GRE VOCABULARY- Definitions, Root Words, Mnemonic Devices

Abhor

"Complete hatred towards something Latin "abhorrere" meaning "to shrink back in horror" The strongest way in English to express hatred, even stronger than "loathe"".

Adamant

"Impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason Greek ""adamas"" meaning ""invincible"" If you are adamant, you are as unyielding as stone.

Hearken

"Listen, pay attention to Old English "heorcnian" meaning "to give ear, listen" Think of the word "hear". When you hear, you are listening and paying attention to.

Inimitable

"One of a kind, matchless Latin "in" meaning "not" and "imitari" meaning "imitate" It is something that Cannot be imitated

Jingoist

"A person who thinks that their country should be at war "Jingo" comes from an 1878 British Song The 1878 song praised Britain's warlike stance towards Russia at the time and it came to the USA in the 1890s during the Spanish-American War.

Toady

"A person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage; try to gain favor by cringing or flattering English origins Think about the Princess and the frog. The frog is trying to become human again by finding a princess— he is being toady to get what he wants

Lionize

"Assign great social importance French "lion" meaning "hero" Lion is the king of beasts, so to lionize someone is to see them as important as a lion

Browbeat

"Be bossy towards; discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner From "brow" and "beat" The word brow means "forehead", but think about someone using their head, or brow, to beat you down. It is a figurative, rather than a literal, beating.

Inalienable

"Cannot be transferred Latin ""alienus"" meaning ""of or belonging to another, not one's own, foreign, strange"" Our inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is something that cannot be given or taken away by a government or another legal power.

Disseminate

"Cause to become widely known Latin "dis" meaning "abroad" and "semen" meaning "seed" Think of how semen can spread widely!

Aggrieve

"Cause to feel distress; infringe on the rights of French "agrever" meaning "make worse, make more severe" The word "grieve" is in there. Think of bringing someone sorrow or grief.

Crystallize

"Cause to take on a definite and clear shape Latin "crystallus" meaning "crystal, ice" Your ideas can start to crystallize after brainstorming.

Soporific

"Causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep Latin "sopor" meaning "deep sleep" The Pokemon move "spore" puts the target into sleep

Pernicious

"Causing insidious harm or ruin Latin "perniciousus" meaning "destructive" and "nex" meaning "death, murder" Think of as a negative connotation and close to "poisonous"

Discretion

"Cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions Latin "discernere" meaning "to separate, to discern" Viewer discretion is advised.

Choleric

"Characterized by anger Latin "colericus" meaning "bilious" Anyone would be angry or choleric if they found out they had cholera. According to Aristotle, choleric personalities were supposed to be caused by too much stomach bile.

Rancorous

"Characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment Latin "rancorem" meaning "bitterness or rancidness" When you speak to your enemy and your words are so angry and bitter that they almost stink, go ahead and describe them as rancorous. When you reek of bitterness, you rancorous. You think you have a higher rank than them kind of.

Exigency

"Crisis; urgent requirement Latin "exigentia" meaning "urgency" Same ending as the word urgency

Anomaly (adjective: anomalous)

"Deviation from the normal order, form, or rule; abnormality Greek word "anomolia" meaning "uneven" or "irregular" While the prefix a- means ""not"", ""nomal"" looks like normal, so see it as a-normal, it is not normal

Hedonism

"Devotion to pleasurable pursuits, especially to the pleasures of the senses (a hedonist is someone who pursues pleasure) Greek "hedone" meaning "pleasure" Adherents of hedonism believed that society would be best served if you as an individual cultivated those things that gave you the greatest pleasure Las Vegas

Elusive

"Difficult to capture or difficult to remember Latin "elus" meaning "eluded" An elusive fairy is one that you can't catch, but an illusive one was never really there at all— she was just an illusion

Abstruse

"Difficult to understand Latin "abstrusus" meaning "put away, hidden" Synonymous to "recondite". Related to the word ""abstract"". Something abstruse is too abstract. The idea of having a truce with your abs would be difficult to understand.

Opprobrium

"Disgrace; contempt; scorn Latin prefix "ob" meaning "against" and "probrum' meaning disgraceful act" The opposite of getting attention for something good. When someone says ""Oops"" and you are like ""bruh"", then um, that may be an example of opprobrium.

Cloying

"Distinguishably or distastefully sweet Middle English "cloyen" meaning "hinder movement, encumber" Use cloying to describe things that are too sweet both literally and figuratively. Toying with your taste buds.

Disquieting

"Disturbing, causing anxiety Latin "dis" meaning "not" and "quies" meaning "peace" Don't think of disquiet as the opposite of quiet, but more as the opposite of quiescent meaning peaceful and calm.

Arid

"Dry, parched, without moisture; Dull or lifeless French "aride" meaning "dry Death Valley has an arid climate.

Poignant

"Emotionally touching Latin "pungere" meaning "to prick" Something that is pungent pricks your sense of smell, whereas poignant refers to somthing that pricks your emotions, especially in a melancholic way

Lugubrious

"Excessively mournful Latin "lugere" meaning "to mourn" Funerals and anything that makes you sad or gloomy is lugubrious. If your luggage had a lot of important things in it and you lost it, you may be lugubrious.

Rococo

"Excessively ornate Latin "rocca" meaning "stone" Picture an overly decorated rock. Coco on Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is rococo.

Reproach

"Express criticism towards; disgrace or shame French "reprochier" meaning "bring back close" You approach someone with reproach who you do not agree with

Bemoan

"Express discontent or a strong regret Old English "bemaenan" meaning "complain, lament" To bemoan is to moan and groan— people who love to bemoan love to complain!

Dogmatic

"Expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles Greek "dogma" meaning "what one thinks is true" and "dogmatikos" meaning "pertaining to doctrine" If you are dogmatic, you follow the rules and don't change your minds

Pejorative

"Expressing disapproval (usually refers to a term) Latin "pejorare" meaning "make worse" A word or phrase is a pejorative if it is used as a disapproving expression or a term of abuse. A hater's prerogative is to show pejorative. Example: Tree-hugger is a pejorative term for an environmentalist

Distill

"Extract the essential elements, purify Latin "de" meaning "down, away" and "stilla" meaning "a drop" While it can describe the process of making air and water cleaner, it can also mean to simplify an argument to its most clear state

Diabolical

"Extremely wicked Greek ""diabolikos"" meaning ""devilish"" Diablo is spanish for devil.

Benighted

"Fallen into a state of ignorance Old English "niht" meaning "the dark part of a day" Someone who is benighted is being nighted or put into the dark about things they don't know because they can't see.

Dovetail

"Fit together tightly, as if by means of an interlocking joint From combining "dove" and "tail" A dovetail is a joint in woodworking where two sides are fitted together with interlocking pieces. You can also use the dovetail to show how other things fit well together— like how your picnic plans nicely dovetail with the sunny forecast.

Apposite

"Fitting and relevant Latin "apponere" meaning "well-placed or well-put" Different from opposite. It is apt. It is apposite that radio stations play Christmas carols on Christmas eve.

Meet

"Fitting, proper Old English "metan" meaning "come upon" It is only meet to meet once a week

Delimit

"Fix, mark, or define the boundaries of Latin ""delimitare" meaning "to mark out as a boundary" Ignore the "de". It really means to limit

Promulgated

"Formally made public; proclaim Latin ""promulgare"" meaning ""to make publicly known"" Newspaper opinion pieces contain promulgated ideas and viewpoints. If you want a successful Prom, you want to formally promulgate the marketing of it widely.

Mettlesome

"Full of courage and fortitude Suffix "some" meaning "full of" Mettlesome is a great way to describe someone who is full of pride or courage

Rationale

"Fundamental reason Latin "rationalis" meaning "relating to reason" from "ratio" meaning "calculation, reason" The rationale for something is the basic or underlying reason or explanation for it. Think of Powell's Diversity Rationale

Livid

"Furiously angry; enraged Latin "lividus" meaning "of a bluish color, black-and-blue" Even when it means "bluish-gray", it has the sense that something is not right.

Ingratiate

"Gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts Latin "in gratiam" meaning "in favor" Think of the word gratitude. To ingratiate is to gain the favor of someone by doing lots of favors to the point of being a nudge

Enjoin

"Give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority Latin "iniungere" meaning "to join, fasten, attach" Enjoin joins together a command and the person on the receiving end of that order.

Militate

"Having a great effect, weigh heavily; To work against Latin "milit" meaning "soldier" To militate is to be a deciding factor for or against. A strong military will militate whether or not you have a victory

Jaundiced

"Having a yellowish discoloration of the skin; affected by envy French "jaune" meaning "yellow" Yellow is often associated with bitterness and envy

Incarnate

"Having bodily form Latin "in" meaning "in" and "caro" meaning "flesh" Someone you find evil can be called the devil incarnate

Occult

"Hidden, concealed, beyond comprehension Latin "occultus" meaning "hidden, secret" A secret cult's meetings are probably occult

Risible

"Hilarious, provoking laughter Latin ""risibilis"" meaning ""laughable, able to laugh"" Something funny is visibly risible.

Frustrate

"Hinder or prevent the efforts, plans, or desires of Latin "frustrat" meaning "disappointed" Things that frustrate you from doing something can leave you very frustrated

Bawdy

"Humorously vulgar; lewd or obscene Middle English "bawd" meaning "a lewd or licentious person" Things that are bawdy are a little inappropriate, intended to be funny. Rhymes with gaudy which is kind of similar.

Impregnable

"Immune to attack; incapable of being tampered with Middle French "prenable" meaning "vulnerable, easily conquered" which comes from "prendre" which means "to take" Impregnable can be used to describe anything that cannot be entered or successfully attacked. Think of semen trying to enter the egg to pregnate.

Dilapidated

"In terrible condition Latin "dilapidat" meaning "demolished, squandered" Think of the last part of the word "dated", it has dated badly to the point of being in terrible condition.

Futile

"Incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; not successful Latin word "futilis" meaning "leaky,easily broken, vain, worthless" Akin to "fundere" meaning "to pour, melt" The image of a leaky vessel is a good illustration since pouring water into a leaky bucket is futile. Fancier than its synonym useless. When your mission was futile, it did not produce a good result.

Bellicose

"Inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile Latin word "bellum" meaning "war" Near synonym to "Belligerent"

Surly

"Inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace English "sir" meaning "arrogant, haughty, and superior" An angry "sir" is surly

Insufferable

"Intolerable, difficult to endure Prefix "in" meaning "not" and French "sofrable" meaning "tolerable, acceptable, able to bear or endure" If it is unacceptable or too much to handle, it is insufferable. Something insufferable causes suffering.

Investiture

"Investing; formally giving someone a right or title Latin "investire" meaning "clothe in" or "cover" Happens when a government official, a judge, or a head of state is formally put into office (like an inauguration) or promoted to a higher rank.

Patois

"Jargon; a regional dialect French "patoier" meaning "treat roughly" Saying "Hahvahd" is the patois of New Englanders who tend to drop the letter r. Knowing that Latios is a Pokemon may be patois for Pokemon fans.

Acumen

"Keen; accurate judgement or insight Latin word "acumen" meaning "a point, sting" You are very sharp at what you do.

Preclude

"Keep from happening or arising; make impossible Latin "prae" meaning "before" and "clauder" meaning "to shut" Synonymous to prevent! You preclude something before it is able to conclude.

Beneficent

"Kindly; doing good Latin "beneficus" meaning "favorable, generous" A benefactor is someone who gives support to an organization or institution or someone who takes care of another person

Prescient (Noun: prescience)

"Knowledge of things or events before they exist or happen; having foresight Latin prefix "pre-" meaning "before" Latin word "praescire" meaning "to know beforehand" Economists, sports commentators, and political analysts are often tagged this because it's their job to predict

Obtuse

"Lacking sharpness or intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression Latin word "obtundere" meaning "to beat against" In geometry, an obtuse angle is one that is not so sharp (between 90 and 180 degrees)

Gauche

"Lacking social polish French "gauche" meaning "left" Use the word gauche when you want to call something tacky, graceless, tactless, rude, boorish, or awkward and foolish. If you consider a cowboy as being gauche, remember the word Gaucho!

Recumbent

"Leaning, resting, prone Latin ""recumbere"" meaning ""recline, lie down, lie down again"" Trump may be recumbent on his chair in the oval office if he wins four more years as an incumbent.

Lassitude

"Lethargy; sluggishness Latin "lassus" meaning "faint, tired, weary" Latitude describes the distance of a particular location from the equator. Lassitude is the weariness you would experience after attempting to run a marathon around the equator

Missive

"Letter, written message Latin "mittere" meaning "to send" Think of the word transmit, remit, and mission

Elucidate

"Make clearer and easier to understand Latin "e" meaning "thoroughly" and "lucidus" meaning "clear, bright" Think of the word lucid which describes someone who thinks clearly or something that is clear enough to understand

Plastic

"Moldable, pliable, not rigid Greek "plastikos" meaning "to mold" Clay is plastic in your hands

Misanthrope

"One who hates all other humans Greek "misein" meaning "to hate" and "anthropos" meaning "a man" A misanthropic person can be particularly hostile or untrusting

Rue

"Regret Old English "hreowan" meaning "to make sorry" "You will rue the day"

Boorish

"Rude; insensitive German "bu" meaning "to dwell, build, cultivate" Someone with bad manners and sloppy appearance is boorish

Pontificate

"Talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner French "pontiff" meaning "Pope" To pontificate properly, you need to be a know-it-all with very strong opinions and the urge to share them. Someone pontificate acts like they are the pope, but they are not. Imagine someone driving in a Pontiac and being pontificate about their opinions.

Credulity

"Tendency to believe things too easily and without evidence Latin "credulitatem" meaning "easiness of belief, rash confidence" While credibility means believability, credulity means naivete,

Ossified

"Tending to become more rigid, conventional, sterile, and reactionary with age; literally, turned into bone Latin "ossify" meaning "to turn into bone" It is not a compliment to call someone ossified since it implies an inability to change or bend or even to consider another person's viewpoint. Think of osteoporosis which is related to bones. Also think about fossilization being related to this.

Credulous

"Tending to believe too readily; gullible Latin "credulus" meaning "easily believes" People who believe things easily without having to be convinced are credulous

Captious

"Tending to call and find faults Latin "captiosus" meaning "fallacious or deceiving" If someone tends to be hypocritical and find fault with everything, that person is captious You can provide a captious explanation of facts to confuse or deceive them. Some captious wants to capture someone else's faults.

Evocative

"Tending to call to mind or produce a reaction Latin "evocare" meaning "call out, summon" A vocation is a calling. Something provocative, like something evocative, usally produces a reaction.

Evanescent

"Tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing Latin "ex" meaning "out of" and "vanescere" meaning "to vanish" A beautiful sunset, a rainbow, a wonderful dream can be evanescent because it is only temporary. Related to evaporate. Evans Hall is evanescent when it is foggy.

Fell

"Terribly evil Old Norse "fall" meaning "downfall, sin" The devil was an angel who fell from heaven to hell and became fell.

Detraction

"The act of disparaging or belittling (slighting, derogate— reduce or lower) the reputation or worth of a person, work, etc. Latin "de" meaning "down" and "traher" meaning "to pull" Opposite of an attraction— it is something bad about someone or something

Extrapolation

"The act of estimation by projecting known information; draw from specific cases for more general cases Shortened form of the word interpolation Kind of like an educated guess or a hypothesis. When you make an extrapolation, you take facts and observations about a present or known situation and use them to make a prediction about what might happen. If you extrapolate the data, you are drawing upon it.

Repose

"The act or state of resting; peacefulness, tranquility; lying dead in a grave Latin "repausare" meaning "cause to rest" Lying in repose is when a deceased person is available for public viewing. They paused forever in life. Picture a pose where you are lying down on your back.

Pith

"The essential or central part Originated in Old English In botanical terminology, pith refers to a spongy, central cylinder of tissue found inside the stems of most flowering plants

Complacency

"The feeling you have when you are satisfied with yourself Latin "complacere" meaning "to take the fancy of, please" Rarely used in a purely positive way; there's always a sense of scolding to it. Complacent means to show smug or uncritical satisfaction with yourself.

Abstinence

"The giving up of certain pleasures Latin ""ab"" meaning ""from"" and ""tenere"" meaning ""hold"" Often used in reference to sex education courses to teach kids to hold themselves back from having sex

Pinnacle

"The highest point Latin "pinna" meaning "wing, point" Synonyms to peak or point

Acme

"The highest point of achievement Greek "akme" meaning "highest point" While nearly synonyms to words like zenith, summit, pinnacle, apex, and peak, acme has a special nuance for an ultimate point of perfection. Acme is to close acne which is when your pores are at the highest point.

Emaciated

"Thin and wasted Latin "emaciatus" meaning "make lean, waste away" An emaciated person is dangerously skinny and skeletal looking

Sparse

"Thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals; few and scattered Latin "sparsus" meaning "scattered" Synonyms include dispersed, infrequent, and scanty

Hermetic

"Tightly sealed so air cannot get in; magical; isolated; occult Comes from the Greek God Hermes who was a magician and alchemist, credited with creating the process for making a completely airtight glass tube Related to the word hermit. A child who is completely protected from the outside world could be described as a hermit.

Espouse

"To adopt or support an idea or cause Latin "sponsus" meaning "betrothed" Similar to marriage, if you espouse a belief system, the idea is that you have chosen to wed yourself to it. You make it your spouse

Alloy

"To commingle; to debase by mixing with something inferior; unalloyed means pure Latin "alligare" meaning "bind" In addition to indicating a dilution of one metal with another, alloy can refer to the dilution of a feeling or quality

Grouse

"To complain or grumble French "grue" meaning "crane" You can grouse something that is gross

Execrate

"To curse and hiss at Latin "exsecrat" meaning "cursed" It is the opposite of being sacred or devoted to. When you execrate something, you are cursing it instead of making it holy. To execrate someone is like putting someone in a crate (Think of Tyrion Lannister who was put in a crate to get to Daenerys Targaryen)

Emulate

"To imitate; copy Latin "aemulat" meaning "rivaled, equaled" If you emulate someone, you want to match their success

Elicit

"To provoke; draw out Latin "elicit" meaning "drawn out by trickery or magic" A great speech will elicit cheers while a bad speech will elicit boos. Don't confuse this word with ""illicit"", but doing illicit drugs may elicit a bad comedown.

Satiate

"To satisfy Latin "satis" meaning "enough" Often used in situations in which a thirst, craving, or need is satisfied

Meander

"To wander aimlessly Comes from a river in modern-day Turkey, the Maiandros, which winds and wanders on its course If your speech meanders, you do not keep to the point. It is hard to understand what your teacher is trying to say if he keeps meandering off with anecdotes and digressions.

Tremulous

"Trembling, frugal, timid Latin "tremere" meaning "tremble" Think of something trembling

Hoodwink

"Trick, deceive From "hood" and "wink" Comes from the idea of covering a person's eye with a hood

Splenetic

"Very irritable Latin "splenticus" meaning "irritably morose" Your spleen gets irritated with hiccups if something irregular is occuring in the diaphragm.

Itinerant

"Wandering from place to place; unsettled Latin "itinerare" meaning "to travel" Think of a traveler who is following an itinerary

Insidious

"Working in a subtle but destructive way Latin "insidiae" meaning "ambush Think about the Insidious Franchise!

Recreant

A coward; a traitor Latin "re" meaning "reverse" and "credere" meaning "entrust" Related to the word miscreant, but a miscreant is more of an all-around bad person.

Sinewy

Lean and muscular Old English "sionu" meaning "sinew"

Thewy

Muscularly strong Old English "theaw" meaning "custom, usage" Picture Thor who threwy you to the ground because he is so threwy.

Pavonine

Of or like a peacock; beautiful Latin "pavoninus" meaning "peacock" Pavan Upadhyayula is Indian which has a lot of beautiful peacocks.

Retrench

Reduce costs or spending in response to economic difficulty; reduce something or diminish in extent or quantity French "retrenchement" meaning "a cutting off or out" You retrench something by putting it in a trench and not using it.

Regimented

Very strictly organized or controlled Latin "regimentum" meaning "rule, direction" Think of a regime which can be regiment.

Enmity

"A state of deep-seated ill-will Latin "inmicus" meaning "enemy" The state of being an enemy

Bilk

"Cheat or defraud Origin obscure To bilk is to milk someone

Welter

" Roll, toss about, be in turmoil German "welteren" meaning "to roll" Describe an enormous, messy pile, like the jumble of papers, coffee mugs, pens, and food wrappers on the desk of the messiest person in the office. Walter White's life was in welter throughout the Breaking Bad series

Unpropitious

"(Of a circumstance) with little chance of success Latin "un" meaning "not" and "propitus" meaning "favorable, kind, gracious, well-disposed" Something propitious is presenting favorable outcomes and resulting in signs of success. Unpropitious is the opposite of that.

Derelict

"(Of a person) not doing one's duties; (of a building) abandoned Latin "de" meaning "completely" and "relinquere" meaning "forsake" Root is the same as the word "relinquish" which means to voluntarily cease to keep or claim or to give up. If something has been abandoned, you call it derelict. Even if a person has abandoned his responsibilities, you can say that he is derelict in his duties.

Discursive

"(of e.g. speech and writing) tending to depart from the main point Latin "discurs" meaning "gone hastily to and fro" If people accuse you of rambling from topic to topic in your speech or writing, they may say you have a discursive style— with changes in subject that are hard to follow. Think of banning cursive, you are departing from writing and understanding cursive.

Plodding

"(of movement) Slow and laborious English origins Imitative of the sound of walking heavily or slowly

Mendicant

"A beggar, supplicant Latin "mendicus" meaning "beggar" People who live off begging can be called mendicants. Mendicants neet to beg for money to mend their problems because they can't do it on their own.

Idiosyncrasy

"A behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual Latin "idio" meaning "one's own", "sun" meaning "with" and "krasis" meaning "mixture" If a person has an idiosyncrasy, he or she has a little quirk, or a funny behavior, that makes him or her different

Chauvinist

"A blindly devoted patriot Named after Nicolas Chauvin Nicolas Chauvin was a Napoleonic veteran noted for his extreme patriotism

Yoke

"A burden or something that oppresses; a frame for attacking animals (such as oxen) to each other and to a plow or other equipment to be pulled; to unite together or to burden Old English "geocian" meaning "to yoke, join together" The bible says to "be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers". Here, yoked is a reference to marriage, which certainly unites (whether it burdens is a matter of opinion). The yoke of an egg yokes together the egg-whites.

Happenstance

"A chance happening or event Middle English ""hap"" meaning ""chance"" A combination of the words ""happen"" and ""circumstance"". Whereas circumstances are the conditions that surround an event, happenstance is the event itself.

Constituent

"A citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes; an abstract part of something French "constituant" meaning "establishing, appointing" Part of a whole

Bon-mots

"A clever remark French "bon mot" meaning "good word" A witty statement or a very well-chosen word

Aphorism

"A concise statement or a principle Greek "aphorismos" meaning "shirt, pithy sentence" Example: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. To get an A for your Aphorism, it needs to be short and sweet.

Hodgepodge

"A confusing mixture or jumble Old French "hochepot" meaning "stew, soup" A hodgepodge is a random assortment of things. Halo-halo is hodgepodge.

Countermand

"A contrary command cancelling or reversing a precious command Latin "contre" meaning "against" and "mandare" meaning "to order" Split it up as "counter" meaning "opposing" and "mand" which is short for "command or mandate", so it is an "opposing command". When you issue a countermand, you cancel the original command and replace it with a new one.

Subpoena

"A court order requiring appearance and/or testimony Prefix "sub" meaning "under" and "poena" meaning "penalty" Someone who is subpoenaed has information that is needed by the court

Satyr

"A creature that is half-man, half-beast, with the horns and legs of a goat; man with strong sexual desires In classical mythology, satyrs were companions to Pan, a fertility god, and Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy The satyr's animal aspect symbolized his immoderate appetites— the metaphorical representations was for a man whose sexual desire is stronger than his sense of decency. A satyr sat on his chair waiting for his lap dance.

Despot

"A cruel and oppressive dictator Greek "despotes" meaning "master, absolute ruler" Despotism is a way of ruling in which the leader has total, unchecked power such as Joseph Stalin who purged the Soviet Union of all his opponents

Malediction

"A curse Latin "mal" meaning "bad" and "dict" from "dicere" meaning "to say" Opposite of the word "benediction" which means "blessing" Think of the word dictator, and indict which is connected to a crime

Artifices

"A deceptive manner (especially to avoid capture) Latin "artificium" meaning "handicraft" A politician pretending to be angry to rouse the voters and get more votes is an artifice— a subtle and crafty trick. Someone artifice has arty faces.

Forbearance

"A delay in enforcing; refraining from acting From Middle English "forberen" A loan forbearance delays your required loan payments

Boon

"A desirable state; very close and convivial Old Norse "bon" meaning "a request for a favor" Bon in French means good. Boon means something beneficial to a specific person, entity, or cause.

Malady

"A disease or sickness Latin "male" meaning "bad or ill" and "habitus" meaning "have, hold" When you have a malady, it is like something bad is holding you, such as an illness— the common cold: a malady of winter

Affability

"A disposition to be friendly and approachable (easy to talk to) Latin "affabilis" meaning "approachable, courteous, or kind" Someone who gets along with everyone and has many friends has affability.

Amenity

"A feature that contributes to comfort or value Latin "amoenus" meaning "pleasant" Things like built-in GPS, seat warmers and four wheel drive are amenities in a car. Think of Air BnB which has houses with certain amenities.

Trepidation

"A feeling of alarm or dread; fear Latin "trepidare" meaning "to tremble" When you fear something, you trip about it and have that feeling of trepidation.

Umbrage

"A feeling of anger caused by being offended Latin "umbra" meaning "shade, shadow" Dolores Umbridge inspires umbrage— she causes others to be angry or offended

Presentiment

"A feeling of evil to come Latin "praesentire"" meaning "to sense beforehand" To have a presentiment is to have the sentiment that something bad is about to happen

Solicitude

"A feeling of excessive concern Latin "solicitus" meaning "agitated" Solicitude is more than average concern for someone. You are soliciting your concern to them.

Antipathy

"A feeling of intense dislike Greek "anti" meaning "against" and "pathos" meaning "feeling" Pathos = appeal to emotion Ethos = appeal to ethics Logos = appeal to logic

Charlatan

"A flamboyant deceiver; one who attacks customers with tricks or jokes Italian "ciarlatano" meaning "a quack" Charlie was a satan incarnate and deceived us at Settlers of Catan. He was being a charlatan.

Torque

"A force that causes rotation Latin "torquere" meaning "to twist" Commonly used to describe the power of sports cars and their ability to accelerate

Syllogism

"A form of deductive reasoning with a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion Greek "sun" meaning "with" and "logizesthai" meaning "to reason" Example: An apple is a fruit. All fruit is good. Therefore apples are good. If your syllables follow a certain logical pattern, it could be a syllogism.

Apologia

"A formal written defense of something you believe in strongly Greek ""apologia"" meaning ""to speak in defense"" In common Greek, it refers to the speech that an accused person delivered in court. It is like a written defense.

Rift

"A gap or fissure (such as in rock), a break in friendly relations Old Norse "ripa" meaning "to break a contract" Rift sounds like rip. When there is a rift in a political party over a particular policy, it is like a rip or tear in the fabric of the group

Convention

"A generally agreed-upon practice or attitude Latin "conventio" meaning ""meeting, covenant" Can be used to describe the normal or accepted way of doing things Example: It is the convention for your employer to give you a three-day weekend around the Fourth of July

Chimera

"A grotesque product of imagination; an illusion From Greek mythology A chimera was a monster that has a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail that breathes fire. It is an idea that feels real but is impossible

Curmudgeon

"A grouchy, surly person French "coeur mechant" meaning "evil heart" A curmudgeon doesn't cur about making a (s)mudge on your happiness

Stand

"A group of trees Germanic origins A stand of trees stand in a forest

Diatribe

"A harsh denunciation Greek "diatribe" meaning "pastime or lecture" or Greek "diatribein" meaning "to waste time or wear away" With most diatribes, the speaker thinks he's well informed and knows something the listener doesn't, while to most listeners, the diatribe is so angry and unhinges that it's just a waste of time. When colonizers came in, they gave diatribes and brought death to the tribes, too.

Parody

"A humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic relief, especially in literature and art Greek "paroidia" meaning "a burlesque song or poem" Saturday Night Live

Myriad

"A large indefinite number Greek "murioi" meaning "ten thousand" If you got myriad problems, it means you have countless of problems

Seine

"A large net hung out and dragged in to catch fish Greek ""sagene"" meaning ""a fishing net"" Think of the Seine River in Paris. You might bring your seine to the Seine.

Raft

"A large number of something Old Norse "raptr" meaning "log" Imagine a large number of rafts. You would have a raft of rafts

Slew

"A large number or quantity Irish "slaugh" meaning "a crowd or army" Refers to a large group of things like a whole slew of birds in the tree

Demagogue

"A leader who lies and gains power by arousing the passions and prejudices of the people Greek "demos" meaning "people" Adolf Hitler Josef Stalin Donald Trump

Waft

"A light breeze, a puff Proto-Germanic ""waht"" meaning ""to be strong, be lively"" Wafts can refer to scents, sounds, and even smoke.

Satire

"A literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision Latin "satura" meaning "poetic medley" SNL = Satire Night Live

Tirade

"A long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation Italian "tirata" meaning "volley" Trump goes on many racist tirades

Fracas

"A loud quarrel; brawl Italian "fracassare" meaning "make an uproar" Two people in a quiet little spat is not a fracas, but a schoolyard rumble definitely qualifies as one. Think of maracas.

Bard

"A lyric poet Welsh Origins Professional storytellers were called bards.

Gambit

"A maneuver or risk in a game or conversation, designed to secure an advantage Italian "gambetto" meaning "tripping up" A gambit is a strategic move in a game of chess, politics, or business where a player sacrifices something up front for future gain like sacrificing a pawn early for better positioning.

Repast

"A meal; to eat or feast Latin "repastus" meaning "meal" Related to a pasture which is where farm animals eat.

Nexus

"A means of connection; a center Latin "nectere" meaning "to bind or tie" In cell biology, a nexus refers to a specialized area of the cell membrane involved in intercellular communication and adhesion

Alchemy

"A medieval science aimed at the transmutation of metals, especially base metals into gold (an alchemist is one who practices alchemy) Arabic "al-kimiya" meaning "art of transmutating metals" If your favorite but perpetually losing team picks up a couple of new players and the result is suddenly an unbeatable combination (like the Golden State Warriors), that is alchemy.

