch, by establishing another standard altogether. The Once and Future King Their host, an antiquarian architect, had never truckled under to modern civilization and kept his house free of gas and electricity. Double Helix There were three blankets upon three raised beds—one large and old, the other two little more than truckle beds. Stardust --------------------------- چاپلوسی کردن- چرخ

maudlin

You can use maudlin to describe something that brings tears to your eyes, or makes you feel very emotional. Tearjerkers like "Forrest Gump" and "Titanic" can be described as maudlin. Maudlin was a form of the name Mary Magdalene, a character from the Bible represented in paintings as a weeping sinner asking forgiveness from Jesus. Maudlin is often paired with sentimental, or even schlocky, to describe cry-fests, as in "I can't watch another second of that overly-sentimental, maudlin soap opera. Turn that schlock off." ----------------------- adjective effusively or insincerely emotional "maudlin expressions of sympathy" synonyms: bathetic, drippy, hokey, kitschy, mawkish, mushy, sappy, schmaltzy, schmalzy, sentimental, slushy, soppy, soupy --------------------------- He enjoyed listening to Nately, whose maudlin, bittersweet lamentations mirrored much of his own romantic desolation and never failed to evoke in him resurgent tides of longing for his wife and children. Catch-22 Her soliloquies mawkish, her sentiments maudlin, malaise dripped like a fever from her pores. Interpreter of Maladies Like a White Russian drinking tea in Paris, marooned in the twentieth century, I wander back, try to regain those distant pathways; I become too maudlin, lose myself. The Handmaid's Tale "I always think," the Director was continuing in the same rather maudlin tone, when he was interrupted by a loud boo-hooing. Brave New World ------------------------------ احساسی/ احساس برانگیز

predantry

You know that person who is always interrupting other people, correcting their grammar or their facts? That's pedantry, or inappropriately showing off your knowledge. The noun pedantry refers to the behavior of a pedant, which comes from the French word pédant, meaning "schoolmaster." While it is a schoolmaster's job to ensure that students learn, someone who is guilty of pedantry just seems to brag, using his or her knowledge to get attention or seem better educated than the people around him or her. ----------------------------------- noun an ostentatious and inappropriate display of learning ----------------------------- Winston Churchill did not, as legend has it, reply to an editor who had corrected his prose with "This is pedantry up with which I will not put." The Sense of Style This logician would be unbearably pedantic, but there is a grain of good taste in the pedantry. The Sense of Style From the beginning it has offered a slickly produced mix of graphics and text—exciting photos of blood and destruction and articles written in a mode of exalted and redundant pedantry. The New YorkerNov 24, 2015 "I must be frank and tell you that when I look back at some of my early writings and speeches, I am appalled by their pedantry, artificiality and lack of originality." -----------------------------------------

mercenary

You might not want to call a mercenary a "hireling" to his face, but a mercenary is, after all, a soldier who gets paid to fight where needed, sometimes taking a heroic stand and other times just wanting payment for fighting. The word mercenary comes from the Latin mercēnārius, "hireling," which defines someone who will do anything in exchange for money. In history, a mercenary was often a fighter who followed the next paycheck, but in recent decades it's also been used for fighters who pursue a good cause in areas where soldiers are in short supply. A synonym for mercenary is "soldier of fortune," and this phrase sometimes glorifies the mercenary, turning the meaning of "fortune" from "cash" to "luck in battle." -------------------- noun a person hired to fight for another country than their own synonyms: soldier of fortune adjective profit oriented "a mercenary enterprise" synonyms: mercantile, moneymaking commercial connected with or engaged in or sponsored by or used in commerce or commercial enterprises adjective serving for wages in a foreign army "mercenary killers" synonyms: free-lance, freelance paid marked by the reception of pay adjective marked by materialism synonyms: materialistic, worldly-minded ------------------------------------------- Besides, Day wasn't a mercenary in any of his past crimes. Legend Still clinging to the mercenary, Bast's eyes grew wide with sudden panic as he saw the smith's prentice approaching. The Name of the Wind The mercenary had already tied one end of his climbing rope around the gargoyle's neck; now she seized it and tied the other around her own waist. Throne of Glass Chronicler was looking the mercenary over, eyeing the man's armor, the empty quiver of arrows, his fine blue linen shirt. The Name of the Wind -------------------- سرباز- مزدور- ادم اجیر-ادم پولکی

hack

adj: Inadequate or of low quality: When something is described as "hack," it suggests that it is poorly done or of low standard. For example, a "hack job" might refer to a sloppy or subpar piece of work. Clever or ingenious: In certain contexts, "hack" can be used to describe a solution or method that is clever, resourceful, or unconventional. It implies finding an innovative way to achieve a particular goal. Related to computer security: The term "hack" is often associated with computer hacking or unauthorized access to computer systems. However, when used as an adjective, it might describe something related to cybersecurity or techniques used to protect computer systems from unauthorized access.

bootless

adjective unproductive of success synonyms: fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vain unproductivenot producing or capable of producing ------------------- The Harfoots were browner of skin, smaller, and shorter, and they were beardless and bootless; their hands and feet were neat and nimble; and they preferred highlands and hillsides. The Fellowship of the Ring The Hessians, completely disheveled, unbuttoned, bootless, listened intently. The Fighting Ground The young soldier was lying on the bed, his arms thrown over his eyes, his bootless feet dangling over one end. The Fighting Ground Behind her a bootless Tu ------------------------------------- بی سود- بی اثر

dissimilitude

noun dissimilarity evidenced by an absence of likeness -------------------------- he boxes were as like to one another as peas, but Wogan discovered a great dissimilitude of defects. Lang, Andrew We cannot perhaps give a better notion of their dissimilitude, than by saying that one school produced Chaucer, and the other Petrarch. Hallam, Henry "But need our dissimilitudes sever—may they not be made rather ties to bind us more closely together," said he, tenderly. Lever, Charles James The dissimilitude of Sumatra and Java, separated by only a narrow channel, occurs to us, as well as that of Madagascar, but narrowly divided from the neighboring continent. ------------------------------- عدم تشابه