Seance

"A meeting in which a spiritualist attempts to communicate with the spirits of the dead French "seance" meaning "a sitting" Often used to mean "a session" like "une seance de cinema" is "a movie session"

Foible

"A minor weakness or peculiarity in someone's character French "foible" meaning "a weak point, a weakness, failing" Feeble is a close relative to foible which describes a weakness. Most people have a foible, or idiosyncrasy, that stands out to others, but interestingly, a person rarely sees his or her own characteristic foible

Amalgam

"A mixture of multiple things Greek "malagma" meaning "an emollient" Amalgamate: To combine several elements into a whole

Elegy

"A mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead French "elegie" meaning "mournful poem or song" Usually written to praise and express sorrow for someone who is dead

Propensity

"A natural inclination or tendency; penchant Latin "propensus" meaning "inclined" Dogs have a propensity to bark and many people have a propensity for getting annoyed by it. If you are pro pension, you are in favor of it.

Proclivity

"A natural tendency to like something Latin "proclivis" meaning "sloping forward" I have a proclivity for spicy food. You are pro- towards something rather than con-.

Neologism

"A new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses French prefix "neo-" meaning "new" and Greek "logos" meaning "word" New word!

Sobriquet

"A nickname French "soubriquet" meaning "nickname" Examples include "Dick" for "Richard" or "Bill" for "William". If you are not sober, you might give weird sobriquets to folks.

Fresco

"A painting done on plaster Italian "fresco" meaning "cool" or "fresh" The most famous fresco is Michelangelo's paintings on the walls and ceilings of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. They are fresh!

Respite

"A pause from doing something (as work) Latin "respectus" meaning "refuge" If you have been fighting with your partner, a visit from a friend might offer a brief respite from the argument, but the fight will pick up again when she leaves. If you spite someone, you may put a respite on it at a social gathering.

Conscript

"A person compulsorily enrolled for military service Latin "conscriptus" meaning "enroll" If you were ever drafted into the army, then you could be called a conscript

Apologist

"A person who argues in favor of something unpopular Greek "apologia" meaning "speaking in defense" An apology is admitting to being wrong while an apologist is justifying your belief or action and intent to do it again

Factotum

"A person who does all sorts of work; a handyman Latin "fac" meaning "do" and "totum" meaning "the whole thing" Another word for a jack-of-all-trades or possibly a personal assistant. Someone is a factotum knows all the facts of their profession.

Miser (Adverb: miserly)

"A person who doesn't like to spend money (negative connotation: You pinch every penny) Latin "miser" meaning "unhappy, wretched" A miser finds spending money miserable.

Arriviste

"A person who has recently reached a position of power; a social climber French "arriver" meaning "to arrive" An arriviste arrives in a higher position or power, but is being resented

Parvenu

"A person who has suddenly become wealthy, but not socially accepted as part of a higher class French "parvenir" meaning "arrived" A parvenu arrives suddenly to being wealthy, but does not fit into the new social status

Layperson

"A person who is not a member of the clergy or not a member of a particular profession (such as medicine, law, etc.) Danish "loedmand" meaning "outsider, unprofessional person, non-expert" Lay-zier person than a clergyman or doctor.

Doctrinaire

"A person who tries to apply some doctrine or theory without sufficient regard for practical considerations; an impractical theorist Latin "doctrina" meaning "teaching, body of teachings, learning" A doctrinaire has a complete unwillingness to accept any belief other than their own. They follow their own doctrine.

Shard

"A piece of broken pottery or glass Dutch "schaarde" meaning "notch" If you break a mirror, the thin sharp pieces you want to avoid are shards

Conduit

"A pipe, tube, or the like, for conveying water or other fluid Latin word "Conductus" meaning "pipe channel" Figuratively, refers to someone or something that conveys goods, information, or ideas A religious leader might be seen as a conduit who brings divine messages to the people

Corollary

"A practical consequence that follows naturally Latin "corollarium" meaning "money paid for a garland or chaplet; gratuity" In math, a corollary is a word used more formally to describe a new proof or propsition that follows naturally from an established one. Think of the word correlation.

Usury

"A practice of lending money at exorbitant rates of interest Latin "usura" meaning "payment for the use of money, interest" Think of charging too much interest as a way of "using" someone. Ursula offered Ariel legs in return for her voice. Never give up your voice y'all, it is worth a lot.

Predilection

"A preference for or bias towards something Latin verb "praediligere" meaning "prefer before others. "Prae" meaning "before" and "diligere" meaning "choose or love"" The word predilection for tendencies that people seem to have been born with, also called predispositions

Atavism

"A reappearance of an earlier characteristic Latin "atavus" meaning "ancestor" Often used negatively to refer to behavior the speaker finds primitive or unacceptable. Think of a tail on a human as an atavism.

Neophyte

"A recent convert; a beginner; a novice Greek "neo" meaning "new" and "phuton" meaning "planted" A fancy way of calling someone a newbie

Simulacrum

"A representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture; a bad imitation) Latin "simulare" meaning "to make like" Think of the word "similarity" or "simile". It is not actually the real thing, but a similarity. Crum gives a hint that it might be a crummy similarity.

Reprisal

"A retaliatory action against an enemy in wartime Italian "reprendere" meaning "to take back" When Germany bombed London during World War II, the British reprisals included the bombing of Berlin.

Perquisite

"A right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right) Latin "perquisitum" meaning "thing gained, profit" Perquisites are the perks or benefits that come along with a job

Guy

"A rope, cord, or cable attached to something as a race or guide, to steady or reinforce using a guy: Think guide Comes from Guy Fawkes A guy rope is a rope that supports something like a tent to a pole. Think of the word ""guide"" who supports you.

Tryst

"A secret rendezvous (especially between lovers); a date, usally with a love interest French "tristre" meaning "waiting place, appointed station in hunting" Kind of looks like the word "trust" which is what you need to meet up with someone you like. In Yu-Gi-Oh, Tristan's love interest was Tea.

Apothegm

"A short pithy instructive saying Greek "apophthegm" meaning "terse, pointed saying" Often expresses a fundamental truth or general rule. Example: An apothegm a day helps keep idiocy at bay

Maxim

"A short saying expressing a general truth Latin "maxim" meaning "axiom" Maxim = axiom. One of Confucius's maxim is "He who learns but does not think is lost"

Smattering

"A slight or superficial understanding of a subject; a small amount of something Uncertain origin A smattering is a small amount of something; It is small-ering

Inkling

"A slight suggestion or vague understanding Middle English "inclen" meaning "utter in an undertone, hint at, hint" If someone is yapping on and on and you only have the vaguest idea of what they are talking about, you understood just an inkling— a glimmer, a fraction— of what they were saying

Pittance

"A small amount of money Old French "pietas" meaning "pity" Being in pittance means you earn a pitiful wage

Lagniappe

"A small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase) American Spanish ""la napa"" meaning ""the gift"" In Cajun country, in the 19th century, a lagniappe was an unexpected gift. This probably won't appear on the GRE, but it would be an unexpected gift to see it on the GRE.

Microcosm

"A small system being analogous to a larger system Greek "mikros kosmos" meaning "little world" Can be used to describe anything that is a miniature representation of something else like a weekend with your partner that started with laughter and ended in tears is a microcosm of the whole lousy relationship

Solecism

"A socially awkward or tactless act Greek "soloikismos" meaning "a speaking incorrectly" Examples of solecism include snoring at the opera, burping at the dinner table, or forgetting your mom's birthday. If you are the sole person saying something racist, you are committing a solecism.

Gaffe

"A socially awkward or tactless act or mistake French "gaffe" meaning "clumsy remark" Gaffe rhymes with laugh, and you will be lucky if that is how people respond to your social blunder. In presidential debates, people oftentimes make gaffes such as former Texas governor Rick Perry.

Anathema

"A solemn or ecclesiastic (religious) curse; accursed or thoroughly loathed person or thing Latin "anathema" meaning "excommunicated person, excommunication" Something that one absolutely and positively cannot stand is an anathema It was originally used in the Catholic practice of denouncing individuals that were antithetical to the Church. Ana cursed them Example: Garlic is an anathema to vampires

Dirge

"A song of grief or lamentation Latin "dirge" meaning "direct" Usually performed as a memorial to someone who's died and will be buried in the dirt.

Paean

"A song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving Originally a song of praise for Apollo, or Paian Apollo or Paean is the physician of the gods

Argot

"A specialized vocabulary used by a group French "argoter" meaning "to quarrel" Used to describe the slang of thieves and rogues who spoke in sneaky ways. It could be used to describe boxers talk of body shots and jabs or grammar teachers who complain about split infinitives and dangling participles. Argo is about the CIA who has secret code names or argots.

Eulogy

"A speech honoring the dead Latin "elogium" meaning "inscription on a tombstone" At a funeral, folks give eulogies

Bedlam

"A state of extreme confusion and disorder Comes from the name of a hospital in London: Saint Mary of Bethlehem which treated mentally ill Pronunciation of Bethlehem morphed into bedlam. It came to be applied to any situation where pandemonium prevails like how the Middle East (where Bethlehm is located) is in a state of disorder.

Indigence (Adjective: Indigent)

"A state of extreme poverty or destitution Latin "indigere" meaning "to need, lack, be poor" A person who is indigent is suffering from extreme poverty

Amity

"A state of friendship and cordiality Latin "amicus" meaning "friend" The French word "ami" means "friend".

Culpability

"A state of guilt Latin "culpabilis" meaning "worthy of blame" Think of the word "culprit" which is someone who is guilty

Prognostication

"A statement made about the future Latin "prognostica" meaning "sign to forecast weather" and Greek "prognostikos" meaning "foreknowing" Think of a diagnosis, but happening before— it is a prediction about the future.

Martinet

"A strict disciplinarian Named after French military officer "Jean Martinet" Jean Martinet was a legendary drillmaster for the French army during the reign of Louis XIV. It came to mean any officer who was as strict and demanding in adhering to the rules as Martinet himself.

Penchant

"A strong liking Latin "pendere" meaning "hanging" If you have a penchant for pizza, you either eat it daily or wish you did. If you have a penchant for pens, you chant your liking for pens.

Broadside

"A strong verbal attack From English "broad" and "side" Someone who comes at you sideways is about to give you a broadside— a strong verbal attack.

Polemic

"A strong verbal or written attack on someone or something Greek "polemikos" meaning "warlike, belligerent" Usually a piece of writing that stirs up controversy by having a negative opinion aimed at a group. Maybe think about the word polarizing. You may be more polemic towards something that is polarizing. Polemos was the Greek god of War.

Arcades

"A structure composed of a series of arches supported by columns; a covered passageway with shops and stalls on either side Latin "arcus" meaning "arc, bow" Think of Classical Buildings which has arcades.

Catalyst

"A substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that cause change Greek "kataluein" meaning "to dissolve" The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand is a catalyst of World War I

Nuance

"A subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude Latin "nubes" meaning "a cloud" Refers to a very small difference in color, meaning, or feeling

Pique

"A sudden outburst of anger; cause to feel resentment or indignation French "piquer" meaning "to prick" To pique someone is like pricking them to make them angry or annoyed. When something piques or peaks your interest or curiosity, pique means to arouse, stimulate, or excite

Recapitulation

"A summary (think of recap) Latin "re" meaning "again" and "caput" meaning "head" Recap is short for this word— it reminds your reader or audience of the main points

Platitude

"A superficial remark, especially one offered as meaningful French "plat" meaning "flat" Phrase like "as American as apple pie" that are worn-out cliches

Scintilla

"A tiny bit or trace Latin "scintilla" meaning "spark" A chinchilla is very small and can leave a scintilla

Die

"A tool used for shaping, as in a tool-and-die shop Germanic origins A specialized tool used in manufacturing industries to cut or shape material mostly using a press. You can die a die (dice).

Quisling

"A traitor Named after Vidkun Quisling, a Norwegian politician Vidkun Quisling volunteered to help the occupying Nazis rule Norway for Germany. He was tried for treason and executed at the end of the war for being a traitor

Banality

"A trite or obvious remark French "banel" meaning "communal" Think of "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade". This is used so frequently that it is a banality.

Bromide

"A trite or obvious remark Greek "bromos" meaning "stench" Comes from the chemical compound made of the element Bromine and another element. Bromide was used as a sedative that dulls your senses similar to how a bromide can be boring and dull.

Menagerie

"A variety of animals kept together French "manage" meaning "household" Genie sings that Prince Ali's zoo is a world class menagerie

Conflagration

"A very intense and uncontrolled fire Latin "con" meaning "together" and "flagrare" meaning "to blaze" A conflagration is not just a few flames, but it is an especially large and destructive fire that causes devastation like Drogon's attack on King's Landing.

Cataclysm

"A violent upheaval (especially of social or political nature) that causes great destruction and change; sudden or violent action made by change on earth surface, flood, deluge Greek "kataklysmos" meaning "a deluge or flood" Think of the phrase "a disaster of cataclysmic proportions"

Nabob

"A wealthy, influential person From the Hindi word ""nabab"" Originally used by Indians to describe a wealthy British person living in India.

Epigram

"A witty saying Latin "epigramma" meaning "an inscription" An epigram is a short, clever remark like a pithy.

Quip

"A witty saying or remark Latin "quippe" meaning "indeed, of course, as you see, naturally, obviously" A successful quip must sound offhand, as though it were an afterthought, even if the speaker has been honing the statement for days

Solvent

"Able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance Latin "solvent" meaning "loosening, unfastening, paying" Solvent is a chemical used to dissolve other chemicals Only banks that are solvent are in a position to loosen the cash flow and start lending money

Imminent

"About to happen; impending Latin "imminere" meaning "to overhand" To say that something is imminent is to say that it is hanging over you and about to fall, in a metaphorical way. The invasion in Mulan is imminent.

Categorical

"Absolute; without exception or condition; unqualified and unconditional; category or relating to Greek "kategorikos" meaning "accusatory or affirmative" Categorically is in a way that is so clear that it is impossible to be confused or uncertain. Something categorical is for sure in a category.

Prodigious

"Abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary Latin "prodigiosus" meaning "marvelous" A prodigy is someone who is unusually gifted or talented. They have a prodigious amount of gift or talent.

Derisive (Noun: derision)

"Abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule Latin "derider" meaning "to ridicule" Use to describe something or someone that mocks, expresses contempt, or ridicules

Vitriol

"Abusive or venomous language used to express blame orbitter deep-seated ill will Latin "vitreus" meaning "of glass, glassy" Vitriol used to be the name for sulfuric acid which burns through just about anything. Vitriol is harsh, nasty criticism.

Credence

"Acceptance of something as true Latin "credent" meaning "believing" When something is given credence, it is made more believable or credible

Inured

"Accustomed to hardship, difficulty, pain; tough or harden; habituate French phrase "in ure" meaning "in use" or "in practice" If you have gotten so many mosquito bites in your life, they no longer bother you; You are becoming more accustomed to them. If you are a football player, you may be inured to head injuries.

Finagle

"Achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods English "fainaigue" meaning "to cheat or renege" Usually a negative connotation, it means to get something by being dishonest or tricking someone

Dither

"Act indecisively; a state of fear or trembling excitement In 17th century, "dither" meant "quake or tremble" May be related to dodder which means to shake or tremble, usually used in the sense of a "doddering old man". Diether Ocampo played a Libra who is indecisive.

Transgression

"Act of trespassing or violating a law or rule Latin "transfredi" meaning "to step or pass over" A transgression is something that is against a command or law. Think of a microagression, but for a law or rule.

Perspicacious

"Acutely perceptive; having keen discernment Latin "perspicere" meaning "to look closely" Close to the word perceptive

Probity

"Adherence to the highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness Latin "probus" meaning "good" Being morally and ethically above reproach; having integrity. If you have probity, you are probably important.

Estimable

"Admirable; possible to estimate Latin "aestimare" meaning "to estimate" Related to esteem which can be used to mean "regard highly"

Unequivocal

"Admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion Latin "un" meaning "not" and "aequivocus" meaning "of identical sound, of equal voice, of equal significance" If equivocal means equal voice, then unequivocal means of unequal voice— unmistakable, unambiguous, without question. If there is no doubt it, it is unequivocal

Gustatory

"Affecting the sense of taste Latin "gustare" meaning "to taste" Gustatory sensations have to do with taste

Truculence

"Aggressiveness, ferocity Latin "trux" meaning "fierce or wild" Picture monster trucks that fight each other with aggression and ferocity

Congenial

"Agreeable, suitable, or pleasing in nature or character; suited or adapted in spirit, feeling, tempter Latin "con" meaning "with, together" and "genialis" meaning "of birth" A congenial person is easy to get along with

Amenable

"Agreeable; responsive to suggestion French "amener" meaning "bring to" If a person or thing is amenable to something, they are ready, willing, or responsive Offering an anemity can make something more amenable

Assent

"Agreement with a statement or proposal to do something French "assentir" meaning "agree, get used to" Opposite of dissent which means to disagree or protest in a formal way

Vigilant

"Alertly watchful Latin "viligare" meaning "to be awake, watch" Always be vigilant to find parking!!!!

Abreast

"Alongside each other, facing in the same direction; Being up to particular standard or level Old English roots with prefix "a" meaning "in" Think of walking down a narrow path behind two people walking abreast of one another. Your breasts are next to each other while walking.

Aggregate

"Amounting to a whole; total Latin ""aggregat"" meaning ""herded together"" To aggregate is to collect many units into one. Data on Asian Americans need to be more disaggregated!

Apathy (adjective: apathetic)

"An absence of emotion or enthusiasm Greek "apatheia" meaning "freedom from suffering" A lazy-sounding word indicating a lack of interest, action, or emotion

Screed

"An abusive rant (often tedious) Old English "screade" meaning "piece cut off, cutting, scrap" A screed is a long, boring speech or piece of writing with a bad attitude, like a rant. If you had enough and you're not going to take it anymore, go ahead and write an angry screed. If you don't like a creed, you might screed.

Enormity

"An act of extreme wickedness; vastness of size or extent Latin "e" meaning "out of" and "norma" meaning "pattern" Similar to the word "enormous". Something with enormity has enormous wickedness

Redress

"An act of making something right Old French "redrecier" meaning "reform, restore, rebuild" If something or someone has been stripped of dignity, you can help the situation by redressing it

Bastardization

"An act that debases or corrupts Latin "bastum" meaning "packsaddle" While a bastard can be someone born out of wedlock, it also means an unpleasant or despicable person. Think of this root!

Antagonism

"An actively expressed feeling of dislike and hostility Greek "antagonizesthai" meaning "to struggle against, oppose, be a rival" Think about the Cold War: U.S. vs. the Soviet Union.

Thespian

"An actor or actress In Greek, Thespis was the poet of Icaria in Attica who was called the Father of Greek Tragedy Related to drama

Row

"An angry dispute Cambridge University slang of unknown origin Rhymes with "cow". A row can be so bad that it becomes rowdy (noisy and disorderly).

Presumption

"An assumption that is taken for granted; audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to Latin "prae" meaning "before" and "sumere" meaning "to take" Pretty means jumping to conclusions! You can't spell PRESUME without..

Cynicism

"An attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness Latin "kunosarges" meaning "doglike, churlish" Cynicism comes from believing that people are, at heart, selfish and untrustworthy Sarcasm, on the other hand, is the expression of negative feelings like cynicism, by expressing, for dramatic effect, the opposite of what is meant

Levee

"An embankment that prevents a river from overflowing French "lever" meaning "to lift" When the king rose from his bed and received visitors, that was a levee. He lifted himself up.

Canon

"An established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature Greek "kanon" meaning "rod, rule" Shakespeare and Chaucer are part of the canon of Western literature. The Bill of Rights is a canon for laws in the United States. Martin Luther wanted to canon the canons in the Church.

Hyperbole

"An exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech Prefix "hyper-" meaning "beyond" and Greek "hyperbole" meaning "excess, exaggeration, throwing beyond" A hyperactive person who ends up hyperventilating might be prone to a hyperbole

Glut

"An excessive supply Latin "gluttire" meaning "to swallow" One of the seven deadly sins, gluttony is characterized by a limitless appetite for food and drink and overindulgence to the point where one is no longer eating just to live, but rather living to eat

Prerogative

"An exclusive right, privilege, etc. exercised by virtue of rank, office, or the like Latin word "praerogativus" meaning "voting first" A near synonym to privilege, putting more emphasis on the fact that other's don't have it Bobby Brown: "I don't need permission/ Make my own decisions/ That's my prerogative"

Dispensation

"An exemption from a rule or obligation Latin "dispensare" meaning "to disburse or administer" Think of the root "pen" which is also found in "penalty". The word is related to not having a penalty based on rule or obligation.

Approbation

"An expression of approval or praise Latin "approbatus" meaning "approved" Probation is a testing period to see if you can be good. Approbation means it's all good! Think of approbation as approvation.

Accolade

"An expression of praise French "accoler" meaning "to embrace the neck" Originally done as part of a knighthood ceremony; now synonymous with an award or achievement.

Virago

"An ill-tempered or violent woman Latin "vir" meaning "man" A woman who acts like a virus

Maverick

"An independent individual who does not go along with a group or party Became part of the English language in the 19th century Samuel Maverick owned a lot of cattle, and he let them roam around Texas without a brand or identification mark seared into their skins. He was a maverick for going against the common practice of tracking his animals.

Connoisseur

"An informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert French "conoiseor" meaning "knower" Cilan is a Pokemon Connoisseur

Denizen

"An inhabitant; resident; a regular visitor or habitute, anything adapted to a new place, condition, etc. Latin "deintus" meaning "from within" A den is like a house and it is similar to the word citizen

Fallacy

"An invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief Latin "fallacia" meaning "deceit" Ecological fallacies are stereotypes

Amulet

"An ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits From Latin "amuletum" Can refer to any piece of jewelry or other trinket that is kept close to the body

Filigree

"An ornamental work, especially of delicate lacelike patterns; resembling such a pattern Latin ""filum"" meaning ""thread, wire"" and ""granum"" meaning ""grain"" Ancient handmade jewelry is often known for its filigree with its delicate ornamental work made of some type of metal. The Barong Tagalog is an example of a Filpino filigree.

Pariah

"An outcast Comes from a tribe in Southeast India Pariahs were drummers, sorcerers, and servants who became untouchables in Indian society because of the unsanitary jobs they did

Semblance

"An outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading Latin "simulare" meaning "to resemble, imitate" Think of the word resemblance, but a semblance is all about illusion or giving a false appearance.

Plethora

"An overabundance; a surplus Greek "plethein" meaning "be full" Having 15 different people who want to date you is having a plethora of romantic possibilities

Surfeit

"An overabundant supply; excess; to feed or supply to excess French "surfaire" meaning "to overdo" When it is used in reference to food or eating, surfeit tends to suggest indulging to the point of sickness or disgust. You don't forfeit it when it is just enough for you, you keep wanting more.

Hoary

"Ancient Old English "har" meaning "hoary, gray, venerable, old" A hoary ***** is hella old.

Vexation

"Annoyance; irritation Latin "vexare" meaning "shake, disturb" Vexation is something that causes annoyance and the state of mind that results from being annoyed

Harbinger

"Anything that foreshadows a future event; an omen; a sign Old French ""herberfeor"" meaning ""one who offers lodging, inkeeper"" A harbinger is something that comes before and that shows what will follow in the future. For example, the robin is a harbinger of spring as its presence means spring is coming soon.

Phoenix

"Anything that is restored after suffering great destruction Greek "phoinix" meaning "Phoenician, reddish purple, or phoenix" Think about the Phoenix in Harry Potter

Discrete

"Apart or detached from others; separate; distinct Latin "discretus" meaning "separate or distinct" Discreet means on the downlow but discrete means individual and detached. Bruce Wayne is very discreet about his secret life as Batman. You could say Batman is a discrete, or separate, part of Bruce Wayne's identity

Simian

"Apelike, relating to apes Greek "simos" meaning "snub-nosed, bent upward" Simian is like Simon Cowell who is closely related to apes

Visage

"Appearance, aspect Latin "visus" meaning "sight" Think of the word visual which is something you see

Becoming

"Appropriate, and matches nicely Old English "becuman" meaning "happen, come about, befall" Something that is becoming is charming, or looks good. It is a compliment to call something or someone becoming. If you say someone is becoming skinnier in a positive way, that is a becoming compliment.

Fiat

"Arbitrary order; authorization Latin "fiat" meaning "let it be done" "Fiat Lux" is "Let there be light"

Contentious

"Argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement Latin "contendere" meaning "to compete, strive, draw tight" A contentious person is someone who likes to argue

Stratified

"Arranged in layers Latin "stratifciare" meaning "to form strata" Brazil is stratified into different layers of classes

Facile

"Arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth French "facile" meaning "easy, simple, quick" ""C'est facile"" means ""It is easy!""

Domineering

"Arrogant or bossy Latin word "dominari" meaning "to rule" or "lord it over" Describes someone with a dominant or dominating personality

Treatise

"Article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly French "traitier" meaning "deal with; set forth in speech or writing" It is like a formal written paper about a specific subject. Examples could be a treatise on democracy. You could write a treatise on treats like deserts

Factitious

"Artificial or fake; not produced by natural forces Latin ""facticius"" meaning ""artificial"" The opposite of being a fact. It tries to be a fact, but something factitious is fake.

Ingenuous

"Artless; drank and candid; lacking in sophistication Latin "ingenuus" meaning "having the qualities of people born free, noble, honest, open" and ultimately formed from the prefix "in" meaning "in" plus ""gignere" meaning to "produce" Childlike innocence, trust, and openness. You are not genuine.

Tempestuous

"As if driven by turbulent or conflicting emotions; highly energetic and wildly changing or fluctuating Latin "tempestuousus" meaning "stormy, turbulent" A tempest is a storm, so you can use this adjective.

Complicit

"Associated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature Latin "complicare" meaning "fold together" An accomplice is complicit. Ivanka Trump was called out for being complicit.

Martial

"Associated with war and the armed forces Derives from Mars, the Roman god of war Marcos declared martial law

Posit

"Assume as fact Latin "posit" meaning "placed" Kind of like the word "pose", but it goes a step further to really advocate for the idea or suggestion. You can pose a question, but you posit an idea.

Impugn

"Attack as false or wrong Latin "pugnare" meaning "to fight" Like a pugilist, someone who impugns is fighting or attacking by saying that someone is false or wrong.

Besiege

"Attack, overwhelm, crowd in on or surround Old French "sege" meaning "seat, throne" Besiege is equivalent to the expression "lay siege to" (although that expression is used more in the military sense and less in the metaphorical sense)

Ascribe

"Attribute or credit to Latin "ascribere" meaning "to write in" Ascribe means to give credit to the scribe who said or wrote something

Sanction

"Authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority Latin "sancire" meaning "to prescribe by law" Sanction = Punishment. Think of Russian Sanctions.

Homeostasis

"Automatic maintenance by an organism in balance with itself Greek "homoios" meaning "like" and "stasis" meaning "standing, stopping" Refers to a cell's home state— the way it wants to be, and should be if everything that regulates the cell is working

Malinger (Noun: Malinger)

"Avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill French "malingre" meaning "ailing or sickly" When you malinger, you pretend to be sick. Lindsay Lohan was in Mean Girls which contained the line ""*Cough* Cough* I'm sick"". Amanda Seyfreid's character Karen was being malinger.

Economical

"Avoiding waste, efficient Greek "Okonomania" meaning "household management" Economic is all about how money works, but something economical is a good deal. Think about taking an economics class, but to be economical, you want to rent or buy a used textbook. This can also describe someone who is frugal with money.

Sentient

"Aware, conscious, able to perceive Latin "sentient" meaning "feeling" Someone sentient is able to feel things or sense them, describes things that are alive and able to feel and perceive, show awareness or responsiveness

Redoubtable

"Awe-inspiring; worthy of honor French "redute" meaning "to dread" Amazing people are without a doubt, redoutable. You cannot doubt their honor.

Nonplussed

"Baffled, bewildered, at a loss for what to do or think Latin "non plus" meaning "not more" If a conversation with someone leaves you scratching your head and wondering what point they were trying to make, you are nonplussed: bewildered, puzzled, often speechless. Basically means perplexed. If there was a word for ""plussed"", you would know what to think.

Empirical

"Based on observation or experiment Greek "empeirikos" meaning "experienced" Think of an empirical study

Flummox

"Be a mystery or bewildering to Old English "flummock" meaning "to make untidy or confuse" A flummox bewilders, confounds, dumbfounds, and mystifies you. Kate, formerly known as lummox, can be flummox.

Denote

"Be a sign or indication of; have as a meaning Latin "denotare" meaning "to mark out" To connote is to imply a meaning or condition and to denote is to define exactly . To denote is to refer to something outright.

Bask

"Be exposed; derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in Old Norse "batha" meaning "bathe" Think about basking in the sun

Obtain

"Be valid, applicable, or true Latin "obtinere" meaning "hold, hold fast, take ahold of" Something you obtain can make you more obtain like how a college degree makes you more valid or applicable for job opportunities.

Prevail

"Be widespread in a particular area at a particular time; be current; prove superior Latin "praevalere" meaning "be stronger, have stronger power" Related to the word "valiant" meaning "having or showing heroism or courage"

Importuned

"Beg persistently and urgently Latin "importunus" meaning "inconvenient, unseasonable" The original Latin term meant "to bother", so it is the kind of begging that may bother folks. Someone who really wants to go to Portland might importune others of wanting to go.

Beseeched

"Begged eagerly for; solicited Middle English "bisechen" meaning "seek" "I beseech you!" captures how urgent and desperate you are, yet saves a shred of your dignity

Fledgling

"Beginner; novice Comes from English "fledge" and "nestling" A fledgling is a young bird who starts to learnn how to fledge. Can describe something that is emerging or beginning

Incipient

"Beginning to come into being or to become apparent Latin "incipere" meaning "to begin" An inception is something beginning or starting, so an incipient is someone who is just beginning or starting.

Flounder

"Behave awkwardly; have difficulties Dutch "floddern" meaning "to flop about" A flounder is a flat fish with both eyes on one side of its head. To flounder is to wobble around like a fish out of water

Sedition

"Behavior prompting rebellion Latin "sed" meaning "apart" and "itio" meaning "going" The Sedition Act made it a crime for anyone to write or print articles criticizing the government

Impertinent

"Being disrespectful; improperly forward or bold Latin "in" meaning "not" and "pertiner" meaning "pertain" Impertinent used to just mean not pertinent or irrelevant, but it also came to mean inappropriate, out of place, and therefore, intrusive, presumptuous, behaving without proper respect, insolent

Tantamount

"Being essentially equal to something Anglo-French "tant amunter" meaning "amount to as much" While paramount is about being more important than anything else, tantamount is more about equality

Rudimentary

"Being in the earliest stages of development; being or involving basic facts or principles Latin "rudimentum" meaning "early training, first experience, beginning, first principle" The word "rude" means "simple" or "offensive". People with only rudimentary understanding of good manners might not know that belching is rude. If you remember that the word rude is the foundation of rudimentary, you will have a rudimentary understanding of the word. Also, think about the word "elementary" which is in your earliest stages of life.

Coterminous

"Being of equal extent or scope or duration Latin "conterminus" meaning "bordering upon, having a common boundary When something is coterminous, it has the same boundaries or terms, or is of equal extent or length of times as something else

Apocryphal

"Being of questionable authenticity Greek "apokryphos" meaning "hidden; obscure, hard to understand" Originally referred to religious writings that were not included in the Torah or bible because the divinity of texts were not certain. Today any dubious or unverifiable story may be dismissed as apocryphal. Prefix apo- meaning away

Moribund

"Being on the point of death; declining rapidly losing all momentum in progress Latin "mori" meaning "to die" Something moribund is about to die. Think of ""mort""

Quiescient

"Being quiet and still; Causing no symptoms Latin word "quiescens" meaning "to be quiet, resting" A disease can be quiescent, or not activated like latent TB

Tenet

"Belief, doctrine Latin "tenere" meaning "to hold" It is a principle or belief honored by a person or more often, a group of people such as "Seek pleasure and avoid pain" is a basic tenet of Hedonism

Tendentious

"Biased; showing marked tendencies From German "tendenzios" Tendency 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

Mordant

"Biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style Latin "mordere" meaning "to bite, bite into, nip, sting" Generally refers to a dark or biting artistic style, sense of humor, or psychological outlook. If you switch the m and the d, you get the word dormant which is the opposite of mordant.

Panglossian

"Blind optimism; toxic postivity Derived from Dr. Pangloss from Voltaire's Candide Dr. Pangloss was a fictional character in Voltaire's Candide who is the pedantic and unfailingly optimistic tutor of Candide. He became a symbol of foolhardy optimism.

Beatific

"Blissfully happy Latin "beatificare" meaning "make happy, make blessed" In the Roman Catholic church, a beatification is a declaration by the Pope that a dead person is in a state of bliss, constituting a first step toward canonization. This happend with Mother Teresa.

Incarnadine

"Blood red or flesh colored Italian "incarnadino" meaning "flesh-color" from Latin "incarnatio" First used when Macbeth talks about the blood on his hands. Think about the word "carn" which relates to flesh. Carne asada is roasted flesh.

Vaunt

"Boast about or praise, especially excessively Latin "vanus" meaning "vain" or "empty" Someone who is vain will vaunt

Brazen

"Bold; shameless Middle English "brasen" meaning "made of brass" Synonym for brassy which also means being loud and showy

Tome

"Book, usually large and academic Greek "tomos" meaning "section, roll of papyrus, volume" Often used to refer to a book that is not only really large but also unusually important

Epistemology

"Branch of philosophy that examines the nature of knowledge Greek "episteme" meaning "knowledge" Think about artificial intelligence as the coolest use of epistemology since it teaches computers how to learn

Doughty

"Brave; bold; courageous Old English "dohtig" meaning "competent, good, valiant" A doughboy is an American infantryman especially in World War I. They are brave, bold, and courageous.

Terse

"Brief and concise in wording Latin "tersus" meaning "clean, neat" To make your essay more terse is to use fewer words and to be simple and clear

Compendium

"Brief, comprehensive summary, a full list or inventory Latin "com" meaning "together" and "pendere" meaning "weigh" When you search an online encyclopedia, you are searching a compendium of information on just about everything. A pendulum is quick and touches both sides.

Succinct

"Brief; concise Latin "succingere" meaning "to tuck up" Something that is succinct is short and clear

Ephemeral

"Brief; fleeting Greek "hemera" meaning "day" An ephemera means something that is meant to last for a short time

Crestfallen

"Brought low in spirit Uncertain origins A crest is the top of a mountain or hill. If you are crestfallen, you are brought down from the top and in low spirits.

Caustic

"Burning or stinging; causing corrosion Latin "causticus" meaning "to burn" Can mean harshly critical

Invidious

"Calculated to create ill will or resentment or give offense; hateful Latin word: "invidiosus" meaning "envious, envied, hateful" Relates to the word envy. If you are invidious towards someone, it is probably because you are envious of them.

Convoke

"Call together, as to a meeting Latin "com" meaning "with, together" and "vocare" meaning "to call" Use convoke when you are speaking of people or a group being summoned for an official gathering

Halcyon

"Calm and peaceful Comes from Greek mythology Greek mythology about the halcyon bird which had the power to calm the rough ocean waves every December so she could nest

Phlegmatic

"Calm; sluggish, unemotional Greek "phlegma" meaning "inflammation" Phlegmatic has roots in colorless mucus. People who are phlegmatic are dull in expressing feelings or showing emotion

Sangfroid

"Calmness or pose in difficult situations French "sangfroid" meaning "cold-blooded" Describes someone who is cool, calm, and poised, especially in trying situations.

Unobjectionable

"Can't be objected, disapproved, or protested Prefix ""un"" meaning ""not"" Latin root "objectare" meaning "to oppose" or "to set against" Objectionable things are unwelcome or disliked

Malleable

"Capable of being shaped or formed; tractable; pliable; easily influenced Latin "malleare" meaning "hammer" A malleable metal is able to be pounded or pressed into various shapes A malleable personality is capable of being changed or trained

Prehensile

"Capable of grasping; having a keen intellect; greedy Latin "reprehens" meaning "rebuked" Humans and other primates have prehensile hands with curling fingers for grasping. Think of ""hens"" as ""hands""

Pathogenic

"Capable of producing disease Greek "pathos" meaning "disease" and "gen" meaning "producing" A medical term that describes viruses, bacteria, and other types of germs that can cause some kind of disease

Blithe

"Carefree and happy and lighthearted German "blithsjo" meaning " gentle, kind" Over time, it can also describe someone who isn't paying attention to what they should

Punctilious

"Careful in observing rules of behavior Italian "puntiglio" meaning "fine point" For someone who is punctilious, no point is too fine, no detail too small to be overlooked. If you are punctual, you are puntilious of time.

Discreet

"Careful to protect one's speech or actions in order to avoid offense or gain an advantage Latin "discretus" meaning "separate" Discreet means under the radar, but discrete means individual or detached. While they come from the same Latin 'discretus", discreet has taken its own advice and quietly and discreetly gone its separate way.

Canny

"Careful, cautious, knowing; showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others English origins Uncanny means strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way. The nanny had to be canny with the one-year old.

Slapdash

"Carelessly and hastily put together From combining "slap" and "dash" If you make something in a slapdash way, you slap it together and then dash away

Offhand

"Casual, informal; done without preparation or forethought; rude in a short way; brusque From "off" and "hand" Someone hands-on takes the time to support you, but someone offhand does something with no or little preparation.

Rile

"Cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations English origins To get riled up is to be annoyed

Etiology

"Cause or origins Greek "aitia" meaning "a cause" Used by doctors and researchers who study disease and other medical topics. An etymology is the study of the etiology of words.

Nettlesome

"Causing irritation or annoyance Danish "naedlae" meaning "nettle" Someone with too much mettle (courage or valor), can make you nettlesome. Nestle can make you nettlesome because they are problematic.

Circumspect

"Cautious, prudent; careful to consider the circumstances and consequences Latin "circumspicere" meaning "to be cautious" Break the word up as "circum" meaning "around" and "spect" meaning "see" thus circumspect people "look around" and they are cautious.

Chary

"Cautious; wary Old English "cearig" meaning "sorrowful, careful" Chary rhymes with wary.

Vicissitude

"Change in one's circumstances, usually for the worse Latin "vicis" meaning "change" When you talk of the vicissitudes of life, you are referring to the difficult times that we all go through such as sickness, job loss, and other unwelcome attitudes. Vicissitudes can be vicious towards folks.

Provincial

"Characteristic of a limited perspective; not fashionable or sophisticated Latin "provincialis" meaning "belonging to a province Think of Belle's "provincial life" City = Sophistocated Provincial = Not

Endemic

"Characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people Greek "endemios" meaning "native" An endemic is found in a certain place and is ongoing while an epidemic describes a disease that is widespread

Rustic

"Characteristic of rural life; awkwardly simple and provincial Latin "rus" meaning "the country" When you see rustic, think of the rural country. Can be positive or negative such as a rustic inn may be either quaint or vitually uninhabitable.

Affectless

"Characterized by a lack of emotion or desire Latin "affect" meaning "influenced" and "less" meaning "without" If you are not affected, you don't feel anything. You are affectless.

Pungent

"Characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste; penetrating, caustic, to the point Latin "pungere" meaning "to prick, sting" Asking "What is that pungent odor?" is a polite way of suggesting that someone has BO

Luminous

"Characterized by brightness and the emission of light Latin "lumen" meaning "light" A luminous prose is clear and easily understood A luminous career is bright and inspiring

Staid

"Characterized by dignity and propriety English "stay" meaning "fixed, permanent" Something that is staid is edate, slightly dull, and tends to stay the same. The people in power are usually the ones who have stayed in power, they are staid.

Forthright

"Characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion Old English "fororight" meaning "direct; plain" When a person is being forthright, they are getting right to the point.

Scrupulous

"Characterized by extreme care and great effort Latin "scrupulus" meaning "scruple" A scrupulous person is full of scruples, which are concerns about doing things that are morally right. Scrupulous people are very careful to do things properly and correctly, such as paying friends back for money they borrowed right away or not returning a pair of shoes after they have been worn outdoors

Meticulous

"Characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail Latin "metus" meaning "fear" Someone who is meticulous is afraid of what will happen if they are not careful enough to get every detail right

Sordid

"Characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul Latin "sordes" meaning "dirt" Can be used to describe someone as extremely dishonest or sexually immoral. Someone sordid can make you sore.

Amicable

"Characterized by friendship and good will Latin "amicus" meaning "friend" Amicable refers to a friendliness between people while amiable refers to one person's friendly disposition

Erudite

"Characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly Latin "erudire" meaning "to teach" which comes from "rudis" meaning "raw, unskilled, ignorant" Someone who is erudite is very educated, or perhaps a bit of a showoff

Industrious

"Characterized by hard work and perseverance Latin "industria" meaning "diligence, activity" Related to the word industry. Used for both the quality of being hardworking such as calling someone "a model of industry". Think of the Industrial Revolution when machinery was introduced to the manufacturing world. If you are industrious, you work as hard as machines do.

Jocular

"Characterized by jokes and good humor Latin "iocularis" meaning "funny, comic" Being jocular has to do with being jokey and fun. A jocular suggestion is not a serious suggestion— it is a joke.

Ethereal

"Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality Greek "aither" meaning "ether" An ether is a drug that makes you feel light headed, and in larger doses, causes you to lose consciousness. An ethereal substance or sound is one that carries the feeling of ether— something you might see in a vision, that might strike you as heavenly or supernatural.

Precocious

"Characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity Latin "prae" meaning "before" and "coquere" meaning "to ripen" Precocious individuals are beyond their years in skill or knowledge. Think of having a pre-cock before your balls dropped- you were still in your developmental stages.

Morose

"Characterized by or expressing gloom; showing a brooding ill humor Latin "morosus" meaning "fretful, peevish, willful" Stronger than just sad— it is extremely gloomy or depressed. The root ""mor"" is related to death. You will probably feel morose for someone that just died. If you are feeling morose, you may need mo roses.

Mercurial

"Characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood Latin "mercurialis" meaning "relating to the god Mercury" Mercury was the ancient Roman god of commerce and messenger of the Gods A mercurial person has the unpredictability associated with the god Mercury or the planet Mercury

Carnal

"Characterized by the flesh or body; related to physical appetites; not spiritual, merely human, temporal Christian Latin "carn" meaning "flesh" Think of the word "carcass" which is related to flesh

Talisman

"Charm to bring good luck and avert misfortune Greek "telesma" meaning "completion, religious rite" Think about the talismans in Jackie Chan Adventures

Winsome

"Charming in a childlike or naive way Old English "wynn" meaning "pleasure" and "delight" If you are winsome, you might win some compliments for being charming

Meretricious

"Cheap, gaudy, tawdry, flashy showy; attractive by false show Latin "meretrix" meaning "prostitute" The opposite of something that has merit. Meretricious actions are meant to trick and deceive, not to impress. Someone dressing meretricious are merely tricking themselves of being sophisticated.

Parsimonious

"Cheap, miserly Latin "parcimonia" from "parcer" meaning "to spare" and suffix "ous" meaning "having the quality of" Synonym to penurious. I have persimon trees in my backyard, so I will never have to pay for them. Think of ""pars"" in sparse.

Geniality

"Cheerfulness; kindliness; sociability; friendliness Latin "genialis" meaning "pleasant, festive" Geniale in French means great

Coffer

"Chest for storing valuables; financial resources, a treasury Latin "cophinus" meaning "basket" Comes from the same root as "coffin" which is another type of box. When used metaphorically, coffers is generally used in the plural.

Puerile

"Childish, immature, jejune, nugatory Latin "puer" meaning "boy" Think about jokes about smelly underwear, whoopee cushions, fake dog poop. etc. If you set your Purell on fire because it is flammable, you are doine a puerile act.

Pretentious

"Claiming or demanding a position of importance or dignity, especially when unjustified; showing off, creating a deceptive, false show of worth Latin "pretentionem" meaning "pretension" Related to the word "pretend" and can describe someone who is only concerned with making an impressive appearance.

Lucid

"Clear; easily understood Latin "lucidus" meaning "light or clear" with root of "lux" meaning "light Lucid dreams!

Limpid

"Clear; transparent Latin "limpidus" meaning "clear, transparent" A lymph is a colorless fluid containing white blood cells, which bathes the tissues and drains through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream. Think about this

Adroit

"Clever or skillful in using the hands or mind French "a droit" meaning "according to right, properly" Droit means "right" in French. Overtime, English people changed the meaning of a droit from doing something right to doing something well.

Circumvent

"Cleverly find a way out of one's duties or obligations Latin "circum" meaning "around" and "venire" meaning "to come" Picture someone circling around a barrier instead of climbing over it. That is what you do when you circumvent. Picture someone going in the AC vent to avoid being seen like in the movies.

Clamber

"Climb awkwardly or with difficulty, scramble Middle English "climben" meaning "to climb" Comes from the same root as climb. Don't confuse it with clamor, which means "noisy shouting or protest". Amber was clamber rock climbing.

Coterie

"Close or exclusive group, clique French "coterie" meaning "circle of acquaintances" In French, a coterie was a group of tenant farmers. Picture a close group of people who are wearing coats.

Raiment

"Clothing, particularly fancy clothing Old French "areer" meaning "to array" From rags to raiment

Agglomerated

"Clustered together but not coherent Latin "agglomerat" meaning "added to" A conglomeration is a collection of related items while an agglomeration is a collection of unrelated items

Glean

"Collect information bit by bit Latin "glennare" meaning "make a collection" To glean is to gather ideas or information bit by bit. Glenn gleaned in creating this GRE Vocab spreadsheet containing four different parts and 1600+ words.

Levy

"Collect tax from, wage war on, or enlist for military service; act of collecting tax or amount owed, or the drafting of troops into military service Latin "lever" meaning "to raise" Same root as lever and elevate, so you can think of raising money through taxes, raising an army by drafting soldiers, or using that army to wage war

Synthesized

"Combined and formed a complex whole Greek word "synthesis" meaning "place together" First used in 1830 when scientists and inventors were doing what it means

Nonchalant

"Coming across as cooly uninterested French "nonchalant" meaning "careless, indifferent" If you act nonchalant, you are acting cool.

Nascent

"Coming into being; in early developmental stages Latin "nasci" meaning "to be born, arise" Nascent government of a new country

Pedestrian

"Commonplace, trite, unremarkable, quotidian Latin "pedester" meaning "plain" If there were no cars, traveling by foot as a pedestrian would be a lot more pedestrian

Expansive

"Communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manner Latin "expander" meaning "to spread out" Being expansive requires expanding your comfort zone and sociability.

Repine

"Complain, express discontent English Origins Describes expressing gloom or discontent. Brooding, fretful, and sad— these are traits of people who repine at their circumstances in life. If your house smells too much like pine wood, you might repine.

Arrant

"Complete and wholly (usually modifying a noun with negative connotation) English "arrant thief" meaning "outlawed, roving thief" Used as a superlative to modify a noun with a negative connotation like with the word fool or liar. The forest fire caused an arrant air quality.

Blissful

"Completely happy and content German "blithsjo" meaning " gentle, kind" A blissful moment is full of joy and relaxation

Replete

"Completely stocked or furnished with something Latin "repletus" meaning "filled, full" Related to the word "replenish". If you replenish your cabinet, they are replete. Opposite of deplete

Convoluted

"Complex or complicated Latin "convolusus" meaning "rolled up together" A tax code or legal language can be convoluted

Involved

"Complicated, and difficult to comprehend Latin "in" meaning "into" and "volvere" meaning "to roll" Involved things involve a lot of thinking. Ikea instructions can be very involved. Involved things involve a lot of thinking.

Eclectic

"Composed of elements drawn from various sources Used in old English to describe philosophers who did not belong to a particular school of thought, but instead assembled their doctrines by picking and choosing from a variety of philosophical systems An eclectic group of friends is friends from diverse groups

Equanimity

"Composure; calmness Latin "aequanimus" meaning "even-tempered, fair" Refers to emotional calmness and balance in times of stress

Duress

"Compulsory force or threat Latin "duritia" meaning "hardness" Typically used with the word "under" as in a suspect who only signs a confession because he is under duress. Someone underdressed is under duress of a wardrobe malfunction. A buttress can duress an opposing force.

Celestial

"Concerned with sky or heavens; sublime or to the universe beyond the Earth's atmosphere Latin "caelestis" meaning "sky" Related to the word "ceiling" so just look up

Meteorological

"Concerned with the weather Greek "meteor" meaning "thing high up" and "logia" meaning "the study of" Think of the weather girl

Olfactory

"Concerning the sense of smell Latin "olfacere" meaning "to smell" Your nose is the factory where odors are processed

Sententious

"Concise and full of meaning; abounding in or given to pompous or aphoristic moralizing Latin "sententia" meaning "opinion" If you speak in sententious phrase, your sentences are pompous and pretentious and full of moralistic babble.

Precis

"Concise summary, abstract French "precis" meaning "cut short, condensed" If you ever jotted down notes about your main ideas before writing a persuasive say, you have used a precis. A precis is a precise and concise summary.

Coda

"Concluding part of a literary or musical composition; something that summarizes or concludes Latin "cauda" meaning "tail" A coda is usually short and adds a final embellishment beyond a natural ending point. Cody going to college was a coda to The Suite Life series.

Sanguine

"Confidently optimistic and cheerful; Included to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life Latin "sanguis" meaning "blood" In medieval medicine, it described someone whose reddish complexion was a sign of an optimistic outlook. If you have a baby swine like Ariana Grande, you might be very sanguine.

Discordant

"Conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound French "corder" meaning "cord" Discord is tension felt between people who strongly disagree about something An accord is harmony of people's opinions or actions like the Geneva Accords

Conventional

"Conforming or adhering to accepted standards, as of conduct or taste Latin root "conventionalis" meaning "pertaining to an agreement" Used as an adjective for things that are normal, ordinary, and following the accepted way

Equivocal

"Confusing or ambiguous Latin "aequus" meaning "equal, the same" and "vocare" meaning "to call, to speak" Unequivocal means "certain" while equivocal means "uncertain". Unequivocal is the more positive word

Tact

"Consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense Latin "tangere" meaning "touch" Someone who is tactful has a sense of what is considerate in dealing with others

Sundry

"Consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds Old English "syndrig" meaning "distinct, separate" Typically used to describe a collection of various different items found in one place. Imagine cleaning up on a Sunday and seeing the sundry items you have to clean up

Vociferous

"Conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry Latin "vociferari" meaning "to shout, yell" You can break it down to the first part "vox" meaning "voice" and "ferre" meaning "to carry". Vociferous has to do with the voices that you carry. You are not just loud, but you are annoying, too!

Introspective

"Contemplating one's own thoughts and feelings Latin "introspicere" meaning "to look inside" Someone who is introspective spends considerable time examining his own thoughts and feelings

Scurvy

"Contemptible, despicable English and French origins Pirates can be especially scurvy if they get scurvy

Polemical

"Controversial; argumentative Greek ""polemos"" meaning ''war"" Refers to a major disagreement. Polemos was the Greek god of War.

Implicate

"Convey a meaning; imply; to indicate in wrongdoing, usually a crime Latin "implicare" meaning "to entwine, involve" When you implicate someone, you bring they into a group or pitch in on a project. Implicate can have criminal connotations when it means "to connect in an incriminating manner". Think of the word ""imply""

Propriety

"Correct conduct, fitness; appropriateness, conformity with standards of acceptable behavior Latin "proprietatem" meaning "appropriateness" If you have propriety, you are appropriate. If you are someone who cares about always doing the right and proper thing, your friends might accuse you of being obsessed with propriety

Commensurate

"Corresponding in amount, magnitude, or degree; proportionate; adequate; having the same measure Latin word "commensuratus" meaning "to measure" Has to do with things that are similar in size and therefore appropriate; Death penalty may be a commensurate punishment for murder

Analogous

"Corresponding in some particular way; comparable Latin word: "analogos" meaning "according to a proper ratio or proportion" Wings of a bird are analogous to the wings of an airplane. Think of the word ""anlaogy"".

Debauchery

"Corruption, seduction from duty, allegiance (devoted toward government), or virtue; Excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures; intemperance Middle French "debaucher"meaning "entice from work or duty" Picture crazy partying and wild nights, usually accompanied by a lot of alcohol. Picture a wild night in Vegas or college kids putting down the books and heeding the siren call of the frat party downstairs

Graft

"Corruption, usually through bribery Latin "graphium" meaning "stylus" Carpet grafting makes it look like the carpet has not been corrupted, but it has.

Pluck

"Courage, spunk, fortitude Latin "pilare" meaning "pull out hair" You probably don't have the pluck to pluck a feather from a bird

Mettle

"Courage; endurance Variant spelling of metal Having the mettle to do something means you have guts— you are a pretty impressive person. If you are metal, you have more durability and endurance.

Hirsute

"Covered with hair Latin "hirsutsus" meaning "rough, shaggy, bristly" Picture someone so hairy that it looks like they are wearing a hair suit

Veneer

"Covering consisting of a thin superficial layer that hides the underlying substance Latin "fournir" meaning "to furnish, accomplish" Anything that makes something look more elegant or attractive than it is is a veneer. Think of a wooden veneer.

Pusillanimous

"Cowardly, craven Latin "pusillus" meaning "very small" and "animus" meaning "spirit" A pusillanimous person is someone who lacks courage

Craven

"Cowardly, timid, contemptibly, pusillanimous Latin "Crepare" meaning "burst" Think of it as a C(owardly) Raven unlike Bran Stark

Bovine

"Cowlike; dull and slow moving Latin "bovinus" meaning "pertaining to oxen or cows" Could also remind you of the slow and seemingly unintelligent ways of cows and cattle

Megalomania

"Crazy hunger for power and wealth, and a passion for grand schemes Greek "megas" meaning "great" and "mania" meaning "madness" Think of it as a madness for greatness, but not a great kind of madness like the Mad King

Unprepossessing

"Creating an unfavorable or neutral first impression Prefix "un" meaning "not", "pre" meaning "before", and "possesser" meaning "to have and hold, take, be in possession of" Unprepossessing is an indirect way of calling someone unattractive or at best, possesses OK- looking features

Exegesis

"Critical examination, explication Greek "exegesthai" meaning "interpret" It is a critical look at a text. You may have an exegesis about the genesis of something.

Juncture

"Critical point in time, such as a crisis or a time when a decision is necessary; a place where two things are joined Latin "junctura" meaning "joint" A junction is the act of joining or a place where two things meet, especially railroad lines or roads. A juncture is more the actual line where two things join, and a junction is the place where they come together.

Rebuke

"Criticize severely or angrily; censure Old French "rebuchier" meaning "to hack down" or "beat back" You might rebuke at someone who just puked on you.

Imprecation

"Curse; damnation Latin "in" meaning "towards" and "precari" meaning "pray" If you really don't like someone, you shout out an imprecation at them. It is the opposite of an appreciation.

Aquiline

"Curved down like an eagle's beak Latin "aquila" meaning "eagle" Ancient Greeks and Romans loved eagles so saying someone's features were aquiline was a huge compliment. Eagles have agility.

Sinuous

"Curved or curving in and out Latin "sinus" meaning "curve or bend" Sinus is related to your nose which can be curved. Snakes use sinuous movements to travel

Convex

"Curved outward Latin "convexus" meaning "vaulted, arched" Eyeballs are in a convex shape

Concave

"Curving inward Latin "con" meaning "together" and "cavus" meaning "hallow" A valley is a concave curve, a mountain is a convex curve— things that vex you tend to stick out and that caves tend to be holes that go in ,

Mores

"Customs, manners, or morals of a particular group Latin "mor" meaning "custom" Mores and morals have similar meanings— mores are the morals of a group or society itself. Making s'mores is a more of camping.

Sardonic

"Cynical, scornfully mocking Greek "sardonios" meaning "of Sardinia" Sardonios describes a plant from a place called Sardinia that supposedly made your face contorted into a horrible grin... right before you died from its poison. Kind of close to the word "sarcastic" which is meant to make you laugh in a cynical way

Mar

"Damage, spoil, ruin Middle English "merren" meaning "to deface, disfigure; impair in form or substances" MARkings can make something imperfect.

Inimical

"Damaging; harmful; injurious Latin "inimicus" meaning "enemy" It suggests acting like someone's enemy: being adverse, damaging, or downright hostile

Audacious

"Daring and fearless; recklessly bold; outlandish Latin "audacia" meaning ""daring, boldness, courage"" "The audacity!" comments on someone's boldness.

Internecine

"Deadly to both sides; of conflict within a group or organization Latin "inter" meaning "among" and "necare" meaning "to kill" The root "nec" is in there which relates to death

Aesthetic

"Dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art of the beautiful Greek "aesthetic" meaning "perception" Refers to good taste and artistry

Duplicity

"Deceitfulness, pretending to want one thing but interested in something else Latin "duplicatem" meaning "doubleness" Think of the prefix "du" meaning "two" or "duo". Someone with duplicity is two-faced— maybe showing one side in public and another in private— or is just a liar, saying something known to be untrue or misleading.

Inveterate

"Deep rooted, ingrained, habitual, chronic Latin "vetus" meaning "old" A veteran is someone who has done something before. Inveterate describes to the point of it being habitual

Lacerate

"Deeply hurt the feelings of; distress Latin "lacerare" meaning "tear to pieces, mangle, to slander, censure, abuse" A laser cut or laser comment may leave you lacerated.

Parry

"Deflect or avoid, especially a blow or attack; skillfully evade (a question) Italian "parare" meaning "to ward or defend" Perry the Platypus is avoiding/parrying Phineas and Ferb by going on secret missions

Elysian

"Delightful; blissful From the idyllic Greek mythological place called Elysian Fields Picture a Hawaiaan vacation

Stringent

"Demanding strict attention to rules and procedures Latin "stringent" meaning "drawing tight" An astringent causes your skin to tighten like it's shrinking your pores. This tightening, constricting feel describes stringent with regards to rules.

Pathological

"Departing from normal condition Greek "pathologikos" meaning "treating of diseases" with "pathos" meaning "suffering" Anyone who studies or works with diseases, from their causes to their symptoms, identifies how the disease affects its victims, in other words, its pathological effects

Eccentric

"Departing from norms or conventions Greek "ekkentros" meaning "out of the center" Originally referred to orbits of planets that were observed to be slightly out of whack, but came to describe people who were a little kooky

Stalwart

"Dependable; inured to fatigue or hardships Used in U.S. history to describe Republicans Republicans in 1877 remained unwilling to trust the South, even though the Civil War was long over by that time. A stalwart is loyal to their beliefs.

Effete

"Depleted of vitality; overrefined; decadent Latin "effetus" meaning "out of, past childbearing" Star athletes run the risk of losing their edge and becoming effete posterboys for their sports. Runners can reach a certain feat and have there feet effete.

Turpitude

"Depravity; a depraved act Latin "turpitudo" meaning "repulsiveness" If you are guilty of turpitude, you should be ashamed of yourself— it is a word that represents depraved behavior. You were a twurp.

Scintillating

"Describes someone who is brilliant and lively Latin "scintilla" meaning "spark" Things that are scintillating are exciting: they grab your attention with sparkles, flashes of light, or sheer brilliance. If something gives off sprks such as when photons collide, it is said to scintillate.

Convivial

"Describing a lively atmosphere Latin "con" meaning "with" and "vivere" meaning "live" Root word "viv" relates to liveliness

Pyrrhic

"Describing a victory that comes at such a great cost that the victory is not worthwhile Comes from the Greek general Pyrrhus Pyrrhus defeated the Romans at the Battle of Asculum but lost so many troops that he couldn't defeat Rome itself. Daenerys Targaryen's victory against the Night King could be described as pyrrhic because her troops were decimated and Ser Jorah died.

Culpable

"Deserving blame Latin "culpabilis" meaning "to hold liable" If you are culpable of a crime, you are the culprit

Creditable

"Deserving of praise but not that amazing Latin "creditum" meaning "a loan, thing entrusted to another" A credit card can be amazing and worthy of praise, but it has its limitations because you have to pay it back

Covetous

"Desiring something owned by another, greedy French "coveitos" meaning "desirous" To be covetous of something is to want it and be a little jealous of anyone who has it. You are covetous towards vets that get to see dogs every day.

Resolve

"Determination, firmness of purpose Latin "resovere" meaning "to unite" If you make a New Year's resolution to exercise every day, you'll need plenty of resolve to stick with your program

Resolution

"Determination, resolve Latin "reolvere" meaning "to loosen, undo, settle" If you have the resolution and determination, you will be able to fulfill your New Year's resolutions

Sidereal

"Determined by or from the stars Latin word "sidereus" meaning "star" Has to do with stars and constellations. Are those stars on the side even real?

Aberrant (noun: aberration)

"Deviating from the norm Latin "aberrare" meaning "to go astray" from the prefix "ab-" meaning "off, away' and "errare" meaning "to wander" Error and errant refer to something that is either not wanted or not expected. Picture an ant that is following his own path.

Deviant

"Deviating or departing from the norm Latin word "deviare" meaning "to turn out of the way" Think about the devil on your shoulder who tells you to do something bad

Piety

"Devoutness Latin "pius" meaning "devoted, kind" Filial piety means that you are devoted to your parents

Imbroglio

"Difficult or embarrassing situation Italian "imbrogliare" meaning "entanglement" If you love her and she loves your bro and he loves somebody else, you've got quite an imbroglio.

Cumbersome

"Difficult to handle or use especially because of weight Latin "comboros" meaning "that which is carried together" A cumber is something that slows you down. Lumber is a big piece of heavy wood which slows you down. Moving lumber is cumbersome because it is a heavy and awkward job.

Amiable

"Diffusing warmth and friendliness Latin "amicabilis" meaning "friendly" Think of the French word "aimer" meaning "to like". Je t'aime means I love you.

Decorous

"Dignified, proper, and in good taste Latin "decor" meaning "beauty, elegance, charm, grade, ornament" Shares its origin with the word "decoration". You are decorated with dignification and good taste.

Assiduous

"Diligent, hard-working, sedulous Latin "assiduus" meaning "busy incessant, continual or constant" and "assidere" meaning "to sit down to" Calling someone assiduous is a compliment! You are calling them careful, methodical, and very persistent. If your ass is sidding down, you are probably diligent and hardworking. Same root as sedentary. Many assiduous activities like writing and thinking are best done when you are sedentary.

Sedulous

"Diligent; persistent; hardworking Latin "sedulous" meaning "zealous" A sedulous person is someone who works hard and doesn't give up easily. You are sedulously studying for the GRE. A sedulous person does not need a sedative. Someone sedentary is sitting down and might be sedulous.

Cantankerous

"Disagreeable to deal with, irritable; ill humored Middle English "contek" meaning "dissension" Synonyms include cranky, bad-tempered, irritable, irascible. Someone cantankerous can't take her or us with respect. If you are cantankerous towards someone, you can destroy their house with a tank.

Jettison

"Discard, cast off; throwing items overboard in order to lighten a ship in an emergency Latin "iactationem" meaning "a throwing, act of throwing" Picture George Jetson pushing something to the side or tossing away the past because he is in the future.

Dissonance

"Discord; lack of harmony Latin "dissonant" meaning "disagreeing in sound" Think about the phrase cognitive dissonance

Parley

"Discussion, negotiation, especially between enemies; to have such a discussion French "parler" meaning "to speak" Think of the word parliament. Parliament has parleys with each other

Blight

"Disease that kills plants rapidly, or any cause of decay or destruction; ruin or cause to wither Old Norse "blikna" meaning "become pale" Often used to describe unidentified plant diseases that mysteriously cause all the plants to wither— as such, it makes a good metaphor, as in "urban blight" when everything decays and goes wrong at once

Ignoble

"Dishonorable Latin "in" meaning "not" and "noble" meaning "not" Ignoble = Not noble

Ennui

"Dissatisfaction and relentlessness resulting from boredom or apathy French "ennui" meaning "boredom, displeasure" Sounds fancy, but really it is being bored and tired

Vivisection

"Dissection, surgery, or painful experiments performed on a living animal for the purpose of scientific research Latin "vivus" meaning "living" Literally, to cut up something that is alive

Panache

"Distinctive and stylish elegance Latin "pinnaculum" meaning "Small wing" or "tuft of feathers" Sounds like the word posh which means elegant or stylishly luxurious

Desuetude

"Disuse Latin "de" meaning "away, from" and "suescere" meaning "become accustomed" If people or things are not used, desuetude is the result, carrying with it a sense of neglect, disrepair, and inaction. Desuetude, disused.

Multifarious

"Diverse Latin "multifarius" meaning "manifold" A person or thing with many sides or different qualities is multifarious

Apportioned

"Divide and assign according to rule French "apportionner" meaning "share out" Think of the word portion. You are making portions.

Balkanized

"Divided into small and mutually hostile groups Refers to the Balkan states A result of foreign policies creating geopolitical fragmentation,

Vertigo

"Dizziness Latin "vertere" meaning "to turn" If you are standing still, but the room is inexplicably spinning, you might want or let someone know you are suffering from vertigo

Deign

"Do something that one considers to be below one's dignity Latin "dignare" meaning "to deem worthy" Think of deign as being related to the word dignity. If you deign to do something, you do not think it is worthy of your lofty stature, but you do it anyway— it is like you are doing someone a really big favor

Ridden

"Dominated or burdened by Old English "readian" meaning "become red" Think of the phrase disease-ridden. It is obvious that the thing that is being described is full of disease.

Preemptive

"Done before someone else can do it Latin "prae" meaning "before" and "emptionem" meaning "a buying, purchasing; thing bought" A preemptive action is made to keep some other action from being taken

Latent

"Dormant; Potential not apparent Latin "latere" meaning "to lie hidden" Latent TB is hidden

Declivity

"Downward slope Latin "declivis" meaning "a sloping downward" An acclivity is an upward slope, so a declivity is the opposite. Think of the word decline.

Saturate

"Drenched and full; soaked thoroughly Latin "saturat" meaning "filled, glutted" Saturated fats are fatty acids that contain the highest number of hydrogen atoms possible

Opulence

"Drenched in wealth and luxury Latin "opulentia" meaning "wealthy" Joseph Conrad: "Protection is the first necessity of opulence and luxury". Oprah is opulent and can be seen when she gave away cars.

Flag

"Droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss; become less intense Mid 16th Century English "flag" meaning "drooping" When it is used as a verb, it means "to lose energy or enthusiasm" When students start to flag in the afternoon, they tend to take a quick nap. Think of how a flag flags down when there is no wind.

Humdrum

"Dull and lacking excitement English origins Anything that you can call humdrum is so severely lacking in variety and excitement that it is sure to make you hum and drum your fingers out of boredom

Prosaic

"Dull; lacking in spirit or imagination Latin "prosa" meaning "prose" A prose is ordinary writing intended to communicate ideas and information which is different from poetry which has a more imaginative and original style

Alacrity

"Eager and enthusiastic willingness Latin "alacritas" meaning lively" Think of Aladdin who is always eager to charm the one he loves

Terrestrial

"Earthly, commonplace Latin "terra" meaning "earth" Something extraterrestrial is from beyond earth

Venial

"Easily excused or forgiven; pardonable Latin "venia" meaning "forgiveness" Something venial is forgivable and excusable. marVENIAL is amazing so he is venial to his wrongdoings.

Docile

"Easily handled or managed; willing to be taught or left or supervised or directed Latin "docere" meaning "teaching" A docile person is easy to teach. A docile student is willing to be taught. Think of a doctorial candidate who is docile.

Peevish

"Easily irritated or annoyed Latin "pervesus" meaning "reversed, perverse" When you are peevish, you are easily irritated and grumpy. Think of the "perv/peev" root word about bothering

Irascible

"Easily provoked to anger; very irritable Latin root "ira" meaning "anger" or "rage" "-sc" meaning "becoming" Anger comes from the word "ire" Doesn't mean you're angry, it means it's got action to build into it

Bowlderize

"Edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate Comes from Dr. T. Bowleder Dr. T. Bowlder wanted to publish an edition of Shakespeare without sexual references or double entendres. He thought he was performing a great service for humanity by editing the offensive parts.

Efficacy

"Effectiveness; efficiency; how ill it works or brings the results you hoped for Latin "efficere" meaning "to work out, accomplish" A scientist's research on a vaccine or medicine under development is efficacious if it will cure or prevent a disease

Florid

"Elaborately or excessively ornamented; inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life Latin "floridus" meaning "blooming" Think about Florida and how it is related to the word flourishing

Cadaverous

"Emaciated; gaunt Latin "cadaver" meaning "dead body" A cadaver is a corpse that Med students work with. You look corpse-like, from being too sick or too skinny.

Vacuous

"Empty, void, lacking intelligence Latin "vacuus" meaning "empty" If something is vacuous, it is like a vacuum— hollow, empty, devoid of substance

Edifying

"Enlightening or upligting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement Latin "aedis" meaning "dwelling" and "facer" meaning "make" Edifying applies to things that help you become a better person. A wise saying is edifying. A powerful documentary is edifying. An edible can provide an edifying experience. Something edifying does not need to be edited because it is so enlightening. Edifying, Enlightening

Hail

"Enthusiastical acclaim or celebrate something Old English "hagalian" meaning "to fall as hail" All hail the king!

Milieu

"Environment, atmosphere; the environmental setting in which something happens or develops French "milieu" meaning "middle" A moldy bathtub may have a milieu of mildew

Stasis

"Equilibrium, a state of balance or inactivity, especially caused by equal but opposing force Greek "stasis" meaning "a standing still, a standing; the posture of standing; a position, a point of the compass; position, state, or condition of anything" Homeostasis is any self-regulating progress by which an organism tends to maintain stability while adjusting to conditions that are best for survival.

Elude

"Escape understanding; to be hard to understand Latin "eludere" meaning "finish play, win at play" No matter how hard you try, the finer points of quantum physics might elude you. They are elusive.

Substantive

"Essential Latin "substantia" meaning "essence" Think of substantive as having substance

Antedated

"Establish something as being earlier relative to something else Latin "ante" meaning "before" World War I antedates World War II

Odious

"Evoking intense aversion or dislike Latin "odium" meaning "hatred" Rhymes with hideous, you may be odious towards hideous things. Odin was the father of Thor, who was not the most likeable person.

Nice

"Exacting, fastidious, extremely precise Latin "nescire" meaning "not know" That was a nice shot

Apotheosis

"Exaltation to divine status; the highest point of development; a model of excellence or perfection, perfect example Greek "apo" meaning "from" and "theos" meaning "god" Something apotheosis is from God, it is divine.

Superfluous

"Exceeding what is sufficient or necessary; Unnecessary Latin "super" meaning "over" and "fluere" meaning "to flow" More than required. If you have a super amount of flu shots, you have more than required.

Singular

"Exceptional, unusual, odd Latin "singulus" meaning "solitary, single" If it is extraordinary, remarkable, or one of a kind, you can say it is singular!

Adulation

"Excessive praise; intense adoration Latin "adulatio" meaning "flattery" made up of the root "ad" meaning "to" and "ulos" meaning "tail" Think of a dog wagging its tail to and fro to get a treat Sounds like adoration

Inordinate

"Excessive, not within proper limits, unrestrained Latin "in" meaning "not, opposite of" and "ordinare" meaning "to set in order" Something that is excessive or that goes beyond normal limits is inordinate. It is not ordinary.

Hagiographic

"Excessively flattering toward someone's life or work Greek "hagios" meaning "sacred, devoted to the gods" and "graphy" meaning "process of writing or recording" The Hagia Sophia is a monument of artistic and architectural achievement. Something hagiographic appreciates the achievement of someone.

Profligate

"Excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant; unrestrained by convention or morality Latin "profligare" meaning "overthrow, ruin" Someone who spends all their profits carelessly is being profligate. Profligacy is reckless extravagance.

Ostracize

"Exclude from a community or group Greek "ostraka" meaning "pottery shard"" Thousands of years ago in Athens, ther was a public process where you would write the name of someone you wanted to kick out of town on a broken ceramic fragment. If enough Athenians wrote the same name, that person was sent away for ten years

Obsequious

"Exhibiting a fawning attentiveness Latin "obsequi" meaning "follow, comply with" A teacher's pet or a kiss up is obsequious. A sequence follows a certain order while someone obsequious follows the orders of someone.

Sophomoric

"Exhibiting immaturity, lack of judgement, pretentious Greek ""sophos"" meaning ""wise"" and ""moros"" meaning ""foolish, dull"" Remember back to being an immature and pretentious Sophomore in high school.

Ubiquitous

"Existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread Latin "unique" meaning "everywhere" Synonym for omnipresent. Uber everywhere!

Feral

"Existing in a wild or untamed state Latin "fera" meaning "wild animal" Feral is often used to describe a wild, untamed animal. Think of a ferret which is a wild animal.

Concomitant

"Existing or occurring with something else in a lesser way; accompanying; concurrent Latin "con" meaning "with" and "comit" meaning "companion" You are commitng with someone or something. A dessert is concomitant to the main course.

Salutary

"Expecting an improvement, favorable to health Latin "salus" meaning "good health" When you salute someone or say "Salud!" before clinking glasses, you are giving your salutatory wish— hoping they enjoy good health

Expository

"Explanatory Latin "exponere" meaning "set forth" Expository dialogue usually exists to give the audience an explanation of a character's previous actions

Opine

"Express an opinion Latin "opinari" meaning "have an opinion, be of opinion, suppose, conjecture, think, judge" Verb for opinion

Decry

"Express strong disapproval of French "descrier" meaning "to cry out or announce" French "de" means "out" so you cry out When you decry something, you simultaneously condemn it and discredit it, a formal act.

Objurgate

"Express strong disapproval of Latin "obiurgare" meaning "to chide or rebuke" To objurgate is to scold or reprimand. Picture a jury who strongly objects you. Objurgate, object.

Derogative

"Expressed as worthless or in negative terms Latin "derogat" meaning "abrogated" A derogatory comment is derogatotive because it is expressed in a negative way

Effusive

"Expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner Latin ""effundere"" meaning ""pour forth"" In geology, effusive describes a particular kind of volcanic eruption in which lava bubbles up out of the volcano and flows around it. In the "I Lava You" short, the male volcano felt effusive to the female volcano.

Elegiac

"Expressing sorrow Greek "elegos" meaning "poem or song of lament" An elegiac poem is called an elegy— typically a mournful one that laments the dead.

Penitential

"Expressive of regret for one's wrongdoing Latin ""paenitentia"" meaning ""repentance"" Penance means the act of doing a good deed to make up for past wrongs. Catholics are encouraged to attend confession regularly in order to repent.

Effrontery

"Extreme boldness; presumptuousness French "effrante" meaning "shameless" Connected to "brazen" which means "of brass" and describes folks who are so accustomed to effrontery that he's hardened to it and has no concern for the harm done to others. Effronterous people want to be the front of attention. My friend Efrain showed too much effrontery with drugs and ended up in the hospital.

Parsimony

"Extreme frugality, stinginess Latin "parsimonia" meaning "frugality, thrift" Parsimonious people don't just save pennies— they clip coupons, re-using dryer sheets, and refusing to pay full price. If you have persimons in your back yard, you will never have to pay for them. You are parsimonious towards persimons. A person with parsimony has money in their purse, but does not want to spend it.

Largess

"Extreme generosity and giving Latin "largus" meaning "copious" Largess is a largeness of spirit

Penury

"Extreme poverty to the point of homelessness and begging on the streets Latin "penuria" meaning "scarcity" Think of the word "penny"

Inflammable

"Extremely controversial, incendiary Latin "flammare" meaning "to set on fire" Some inflammable things might literally go up in flames, but we also use it metaphorically. Someone with a quick temper could be described as "inflammable" and if you fall in love easily, then you have an inflammable heat.

Harrowing

"Extremely distressing; terrifying Dutch "hark" meaning "rake" Being attacked by a hungry shark or being chased by an unruly mob can be very harrowing. An arrow being thrown at you will be very harrowing.

Virulent

"Extremely harmful or poisonous; bitterly hostile or antagonistic Latin "vir" meaning "poison" Think of a virus

Ravenous

"Extremely hungry; devouring or craving good in great quantities French "raviner" meaning "to ravage" Ravaging is causing severe and excessive damage, too. Being ravenous is like ravaging your food. Also, maybe picture a raven or vulture devouring their prey.

Stentorian

"Extremely loud and powerful Comes from Greek Mythology Stentor was a heald in the Trojan War whose cry was as loud as that of fifty men together

Pollyannaish

"Extremely optimistic Comes from Pollyanna, in a 1913 children's book by Eleanor H. Porter Pollyanna was an extremely optimistic character who found something positive in every situation.

Pious

"Extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion Latin "pius" meaning "dutiful" Piety is devotion to god or to religious practices

Lilliputian

"Extremely small Origin from Gulliver's Travels Lilliput is the name of a fictional island whose people, the Lilliputians, stand only about six inches high

Precipitous

"Extremely steep; Done with very great haste and without due deliberation; sharp Latin "praeceps" meaning "Steep, headlong" A precipice is a sheer, almost vertical cliff. Imagine how you would feel standing at the edge peering over, and you'll grasp the sense of impending danger that precipitous tends to imply

Loquacious

"Extremely talkative Latin "loquacitas" meaning "talkativeness" A loquacious person talks a lot!!

Countenance

"Facial expression of face (noun); approve or tolerate Latin "continentia" meaning "restraint, abstemiousness, moderation" Think about the expression "I cannot look you in the face after what you did". We usually cannot face you when the speaker is the guilty party. Related to content. If you have countenance, you are content. Count Dracula may show countenance for your blood.

Affectation

"Fake behavior (such as in speech or dress) adopted to give a certain impression Latin "affectare" meaning "to strive for" Affection relates to love or tenderness which may not always be genuine. Affectation is never the real thing and is all about faking it. People can be fake and affect you in a certain way.

Sophistry

"Fallacious reasoning; plausible but faulty logic Greek ""sophistes"" meaning ""a master of one's craft; a wise or prudent man, one clever in matters of daily life"" Sophistry is tricking someone by making a sophisticatingly clever argument. Sophia had a sophistry to explain why she did not show up to class.

Canard

"False; deliberately misleading story Old French "quanart" meaning "duck" A bird that walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck may not always be a duck. Think Duck, Duck, Goose!

Jingoism

"Fanatical patiorism British Origins Comes from the word "jingo", the nickname for a group of Britsih people who always wanted to go to war to prove the superiority of Britain

Whimsical

"Fanciful, unpredictable Norse "hvima" meaning "to let the eyes wander" Whims are off ideas that usually occur to you very suddenly. Whimsical people do things on a whim.

Apogee

"Farthest or highest point; culmination; zenith Greek "apo" meaning "from" and "gaia" meaning "earth" Literally, the point that is highest or farthest from Earth. Think of the word ""apex"". Figuratively, the highest point something reaches like child stars who reach their apogee at 20 years old

Temerity

"Fearless, daring Latin "temere" meaning "by chance, rashly" Someone with temerity does not tremble in fear— they have the quality of being unafraid of danger or punishment. Tamara Gray showed temerity in her performances on American Idol.

Indignant

"Feeling anger over a perceived injustice Latin "indignus" meaning "unworthy" Refers to anger based on unworthy or unfair behavior rather than merely injury to one's own interest. You are indignant over something that lacked dignity.

Tepid

"Feeling or showing little interest or enthusiasm; moderately warm Latin ""tepere"" meaning ""be moderately warm"" Tepid means lukewarm or half-hearted so tepid people or things are lukewarm or lacking in enthusiasm or emotion. Your tip may be tepid if you had a bad server. Tepig is tepid compared to their Pokemon evolutions.

Distaff

"Female, especially relating to the maternal side of the family; women or women's work (noun); a staff that holds wool or flax for spinning Old English "distaef" meaning "long, cleft stick that holds flax from spinning" Di staff is filled with women

Zealous

"Fervent; ardent; impassioned, devoted to a cause Latin "zelus" meaning "zeal, jealousy" Use to describe eagerness or enthusiastic activity

Inconstancy

"Fickleness, unreliability; the state of changing without good reason Latin "inconstantia" meaning "inconstancy, fickleness" Someone who shows inconstancy is inconsistent with their feelings.

Truculent

"Fierce and cruel; eager to fight; defiant aggresiveness Latin "truculentus" meaning "savage, pitiless" Truculent folks are like monster trucks, ready to run over anything that gets in their way

Doleful

"Filled with or evoking sadness Latin "dolere" meaning "suffer, grieve" Think about the word "condolence" which is an expression of sympathy, especially on the occasion of a death. You give condolences to someone who may be doleful.

Squalor

"Filthy, wretched condition Latin "squalere" meaning "to be filthy" Picture the squatter areas in the Philippines

Entrenched

"Fixed firmy or securely Latin "truncare" meaning "to main, mutilate, cut off" Think about being trapped in a trench. It's hard to get out because you are so firmly and securely in there

Blandishment (Verb: blandish)

"Flattery Latin "blandiri" meaning "to soothe, flatter" Often teasing in tone and has the intention to persuade you to do something. Someone whose blandishes is not bland at flattery.

Lissome

"Flexible, supple, agile Old English "lithe" meaning "gentle, meek" Lithe means limber or flexible which is a synonym. Lissome originated as a variant of lithesome. Lizzo is lissome with music genres ranging from hip hop, R&B, pop, soul, even playing her flute.

Flux

"Flowing; a continuous moving Latin "fluere" meaning "to flow" Describes something that constantly changes like an influx of something.

Voluble

"Fluent, verbal, having easy use of spoken language Latin "volvere" meaning "to roll" Think about the word revolve. A voluble talker just keeps rolling on and on.

Canonical

"Following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards Latin "cononicus" meaning "according to rule" A canon is an ecclesiastic rule of law enacted by a council or other competent authority in the Roman Catholic Church, approved by the pope

Jocose

"Fond of joking; jocular Latin "jocus" meaning "joke" or "jest" Think of the word as "joke"-ose

Affinity

"Fondness; liking; similarity Latin ""affinis"" meaning ""related"" If you have an affinity for someone, you have a connection with them. Think of an affinity group.

Quixotic

"Foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals From Spanish novel "Don Quixote" Don Quixote performs unrealistic schemes and great chivalry In the middle of recession and high unemployment, it would be quixotic to imagine that you could quit your job and find another easily

Premonition (Adjective: premonitory)

"Forewarning; presentiment Latin "praemonere" meaning "to warn in advance"" Usually refers to something bad or harmful

Oligarchy

"Form of government in which power belongs to only a few leaders Greek "oligoi" meaning "few" and "arkhein" meaning "to rule" The small number of people include wealthy landowners, royalty, or powerful military figures

Dictum

"Formal or authoritative pronouncement; saying or proverb Latin "dicere" meaning "to say" Think of the word dictionary or diction. It has to do with saying something, but formally.

Panegyric

"Formal praise, eulogy, encomium; panegyrical means expressing elaborate praise Greek "panegyricus" meaning "public eulogy" and French "panegyrique" meaning "laudation" A formal, high-minded speech. If you are panagyric to an employee at Halal Guys, they might give you free gyros.

Forswear

"Formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure Old English "for" meaning "completely" and "swerian" meaning "to swear" When you forswear, you abandon something completely like how Romeo forswore his love for Rosaline to pursue Juliet. To forswear is to swear your disagreement with a formerly held belief.

Phalanx

"Formation of soldiers carrying shields close together for defense; any very close group of people Greek "phalanx" meaning "line of battle, battle array" Phalanges refers to the bones in the hands and feet, which fit together closely, like soldiers in a phalanx

Onomatopoeia

"Formation or use of words that imitate sounds of the actions they refer to Greek "onomatopoeia" meaning "word-making" Boom! Bang! Crash!

Erstwhile

"Former, previous (adjective); in the past, formerly (adverb) Old English "aesrest" meaning "soonest, earliest" Erstwhile is related to the Old English "ere" which means "before"

Redolent

"Fragrant, suggestive or evocative Latin ""redolere"" meaning ""emit a scent, diffuse odor"" Dole whip could be very redolent.

Disinterested

"Free of bias or self-interest; impartial Prefix ""dis"" meaning ""opposite of"" Latin "interesse" meaning "to concern" Disinterested means unbiased whereas uninterested means you don't give a hoot

Guileless

"Free of cunning or deceit; artless French "guile" meaning "deceit, wile, fraud, ruse, trickery" and "less" meaning "not" If you are guileless, you are innocent and you might be a touch on the gullible side

Unimpeachable

"Free of guilt; not subject to blame; beyond doubt or reproach Latin "un" meaning "not" and "impedicare" meaning "catch, tangle" Trump thinks that he is unimpeachable of his crimes

Bonhomie

"Friendliness, open and simple good heartedness French "bon homme" meaning "good man" Bon means "good". A good homie is friendly.

Cowed

"Frightened with threats, violence, intimidation; overawe Old Norse "kuga" meaning "to oppress" Think of the word coward!

Gambol

"Frolic; skip or leap playfully Latin "gamba" meaning "horse's leg" If you gambled and won a lot, you might gambol around sprinting, jumping, and yelling "woo-hoo!"

Solicitous

"Full of anxiety and concern; showing hovering attentiveness Latin "sollus" meaning "entire" and "citus" meaning "set in motion" To solicit is to ask for something. If it becomes too illegal like asking for methamphetamine, you might feel solicitous. Think of your mom— attentive, caring, and concerned

Bustling

"Full of energetic and noisy activity Middle English "bresten" meaning "to rush, break" New York City can be described as a bustling city. There are a lot of busses in New York City.

Porous

"Full of holes; permeable to liquids Latin "porus" meaning "pore" Your skin has pores which are holes that dirt and water can get stuck in

Orotund

"Full, rich, and clear (of the voice or speaking); pompous, bombastic Latin "ore rotundo" meaning "in well-rounded phrase", literally "with round mouth" Rotund simply means rounded— when applied to a person, it is a somewhat more polite word than "fat". The connection is the idea of "roundness" orotund comes from the idea of speaking with a rounded mouth. Imagine an opera where everyone is speaking orotund.

Disparate

"Fundamentally distinct or dissimilar Latin "disparatus" meaning "to deparate, divide" from prefix "dis" meaning "apart" and "parare" meaning "to prepare" Think about how it is not a pair— disparate things are very different from each other

Obsequy

"Funeral ceremony Latin "exsequiae" meaning "funeral rites" Think about it as against the sequence of your life

Droll

"Funny in an odd way French "drole" meaning "odd, comical, funny" Think of troll dolls which are funny in an odd way. A combination of the word "doll" and "troll"

Auxiliary

"Furnishing added support Latin "auxilium" meaning "help" The auxiliary police help out the regular police with things like directing traffic and crowd control when there is a special event in town. The auxilliary cord is helping amplify the music in the car.

Inept

"Generally incompetent and ineffectual; not elegant or graceful in expression; inappropriate, unsuitable, out of place; absurd or foolish Latin "aptus" meaning "fastened, fitted, fitting, appropriate" The opposite of inept is competent. Ept means skillful and knowledgeable. If you are inept, you are the opposite of that.

Dynamo

"Generator; forceful, energetic person Greek ""dynamis"" meaning ""power"" A dynamo is like dynamite. It is forceful and energetic.

Unfeigned

"Genuine; not false or hypocritical Latin ""un"" meaning ""not"" and "fingere" meaning "to shape, invent" Feign means to fake or pretend while unfeigned means sincere

Obeisance

"Gesture that expresses deference, such as a bow or a curtsy Latin ""oboedire"" meaning ""to obey"" Someone obeyisance will be obedient and obey someone's commands.

Underscore

"Give extra weight to (a communication) Literally means "to underline" To underscore something is to call attention to it or emphasize something. You are giving it a high score for attention.

Profuse

"Given or coming forth abundantly; extravagant Latin "profuses" meaning "lavish, spread out" If you are bleeding profusely, you are bleeding a lot. A professor can assign a profuse amount of homework.

Cavalier

"Given to haughty disregard of others Latin "caballus" meaning "horse" Think of Lebron James who left the Cavaliers and things that he is the best basketball player to have walked the planet

Idolatrous

"Given to intense or excessive devotion to something Greek "eidololatria" meaning "worship of idols" from "eidolon" meaning "image" and "latreia" meaning ""worship, service" When you idolize someone too much, you can be described as idolatrous

Demonstrative

"Given to or marked by the open expression of emotion Latin "demonstrare" meaning "point out" To demonstrate is to show, so think of demonstrative as showing their emotions.

Patent

"Glaringly obvious Latin "patentem" meaning "open, lying open" While a patent is a government document that proves that an invention is yours and yours alone, you may have a patent in your office to show that an invention of yours is patent. The patient is in patent pain.

Stygian

"Gloomy, dark, hellish Greek word "styx" meaning "the hateful" The styx river is the murky and terrible river which flows through the underworld in Greek mythology. Think of it as gloomy and dark

Saturnine

"Gloomy, dark, sullen, morose Latin "Saturninus" meaning "Of Saturn" Medeival alchemists ascribed to the planet Saturn as a gloom and slow character. People who are saturnine are gloomy, mean, scowling

Encomium

"Glowing and enthusiastic praise; panegyric, tribute, eulogy Greek "enkomion" meaning "eulogy" Originally referred to the song for the winner of the Olympic games, sung at a victory celebration

Rankle

"Gnaw into; make resentful or angry French verb "rancler" meaning "Festering sore" If you were to prank a friend and hold him by his ankles over a trash can every day for a week, it would definitely rankle him

Depravity

"Goes beyond bad behavior— a total lack of morals, values, and even regard for other living things Latin "depravare" meaning "to pervert, corrupt" A pervert shows depravity.

Theocracy

"Government by priests representing a god Greek "theo" meaning "God" and "kratia" meaning "power or rule" When religious doctrine is the law of the land, you are most likely living in theocracy

Amortized

"Gradually write off the initial cost of an asset over a period; Reduce or pay off a debt with regular payments Latin "admortire" meaning "to extinguish" Think of a mortgage which is amortized with regular payments.

Hand-wringing

"Grasping, squeezing, etc. of the hands as an expression of nervousness, guilt, etc.; extend debate over what to do about an issue Old English "wringan" meaning "press, strain, wring, twist" Picture squeezing your hand as if you were nervous or guilty for doing something

Aplomb

"Great coolness and composure under strain French "a plomb" meaning "poised, upright, balanced" Use aplomb to show great restraint under even the most trying circumstances. In retail, it is always a good idea to handle the angry customer with aplomb. You would want a plumber that is aplomb when the sink is broken.

Ardor

"Great emotion or passion Latin "ardere" meaning "to burn" Someone who is ardent is passionate about something. A shop-oholic may have ardor to go to Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento.

Fervent

"Greatly emotional or zealous Latin "fervere" meaning "to boil, glow" Used to describe a person or thing that shows very strong feelings of enthusiasm. Close to the word fervid. You have a fever for your passion.

Bedazzling

"Greatly impress with outstanding ability or striking appearance; decorate or personalize using sequins, beads, glitter, etc. Middle English "dasen" meaning be stunned, be bewildered" Picture a bedazzler

Cupidity

"Greed for money Latin "cupidus" meaning "desirous" In our system of capitalism, cupid shot it's arrow at money

Avarice (adjective: avaricious)

"Greed, especially for wealth Latin "avaritia" meaning "greedy" Despicable and evil connotation. Ava wants too much rice, she is too avaricious.

Verdant

"Green, such as with vegetation, plants, grass, etc.; young and inexperienced Latin "virdis" meaning "green" Related to the Spanish "verd" and the French "vert" which both mean "green"

Bevy

"Group of birds or other animals that stay close together; any large group Unknown origin Mostly associated with birds but describes groups of people who stick together like a flock of birds— usually implying a not-very serious opinion about the group in question

Junta

"Group of people united in political intrigue Latin "jungere" meaning "to join" All the players in a junta must join together to overthrow the government. Whenever military groups joined forces to usurp the existing regime, they would form a military junta.

Accretion

"Growth in size or increase in amount Latin ""accresere"" meaning ""become larger"" Your student loans experience accretion as interest accrues.

Lurid

"Gruesome or excessively vivid; sensational, shocking, unrestrained Latin "luridis" meaning "ghastly, pale yellow" When people are lured into looking at something, they may be drawn to it because it is a shocking, graphic, or horrible scene, something lurid and very vivid that pulls them in

Dyspeptic

"Grumpy; pressimistic, irritable; suffering from dyspepsia (indigestion) Greek "dyspeptos" meaning "hard to digest" Think of pepto bismol which can help someone with indigestion or someone who feels irritable

Surmise

"Guess, inferior, opine French "surmettre" meaning "to accuse" with "sur" meaning "on, upon" and "mettre" meaning "to put" SURe, guess the preMISE. Instead of saying ""I guess"", you can say ""I surmise"".

Indolent

"Habitually lazy; idle Latin "in" meaning "not" and "dolere" meaning "suffer or give pain" A condolence is related to sympathy while indolence is feeling lazy. If you eat way too much Dole Pineapple, you can become very indolent.

Taciturn

"Habitually reserved and uncommunicative Latin "tacitus" meaning "silent" Often considered a negative trait which suggests someone uncommunicative and too quiet. A taciturn person does now want it to be their turn to speak.

Extradite

"Hand over to the authorities of another country Latin "ex" meaning "out" and "traditionem" meaning "a delivering up or handing over" Treaties between countries often require them to extradite suspected criminals. Related to word indict. You extradite people from other countries that have been indicted.

Fortuitous

"Happening by accident or chance Latin "forte" meaning "by chance" Fortunate means lucky, but fortuitous means by chance or accident

Rife

"Happening frequently, abundant, currently being reported Middle Low German "rive" meaning "abundant, generous" Think of the word "ripe" which means "fully developed". If something is rife, there is a lot of it. The NRA has a rife of rifles.

Deleterious

"Harmful to living things Greek "deleterios" meaning "destroyer" equivalent to "deleisthai" meaning "to hurt" Think of the word "delete" which has a negative connotation. You would want to delete something deleterious.

Noxious

"Harmful, injurious Latin "noxious" meaning "harmful, hurtful, injurious" Obnoxious has less extremity. Noxious involves real physical or emotional damage unless the word is used in exaggeration

Innocuous

"Harmless; causing no damage Latin "in" meaning "not" and "nocere" meaning "to injure or harm" Innocuous things won't cause injury. They are inoffensive. Innocuous things won't (k)noc(k) u out

Vitriolic

"Harsh or corrosive in tone Latin "vitreus" meaning "of glass, glassy" Vitriol used to be the name for sulfuric acid whcih burns through just about anything. Mean, nasty, and caustic as the worst acid, vitriolic words can hurt feelings, break hearts, and even lead to violence.

Cacophony

"Harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance Greek "kak" meaning "bad" and "phone" meaning "sound" When an orchestra tunes up before a show, it sounds like a cacophony because each musician is playing a completely different tune, at different times, and at different volumes. Caco sounds like kaka which is poop. It sounds like poop. A euphony would be the opposite.

Impetuous

"Hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement Latin "impetere" meaning "to attack" Impetuous has to do with doing things on the spur of the moment. Your pet can be impetuous if they want to play with you.

Odium

"Hate coupled with disgust; state of disgrace resulting from detestable behavior Latin "od" meaning "hatred" The shivery feeling of disgust and hatred you get when you see something senseless and horrible. Odin was the father of Thor, who was not the most likeable person. You may have felt odium towards Odin or Donald Trump behind a podium.

Supercilious

"Haughty and disdainful; looking down on others Latin "supercilium" meaning "haughty demeanor" or "eyebrow" Cilia are small, thick hairs. One area of our bodies that contains cilia is our eyebrows. Supercilious derived from the rising of these brows. To be supercilious it to be haughty and disdainful. When we look down at someone in a demeaning way, we might be tempted to lift our brows.

Fetid

"Having a bad smell Latin "fetere" meaning "to stink" The fe(e)t (d)id stink

Benignant

"Having a kindly disposition; gracious Latin "benignus" meaning "kind, generous" Think of it in the medical sense where a benignant tumor is one that won't hurt you, but a malignant tumor is dangerous, infectious, or cancerous

Debonair

"Having a sophisticated charm French "de bon aire" meaning "of good race" Has the word bon which means good. Deb on air in radio or television usually has a sophisticated charm.

Acerbic

"Having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting Latin "acerbus" meaning "sour-tasting" Sounds like the first part of acid. Acerbic speech is like acid because it is sour and corrodes, or weakens, relationships.

Astringent

"Having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe Latin "astringent" meaning "pulling tight" Since astringents are acid-based, an astringent personality can also be corrosive. Looks like the word strangle. If you strangle someone, you are being astringent and tightening up their neck. An astringent personality is perceived as bitter and perhaps even a bit toxic.

Noisome

"Having an extremely bad smell Shortened from French "anoi" meaning "annoyance" Something noisome affects the nose in a bad way.

Voracious

"Having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; ravenous Latin "vorare" meaning "to devour" President Kennedy was described as a voracious reader The words carnivore, herbivore, omnivore deal with eating

Malodorous

"Having an unpleasant smell Latin "male" meaning "bad or ill" and "odorus" meaning "having a smell" Bad Odor!

Ponderous

"Having great mass and weight and unwieldiness; slow and laborious because of weight; labored and dull Latin ""pondus"" meaning ""weight"" The word ponder is reflecting on weighty thoughts. Something that is ponderous weighs a lot.

Tenuous

"Having little substance or strength; flimsy; weak Latin "tenuis" meaning "thin" Tenuous means something that is fragile, sensitive, easily bruised, or gentle. If you need votes, and you are only at ten percent, you have a tenuous chance of winning.

Amorphous

"Having no definite form or distinct shape Greek "a" meaning lacking or without" and "morphe" meaning "form" Figuratively, something amorphous lacks focus. It can describe a work of art, political movement, or someone's life plans,

Indifferent

"Having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice French "indifferent" meaning "impartial" If you are indifferent about something, you don't care too much about it one way or another

Incisive

"Having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions Latin "incidere" meaning "cut into" Think of the word incisors which are the teeth that are sharp and cut and tear. The most figurative meaning of describing something that is mentally sharp appeared in the 1850s. Keen criticism and cutting remarks have been called incisive!

Imperious

"Having or showing arrogant superiority and disdain of those one views as unworthy Latin "imperium" meaning "command, supreme power, empire" Related to the word empire. An emperor is imperious!!

Haughty

"Having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy Latin "altus" meaning "high" Someone haughty thinks that they are such a hotty

Malevolent

"Having or showing often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred Latin "malevolens" meaning "ill-disposed, spiteful" The opposite of benevolent which means wishing good things for others

Pertinent

"Having precise or logical relevance to the matter at hand Latin "pertinentem" meaning "pertaining" Something pertinent pertains to the topic or situation

Sagacious

"Having sound judgement; perceptive Latin "sagus" meaning "prophetic" Related to the word seek. Someone who is sagacious is seeking knowledge and insight. They want to be a sage.

Carping

"Having tendency to complain or criticize Latin "carpere" meaning "pluck at, slander" Carping is petty and unjustified criticism that just won't stop. Magikarp is a pokemon that experiences a lot of carping because its only move in the Pokemon games is ""Splash""

Pervasive

"Having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout Latin "pervas" meaning "passed through" Think of the word pervert

Dubious

"Hesitating, doubting, or suspecting something is not true Latin word: "dubiosus" meaning "doubtful" or "uncertain Latin root "duo" meaning "of two minds" Generally describes something that appears one way but truly is another Can be synonymous with the word doubtful

Recondite

"Hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure Latin "reconditus" meaning "hidden, put away" It is recondite to understand the meaning of recondite because it is hard for the average mind to understand what the word means

Covert

"Hidden; secret; covering; sheltered; concealed; disguised French "covert" meaning "covered" Covert is the opposite of overt which means obvious, or in full view. Covert things are covered, hidden, private, or stealthy

Eminent

"High in station, rank, or repute; prominent; distinguished Latin word: "eminens" meaning "outstanding" Anyone highly respected or prominent or very successful at their jobs is eminent. Think of the phrase ""Your Eminence"" which is similar to ""Your Grace""

Beguiling

"Highly attractive and tempting English "be" meaning "thoroughly" and "guile" meaning "to deceive" Think of the Guilded Age which looked nice on the outside but was bad on the inside

Byzantine

"Highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious From Latin "Byzantinus" Byzantine art or architecture can be intricate

Percipient

"Highly perceptive Latin "percipere" meaning "obtain, gather, seize entirely, take possession of" Someone percipient is very perceptive recipient.

Encumber

"Hold back French "encomber" meaning "to block up, hinder, thwart" Something cumbersome may encumber you a lot.

Enthrall

"Hold spellbound English "en" meaning "make put in" and "proel" meaning "bondman, serf, slave" Used to describe something so wonderful and captivating that the person experiencing it feels like a slave. If you enthrall someone, you make them powerless

Cornucopia

"Horn overflowing with fruit and grain; state of abundance Latin "cornu copiae" meaning "horn of plenty" The cornucopia in The Hunger Games had a lot of food and supplies

Baying

"Howling in a deep way, like a dog or wolf French "abaiier" meaning "to bark" Imagine a coyote baying in the bay.

Behemoth

"Huge creature; anything very large and powerful Hebrew "b'hemah" meaning "beast" Think of a T-Rex or a massive telecommunications company

Juggernaut

"Huge force destroying everything in its path Hindu roots Refers to a crude statue from which the Hindu god, Brahma, turned into the living god Krishna

Suppliant

"Humbly entreating, one praying humbly for something French "suppliant" meaning "beseeching" A suppliant is someone who begs or prays for something— you are asking to be supplied. To be suppliant is to humbly pray or ask for forgiveness

Abasement

"Humiliation or disgrace French "abaissier" meaning "diminish, or make lower in value or status" Describes the feeling of shame or disgrace that overcomes people who do something embarrassing or dishonorable. Abasement makes you feel like you should hide in a basement.

Ribald

"Humorously vulgar Old French "ribalt' meaning "rogue" scoundrel, lewd lover" Something ribald is funny, but in an off-color way. Joe Koy for example is a bald comedian who is ribald.

Panacea

"Hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; a universal solution Greek "pan" meaning "all" and "akes" meaning "cure" A panacea is a cure for all aches similar to how Pangea was the universal continent.

Arcadian

"Ideally rustic or rural Greek Origins Arkadia was a mountainous district landlocked in the Peloponnesus

Idolatry

"Idol worship; excessive or unthinking devotion or adoration Greek "eidololatria" meaning "worship of idols" An idol (forbidden in many religions) is a representation of an object of worship

Phantasmagorical

"Illusie; unreal Greek "phantasma" meaning "apparition" Describes a series of images that seem as though they were out of a dream, whether those images are real or in one's head. Think about a phantom or the word "gore" which is in the middle of the word.

Ape (v.)

"Imitate in a mocking way Middle English "ape-ware" meaning "deceptions, tricks" Some people might ape an ape by making monkey noises and acting like one.

Unassailable

"Immune to attack; without flaws Prefix "un" meaning "not" French "assalir" meaning "attack, assault, assail" An assailant is a person who physically attacks another. To be unassailable is to not be attacked

Impunity

"Immunity from punishment or penalty Prefix "im" meaning "not" and "poena" meaning "punishment" If someone has committed a punishable offense but does not have to fear punishment, he or she does it with impunity

Opaque

"Impenetrable by light; not reflecting light Latin "opaque" meaning "dark" Opaque is the opposite of transparent. Curtains can be opaque.

Ramification

"Implication, consequence French "ramifier" meaning "form branches" Often used in political discussions about laws or government decisions because they might be made locally but could affect people worldwide

Tacit

"Implied; not explicitly stated Latin "tacitus" meaning "silent" Someone who is taciturn is reserved, not loud and talkative.

Implicit

"Implied; understood but not stated Latin "implicare" meaning "to involve or entangle" Think of the phrase implicit bias

Foreboding

"Implying or seeming to imply that something bad is going to happen Middle English "boden" meaning "to foretell" A foretelling is a sign or a glimpse that something wicked way comes or might come

Nontrivial

"Important or big enough to matter Latin "trivialis" meaning "common, commonplace, vulgar" Trivial means "too small to matter." Trivia, like the questions asked on Jeopardy are called that because they are about small facts and details.

Ineluctable

"Impossible to avoid Latin word "eluctari" meaning "to force a way out or over, struggle" Used interchangeably with the more common unavoidable, but it implies an unsuccessful attempt to battle against. Someone inelectable is ineluctable to losing.

Imponderable

"Impossible to estimate or figure out Latin "in" meaning "not"" and ''ponderare" meaning''weigh, reflect on" If something is ponderable, it is capable of being assessed or weighted. Something imponderable is elusive and vague, perhaps even evasive.

Impermeable

"Impossible to permeate Latin "in" meaning "not" and "permeare" meaning "pass through" Something that is impermeable does not allow water or liquid to pass through it like how a waterproof raincoat is impermeable

Inexorable

"Impossible to stop or prevent Latin "in" meaning "not" and "exorare" meaning "entreat" You can not ex something out that is inexorable.

Impudent

"Improperly forward or bold Latin "impudens" meaning "without shame" We often call someone impudent if they are disrespectful, snotty, or inappropriate in away that makes someone feel bad. Tyron Lannister, the imp can be impudent around women.

Extemporaneous

"Improvised; done without preparation Latin word "extemporaneus" meaning "on the spur of the moment" Some politicians are so skilled that even their prepared remarks have an extemporaneous quality. Focus on the word ""ex"" and ""temp"", you did not have a lot of time to do it.

Amuck

"In a frenzied or uncontrolled state Malay "amok" meaning "rushing in a frenzy" Think of the Pokemon "Muk" who was created when pollution reached a frenzied or uncontrollable state

Inchoate

"In an initial stage; not fully formed Latin "inochare" meaning "to begin, start work on" Something inchoate is just beginning to form. If your height is in inches, you may have just entered the world.

Hotly

"In an intense, fiery, or heated way Middle English "hatlice" meaning "ardently" Focus on the "hot" part

Extant

"In existence; not lost Latin "ex" meaning "out" and "stare" meaning "to stand" The opposite of extinct: it refers to things that are here— they haven't disappeared or been destroyed

Attuned

"In harmony; in sympathetic relationship Latin "tonus" meaning "a sound, tone, accent" Something attuned is in tune with something else

Impervious

"Incapable of being pleased or calmed down; not admitting of passage or capable of being affected Latin "in" meaning "not" and "pervius" meaning "letting things through" A perv is someone who disturbs, so someone who is impervious cannot be disturbed

Infallible

"Incapable of error; certain Latin ""in"" meaning ""not"" and ""fallibilis"" meaning ""liable to error, deceitful"" Fallible means capable of making mistakes, so infallible people are incapable of error. You don't fall into errors.

Capricious

"Inclined to change one's mind impulsively; erratic; unpredictable Italian "capra" meaning "goat" or "capo" + "riccio" meaning "hedgehog" A caprice is something that makes a sudden change of mood Capricorns are goats! Goats are known for being impulsive.

Pugnacious

"Inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent; combative Latin "pugnacitas" meaning combativeness Latin "pugnis" meaning "fist" A pugilist is a professional boxer. Picture a pug dog which aggressively yaps at anything near it.

Untenable

"Indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable Latin "tenere" meaning "to hold" If something is untenable, you can't defend it or justify it. An uno out of ten is not viable or strong.

Bodes

"Indicate by signs Old English "bodian" meaning "to announce, foretell" Suggests forecasting. Something bodes well when the clues or signs imply a favorable outcome. Something foreboding indicates that something bad will happen.

Stoic

"Indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast Greek origin Stoic school of philosophy

Cognizant

"Informed; conscious; aware Latin "cognoscere" meaning "to learn" Related to the word recognize

Aptitudes

"Inherent or acquired ability Latin "aptitudo" meaning "fitness" The SAT is the Scholastic Aptitude Test which tests you on your academic abilities

Iniquity

"Injustice, wickedness, sin Latin "in" meaning "not" and "aequus" meaning "equal" or "just" An iniquity is an unfair or really immoral act. Basically similar to inequity, but more focused on morals.

Cant

"Insincere talk; language of a particular group, slanting or titled position Gaelix "caint" meaning "speech" and Latin "cantare" meaning "t o sing" You can't be nice when you cant. Think about the cliches and catchphrases parroted by politicians during election season

Contumacious

"Insubordinate, rebellious; contumely means insult, scorn, aspersion Latin "con" meaning "with" and "tumere" meaning "to swell" In the courtroom, a contumacious person is uncooperative and willfully disobeys an order given by the court. Connie, the contumacious teenager, threw tomatoes at the stage as a form of rebelliousness.

Insuperable

"Insurmountable; unconquerable Latin "in" meaning "not" and "superare" meaning "overcome" An insuperable difficulty is not just difficult, it is impossible. Think of the super root word.

Fecund

"Intellectually productive Latin "fecundus" meaning "fruitful" While fecund describes fertility, it could describe someone with a fertile intellect.

Precocity

"Intelligence achieved far ahead of normal developmental schedules Latin word "praecox" meaning "maturing early"which comes from "pre" meaning "before" and "coquere" meaning "to ripen or cook" A precocious person is someone who is way ahead of the curve in ability or intelligence

Esoteric

"Intended for or understood by a small, specific group Greek "esoterikos" meaning "inner" "Ouh!"

Ostentatious

"Intended to attract notice and impress others; tawdry or vulgar Latin "ostentare" meaning "to display" A flashy way or calling something flashy or showy. The Olsen twins were ostentatious in the media when they were on drugs.

Didactic

"Intended to teach or instruct Greek "didaktikos" meaning "apt at teaching, instructive" Used in a negative way. Root ""dac"" means ""teach"".

Subversive

"Intended to undermine or underthrown, especially an established government Latin "sub" meaning "underneath" and "vertere" meaning "to turn" Think about a subversive as a sneaky kind of revolutionary who tries to turn the system from the underneath

Perfidy (Adjective: perfidious)

"Intentional breach of faith; treachery Prefix "per" meaning "through" and Latin "fidem" meaning "faith" Someone's betrayal could be described as perfidy. To perfidy is to break faith.

Filibuster

"Intentional obstruction, especially using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action Spanish "dilibustero" referring to American adventurers who incited revolution in several Latin American states Dates back to Roman Senate when senator Cato spoke until dark to delay a vote

Interregnum

"Interval between reigns; gap in continuity Latin "inter" meaning "between" and "regnum" meaning "kingship, dominion, rule, realm" Describes the period between the reigns of two leaders like how President Obama's administration was interregnum of President Bush and President Trump's

Officious

"Intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner Latin "officiosus" meaning "obliging" A word to describe someone who acts more official than they actually are. People who are officious are busybodies— they want to make their opinions known and followed, despite not having any kind of real power

Embroiled

"Involved in argument or contention French "embrouiller" meaning "entangle or confuse" When you are embroiled, you're emotions are like a hot like a broiler

Picaresque

"Involving clever rogues or adventures Spanish ""picaresco"" meaning ""roguish"" Ash Ketcham and Pikachu go on all their picaresque adventures together.

Cerebral

"Involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct Latin "cerebrum" meaning "brain" Cerebral people use their brains which is associated with their intelligence rather than their heart

Causal

"Involving or constituting a cause Latin "causa" meaning "cause" A variation of the word cause. A cause is what makes something happen: The notebook flew across the room because you threw it. Your throwing was causal

Bilious

"Irritable, always angry Latin "bilis" meaning "bile" Related to the word "bile" and can be used to suggest a sickly green shade of someone who is irritable or troubled by indigestion.

Grating

"Irritating; harsh or discordant (of a noise); scraping German "kratzen" meaning "to scratch" A cheese grater shreds cheese; a grating voice is kind of like applying a cheese grater to your ears. Think of an ingrate who is grating.

Artifact

"Item made by human craft Latin "arte" meaning "by skill" and "factum" meaning "to make" A man-made object that has some kind of cultural significance is an artifact.

Mirth

"Jollity, merriment; amusement or laughter Aramaic "maretha" meaning "lady, mistress" The slang term "mirthquake" means an explosive outburst of laughter. Myrtha is mirth, especially when she laughs.

Schadenfreude

"Joy from watching the suffering of others German "schadenfreude" meaning "damage-jy" When another person's bad luck secretly makes you feel good, that is Schadenfreude. You are shady and cold if you are schadenfreude.

Warranted

"Justified French "warrantir" meaning "safeguard, protect; guarantee, pledge" A warrant justifies someone can enter your home

Conversant

"Knowledgeable about or experienced with Latin "conversari" meaning "keep company with" If you can have a full on conversation about a topic, you are probably conversant— or knowledgeable or experienced— with it.

Discord

"Lack of agreement or harmony Latin "dis" meaning "different" and "cord" meaning "heart" When there is discord between people, their hearts are in different places— usually resulting in more than a few raised voices clashing disharmoniously. Opposite of an accord.

Anomie

"Lack of moral standards in a society; personal state of isolation and anxiety resulting from a lack of social control and regulation Greek "anoms" meaning "lawless" An anemone is Finding Nemo stays in the same place and is isolated. It is being anomie.

Wanting

"Lacking Old English "wan" meaning "lacking" A wanton is someone who is lacking in discipline. You are wanting because you are lacking in something.

Spurious

"Lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit Latin "spurius" meaning "false" A spurious claim is one that is not backed up by facts. If you did something in the spur of the moment, it is because you winged it and it might be false or spurious.

Pallid

"Lacking color or liveliness Latin "pallere" meaning "be pale" To be pale means to have no color

Myopic

"Lacking foresight or imagination Greek "myops" meaning "near-sighted" and "ic" meaning "having to do with" Began as a description of the condition that made people squint and was easily cured with a pair of pink cat eye-glasses, but it came to include people or plans with a lack of foresight. Focus on the root word ""myop""

Impecunious

"Lacking funds; without money Latin "pecunia" meaning "money" combined with prefix "im" meaning "not, without" I am impecunious :(

Disingenuous

"Lacking in frankness, candor, or sincerity; falsely or hypocritically ingenuous; insincere Latin "dis" meaning "opposite of" and "ingenuus" meaning "with the virtues of freeborn people, of noble character, frank, upright, candid" An ingenuous person is very sincere, but a disingenuous person is dishonest

Incongruous

"Lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness Latin "incongruus" meaning "inconsistent" Something incongruous is not suitable or proper

Insipid

"Lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate, or challenge Latin "sapidus" meaning "flavorful" Because spices and salts are left out, hospital food can be considered insipid. If you are insipid, you can't sip the taste or qualities of interest.

Artless

"Lacking in superficiality or deceit Latin "artem" meaning "skill, craftsmanship" and ""less"" meaning ""lacking"" Originally meant unskillful or uncultured, but evolved to meaning not skilled or cultured in the art of deceit

Bumbling

"Lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands Unknown origins Think of a bumbling idiot a bumble bee that is uncoordinated in getting pollen.

Appreciable

"Large enough to be noticed (usually refers to an amount) Latin "appretiare" meaning "set a price to" Think of the word "appreciate". You appreciate the quality of popcorn at the movie theater because it is significantly better than what you make at home. You appreciate it because it is appreciably different.

Copious

"Large in quantity for number; abundant; plentiful Latin "copia" meaning "abundance" The word amounts is often used to follow the word copious since the adjective is used to modify a measurement of something

Transitory

"Lasting a very short time Latin "transit" meaning "gone across" People may take the AC Transit or other public transit systems because they believe it is a transitory way of getting of getting from Point A to Point B.

Guffaw

"Laugh boisterously Scottish "gawf" which is onomatopoetic Imagine laughing "Gufaw-AH-AH-AH"

Feckless

"Lazy and irresponsible English "feck" meaning "effect, value, vigor" and "less" meaning "lacking" Feck is short for effect, so something feckless is ineffective and describes someone who is irresponsible, incompetent, inept, or without purpose in life.

Vanguard

"Leading units at the front of an army; leaders in a trend or movement, people on the cutting edge; the forefront of a trend or movement Old French "avant-garde" meaning "foreguard" or "front-guard" Derived from "avant-garde". Missy Elliot was awarded the VMA Video Vanguard Award this year for her career spanning performance.

Bent

"Leaning, inclination, proclivity, tendency Old English "bendan" meaning "to bind" If you have a knack or aptitude for doing something, you can say you have a bent for it.

Ascertain

"Learn or discover with certainty; establish a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study French "a" meaning "to, towards" and "certener" meaning "make sure of" A formal word that often applies to discovering the facts or truth about something through examination or experimentation

Savant

"Learned person, scholar, someone admitted to membership in a scholarly field; a person with amazing mental abilities despite having a cognitive difference or disability French "savant" meaning "a learned man" Marilyn vos Savant is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records for the highest IQ.

Fallow

"Left unplanned (of land); not in use Old English "fealh" meaning "fallow land" Related to the word "plowing" and refers to the practice of leaving fields unplowed. When a field lies fallow, the soil regains nutrients that are sucked up by overplanting.

Litany

"Lengthy recitation; repetitive chant Greek "litaneia" meaning "prayer" Often refers to certain long responsive petitions offered to God, particularly by practitioners of the Christian faith such as ""He pave the way, he pave the way"" which Dome sang when he was lit.

Clemency

"Leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice Latin "clemns" meaning "gentle" Kim Kardashian West asked President Donald Trump to grant clemency for Alice Marie Johnson. Clemency is basically the same thing as mercy.

Abridge

"Lessen, diminish, or curtail Latin "abreviare" meaning "to shorten" Close to the word "abbreviate" which means to shorten. A bridge is meant to abridge the length you have to walk around a river or valley.

Torpid

"Lethargic; sluggish; dormant Latin "torpere" meaning "to be stiff or numb" Think of a torpedo that is just sitting around before it is launched

Torpor

"Lethargy, dormancy, sluggishness Latin "torpere" meaning "be numb or sluggish" Turkey can make you feel torpor because it has a chemical that makes you drowsy. Torkey por dinner makes you sleepy

Lubricious

"Lewd, wanton, greasy, slippery Latin "lubricus" meaning "slippery" A lubricant makes something more slippery

Levity

"Light manner or attitude Latin "levis" meaning "light" Think of the word ""levitation"". Joking that your dead grandmother "never looked better" could inject some levity

Raillery

"Light teasing Middle French "railler" meaning "to tease or joke" To rail is to tease. Picture tying someone on a rail and teasing them.

Meteoric

"Like a meteor in speed or brilliance or transience Greek "metoros" meaning "high up" A meteor is something awe-inspiring. Someone meteoric is awe-inspiring in their speed, brilliance, or transience.

Petrous

"Like a rock; hardy, stony Latin ""petrosus"" meaning ""stony"" Think of the Petra, Jordan rock carving.

Seminal

"Like a seed, constituting a source, originative Latin ""seminalis"" meaning ""seed"" Think of the word semen which is what we originated from.

Seraphic

"Like an angel; serene, spiritually carried off or transported Latin "saraph" meaning "the burning one" A seraph in Christian writings is a celestial being— various definitions suggest that a seraph has six wings, or is depicted as the winged head of a child

Avuncular

"Like an uncle; benevolent and tolerant Latin "avunvulus" meaning "maternal uncle" Describes the relationship between an uncle and his nephew. Think about Santa Claus or the Dalai Lama

Labile

"Likely to change Latin "labi" meaning "to side or slip" An adjective used to describe something that is easily or frequently changed. Drinking alcohol will cause your bile to labile.

Modicum

"Limited quantity Latin "modicus" meaning "moderate" Cum is a small amount

Soliloquy

"Literary or dramatic speech by one character, not addressed to others Latin "solus" meaning "alone" and "loqui" meaning "a talking to oneself" A speech a character gives of his thoughts and reflections. Kind of like a monologue, but to the character themselves

Encumbered

"Loaded to excess or impeded by heavy load; restricted or burdened Latin "comboros" meaning "that which is carried together" Often used to talk about debt. You might be encumbered by a high monthly car payment that prevents you from buying concert tickets

Sublime

"Lofty or elevated, inspiring reverence or awe; excellent, majestic Latin "sublimis" meaning "uplifted, high, borne aloft, lofty, exalted, eminent, distinguished" Describes things that are awe-inspiringly grand, excellent, or impressive. That lime mirangue pie was sublime!

Prolix

"Long-winded, verbose; prolixity means verbosity Latin "prolixus" meaning "poured forth, extended" Something prolix has too many words and goes on too long. Prolix is prolific wording or Lit.

Episodic

"Loosely connected, not flowing logically, occuring at intervals Greek ""epeisodion"" meaning ""an episode"" Think of the episodes of the last season of Game of Thrones :'(

Plangent

"Loud and resounding, often in a mournful way Latin word "plangere" meaning "to strike or beat" Sad songs with plangent choruses that make you cry.

Din

"Loud, confused noise, especially for a long period of time Old English "dyne" or "dynn" meaning "noise" Picture a dining hall during dinner, it is din— loud, confused, continuous, generally unpleasant, and often potentially headache-inducing noise.

Strident

"Loud, harsh, unpleasantly noisy Latin "strix" meaning "screech owl" Striding means walking quickly with a wide step. If you are angry at your brother, you might come striding into his room and make a strident case for why he has done you wrong

Ignobility

"Low character, grade, quality, or rank Latin "ignobilis" meaning "inglorious" The prefix ig- makes it a bad thing. Think of the word ignorant

Nadir

"Low point, perigee Arabic "nazir as-samt" meaning "opposite to the zenith" Zenith is the part of the sky located directly above a person's head "high point" Used in Astronomy to indicate the part of the celestial sphere located directly below an observer

Fidelity

"Loyalty; exact correspondence Latin "fides" meaning "faith" Fidelity Investments relies on loyalty from the customer

Antic

"Ludicrously odd Italian "antico" meaning "antique" The clown's antic act was too extreme for the youngest children, who left the room in tears. Everyone has an aunt that is very antic and odd.

Salacious

"Lustful, lascivious, bawdy Latin "salire" meaning "to leap" Salacious things are usually not fit for general public consumption and probably need some kind of parental guidance warning. Sala means dance in Ilocano. You might dance to entice someone- you are being lustful. Twerking is a salacious dance.

Lascivious

"Lustful; sexually perverted Latin "lascivus" meaning "lewd, playful, undesigned, frolicsome, wanton" Lascivious Las Vegas

Supine

"Lying in the back, marked by lethargy Latin "supinus" meaning "thrown backwards" or "inactive" Whenever a person or animal is lying on its back or spine, belly-up, it is supine. If you had a big supper, you may feel supine after.

Tempered

"Made hard or flexible or resilient especially by heat treatment; adjusted or attuned by adding a counterbalancing element; moderated in effect Latin "tempus" meaning "time, season" Tempered glass, for example, is a safety glass that has been processed by controlled thermal or chemical treatments to increase its strength compared with normal glass

Hamstring

"Made ineffective or powerless English origins The hamstring muscle group is one of the most powerful in your body, but if you overuse it, you may be left hamstrung— rendered powerless

August

"Majestic, Venerable Latin "augustus" meaning "consecrated, venerable" Augustus Caesar was an important and regal person.

Cardinal

"Major, as in cardinal sin Latin "cardin" meaning "hunge A cardinal rule is one that is central and should not be broken. The Cardinal is the cardinal mascot for Stanford.

Reconcile

"Make (one thing) compatible with (another) Latin "re" meaning "back" and "concilliare" meaning "bring together" An agreeable word!

Beatify

"Make blessedly happy; fill with sublime emotion Latin "beatus" meaning "blessed" Originally the first step of achieving sainthood. Beatitude is a state of bliss.

Sully

"Make dirty; stain, tarnish, defile Old French "soilier" meaning "make dirty" Look at it as "soily." Soil makes something dirtier and can cause a stain. Sully's reputation at Monsters University and Monsters Inc was sullied.

Incense

"Make furious Latin "incender" meaning "to set on fire" If someone burns incense that smells, you might get incensed and storm out

Compound

"Make more intense, stronger, or more marked Latin "componere" meaning "put together" A compound can be a combination or a mixture of two or more things. Think of this compound being stronger and more intense than if the things were not combined.

Obscure

"Make unclear; known by only a few Latin "obscurus" meaning "dark, dim" If something is obscure, it is vague and hard to see. Imagine driving in heavy rain or fog— your sight is obscure

Clangorous

"Making a loud, resonant sound Latin ""clangere"" meaning ""to clang"" Think about the clang noise that metal pans make.

Sanctimonious

"Making a show of being pious; holier-than-thou Latin "sanctus" meaning "holy" A twist on the words sanctity and sacred, which mean holy or religious. Sanctimonious people are try to act like saints, their actions are far from pure or holy, which just makes them sound like hypocrites

Conducive

"Making a situation or outcome more likely to happen Latin "com" meaning "together" and "ducere" meaning "to lead" and suffix "ive" meaning "tending to" To conduce is to help to bring about. To be conducive is to make the situation or outcome more likely to occur.

Extenuating

"Making less guilty or more forgivable Latin "extenuis" meaning "to make thin" Almost always used with the word "circumstances" which describes the specific reasons that excuse or justify someone's actions

Conciliatory

"Making or willing to make concessions; intended to placate Latin "ory" meaning "relating to ro doing" and "conciliare" meaning "to bring together, win over" from "concilium" meaning "council" Conciliatory describes things that make other people less angry. Think of something conciliatory as making concessions.

Comportment

"Manner of behaving or conducting oneself; bearing Middle French root "comportement" meaning "bearing or behavior" Comportment can be used to describe both the way a person behaves and the way they carry themselves. Related to compartmentalize yourself.

Motley

"Many colored; made up of many parts Unknown origin A "motley crew" is a diverse and poorly organized group

Rakish

"Marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness Swedish "rak" meaning "project, reach" Synonymous to raffish. If you are raking the leaves and someone told you not to, you are being rakish. Rajesh Koothrappali has been rakish towards his Indian parents.

Raffish

"Marked by a carefree unconventionally or disreputableness Medieval French "rifle et rafle" meaning "stealing from the bodies of the dead on the battlefield" Someone raffish is a bit of a scoundrel, carelessly making mischief or playing practical jokes. Think of Raphael from fourth grade who was a bully.

Staccato

"Marked by abrupt, clear-cut sounds Italian "staccato" meaning "detached" A musical term for notes that are played quickly and sharply. They stack up very quickly

Plucky

"Marked by courage and determination Latin "pilare" meaning "pull out hair" Pluck is courage or heart, so to be plucky is to have those qualities.

Foolhardy

"Marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences English "fol" meaning "fool" and "hardy" meaning "bold" Combination of fool and hardy which means "brave" or "bold". Someone who is foolhardy is foolishly brave— they rush into action without considering the consequences

Glib

"Marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial German "gilbberig" meaning "slimy" Telling your boss that you had a "hot time" with his daughter is the kind of glib remark that could end your career. Gibby on iCarly is known for being glib.

Smug

"Marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction German "smuk" meaning "trim, neat" You can recognize someone who is pleased with themselves by their smug little smile and self-righteous remarks

Imperturbable

"Marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness Latin "perturbare" meaning "to confuse" or "to disturb" Perturb sounds like disturb. Imperturbable means you are not disturbed

Vehement

"Marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions Latin "vehment" meaning "impetuous, violent" Use to describe an extremely strong, powerful, or intense emotion, or force like a behemoth. People can be vehemently opposed to something or in favor of something.

Steadfast

"Marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable Old English "stedefaest" meaning "place firmly fixed" A steadfast person stands firmly in place, not wavering or budging an inch. Someone can be steadfast in a belief, an effort, a plan, or even a refusal.

Haphazard

"Marked by great carelessness; dependent upon or characterized by chance Old Norse "happ" meaning "luck, chance" and "az-zahr" meaning "chance, luck" Think of hap as short for "happen". Combine hap- and hazard and you get something that happens (or appears to have happend) by chance.

Forlorn

"Marked by or showing hopelessness Old English "forlesen" meaning "to lose completely" Sounds like the word alone. Use to express loneliness and feeling left out. A forlorn conclusion is marked by hopelessness.

Astute

"Marked by practical, hardheaded intelligence Latin "astutus" meaning "shrewd, sly, cunning" equivalent to "astu-" meaning "clever" Someone who is astute is clever and has good judgement. Think of this as the opposite of a prostitute. (Don't take offense, this is just a mneumonic)

Genteel

"Marked by refinement in taste and manners Middle French "gentil" meaning "stylish, fashionable, elegant" Think of the idea of being a gentleman. Gentleman must be genteel.

Brusque

"Marked by rude or peremptory shortness French "brusque" meaning "lively, fierce" from Italian "brusco" meaning "coarse, rough" When someone is brusque, often they feel that they are trying to brush you off

Furtive

"Marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious Latin "furtum" meaning "theft or robbery" A fugitive can be furtive

Reverent

"Marked by, feeling, or expressing a feeling of profound awe and respect Latin "verari" meaning "to fear" Revere is showing respect for someone or something. Think of Paul Revere who was respected.

Striated

"Marked with thin, narrow grooves or channels Latin "striare" meaning "to groove, to flute" Think of stripes. When you draw a row of stripes in clay with the tines of a fork, you are striating it. Striated muscles have a striped appearance

Quagmire

"Marsh, difficult situation English "quag" synonymous to "bog" or "marsh" and "mire" meaning "stuck" In a Quagmire, you get stuck physically— or even more commonly, in a situation that is hard to escape because there is no easy solution. Glenn Quagmire has been in a lot of sticky quagmires.

Sound

"Measure the depth of (usually of water) as with a sounding line; penetrate and discover the meaning of, understand (usually as sound the depths) Latin "sonus" meaning "sound, a noise" A sounding line or plumb line is a length of rope with a weight at the bottom; dropping it into water will allow the weight to sink and the depth of the water to be measured. Think of the word sonar.

Analgesic

"Medication that reduces or eliminates pain Greek "analgesia" meaning "painlessness, insensibility" The last three letters sound like "sick", and an analgesic is what you need when you are sick to give you relief from the pain such as Tylenol.

Nostrum

"Medicine or remedy of doubtful effectiveness Latin "noster" meaning "our" When you try many medicines that claim to cure your cold, but none of them work, they are nostrums. The word starts with ""no"" as it no, it didn't work. No strum of the guitar of relief.

Plaintive

"Melancholy; mournful French "plainte" meaning "lamentation" A plaint, as in complaint, is an expression of sorrow or grief. The plaintiff in a trial is the complainant— the sufferer— in a lawsuit. You may feel plaintive if your plaintains are not ripe yet.

Dulcet

"Melodious, harmonious, mellifluous Old French ""doucet"" meaning ""sweet"" Dulce in Spanish means sweet.

Minatory

"Menacing, threatening Latin "menatorious" meaning "menace" Think of the minotaur which is a threatening creature

Formidable

"Menacing; threatening Latin "formidare" meaning "to fear" Formidable things inspire fear and respect thanks to their size, or special ability, or unusual qualities

Venal

"Mercenary, corruptible Latin "venum" meaning "thing for sale" Someone with venal motives is corrupt and maybe a little evil or venomous. Nobody wants to be thought of as venal.

Euthanasia

"Mercy killing Greek "eu" meaning "good" and "thanatos" meaning "death" Think of a dog being euthanized. Youth in Asia, particularly in Burma, experience euthanasia.

Stratagem

"Military maneuver to deceive or surprise; crafty scheme Latin "strategema" meaning "artifice, stratagem" Strategy has generally positive connotations, but stratagem implies deception.

Malfeasance

"Misconduct or wrongdoing French "malfaisance" meaning "wrongdoing" Something feasible is doable, so fease has to relate to doing. Mal is always a negative word, so malfeasance is wrongdoing.

Abject

"Miserable; pitiful Latin ""abicere"" meaning ""reject"" Abject poverty is the most hopeless level of poverty you have seen. If you don't have many objects with worth, you are abject.

Qualms

"Misgivings; reservations; cause for hesitancy Entered English in 16th century with meanings like "doubt" and "uneasiness" Sense that something is wrong

Errant

"Mistaken; straying from the proper course Latin "errant" meaning "erring" An errant ant does not follow the path of the colony

Pastiche

"Mix of incongruous parts; artistic work imitating the work of other artist, often satirically Italian "pasticcio" referring to a pie containing a mix of ingredients, such as meat or pasta Think of a pasta dish that has a mix of different, incongruous parts or pasta.

Conflate

"Mix together different elements or concepts Latin conflare" meaning "to blow together" Things that have been conflated often seem mixed up or confused, as when you conflate two different ideas, taking parts of one and parts of another to build your own Frankenstein version of things. You inflate one ballon, but you conflate multiple balloons.

Miscellany

"Mixture of writings on various subjects Latin "miscere" meaning "to mix" A collection of different sorts of things like ""miscellaneous"". If organization is not one of your strong points, your purse may contain a miscellany of surprising things

Paragon

"Model of perfection or excellence Italian "paragone" meaning "touchstone to try good (gold) from bad" Applies to someone who is a model of perfection in some quality or trait. We link pargon with other words that follow it, such as "paragon of virtue" or "paragon of patience"

Abstemious

"Moderate in appetite Latin ""abs"" meaning ""away"" and ""temetum"" meaning ""intoxicating drink"" Relative of the word abstain. When you are abstemious, you are abstaining from consuming more.

Lucre

"Money or profits Latin "lucrum" meaning "gain, profit" Think of the word "lucrative" which is related to having money or profits

Base

"Morally low, mean, dishonorable; of little or no value; crude and unrefined; counterfeit Latin "basis" meaning "foundation" Think of a pyramid that has a base with people or things at the bottom.

Reprobate

"Morally unprincipled person Latin "reprobat" meaning "disapproved" Opposite of an approbate person who is approved morally

Brandishes

"Move or swing back and forth; exhibit aggressively; the act of waving French word "brandir" meaning "sword" One might brandish a sword or tennis racket. When you drink too much brandy, you might start to brandish a lot.

Centrifugal

"Moving away from a center Latin "centrum" meaning "center" and "fugere" meaning "to flee" Activated by something moving in a curved direction; the heavier the object, the stronger the force. When you see ""fug"", think of the word fugitve. You are running away from the center.

Undulating

"Moving in waves Latin "undula" meaning "wavelet" An undulation creates kind of a wave as you drive

Centripetal

"Moving or directed towards a center Latin "centrum" meaning "center" and "petus" meaning "seeking" It is the opposite of centrifugal. Centripetal means to move things in. Petals are in the bud.

Turbid

"Muddy, opaque, in a state of great confusion Latin "turbidus" meaning "muddy, full of confusion" Can also describe an English essay that is turbid— it needs time to go back to work with outlines and thesis statements. It is turbulent and confusing.

Pied

"Multicolored, usually in blotches Middle English origins At Pieology, you can make a pied pizza pie.

Variegated

"Multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color Latin "varius" meaning "diverse" Same root in the words various, variable, varied, and variety A tiger's variegated coat helps it stay hidden

Recrimination

"Mutual accusations Latin "recriminari" meaning "to make charges against" If someone accuses you of the same thing that you are accusing them of, that is a recrimination. You are accusing each other of the same crime.

Cryptic

"Mysterious or vague, usually unintentionally Greek "kryptos" meaning "hidden" A crypt is a room under a church in which people are dead. Being cryptic is being mysterious like a crypt

Uncanny

"Mysterious, strange English "un" meaning "not" and "canny" meaning "fortunate, safe" If something is uncanny, it is so mysterious, strange, or unfamiliar that it seems supernatural

Enigmatic

"Mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand Latin "enigma" meaning "riddle" Referring to something or someone that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to figure out

Appellation

"Name or title by which someone is known French "appeller" meaning "to call by a name" "Je m'appelles Marvin" means "My name is Marvin"

Hidebound

"Narrow or rigid in opinion, inflexible; oriented toward or confined to the past; extremely conservative From ""hide"" and ""bound"" Hidebound things or people are stuck in the past and unable to change. They are hiding from the bounds of today's changes.

Illiberality

"Narrow-mindedness, bigotry; strictness or lack of generosity Latin "illiberalis" meaning "ungenerous, mean, sordid, unworthy of a freeman, stingy, disobliging" Think of lacking a liberal arts education or not requiring such an education (as a profession).

Insularity

"Narrow-mindedness; isolation Latin "insula" meaning "island" Refers to the quality of being isolated or detached. Someone with insularity is in solitary of their own self.

Parochial

"Narrowly restricted in scope or outlook Latin "parochialis" meanining "relating to an ecclesiastical district" A parochial school is a school that is affiliated with a particular church. In general, parochial refers to a narrow or limited point of view— an outlook tha extends no further than the limits of a parish

Sextant

"Navigation tool that determines longitude and latitude Latin "sextans" meaning "sixth part" The sextant use a graduated arc of 60 degrees for measuring the altitude of the planets and stars

Propinquity

"Nearness in time or place, affinity of nature, kinship Latin ""propinquus"" meaning ""near, neighbor"" Think of the word proximity being related to propinquity.

Incontrovertible

"Necessarily or demonstrably true; impossible to deny or disprove English "in" meaning not" and "controvert" meaning "dispute, oppose by argument" Controver, as in controversy, is hiding inside the word, so something incontrovertible means there is no controversy about something.

Inviolable

"Never to be broken, infringed, or dishonored Latin "in" meaning "not" and "violare" meaning "to violate" Something inviolable cannot be violated.

Defunct

"No longer in effect or use; not operating or functioning Latin "defunct" meaning "dead" If you cannot function, you are defunct

Obstreperous

"Noisily and stubbornly defiant, aggressively boisterous Latin "ob" meaning "against" and "stepere" meaning "make noise" Think of strep throat. Noise comes from your throat. You would be obstreperous at he person who knowingly gave you strep throat.

Clamor

"Noisy outcry, a loud uproar, as from a crowd of people Latin "clamare" meaning "cry out" To clamor is to make a demand— Loudly. It is usually a group that clamors— like Americans might clamor for comprehensive health care coverage. You might clamor for more clams if you ran out.

Incorrigible

"Not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed Latin "in" meaning "not" and "corriger" meaning "to correct" Someone incorrigible is beyond being CORRected. Something corrigible is capable of being set right, correctable, or reparable.

Implacable

"Not capable of being appeased or significantly changed Prefix "im" meaning "not" and Latin "placare" meaning "to quiet, calm, appease" Placate means to soothe or to appease; implacable is someone or something that cannot be soothed or appeased

Immutable

"Not capable of change Latin "im" meaning "not" and "mutare" meaning "to change" If you can't change it, it is immutable Something mutable can be changed like the volume

Untrammeled

"Not confirmed or limited Prefix "un" meaning "not" and Latin "tremaculum" meaning "net made of three layers" Something that is untrammeled is completely free and unrestricted, it can not be trampled on.

Indefatigable

"Not easily exhaustible; tireless, dogged Latin "in" meaning "not" and "defatigiare" meaning "to tire out" with the prefix "de" meaning "entirely" Think about the word fatigue. Indefatigable is the opposite of being fatigued

Intractable

"Not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate Latin "in" meaning "not" and "tractare" meaning "to handle" A contract is a written document that explains how a legal situation is to be managed together. When someone is tractable, they are able to tracked, managed, or handled When they are intractable, they are as unmanageable as a hungry two-year old

Unflappable

"Not easily perturbed or excited or upset; marked by extreme calm and composure Prefix "un" meaning not" and English "flappe" meaning "a blow, slap, buffet" A flapper (a fashionable young woman in the 1920s intent on enjoying herself and flouting conventional standards of behavior) is not unflappable.

Stolidity (adjective: stolid)

"Not easily stirred or moved mentally; unemotional; impassive Latin word: "stolidus" meaning "inert, dull, stupid" Stoic: Philosophy that taught people to be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief

Inscrutable

"Not easily understood; unfathomable Latin "in" meaning "not" and "scrutari" meaning "to examine search" Scrutiny is crtical observation or examination. Consider cats and dogs. Dogs are not inscrutable because you can tell what they are thinking and feeling. They have scruff so they are scrutable. Cats are very difficult to read. They are very inscrutable animals.

Scant

"Not enough or barely enough Old Norse "skamt" meaning "short, brief" Scanty is lacking in extent or quantity so scant is also lacking. Scanty clothing is not a lot of clothing. If you are scant, you can't have a lot of resources.

Untoward

"Not favorable, troublesome English "un" meaning "not" and "toweard" meaning "in the direction of" You are the opposite of being toward something

Improvident

"Not given careful consideration Latin "im" meaning "opposite or not" and "providere" meaning "foresee, provide" Someone provident is providing for future need and is frugal, but an improvident person does not care. If you go on a impulsive trip to Providence, Rhode Island, you were being improvident.

Indecorous

"Not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society Latin "in" meaning "not" and "decorus" meaning "becoming or seemly" from the root word "decus" meaning "ornament" Indecorous people are Indecent

Unseemly

"Not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society Prefix "un" meaning "not" and Old Norse "Soemr" meaning "fitting, becoming" Something that is inappropriate or unacceptable behavior seems to be unseemly

Extrinsic

"Not inherent or essential Latin "extrinsecus" meaning "outward" Opposite of intrinsic which means part of something or someone's essential nature

Transient

"Not lasting, enduring, or permanent; fleeting Latin word "transire" meaning "to pass over" Most often used to modify nouns like nature, threat, source, and cause Also a noun to descript a person who moves from place to place. Describes homeless folks.

Intangible

"Not material Latin "in" meaning "not" and "tangere" meaning "to touch" Something tangible is perceptible by touch

Static

"Not moving, active, or in motion; at rest Greek "statikos" meaning "to make stand" Think about the word stationary and how it means standing still

Subtle

"Not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern Latin "subtilis" meaning "fine, thin, delicate, finely woven" More professional way of saying "lowkey"

Seldom

"Not often Middle English word "seldum" meaning "strange, rare" Synonym for rarely

Ersatz

"Not real or genuine; phony German "ersatzen" meaning "to replace" It is an inferior substitute or imitation. There may be a lot of meat ersatz for vegans. The root ""sat"" may be related to a satire which is not the real or genuine thing.

Immaterial

"Not relevant Latin "in" meaning "not, opposite of" and "materialis" meaning "of or belonging to matter" Immaterial things don't matter

Impious

"Not religious, lacking reverence, ungodly Latin "impius" meaning "without reverence, irreverent, wicked; undutiful, unpatriotic" Pious which means reverent, therefore someone impious is the opposite

Unchecked

"Not restrained or controlled Prefix ""un"" meaning ""not"" and ""eschequier"" meaning ""a check at chess"" To check is to hold or control-- the way you control your opponent's kind in a game of chess by putting it in check. Unchecked describes osmething undesirable thst has grown out of control like weeds.

Frivolous

"Not serious in content or attitude or behavior Latin "frivolus" meaning "silly, trifling" If someone is frivolous, that person shouldn't be taken seriously because he's always fooling around and never gets anything done. Frivolous, Foolish

Artful

"Not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness; marked by skill in achieving a desired and especially with cunning or craft Latin "artem" meaning "skill, craftsmanship" Doing something in an artful way requires skill

Oblique

"Not straightforward; indirect Latin "obliquus" meaning "slanting, sidelong, indirect" An oblique is a muscle neither parallel or perpendicular to the long axis of a body or limb. To be oblique is to be indirect or not straightforward.

Lax

"Not strict; careless, loose, slack Latin "laxus" meaning wide, spacious, roomy" Someone lax is relaxed. A laxative relaxes the stomach so you can poop.

Untempered

"Not toned down; not moderated, controlled, or counterbalanced Prefix "un" meaning "not" and "temperare" meaning "observe proper measure, be moderate, restrain oneself" To temper is to moderate, soften, or tone down, or to make less intense, especially by mixing something good with something bad. Of course, temper as a noun means a person's state of mind or tendency to anger

Imprudent

"Not wise Latin "in" meaning "not" and "provident" meaning "foreseeing, attending to" Prudent means "wise or shrewd" so imprudent is the opposite of that. To be imprudent means lacking self-restraint when it would be wise to have it

Tyro

"Novice, greenhorn, rank amateur Latin "tyro" meaning "recruit" Synonymous to being a newbie, novice, or recruit. Tyrion Lannister had many tyro moves as Daenerys Targaryen's hand.

Tractable

"Obedient, yielding Latin "tractare" meaning "to drag about" Think of a tractable person who can be dragged about easily like a plow being dragged by a tractor

Compliant

"Obeying, obliging, yielding; manufactured or produced Latin "complete" meaning "to fulfill, accomplish" Restaurants have to comply with certain standards and health regulations.

Diurnal

"Occuring every day; happening in the daytime (rather than at night) Late Latin "diurnalis" meaning "daily" May be the opposite of nocturnal which means occuring in the night time

Sporadic

"Occuring only occasionally or in scattered instances Greek "sporadikos" meaning "scattered" A disease can be sporadic if it appears only occasionally in random cases and is therefore not an epidemic

Quotidian

"Occurring or recurring daily; a commonplace Latin "cotidie" meaning "daily" A custodian cleans daily. They clean on a quotidian basis. Referring to everyday events that are normal and not that exciting

Catholic

"Of broad scope; universal Latin "catholicus" meaning "universal, general" Applied to the Western Church, it essentially meant "the Church universal" or the whole body of Christian believers as opposed to separate congregations.

Nugatory

"Of no real value Latin word "nugatorius" meaning "worthless, futile" Latin "nugatory" meaning "ester, trifle" Describe something with no force or importance as nugatory. A nug of weed is not much and can be of no real value.

Somatic

"Of the body Greek "somatikos" meaning of body" Psychosomatic involves both the mind and the body— for instance, a physical illness caused by mental stress

Mundane

"Of the world; Ordinary or unexciting; lacking interest Latin word "mundus" meaning "world" Originally referred to things on Earth. Things on Earth were considered uninteresting compared to the delights of heaven.

Magisterial

"Offensively self-assured or given to exercising unwarranted power Latin "magister" meaning "teacher" A magistrate is a civil officer or lay judge who administers the law, especially one who conducts a court that deals with minor offenses. Someone magisterial thinks they are a magistrate but they are not.

Augury

"Omen, portent Latin "augurium" meaning "interpretation of omens" Used to refer to a way of predicting the future by watching birds fly like how two crows could be an augury for good luck

Portentous

"Ominously prophetic; puffed up with vanity Latin "portentosus" meaning "monstrous, marvelous, threatening" To be pretentious is to pretend like you are better than someone. To be protentious is to be threatening and usually has a sign of things to come like a portent which is an omen.

Checkered

"One that is marked by disreputable happenings Old French "eschequier" meaning "chessboard; a game of chess" Like a checkerboard, someone with a checkered career has bright spots and dark spots

Precursor

"One that precedes and indicates or announces another Latin "praecursor" meaning "to run before" Focus on pre meaning before

Apostate (Noun: apostasy)

"One who abandons long-held religious or political convictions Greek "apostates" meaning "deserter, runaway slave" Apo means away and the next part is state. They are going away from their state of religon or politics.

Supplicant

"One who ask humbly and earnestly Latin "supplicantem" meaning "plead humbly" If you pray every night to be accepted to your dream college, you can call yourself a supplicant. You want to be supplied with this dream in reality.

Iconoclast

"One who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions Greek "eikon" meaning "image" and "klastes" meaning "breaker" Bernie Sanders is an iconoclast who always attacks the government for bailing out Wall Street. An iconoclast clashes with an icon.

Clairvoyant

"One who can predict the future French "clair" meaning "clear" and "voir" meaning "see" A clairvoyant individual is believed to possess psychic abilities or a higher level of insight than other humans. Someone clairvoyant clearly sees.

Misogynist

"One who hates women Greek "miso" meaning "hatred" and "gyne" meaning "a woman" and English suffix "ist" meaning "person who does something" If you believe women belong in the kitchen and shouldn't be accorded the same respect as men, you might be a misogynist

Zealot

"One who is fanatically devoted to a cause Greek "zeloun" meaning "be jealous" A zealot, or a zealous person is passionate about something

Ascetic

"One who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion Greek "asketes" meaning "monk" or "hermit" and later Greek "asketikos" meaning "rigorously self-disciplined" Vegans are ascetic of meat and meat products

Aesthete

"One who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature Greek "aisthetes" meaning "one who feels" Relates to an aesthetic which is being concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

Spendthrift

"One who spends money wastefully Combined the words spend and thrift which means "savings, wealth" A spendthrift spends all of their savings

Dilettante

"One with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge Italian "dilettante" meaning "person loving the arts" A dilettante was a mere lover of art as opposed to those who did it professionally It is like calling someone a poser

Libertine

"One without moral restraint Latin "liber" meaning "free" Someone who lives unencumbered by morals is a libertine. Selena Gomez speaks of libertines in her song It Ain't Me. Sometimes, Selena is a libertine such as when she cheated on the Weekend with Justin Bieber.

Mawkish

"Only sentimental to the point that it is disgusting Middle English "maggot" meaning "sickly or nauseated" Maggot —> Mawkish Mawkish eventually evolved to mean something so overly sentintmental, that it makes you sick. Someone mawkish is mocking someone who is actually sentimental.

Aboveboard

"Open and honest From "above" and "board" If something is aboveboard, it is done in a completely honest and straightforward way. Usually refers to government officials who are honest. You are above the board of openness and honesty.

Moot

"Open to argument or debate; undecided in a meaningless or irrelevant way Old English "gemot" meaning "meeting, formal assembly" When a point is moot, it is too trivial to think about. You may want to mute a moot if it get's too contentious

Primordial

"Original; existing from the beginning Latin "primus" meaning "first" and "ordiri" meaning "to begin" Describes something that has been around forever. ""Mor"" is related to death, so something primordial is before death.

Frieze

"Ornamental band on a wall Latin "frisium" meaning "embroidered border" A famous frieze is painted in a large circle on the inside of the U.S. Capitol building that shows famous events in American History

Arabesque

"Ornate design featuring intertwined curves; a ballet position in which one leg is extended in back while the other supports the weight of the body Italian "Arabo" meaning "Arab" Think of the word Arab

Incongruity

"Out of place, doesn't fit in it's location or situation Latin "in" meaning "not" and "congruer" meaning "to agree" Incongruent triangles do not have the same angles or sides

Archaic

"Outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive, time Greek "archaikos"" meaning "from Classical Greek Culture" Something that belongs to an earlier or antiquated time

Penumbra

"Outer part of a shadow from an eclipse; any surrounding region, fringe, periphery; any area where something "sort of" exists Latin "penumbra" meaning "partial shadow outside the complete shadow of an eclipse" An umbrella is meant to shadow you from the rain, so a penumbra is the outer part of the shadow.

Egregious

"Outstandingly bad; shocking Latin "egregius" meaning "rising above the flock" Kind of opposite to the word "gregarious" which means friendly. Ygritte thought Jon Snow's departure was egregious.

Guise

"Outward appearance; false appearance Germanic origins A disguise involves hiding your real identity, disappearing in the new role whereas a guise is about trying on new attitudes and mannerisms

Hubris

"Overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance From the Greek meaning "excessive pride, violating the bounds set for humans" Refers to over-the-top self-confidence

Hauteur

"Overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors Old English "haute" meaning "high in one's own estimation" Someone hauteur thinks they are hotter than someone else.

Fastidious

"Overly concerned with details; fussy Latin "fastidium" meaning "loathing" Fussy and hard to please people are fastidous. It is occassionally used as ac ompliment to describe someone whose attention to detail gives them good organiznig abilities, but it is usally used as a disapproving term. Fastidious people are fast to be concerned with details.

Pedantic

"Overly concerned with the trivial details of learning or education; show-offish about one's knowledge Greek "paedagogare" meaning "to teach" ""Ped"" relates to teaching. If you are pedantic, you were taught a lot of things and you show off your knowledge.

Maudlin

"Overly emotional and sad Named after Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene is a character from the Bible represented in paintings as a weeping sinner asking forgiveness from Jesus.

Overwrought

"Overly nervous, agitated, or excited; too ornate, elaborate, or fussy; overdone From ""over"" and ""wrought"" Wrought simply means "worked, made". With metals, it means "made from hammering or beating". Wrought-iron furniture is simply made from iron. Something finely wrought is made with care and attention to detail

Presumptuous

"Overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties; too bold Latin "praesumere" meaning "to take for granted" Taking for granted your access to someone or power to do something. The word belittles and criticizes at the same time

Travesty

"Parody, exaggerated imitation, caricature French "travesti" meaning "dressed in disguise" A travesty is a cheap mockery, usually of something or someone serious, such as travesty of justice

Translucent

"Partially transparent Latin "translucere" meaning "to shine through" Translucent material lets light pass through, but objects on the other side can be made clearly

Devolve

"Pass on or delegate to another; grow worse Latin "de" meaning "down" and "volvere" meaning "to roll" Opposite of evolve. It is to get worse rather than to get better

Fleeting

"Passing quickly, transitory Old English "fleotende" meaning "floating, drifting" A fleet is a group of ships controlled together. A fleeting romance, for instance, is one that simply floats away.

Bygone

"Past, former; that which is in the past English Origins The expression "Let bygones be bygones" means to agree to let go of old disagreements.

Placid

"Peaceful, calm, tranquil Latin "placidus" meaning "pleasing, peaceful, quiet, gentle, still, calm" Lake Placid is a real place in New York which is described as peaceful similar to pacific meaning "peaceful"

Pare

"Peel or cut off the outer layer (such as peeling fruit with a knife), reduce or trim as if cutting off the outer parts Latin "parare" meaning "make ready, prepare; trim, adorn" Related to the word "prepare" and "postpartum" which relates to after the baby's umbilical cord gets pared.

Permeable

"Penetrable Latin "permeare" meaning "pass through" Something that is permeable can be passed through, especially by liquid or gases

Penurious

"Penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous Greek "peina" meaning "hunger" and "penia" meaning "poverty If you are penurious, U R penny penching.

Vim

"Pep, enthusiasm, vitality, lively spirit Latin "vis" meaning "strength, force, power" Usually heard in the expression "vim and vigor" which essentially mean the same thing. Marvim

Discerning

"Perceptive; exhibiting keen insight and good judgement French "discerner" meaning "to distinguish between, separate" Discerning people pick up on subtle traits and are concerned with being good judges

Grandstand

"Perform showily in an attempt to impress onlookers From "grand" and "stand" Picture someone who is standing that is acting like they are grand.

Exhaustive

"Performed comprehensively and completely Prefix "ex-" meaning "out of, from", and hence "utterly" or thoroughly" Latin word "haurire"" or "hasutus" meaning "to draw" Suffix "-ive" indicating tendency Exhaust: Using up entirely You are testing all possibilities or considering all elements

Thoroughgoing

"Performed comprehensively and completely; without qualification Old Engish ""puruh"" meaning ""from end to end and side to side"" If something is thorough, it is complete. If something is thoroughgoing, it is absolute.

Tangential

"Peripheral, irrelevant, digressing Latin "tangere" meaning "to touch" Think about the phrase "going on a tangent"

Imbue

"Permeate or saturate, as dye in a fabric; influence throughout Latin "imbuere" meaning "moisten, wet, soak, saturate" figuratively "to fill; to taint" To imbue is to fill up with or become "soaked" in an idea or emotion, as a sponge takes in water. A perfume or cologne is meant to imbue its scent when you walk around.

Sybarite

"Person devoted to pleasure and luxury From the Greek place name "Syrabus" The original Syrabites were renowned for living in luxury

Dissident

"Person who disagrees about beliefs Latin "dis" meaning "apart" and "sedere" meaning "sit" If you are a dissident, you are a person who is rebelling against a government

Recluse

"Person who lives in seclusion and often in solitude Latin "re" meaning "again" and "claudere" meaning "to shut" Recluse hermits refuse to socialize. The Brown Recluse spider likes to hide out in a dark old boots or undisturbed corners of the basement

Epicure

"Person with cultivated, refined tastes, especially in food and wine From Greek Philosophy Epicureans were Greek philosophers who did indeed hold that human pleasure was the highest good, although they believed that a simple life was key to that pleasure.

Demotic

"Pertaining or related to people; popular Greek "demotikos" meaning "of or for the common people' or "in common use" A demotic saying or expression is casual, colloquial, and used by the masses. Demo meaning people

Valedictory

"Pertaining to a farewell Latin "valedicere" meaning "bid farewell, take leave" Think of a valedictorian who is saying farewell to their fellow classmates

Repertorial

"Pertaining to a repertory or repertoire, a stock of available things or a number of theatrical performances presented regularly or in sequence Latin "repertorium" meaning "inventory, list" A repertoire refers to the full supply of what you can do. A repertory is a group of actors that perform many plays, each performed for as hort time

Glacial

"Pertaining to glaciers; cold, icy, slow; unsympathetic Latin "glacialis" meaning "icy" Glaciers are cold, slow, and naturally don't have feelings. A person who acts like a glacier is unpleasant indeed.

Conjugal

"Pertaining to marriage agreement; relating to or characteristic of marriage Latin "conjux" meaning" husband, wife" The term "conjugal visits" refers to private visits between a prisoner and a spouse

Kinetic

"Pertaining to motion Greek "kinetikos" meaning "moving, putting in motion" Kinesiology is the study of mechanics of body movements.

Bacchanalian

"Pertaining to riotous or drunken festivity; pertaining to revelry From Roman God "Bacchus" Bacchus was the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking and wine, of fertility, ritual madness, religious ecstasy and theater. Think of the Bacchanal Buffet in Caesar's Palace.

Sartorial

"Pertaining to tailors Latin "sartar" meaning "tailor, one who patches and mends" The sartorius— a muscle in the leg and the longest muscle in the human body— gets its name because it is used when crossing the legs, also known as the "tailor's position". Criss cross apple sauce is the tailor's position. Read this word as ""sir tailor""

Minutia

"Petty details Latin "minutia" meaning "smallness" People who are sports fans tend to love minutiae— like what a player's batting average is, right down to the third decimal point. The minute details matter to them.

Metaphysics (Adjective: Metaphysical)

"Philosophical study of being and knowing. Greek "meta ta physika" meaning "the works after the Physics" If you have ever contemplated your own existence in the universe, you were dabbling in metaphysics. Physics is the study of matter and energy. Meta goes beyond that.

Pulchritude

"Physical beauty Latin "pulchritudo" meaning "beauty; excellence, attractiveness" Although it sounds like an ugly word, it means beauty! Mulch can make a plant have more pulchritude.

Gawky

"Physically awkward (especially of a tall, skinny person, often used to describe teenagers 16th Century English "gawk hand" meaning "left hand" To gawk is to stare at something in a blatant, often surprised way. Gawky people are awkward and uncoordinated. Focus on the ""awk"" G, that was awk.

Asylum

"Place of refuge or shelter Greek "a" meaning "without" and "sulon" meaning "right of seizure" When someone needs a refuge from a difficult or dangerous situation, they need asylum.

Banter

"Playful conversation English Origins Good friends usually banter back and forth easily

Sportive

"Playful, merry, joking around, done "in sport" (rather than intended seriously) Latin "portare" meaning "to carry" Something done "in sport" is meant playfully

Facetious

"Playful; humorous French "facetie" meaning "joke" Think about the Joker's face.

Piquant

"Pleasantly pungent; attractive French "piquer" meaning "to prick" Something or someone that is piquant peaks your interest with their charm and wit

Machinations (Verb: machinate)

"Plots or schemes French "machina" meaning "machine" Like many a machine, a machination is subject to going wrong, often comically. You can machine a plot.

Perigee

"Point in an orbit that is closest to the Earth Greek "peri" meaning "around" and "ge" meaning "earth" The best time to observe the moon is when the moon reaches its perigee. Synonymous to ""nadir""

Garrulous

"Pointlessly talkative, talking too much Latin "garrire" meaning "chattering or prattering" A garrulous person just won't stop talking and talking and talking Mr. Garrett from South Park talked too much because he is garrulous

Decorum

"Polite or appropriate conduct or behavior Latin "decorus" meaning "proper, becoming, handsome" from "decor" meaning "beauty, grace" Decorous means well-behaved in a particular situation. Both decorum and decorous are often used to describe behavior in a classroom or courtroom

Grandiloquence

"Pompous speech or expression Latin "grandis" meaning "grand" and "loqui" meaning "speak" It is too grand to be eloquent, so it is usually annoying

Consequential

"Pompous, self-important (primary definitions are logically following; important) Latin "consequent" meaning "following closely" Consequential events have consequences because they are hugely important to highlight

Bombastic

"Pompous; grandiloquent Latin "bombax" meaning "cotton" Bombast was cotton padding and stuffing in the 1500s. Think of someone who is padded and stuffed with b***, and they are pompous and pretentious. Someone who is bombastic thinks they are the bomb too much.

Destitute

"Poor enough to need help from others; completely wanting or lacking Latin "de" meaning "away, from" and "statuere" meaning "to place" Being in a state of destitution is a state without friends or money or prospects. Related to a desert.

Impasse

"Position or road from which there is no escape; deadlock French "impasse" meaning "impassable road; blind alley; impasse" A physical impasse- a road that hits a dead end— is also called a cul-de-sac. You cannot pass through an impasse.

Puissance

"Power, strength; puissant means powerful, strong French "puissance" meaning "power" The power to influence what others do or believe

Cogent

"Powerfully persuasive Latin "cogent" meaning "to drive together, collect, compel" Cogent thinking is well-organized

Viable

"Practicable, capable of developing Latin "vita" meaning "life" and "able" meaning "to be possible" When something is viable, it has the ability to grow or function properly

Pragmatic

"Practical rather than idealistic Greek "pragma" meaning "deed" If you are pragmatic, you are practical— living in the real world. If you are dogmatic, you follow the rules.

Exalt

"Praise or glorify Latin "ex" meaning "out, upward" and "altus" meaning "high" Think about the word altitude. To exalt someone is to place them at a higher altitude.

Pithy

"Precise and brief Old English "pitha" meaning "the pith of plants" Brief but full of substance and meaning

Antediluvian

"Prehistoric Latin "ante" meaning "before" and "diluvium" meaning "the flood" Refers to before the biblical flood with Noah's Ark, but is used to describe something really old

Preamble

"Preliminary statement Latin "preambulus" meaning "walking before" Since it goes before a speech, think of it as a pre-ramble

Distrait

"Preoccupied with worry Latin "distrahere" meaning "pull apart" While it may look like and sounds like distract, a distraction can make you feel distrait that you have not studied enough for the GRE. To have distrait is not a good trait to have.

Inborn

"Present at birth Old English "inboren" meaning "native, indigenous" Synonym for innate

Idyllic

"Presenting a positive, peaceful view of rural life (as poetry or prose); pleasant in a natural, simple way; a happy, enjoyable experience Greek "eidyllion" meaning "short, descriptive poem, usually of rustic or pastoral type" An idyll can be a poem so an idyllic theme, or a carefree or romantic span of time, such as one spent in peaceful theme

Overweening

"Presumptuous; arrogant Old English "oferwenian" meaning "to be proud, become insolent or presumptuous" People can be described as having overweening pride or overweening ambition— it is too much and not good. Over = too much.

Affected

"Pretentious; phony; acted upon; influenced; being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion Latin ""affect"" meaning ""influenced"" Can refer to behavior that is done to impress someone: using big, fake melodramatic gestures

Vogue

"Prevailing fashion or practice Italian "voga" meaning "rowing, fashion" Vogue magazine decides what fashion is in vogue

Hamper

"Prevent the progress or free movement of Middle English "hamelian" meaning "to maim" When you put your clothes in the hamper, they cannot mysteriously disappear. Your clothes have been hampered in a hamper.

Precept

"Principle; law Latin "prae" meaning "before" and "capere" meaning "take" A preceptor is someone who teaches or instructs. Precepts are little life lessons that are usually passed down to children by authority figures.

Igneous

"Produced by fire; volcanic Latin "ignis" meaning "fire" An igneous rock is one that forms through intense, fiery heat

Factious

"Produced by, or characterized by internal dissension Latin "factiousus" meaning "partisan, seditious" To be factious is to act like a faction that breaks away or wants to break away. The Confederacy was factious and wanted out of the Union.

Prolific

"Producing large volumes or amounts; productive Latin "prolificus" meaning "fertile" A prolific writer is an AMAZiNG writer

Ostensible or Ostensive

"Professed, evident, or pretended; outwardly appearing in a certain way Latin "ostendere" meaning "to show" When something is ostensible, it appears to be the case but might not be like how your ostensible reason for calling your crush was to ask about homework, but the real reason was to hope they ask you out. Drawing a stencil makes it look like you did the real thing, but it was obstensible, or pretended.

Vendetta

"Prolonged fued marked by bitter hostility Latin "vindicta" meaning "vengeance" Think of the word vengeance and vindictive.

Salubrious

"Promoting health or well-being Latin "salus" meaning "health" Describes something that is good for you or is generally favorable to mind or body

Querulous

"Prone to complaining or grumbling; peevish Latin "queri" meaning "complain" Querulous shares its origin with the word "quarrel" which means argument— and that is what is likely to happen if you complain too much

Auspice (Adjective: auspicious)

"Protection or support, patronage, kind endorsement and guidance Latin :""auspicum"" meaning ""divination from the flight of birds; function of an auspec"" Auspicious means favorable so an auspice is something favorable that gives an endorsement.

Rubric

"Protocol, title or heading; authoratative rule Latin "rubrica terra" meaning "earth or other as writing material" Piture a rubric for the perfect essay

Provident

"Providing for future need, frugal Latin "provider" meaning "foresee, provide" and suffix "-ent" implying "an act or condition of" Used to describe someone who looks into the future— foresees the future, in a sense, and makes decisions based on future needs. The of Provident Life & Accident Insurance Company.

Retract

"Pull inward or towards a center, formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure Latin "re" meaning "back" and "trahere" meaning "drag" If you retract something, you wish you could take it back.

Pristine

"Pure; uncorrupted; clean Latin "pristine" meaning "orignal, former, primitive, and undeveloped" A new car should be in pristine condition and hopefully you do your best to keep it that way

Brook

"Put up with something or somebody unpleasant Old English "broc" meaning "flowing stream, torrent" If you brook Brooke Shields, you put up with watching The Blind Side.

Peremptory

"Putting an end to all debate or action; leaving no choice; bossy and domineering Latin "peremptorius" meaning "decisive, final" Peremptory comments are like orders. If you say something in a peremptory manner, you want to stop what they are doing and do what you say. Pere in French means dad. Some Asian dads can be very peremptory about your choices such as funding your college contingent on your business summer internship.

Rebus

"Puzzle in which pictures or symbols represent words Latin "res" meaning "thing" The word rebus can be depicted with the letters RE followed by a picture of a Bus

Fractious

"Quarrelsome, rebellious, unruly, refractory, irritable Latin "frangere" meaning "to break" You may end up with fractures if you are too fractious with someone you do not like

Queries

"Questions; inquiries; doubts in the mind; reservations Latin root "quere" meaning "to ask" Think about internet searches

Reticent

"Quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings Latin "reticent" meaning "to be silent" Reluctant means resisting or unwilling while reticent means quiet. Reticent people are reluctant to talk.

Refulgent

"Radiant; shiny; brilliant Latin "fulgere" meaning "to shine" On a bright day, the sun can be described as refulgent and the beautiful, sunny weather might cause you to break into a refulgent smile Radiant and refulgent start with the same letter and end with the same two letters

Desultory

"Random; aimless; marked by a lack of plan or purpose Latin "desultor" meaning "vaulter" and "desultorius" meaning "superficial" A desultor was a circus rider who would leap from the back of one galloping horse onto another. A desultory person jumps between things without a logical purpose.

Culminate

"Reach the highest or most decisive point Latin "culminare" meaning " to top, to crown" Used to describe a high point or a climactic stage in a process; refers to acrowning moment or a final conclusion

Bristle

"React in an offended or angry manner Old English "bryst" meaning "bristle" A bristle is a stiff hair, but it also means to get angry. Tell an animal rights activist that you want to use a badger's bristle shaving brush and they might bristle.

Volatile

"Readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive Latin "volatilis" meaning "fleeting, transitory" Opposite of stable. A person who is volatile loses their temper suddenly and violently Hillary Clinton claimed that Donald Trump would be a volatile president in a volatile world.

Requite

"Reciprocate, repay, or revenge Middle English "re" meaning "back" and "quite" meaning "clear, pay up" Unrequited love is love that is not reciprocated. So to requite is to repricocate.

Prodigal

"Recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish Latin "prodiger" meaning "to drive away or waste" Someone who buys boba every day is someone that is prodigal, and may lead to no money to buy lunch. To be prodigal is to dig a whole of poverty.

Perennial

"Recurrent throughout the year or many years; happening repeatedly Prefix "per" meaning "through" and Latin "annus" meaning "year" Related to the word annual

Truncate

"Reduce the length of something Latin "truncat" meaning "cut off" A truncated arrow that is safe for kids to play with ahs been cut off. Truncated can also refer to something that ends earlier than planned— a truncated concert because of a singer's broken leg when he fell on stage. Picture a trunk of a tree where you can see the circles on it. The tree has been truncated.

Debase

"Reduce the quality or value of something Old English "de" meaning "down" and "base" meaning "low" Often used in the context of two things: coins and people. To debase a coin is to replace some of the precious metal in the coin with metal of lesser value. To debase a person is to corrupt them, often by driving them to perform an immoral act like using the lemonade mix.

Syncretic

"Refers to an amalgam of different schools of thought Greek ""synthetikos"" meaning ""skilled in putting together, constructive"" Related to the word synthesis which is the combination of ideas to form a theory or system. A syncretic religion for example combines elements of different religions.

Juvenile

"Refers to someone who is not physically or emotionally mature Latin word "juvenilis" meaning "youthful" Used to refer to anything specifically for young people

Kafkaesque

"Refers to the absurdity with living in a world of faceless bureaucracies; charcteristic of reminiscent of the oppressive or nightmarish qualities of Franz Kafka's fictional world Named after Franz Kafka By day, Franz Kafka filed papers at an insurance office, and by night churned out dark novels which suggested that the quotidian world of the office was actually far more sinister. The process of applying for a passport is very Kafkaesque and could ultimately make someone decide not to take a vacation.

Balk

"Refuse to comply Old Norse "balkr"" meaning "partition" To balk means to refuse to go along with. The Balkan States balked at each other.

Intransigent

"Refusing to compromise Latin "in" meaning "not" and "trans" meaning "move To be intransigent means to not moving your positions

Apropos

"Regarding to or appropriate to French "a propos" meaning "with regard to this purpose" If someone's remarks are suitable and appropriate to the occasion, you can get on their good idea by saying "How apropos!" (How appropriate). It may remind you of the word ""proposal"". Your proposal is appropriate to the situation.

Contrite

"Regretful; seeking forgiveness; remorseful Latin "conterere" meaning "to bruise" Contrition is regret or remorse. We are contrite to inform you....

Spurn

"Reject with contempt Old English "spurnan" meaning "to kick (away), strike against; reject, scorn, despise" If you feel spurn, it is like your mood spun around and you scornfully reject it. The San Antonio Spurs have been spurn from the NBA Championship.

Mnemonic

"Related to memory; assisting memory Greek "mnemon" meaning "mindful" A memory aid for something, often taking the form of a rhyme or an acronym

Sylvan

"Related to the woods or forest Latin "silva" meaning "a wood" Silvanus was the Roman god of woods and fields. Sylvan green is a color.

Synoptic

"Relating to a synopsis or summary; giving a general view Greek "synoptikos" meaning "taking a general or comprehensive view" Can be broken up with "syn" meaning "together" and "optic" meaning "view or sight" so something synoptic pulls everything together. Think of the word synopsis.

Baroque

"Relating to an elaborately ornamented style of art and music Portuguese "barroco" meaning "imperfect pearl" Anything with a complicated design can be baroque but also refers to a style of art, music, and architecture from 17th Century Italy

Seismic

"Relating to earthquakes Greek "seismos" meaning "earthquake" Charizard's seismic toss made its target drop to the ground like causing an earthquake

Histrionic

"Relating to exaggerated emotional behavior calculated for effect; theatrical acts or performances French "histrionique" meaning "pertaining to an actor" Anything that has to do with actors or acting can be called histrionic. Actors are male and use ""his"" pronouns.

Schematic

"Relating to or in the form of an outline or diagram Latin "schema" meaning "shape, figure, form, appearance" To plan the perfect scheme requires a lot of being schematic— tons of outlines and diagrams

Monastic

"Relating to or resembling a monastery (where monks or nuns live), especially by quiet, secluded, contemplative, strict and/or lacking luxuries Greek "monastikos" meaning "solitary, pertaining to a monk" Something monastic is related to a monastery with monks

Agrarian

"Relating to rural matters Latin "ager" meaning "a field" The school calendar is still based on an old agrarian calendar when children needed to be off during the summer to help with planting and harvesting.

Semantic

"Relating to the different meanings of words or other symbols Greek "semantikos" meaning "significant" from "semainein" meaning "to show, signify, indicate by a sing" Coined by Michel Breal to describe the psychology of language. We originated from semen so semantic describes the origin of words.

Sensuous

"Relating to the senses Latin "sensus" meaning "sense" Sensual refers to gratifying carnal, especially sexual, sense while sensuous relates to the senses instead of the intellect without the sexual connotation

Sensual

"Relating to the senses, gratifying the physical (sexual) sense Latin "sensualis" meaning "endowed with feeling" Has to relate to the five senses, but it comes with a hint of lewdness, a suggestion of sex

Vernal

"Relating to the spring; fresh, youthful Latin "vernalis" meaning "of the spring" The vernal equinox is a moment in spring at which the Sun is directly over the equator; this is associated with a change of seasons

Germane

"Relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter Latin "germen" meaning "bud" or "sprout" Originally referred to children with the same parents who were RELATED to each other Germinate means "to sprout" or "begin to develop"

Succor

"Relief, help in time of distress or want Latin "succurrere" meaning "run to the help of" In archaic times, succor meant a reinforcement of troops during a hard battle. Think of the reinforcements more in a figurative sense. A sucker as in a lollipop can offer temporary succor to injections.

Cede

"Relinquish possession or control over Latin "cedere" meaning "to yield" To cede is to give up or surrender land, position, or authority

Self-effacing

"Reluctant to draw attention to yourself Old French "esfacier" meaning "to wipe out or destroy", literally "to remove the face" Someone who is self-effacing is shy and likes to stay out of the spotlight, shunning attention and praise.

Hackneyed

"Repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse Entered the English language in the 14th century Roses are red, violets are blue... Is overused. If you eye it a lot, it is probably hackneyed. If hacking on your computer is hackneyed, you might want to knee the hacker.

Banal

"Repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse, trite French "banel" meaning "communal" If you are having too much anal, it becomes banal.

Reprise

"Repetition, especially of a piece of music French "repis" meaning "take back" The voice of Mufasa reprised his role in the Live action re-make

Effigy

"Representation or image of a person, especially a crude facsimile used to mock a hated person Latin "effigies" meaning "copy or imitation of something, likeness, image, statue" A scarecrow is a common type of effigy, intended to scare birds away and keep them from eating crops. Effigies are often life-sized. An effigy wants you to eff up.

Propagate

"Reproduce, spread, increase Latin "proagare" meaning "to reproduce plants, breed" Plants love to propagate and so do viruses which could quickly kill almost everyone in the world.

Abominable

"Repugnantly hateful; detestable; loathsome; very unpleasant; disagreeable; very bad, poor, or inferior Latin word: "abominabilis" meaning "to pray to avert an eventuality, despise as a bad omen, abhor" Abominable snowman (yeti) is terrible!

Exacting

"Requiring and demanding accuracy Latin "ex" meaning "thoroughly" and "agere" meaning "perform" Describe something or someone very precise or strict in its requirements. Someone exacting demands that you follow their exact demands!

Arcane

"Requiring secret or mysterious knowledge Latin "arcanus" meaning "secret, closed" from "arca" meaning "a chest box" Think of the Pokemon Arcanine. They have secret and mysterious knowledge (in terms of powers)

Diffident

"Reserved, shy, unassuming; lacking in self-confidence Latin "diffident" meaning "falling in trust" Describes someone who is shy and lacking in self-confidence. Diffident is the opposite of confident.

Recalcitrant

"Resisting authority or control Latin "calcitrare" meaning "to kick" Someone who is recalcitrant is kicking back against what's wanted of them. Think of the ""rant"" part.

Gumption

"Resourcefulness and determination Old Norse "gaumr" meaning "heed, attention" If you have gumption, you have guts— you are determined and full of courage.

Deference

"Respect or courteous; regard for another's wish Latin "deferer" meaning "refer" Defer means to yield to someone's opinion or wishes out of respect for that person. When you show deference to someone, you make a gesture of respect. Think of deference as referring someone because you respect them

Rejoinder

"Response or reply, especially, a witty comeback Middle French "rejoindre" meaning "to answer to a legal charge" To rejoin the conversation, give a witty comeback or a rejoinder

Restive

"Restless; being in a tense state; impatient especially under restriction or delay Anglo-French "restif" meaning "refusing to move ahead" To be restive is to be impatient or on edge— in an edgy state

Riposte

"Retaliatory action or retort Italian "riposta" meaning "response" A clever comeback or witty response. If you want to riposte something on Facebook, you might want to repost their statement and post your comments on it.

Impassive

"Revealing no emotion Prefix "im" meaning "not" and Latin "passivus" meaning "submissive" Someone who is passive and does not seem to react is someone who takes a pass in the conversation of life

Telltale

"Revealing; disclosing unintentionally; someone who gossips indiscreetly From ""tell"" and ""tale"" Something that is telltale accidentally relays important information. In poker, players may have telltales.

Abrogate

"Revoke formally Latin "ab" meaning "away" and "rogare" meaning "to propose a law" To abrogate is to abolish.

Conundrum

"Riddle; puzzle with no solution Latin "conandrum" meaning "a thing to be attempted" A tricky word

Pillory

"Ridicule or expose to a public scorn Latin "pila" meaning "pillar, stone barrier" A pillory is a wooden frame with cutouts for someone's head and hands. Long ago, people found guilty of a crime could be sentenced to be locked in a pillory for a certain amount of time for punishment and public humiliation. Someone can be in pillory, if people throw pillows at them.

Lampoon

"Ridicule with satire French "lamper" meaning "to drink, guzzle" The National Lampoon films are meant to ridicule the events of Lampoon magazine with satire.

Resurgent

"Rising gain as to new life and vigor Latin "resurgere" meaning "rise again" Something resurgent comes back to life or is reinvigorated. The popularity for it surges again.

Boisterous

"Rough and noisy; noisily jolly or rowdy; clamorous; unrestrained Middle English word "boistrous" meaning "crude, strong, fierce, gross" Commonly refers to weather, waves, or people.

Abrasive

"Rough, suitable for grinding or polishing (such as sandpaper); causing irritation or annoyance Latin "abradere" meaning "to scrape away, shaved off" Anything that grates or irritates— physically or metaphorically— can be described using this adjective.

Circuitous

"Roundabout; not direct Latin "circuitus" meaning "a going around" If you are being circuitous, it is like you are going around and around in circles

Debacle

"Rout, fiasco, complete failure French "debacler" meaning "to clear" from Middle French "desbacler", from "des" meaning "completely, utterly" and "bacier" meaning "to block" Russia, James Comey, and being under FBI investigation on top of not campaigning in the Midwest caused a debacle for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign

Anoint

"Rub or sprinkle oil on; make sacred, such as by a ceremony that includes applying oil to someone Latin "unguere" meaning "to smear" Shares a root with ointment. You can anoint an ointment.

Insolent

"Rude and arrogant Latin "in" meaning "not" and "solent" meaning "being accustomed" Think of the phrase "insolent buffoon" A buffoon is a rude or vulgar fool

Doggerel

"Rude, crude, poor, poor verse Middle English origins Irregular rhyming, really bad poetry, usually comic and tone and only fit for dogs. Some dogs can be doggerel.

Churlish

"Rude; boorish; Lacking manners of refinement Old English origins Someone churlish may need to go to church. If they are churlish at church, they are making a rucus. Can also describe a material that is difficult to work with, such as hard wood that is resistant to quick whittling. Don't be churlish to Churchill around people who worship him.

Petulant

"Rude; peevish Latin "petulant" meaning "forward, insolent" Someone acting like their rude pet could be petulant

Potentate

"Ruler, person of great power Latin "potentatus" meaning "might, power rule, dominion" Shares a root with "power" with omnipotent meaning all powerful, impotent meaning lacking power, and despot meaning ruler who uses power in a bad way.

Bucolic

"Rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants Greek "boukolos" meaning "cowherd" or "herdsman" Related to the word cow and is connected to the bovine creature

Sacrosanct

"Sacred, inviolable, not to be trespassed on or violated; above any criticism Latin "sacrum" meaning "religious sanction" and "sanctire" meaning "make sacred" Often used to describe religious rituals and traditions. Think of the word sacred.

Flip

"Sarcastic; impertinent, as in flippant: a flip remark Originated from English "Filip" Flip comments are casual, quick, and disrespectful. Calling a Filipino FLIP (****in Little Island Person) is a flip remark.

Slake

"Satisfy, especially thirst, cool, or fresh; make less active Old English "sleacian, slacian" meaning "become slack or remiss; slacken an effort" Slake is related to slack (loose, negligent, lazy, weak) if you slake your thirst, your thirst has weakened or gone away

Paucity

"Scarcity Latin "paucs" meaning "few" In the Prince and the Pauper, the prince had too much money, and the pauper had a paucity

Taxonomy

"Science of classification Greek "taxis" meaning "arrangement" and "nomia" meaning "method" All about organizing and classifying. To make it sound more scientific

Cartography

"Science of making maps French "carte" meaning "map" and "graphie" meaning "writing" You need cartography skills to turn digital representations into something people can use with ease

Ornithologist

"Scientist who studies birds Greek "ornis" meaning "bird" and "ology" meaning "the study of" Ornithologist study every aspect of birds including bird songs, flight patterns, physical appearance, and migration patterns

Avocation

"Secondary occupation Latin "avocare" meaning "call away" A vocation is the work you do because you have to do it while an avocation is what you do for pleasure, not pay. Think of ""a"" meaning ""not"". It is not your primary vocation.

Specious

"Seeming true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive; plausible but false Latin "speciosus" meaning "show, beautiful" from "species" meaning "appearance, kind, soft" Sounds to good to be true. Two species that look like each other but are actually different is specious such as a duck and a platypus.

Arrogate

"Seize and control without authority Latin "arrogat" meaning "Claimed for oneself" Someone arrogant would arrogate— assert their right to take something they want by force

Continence

"Self-control; abstention or abstinence from sexual activity Latin "continentia" meaning "a holding back, repression" Think of the word abstinence

Autonomous

"Self-governing; independent Greek "autonomos" meaning "independent" from "autos" meaning "self" and "nomos" meaning "law" Arenzana de Abajois is an autonomous community in Spain.

Autodidactic

"Self-taught Greek "autodidaktikos" meaning "self taught" A person who learns things on their own, from books or videos or by practicing skills

Nostalgia

"Sentimental longing for a past time Greek "nostos" meaning "homecoming" and "algos" meaning "pain, distress" Watching the movie Ladybird would be nostalgic for anyone who was raised in Sacramento and left

Alienation

"Separation resulting from hostility Latin "alienare" meaning "to estrange" The feeling of being an alien.

Sobriety

"Seriousness Latin "sobrius" meaning "steadiness, gravity" Puritans were known for their sobriety on the Sabbath which was to be marked by prayer and contemplation and also frowned upon the consumption of any form of alcohol. They were very serious about this

Homily

"Sermon; tedious moralizing lecture Greek "homily" meaning "discourse, conversation" Picture a homily being delivered in a church or a lecture hall. You can give a homily saying "Homie ILY".

Tutelary

"Serving as guardian or protector Latin "tutus" meaning "watch over" Relates to the word "tutor" which is someone that guards you and corrects you from doing things wrong

Admonitory

"Serving to warn; expressing reproof or reproach especially as a corrective Latin "admonere" meaning "remind or suggest" Admonish meaning to scold or reprimand.

Incendiary

"Setting on fire, pertaining to arson; arousing strige, rebellion, etc.; "inflaming" the senses Latin "incendiarius" meaning "causing a fire" Related to the word "incinerate" which means to destroy by burning. Can be literal to describe burning something or figurative like how someone's words can leave you riled up and incendiary.

Castigation (verb: castigate)

"Severe criticism or punishment; harsly reprimand Latin "castigus" meaning "to make pure" A castigator, in their own misguided way, is trying to make a better person. When you castigate, you cast someone in a closed gate where you are criticizing or reprimanding them. If you castigate someone too much, that can leave them with a cast on their mental health.

Scathing

"Severe, injurious; bitterly harsh or critical (as a remark) Old Norse "skaoa" meaning "to hurt, harm, damage, injure" Being left unscathed means left without suffering any injury, damage, or harm.

Asperity

"Severity; rigor; roughness; harshness; acrimony, irritability Latin "asper" meaning "rough" Asperity is the harsh tone or behavior people exhibit when they are angry, impatient, or just miserable. Ethnic groups who have not reached parity may experience asperity in the education sytem.

Ignominious

"Shameful, dishonorable, ignoble, undignified, disgraceful Latin ""ignominiosus"" meaning ""disgraceful, shameful"" Close to the word ignoble.

Contiguous

"Sharing a border; touching; adjacent Latin "contiguus" meaning "bordering upon" Used to describe when things are next to or near but not actually touching

Acute

"Sharp or severe in effect; intense; extremely great or serious; extremely sensitive even to slight details or impressions; sharp or penetrating in intellect, insight, or perception Latin root "acutus" meaning "sharp" or "pointed" In geometry, an acute angle is one that is sharp (between 0 and 90 degrees).

Antithetical

"Sharply contrasted in character or purpose Greek "antithetikos" meaning "setting in position" A useful word when you are trying to express an extreme contrast. An antithesis is the opposite of something

Trenchant

"Sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating French "tranchant" meaning "sharp, cutting" A trench originally meant a line carved in wood If you are trenchant, you are saying or thinking something sharply worded that cuts right to the heart of a matter. Wearing a trench coat makes you look more trenchant.

Molt

"Shed or cast off, especially to regularly shed skin, feathers, etc. (as a snake) Latin "mutare" meaning "to change" When an animal molts, it loses its feathers, fur, skin, or maybe even outer skeleton

Lustrous

"Shining Latin "lustrare" meaning "to illuminate or shine light over" When something is lustrous, it reflects light in a glossy and shiny way

Grovel

"Show submission or fear Old Norse "grufe" meaning "prone" Picture a dog begging— they are groveling. You might grovel at the sight of the pokemon Graveler.

Sullen

"Showing a brooding ill humor; darkened by clouds Anglo-Norman French "sol" meaning "sole" A bad-temperd or gloomy person is sullen. Sullen people have their souls down in the dumps.

Jubilance

"Showing great joy, satisfaction, or triumph; Rejoicing; exultant Latin word "jubilare" meaning "to call to someone" but in Christian writing, it means "to shout for joy" Jubilee: Celebration of any of certain anniversary

Dolorous

"Showing great sadness or sorrow Latin "dolor" meaning "grief" If Dolores is crying about a lost puppy, you could call her dolorous Dolores.

Flippant

"Showing inappropriate levity English "flippant" meaning "glib and talkative" Flippant describes a blase attitude or comment in a situation that calls for seriousness such as making "Yo mama" jokes. IF someone makes a flippant comment, you might want to flip them off.

Contemptuous (Verb: contemn)

"Showing or expressing disdain; scornful; disrespectful Latin word "contemnere" meaning "to despise, scorn" Being contemptuous of someone or something means you are combining a deep dislike for them with condescension

Deferential

"Showing respect Latin "deferre" meaning "to carry down or away" To be obedient, courteous, or dutiful are all ways of being deferential. Someone who can skillfully differntiate would be deferential

Lachrymose

"Showing sorrow Latin ""acrimona"" meaning ""tear"" A display of lachrymose sorrow can be seen at a funeral with people sobbing openly or sniffing quietly into their tissues. Acrimony can cause you to be lachrymose.

Ostentation

"Showy; pretentious Latin "ostendere" meaning "stretch out to view" Usually designed to attract attention such as a woman in a fur coat covered in diamond jewelry, boarding a gold-plated private jet. Think about a stencil which is meant to pretend or show the real thing, but it is an outline.

Politic

"Shrewd, pragmatic; tactful or diplomatic Latin "politicus" meaning "of citizens or the state, civil, civic" The expression "the body politic" means the citizens of a particular government, considered as a group. Politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are politic.

Retiring

"Shy and inclined to retract from company; reluctant to draw attention to oneself French ""re"" meaning ""back"" and ""tirer"" meaning ""draw"" If you are retiring, you are retiring from talking to others and socializing. You are retiring from the spotlight.

Skittish

"Shy, fickle, uncertain, or prone to act suddenly due to nervousness; lively in a restless or excessive way Scandinavian "skyt" meaning "very lively, frivolous" Skittles can make you skittish about wanting to taste the rainbow

Winnow

"Sift, analyze critically, separate the useful part from the worthless part Old English "windwian" meaning "to fan, winnow" Winnowing is literally separating the edible part of wheat from the chaff, the outer husks. Winnows have small little windows that separate the useful from the worthless.

Moment

"Significant and important Latin ""momentum"" meaning ""movement, motion; moving power; alteration, change"" Think of the word momentous!

Fatuous

"Silly, insanely foolish Latin "fatuus" meaning "foolish" Fancy way of saying someone is dumb. If you are being fatuous with your diet, you may end up fat. Don't be foolish or silly about it.

Aspersion

"Slander; false rumor; a disparaging remark; defamation or maligning Latin "aspergere" meaning "to sprinkle" or "to scatter" When you cast aspersions on someone, you are questioning their abilities or doubting them. Classifying Persians as White on the census is an aspersion towards their holistic experiences.

Legerdemain

"Sleight of hand (magic as performed by a magician); trickery or deception Middle French "leger de main" meaning "quick of hand" French "main" means "hand" and is related to Engish "manual" which is related to hands. Manumit means free from slavery, untie the hands.

Acidulous

"Slightly acid or sour; sharp or caustic Latin "acidus" meaning "sour" so "acidulus" means "slightly sour" Lemons are an acidic fruit, but lemons are more acidulous than oranges.

Dilatory

"Slow, late; procrastinating or stalling for time Latin "dilator" meaning "someone who puts off things" or "a procrastinator" Something dilatory creates a delay. Think of the word as ""delay""-tory. Tori is always late, she dilatory.

Lethargic

"Sluggish, lacking energy Greek "lethargos" meaning "forgetful" Being sleepy or hungry can make anyone lethargic

Peccadillo

"Small sin or fault Spanish "pecado" meaning "sin" If you apologize and are forgiven, it is probably a peccadillo. If the bird pecks an armadillo and neither got hurt, it may be just a peccadillo.

Dearth

"Smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack Old English "dearth" meaning "precious, costly" If there is a dearth of something, there is not enough of it A piece of dirt is small

Mellifluous

"Smooth and sweet-sounding Named after Melissa In Greek Mythology, Melissa was a nymph who discovered that you could eat the smooth, sweet stuff that bees make. Honeybees were named after her, and their tasty product was called meli.

Philistine

"Smug and ignorant towards artistic and cultural values Townspeople in Jena, Germany were described as Philistines against the students Phil is white and not woke.

Machiavellian

"Sneaky, cunning, and lacking a moral code Originated from Machiavelli, the Renaissance philosopher Modern psychiatrists even use it to describe a kind of personality disorder, a cold selfishness

Fulsome

"So excessive as to be disgusting Middle English "ful" meaning "full" and "som" meaning "to a considerable degree" Compliments usually make you feel good, but fulsome compliments, which are exaggerated and usually insincere, may have the opposite effect. Think of the word ""full"". Folsom Street is fulsome and polluted.

Prohibitive

"So high as to prevent the purchase or use of, forbidding Latin "prohibit" meaning "kept in check" The price of a Ferrari is prohibitive— it is so expensive that it prohibits you from buying it. Think of Prohibition in the 1920s.

Negligible

"So small as to be meaningless; insignificant French "negliger" meaning "to neglect" When something is meaningless or insignificant because it is so little, it is negligible

Convival

"Sociable, friendly Latin "convivium" meaning"a feast" Con meaning with/together and viv meaning life. You are bringing life to others with your socialbility and friendliness.

Gregarious

"Sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people Latin "grex" meaning "herd" Gregory is outgoing

Plutocracy

"Society ruled by the wealthy Greek "ploutos" meaning "wealth" and "kratos" meaning "strength, authority" Pluto was the Greek God of the Underworld but also the God of wealth because diamonds and other jewels come from underground

Monolithic

"Solid and uniform; constituting a single, unified whole Greek "mono" meaning "one" and "lithos" meaning "stone" When something is monolithic, it is big and made of one thing

Actuary

"Someone versed in the collection and interpretation of numerical data Latin "actuarius" meaning "bookkeeper" Think of someone who calculates the risks for an insurance company or financial instiution. Data gives an actual portrayal of something.

Firebrand

"Someone who deliberately causes trouble From "fire" and "brand" Someone who is a firebrand has a brand for being fiery— they enjoy heating up the debate around a subject or lighting a fire under other people. They take a strong, provocative stance and challenges people with heated rhetoric.

Booster

"Someone who is an active supporter and advocate Originated in 1888 If you are a big fan or promoter of something or someone, you are a booster. You want to boost someone's ego.

Arbiter

"Someone who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matter; a person who views or actions have great influence over trends in social behavior Latin "arbiter" meaning "one who goes somewhere (as witness or judge)" An arbitrator is officially appointed to settle a dispute. Arby's popularized roast beef sandwiches.

Virtuoso

"Someone with master skills, expert musician Italian "virtuoso" meaning "learned, skillful" It is a huge compliment to be called a virtuoso

Adjunct

"Something added, attached, or joined Latin ""ad"" meaning ""to"" and ""junct"" meaning ""join"" Something that joins to another like an adjunct class meant to help you pass Calculus.

Bane

"Something causing misery or death Old English "bana" meaning "destroyer, murderer" Think of the phrase "bane of my existence". Bane was the villain in The Dark Knight. Baneful means causing harm or ruin, pernicious, destructive.

Ambrosia

"Something delicious; the food of the gods Greek "ambrosia" meaning "elixir of life" In the Odyssey, Homer uses the word ambrosia for three things: the food of the Olympians, a salve used to treat corpses, and as a perfume to cover up the smell of uncured seal skins

Desideratum

"Something desired as a necessity Latin "desideratum" meaning "something desired" Same root as the word "desire", so remember that it is an object of desire.

Subterfuge

"Something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity Latin "subterfugere" meaning "to escape" Subterfuge is the use of tricky actions to hide or get something. Think of a fugitive who committed a crime. A criminal typically misleads or subterfuges.

Anachronism

"Something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context Greek "ana" meaning "against" and "chron" meaning "time" Seeing a jet fly over a Civil War battle is an example of anachronism.

Antecedent

"Something that comes before Latin "ante" meaning "before" and "cedere" meaning "to yield" A lawyer or judge might talk about the "antecedent events"leading up to someone committing a crime

Complement

"Something that completes or makes perfect; the quantity or amount that completes anything Latin "complementum" meaning "something that fills up or completes" Complement means to complete something while compliment is flattering

Palimpsest

"Something that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be seen Greek "palimpsestos" meaning "scraped again" Your pal who has a limp has their ability changed.

Aphoristic

"Something that is a concise and instructive of a general truth or principle Greek "aphorismos" meaning "definition, pithy sentence" An aphorism is a pithy observation that contains a general truth. So being aphoristic relates to the general truth. You can get an A for saying a general truth.

Stricture

"Something that restrains, negative criticism Latin "stringere" meaning "to draw tightly" Related to the word constrict which means to tighten or draw in. Picture constricting someone metaphorically as to provide negative criticism

Emollient

"Soothing Latin "emollient" meaning "to make soft" Sounds like an ointment with a thick, gooey texture. An ointment is meant to be emollient.

Anodyne

"Soothing; something that assuages or allays pain or comforts Greek "an" meaning "without" and "oodune" meaning "pain" Think of anodyne as a painkiller. It sounds like painkiller.

Urbane

"Sophisticated; refined; elegant Latin "urbanus" meaning "city" Urbane assumes that everyone sees the city from the roof deck of their penthouse apartment

Squalid

"Sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect Latin "squalare" meaning "to be covered with a rough scaly layer" Squidward can be sqaulid

Palaver

"Speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly Portuguese "palavra" meaning "word, speech, talk" Think about your pal that speaks too fast.

Enumerate

"Specify individually Latin "enumerates" meaning "to reckon up or count over" Tally, total, add up, compute— however you put it, enumerate is basically just another way of saying "count"

Celerity

"Speed Latin "celer" meaning "swift" Think of the word accelerate

Thrifty

"Spending money wisely Middle English "thrifa" meaning "grasp, get hold of" Think of the word "thrive". You will thrive with saving money if you are thrifty

Zeitgeist

"Spirit of the times German "zeit" meaning "time" and "geist" meaning "spirit" Whatever seems particular to or symbolic of a certain time is like part of its Zeitgeist. Flappers and speakeasies contributed to the Zeitgeist of the 1920s.

Listless

"Spiritless, lacking interest or energy Middle English "liste" meaning "desire" The root is "lust" so to be listless is to lack a lust for life.

Platonic

"Spiritual; theoretical Refers to the writings of Plato Platonic love and platonic friendships are marked by the absence of physical or sexual desire

Panoply

"Splendid, wide-ranging, impressive display or array Greek "panoplia" meaning "complete suit of armor" Originally described a full suit of armor and can still be military regalia or something that covers and protects. As you get more degrees, your regalia shows more panoply. It is like you are monopolizing academia.

Botched

"Spoiled through incompetence or clumsiness Middle English "bocchen" meaning "to repair" and later "to swell up or fester; to bulge or project" Think of the TV show ""Botched"" where they remedy extreme plastic surgeries gone wrong

Dissipate

"Squander or spend money frivolously; to disperse or scatter Latin "dis" meaning "apart, widely" and "supare meaning "to throw" Pate is a French paste, pie, or load consisting of forcemeat which contains liver. You will either spend money frivolously on it or move away from it.

Obloquy

"State of disgrace resulting from public abuse; abusive language or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions Latin "ob" meaning "against" and "loqui" meaning to speak" If you are on the receiving end of obloquy, then society has turned against you and you are in a state of disgrace

Effervescence

"State of high spirits or liveliness; process of bubbling as gas escapes Latin "effervescent" meaning "boiling up" Think about the effervescence of someone who has energy and charisma

Quandary

"State of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options Latin "quando" meaning "when? At what time?" If you are having difficulty defining quandary, you are in a quandary.

Credo

"Statement of belief or principle; creed Latin "Credo" meaning "I believe" Originally meant a particular religious belief. Now, it has the broader meaning of any system of principles that guide a person or group

Intrepid

"Steadfast and courageous Latin "in" meaning "not" and "trepidus" meaning "alarmed" A trepidation is a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen To be intrepid, you do not have that fear or agitation

Crescendo

"Steady increase in force, intensity, or the loudness of a musical passage; a climatic moment or peak; to rise in volume or intensity Latin "crescere" meaning "to increase, grow" In a crescendo, the music is getting louder and louder. If you are whispering and gradually raise your voice and then end up shouting, that is a crescendo as well.

Equable

"Steady; unvarying; serene Latin "aequabilis" meaning "equal, consistent, uniform" An equable person is not moody. They have an equable personality

Surreptitious

"Stealthy, taking pains not to be caught or detected Latin "surrepticius" meaning "tolen, furtive, clandestine" Surreptitious people are surre up to something.

Quiescence

"Stillness; motionlessness, quality of being at rest Latin "quies" meaning "rest, quiet" Quiescence is a quiet spell or state

Whet

"Stimulate, make keen or eager (especially of an appetite) Old English "hwettan" meaning "to whet, sharpen" figuratively "incite, encourage" To whet is literally to sharpen (a knife or cutting tool) using grinding or friction, such as on a whetstone, which can also be used metaphorically. .

Acrimonious (Noun: acrimony)

"Stinging or bitter in nature, speech, behavior Latin word "acrimonia" meaning "sharp, sour" Just remember the ""acr"" which describes ""sharpness or sourness"". Taraji P. Henson was in the movie ""Acrimony"" which is a fateful wife who feels acrimonious when her husband cheats on her.

Arduous

"Strenuous; taxing; requiring significant effort Latin "arduus" meaning "erect, steep, laborious" Used to mean "steep" or "difficult to climb"; now it is used figuratively for something that is difficult or takes a lot of work

Hew

"Strike, chop, or hack (as with an axe, sword, etc.); make or shape something (such as a statue) with a cutting tool Old French "heawan" meaning "to chop, hack, gash, strike with a cutting weapon or tool" Hewlett-Packard hewed away their competition except Apple

Chagrin

"Strong feelings of embarrassment; cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of French "chagrin" meaning "melancholy, anxiety, vexation Chagrin that folks are chargin on Venmo, but you can't pay.

Besotted

"Strongly infatuated; intoxicated; drunk French "sot" meaning "foolish" To be foolishly infatuated. You may have sought to get besotted on your 21st birthday.

Averse

"Strongly opposed to Latin "aversus" meaning "turned away from" Adverse is something harmful while averse is a strong feeling of dislike. If you are conflict averse, you don't like conflict.

Stupefied

"Struck with astonishment and surprise Middle French "stupefier" Latin "stupefacere" meaning "to benumb" "Stupere" to be numb or stunned + "facere" to make do + "fy" see Stupid: generally does not think well When someone is stupefied, they are more likely becoming temporarily unable to think

Aghast

"Struck with fear, dread, or consternation Old English "gasten" meaning "frighten" You will probably be aghast if you see a ghost

Intransigence

"Stubborn refusal to compromise or change Latin word: "transigere" meaning "to come to an understanding" Nations are often accused of intransigence when they refuse to comply with international standards or will

Obstinate

"Stubborn; hard-headed; uncompromising Latin "obstinare" meaning "persist" While stubborn may have positive or negative connotations, obstinate has negative connotations. A head is oblong shaped, to be obstinate is to be hard-headed.

Froward

"Stubbornly contrary; obstinately disobedient Old English "fraward" meaning "turning away from" Someone froward does not move your agenda forward

Refractory

"Stubbornly resistant to authority or control Latin "refractarius" meaning "stubborn" Picture your refelction not listening to you. It is being refractory

Mired

"Stuck, entangled (in something, like a swamp or muddy area), soiled Old Norse "myrr" meaning "bog, swamp" When you're mired in something, you're stuck or entangled in it. You can't get out. If you admire something, you are mired in fascination.

Cosmology

"Study of the universe as a totality; theory of the origin and structure of the universe Greek "kosmos" meaning "world or universe" Don't confuse cosmology with cosmetology which is the study of beauty treatments

Modish

"Stylish, contemporary French "mode" meaning "manner, fashion, style" While "a la mode" means "with ice cream" in the United States, it really means "in fashion" in French and English. Perhaps, ice cream was once a big fad

Servile

"Submissive, obedient Latin "servus" meaning "slave" Just think of the word servant

Incursion

"Sudden invasion Latin "in" meaning "towards" and "currere" meaning "run" When an army crosses a border into another country for battle, they are making an incursion into enemy territory

Spate

"Sudden outpouring or rush; flood Dutch "spuiten" meaning "to flow, spout" Think of something spate as taking up a lot of space suddenly. A spate of Sprite is a flood of Sprite.

Macabre

"Suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome Old French "Macabre" meaning "Death" Think about how everyone dies in Macbeth. There is a lot of macabre.

Felicitous

"Suitable expressed; wee-chose; appropriate Latin "felix" meaning "happy or lucky" Can mean appropriate, but also describes something that is lucky. Felicity Huffman was not felicitous when she got involved in the College Bribery Scandal. #AdmissionsSoWhite

Palatial

"Suitable for or resembling a palace, magnificent Latin "palatium" meaning "palace" Latin root made its way into every Romance language: "palazzo" in Italian, "palacio" in Spanish, and "palast" in German

Gossamer

"Super fine; light and delicate; like cobwebs From English "goose" and "summer" Think of a spider web or the material of wedding veil which is see through

Perfunctory

"Superficial; performed really as a duty Latin "perfunctus" meaning "to get through with, perform" Our everyday greetings can be perfunctory like "Hello" and "How are you?" Perfumes can be a representation of superficiality-- you might smell nice on the outside but be evil on the outside.

Preeminent

"Superior to others; surpassing Latin ""praeeminare"" meaning ""to transcent, excel"" Very close to the word ""eminent"" which describes someone who is famous and respected within a particular sphere or profession.

Preternatural

"Supernatural; beyond the normal use of nature Latin "praeter" meaning "beyond" Something preternatural is beyond nature; means the same thing as supernatural

Appurtenant

"Supply added support French "apartenant" meaning "appertaining" Something that is appurtenant helps or supports something else. Think of the "pur" in there and think of a cat who supplies you with added ""emotional"" support.

Squelch

"Suppress or crush completely English origins The Squelch party wanted to squelch the two-party system between CalSERVE and Student Action.

Leery

"Suspicious or wary Unknown origins To leer is to look in an intense, creepy way, such as with lustful or malicious intent

Tumid

"Swollen, pompous Latin "tumere" meaning "to swell" Think about how your belly feels after Thanksgiving when you have just polished off that third helping of turkey with stuffing. That is tumid for you. Something tumid is too mich.

Turgid

"Swollen; distended; tumid Latin word "turgidus" meaning "swollen, inflated" Can be used in a figurative sense to describe things that are overblown. Turgid and turbid mean the same thing. When it is too big to fit in the container, the tubig is turgid.

Doff

"Take off (such as clothes), put aside; remove one's hat as a gesture A contraction is "do (take) off" The opposite of doff is don, to put on. Interestingly, don came into being as a contraction of "do on". Doff is a contraction for ""do off""

Axiomatic

"Taken as given; possessing self-evident truth Greek "axioma" meaning "authority" or "that which is thought worthy or fit" An axiom is a proposition that we don't generally question because it seems plain enough that it's true Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be axiomatic"

Protean

"Taking on differnt forms Named after Greek god Proteus Proteus was a Greek God who could tell the future. When he was asked a question he did not want to answer, he would change shapes. This word describes a person's ability like Lady Gaga who is a Grammy winning singer, songwriter, and Oscar winning actress.

Vapid

"Tasteless, dull Latin "vapidus" meaning "having exhaled its vapor" A vapor is vapid. It does not taste like something. Some folks think vegan food is vapid.

Tawdry

"Tastelessly showy; cheap and shoddy English origins Tawdry things often have a hint of desperation and immorality. Synonymous to gaudy. When Seymour told Audrey to get rid of her mascara and lipstick. He was saying that she was tawdry.

Inculcate

"Teach persistently, implant (an idea) in a person Latin "inculcare" meaning "to force upon or to stamp in" Mother Teresa of Calcutta inculcated Catholic teachings

Rend

"Tear violently; especially to test one's clothing or hair out of grief; pull apart, split, or tear away Old English "rendan" meaning "to tear, cut down" It's past tense is rent. Think about how rent can tear away your savings.

Abeyance

"Temporary suppression or suspension French ""aspiration to a title"" Comes from Anglo-French word abeiance, a legal term for waiting or hoping to receive property. Legal rights like property rights, can be held in abeyance until matters are resolved. Also do not put that Beyonce song in abeyance.

Receptivity

"The ability and willingness to take in information or ideas Latin word "recipere" meaning "bring back, recover, take in, or admit" Think of whether or not you are receptive to this.

Resignation

"The acceptance of something unpleasant that can't be avoided Latin "resignare" meaning "unseal, cancel" If you left your job position due to budget cuts, you will probably leave with a feeling of resignation— acknowledging that there's absolutely nothing you can do about it. Sending in a resignation might make you feel resignation.

Abscission

"The act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf or other part of a plant Latin ""ab"" meaning ""off"" and ""scindere"" meaning ""to cut"" Looks like the word scissors which is about cutting something

Bridle

"The act of restraining power or action or limiting excess; anger or take offense Old English "bridel" meaning "rein, curb, restraint" A bridle is buckled straps on a horse meant to help retrain their movement when necessary. Additionally, if you yank too hard on the reins, your horse might bridle— take offense to your aggressiveness— just like you might bridle if someone insulted you. A runaway bride may bridle at the idea of marriage.

Dissolution

"The act or process of resolving or dissolving; break up or dispersal, dismissal, the resulting state Latin "dissolutio" meaning "a dissolving of something" Dissolution looks very similar to "dissolve" so to help you remember the meaning, think about what happens if you put paper in water— it breaks apart. May be confused with disillusion which is to rid someone of an illusion

Oscillation

"The act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm Latin "oscillare" meaning "to swing" An oscillating graph has a continuous line that goes back and forth

Egress

"The action of existing; an exit Latin "egressus" meaning "a going out" Egress shares a root with "grade" meaning "move or step". Just as you exit fifth grade to enter sixth grade, or as the land grades into the sea, egress involves a shift in position. The opposite of egress is ingress meaning "entering". Related to the word progress. An egrette is egress, it just exists or it exits from the water.

Acculturation

"The adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture Latin "cultura" meaning "growing, cultivation" Immigrant school children acculturate to the American culture by wearing sneakers and Hollister.

Physiognomy

"The appearance of someone's face Greek "physiognomia" meaning "art of judging a person by his features" It used to be thought of as a science by which you could tell someone's character through their facial features. Think about a phenotype.

Verisimilitude (Adjective: verisimilar)

"The appearance of truth Latin "verisimilitudo" meaning "likeness to truth" Verisimilitude means being believable or having the appearance of being true

Necromancy

"The art of raising spirits of the dead Greek "necro" meaning "corpse" and "mancy" meaning "prophecy" If you travel to the underworld to speak to the dead, then you have the power of necromancy

Rhetoric

"The art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion Greek "rhetor" meaning "speaker" AP English 11

Supposition

"The cognitive process of supposing; a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence Greek "hupothesis" meaning "hypothesis" An assumption is an idea or theory that is usually made without proof while a supposition has the connotation that the idea or theory is testable and provable

Peroration

"The concluding part of a speech; flowery, rhetorical speech Latin "perorate" meaning "to speak at length" Think of the world oration which relates to speaking. A peroration is a long, lofty speech. Imagine a politician giving one. There is a peroration per oration which happens at the end.

Venality

"The condition of being susceptible to bribes or corruption Latin "venum" meaning "for sale" Politicians can have great venality— making decisions and passing laws based on their campaign contributions. They are venomous towards morals.

Mendacity

"The condition of being untruthful; dishonesty Latin "mendacium" meaning "lie" A mendacious person is one who tells lies habitually and intentionally. Amanda Bynes has played acting roles where she played a character with mendacity such as in ""She's the Man""

Malapropism

"The confusion of a word with another word that sounds familiar French "mal a propos" meaning "ill-suited" Mrs. Malaprop uses the wrong words such as "allegory" instead of "alligator" or "prosperous" instead of "preposterous"

Hegemony

"The consistent dominance of one state or group over others Greek "hegemon" meaning "leader" Dominance of one group or nation over others. During the American Revolution, colonists fought to throw off British hegemony. Tagalog is a hegemonic language in the Philippines that oppresses other indigenous dialects.

Contrition

"The feeling of remorse or guilt that comes from doing something bad Latin "conterere" meaning "to bruise" If you did wrong and feel bad about it, you're contrite. In a state of contrition, you may be constricted with guilt.

Apex

"The highest point of something Latin "apex" meaning "peak, tip" Could be literal like Mount Everest or figurative like winning an Oscar

Zenith

"The highest point; culmination Arabic "samt ar-ra's" meaning "path (over the head)" Describes the highest point in an arc traveled by a start or a planet or a celestial body. The sun reaches its zenith when it is as high in the sky as it is going to go on that day. Think of Zenon, who is from outer space.

Serendipity

"The instance in which an accidental, fortune discovery is made Term created by a British nobleman in the mid 1700s from an ancient Persian fairy tale Refers to a fairy tale character who were always making discoveries through chance

Eponym

"The name derived from a person (real or imaginary); the person for whom something is named Greek "eponymos" meaning "given as a name, giving one's name to something" Singers and bands often name one of their albums or CDs after themselves. The same goes for TV shows like "Roseanne"

Denouement

"The outcome of a complex sequence of events French word "denouer" meaning "to untie" Think about Hotel Denouement in A Series of Unfortunate Events. The denouement is in every movie after the big action scene where everything gets explained and the character tie up loose ends

Dupe

"The person who get deceived or fooled; trick French "dope" meaning "hoopoe" A hoopoe is a type of bird which has an extravagant crest and a reputation for being dim witted. A dupe has been dooped.

Heyday

"The pinnacle or top of a time period or career English origins If you hear someone say "Hey! Back in the day, I was the best boxer in the city!" They are remembering their heyday

Ingenuity

"The power of creative imagination Latin "ingenuitas" meaning "ingenuousness" Ingenuity is all about imagination, and an imaginative mind knows that every obstacle can be overcome with a little ingenuity

Allure

"The power to entice by charm German "luder" meaning "bait" To lure someone is to entice or bait them like a fish to attach themselves to your hook. You are alluring.

Pedagogy

"The profession or principles of teaching or instructing Greek "paidos" meaning "boy, child" plus "agogos" meaning "leader" Pedagogy of the Oppressed!!

Dispatch

"The property of being prompt and efficient; dispose of rapidly and without delay and efficiently Spanish "despachar" meaning "expedite" Anything that needs to be mailed, sent off, or quickly shipped needs to be dispatched or expedited.

Chivalry

"The qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery and gallantry toward women Latin "caballarius" meaning"horseman" or "knight" Picture a knight kneeling before a maiden and kissing her hand. Think of the phrase ""chivalry is dead"".

Tenacity

"The quality of adherence or persistence to something valued; persistent determination Latin "tenax" meaning "tough, holding fast" Tenacity is the quality displayed by someone who just won't quit— who keeps trying until they reach their goal

Magnanimity (adjective: magnanimous)

"The quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving Latin "magnus" meaning "great" A magnate is a great man. A magnum is a great big bottle of champagne

Exiguity

"The quality of being meager or poor Latin "exiguus" meaning "to weigh out" Something exiguous is very small in amount or size. There is no ambiguity because you are poor. The amount in your bank account has been "ex-ed" out.

Artlessness

"The quality of innocence Latin "artem" meaning "skill, craftsmanship" and ""less"" meaning ""lacking"" Someone who is artless lacks in deceit. Artlessness relates to innocence.

Ebullience

"The quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings Latin "ebullientem" meaning "boiling over" Bubbly! Not a bully.

Altruism (Adjective: altruistic)

"The quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others Italian "altrui" meaning "somebody else" Refers to feelings or actions that show an unselfish concern for other people.

Rapprochement

"The reestablishing of cordial relations French "rapproacher" meaning "to bring near" A rapproachment restores rapport to two parties who were not okay with each other.

Syntax

"The rules of governing grammar and how words join to make sentences (or how words and symbols join in writing computer code), the study of these rules, or any system or orderly arrangement Greek "syntaxis" meaning "a putting together or in order, arrangement, a grammatical construction" The root "taxis" (arrangement) also gives us taxonomy

Entomology

"The scientific study of insects Greek "entomon" meaning " insect" and "logia" meaning "the study of" Think of as "ant"-omology since an ant is an insect

Knell

"The sound made by a bell for a funeral, or any sad sound or signal of a failure, death, ending, etc; to make a sound Old English "cnyll" meaning "sound made by a bell when struck or rung slowly" Knell rhymes with bell. Knell is the noise a bell makes.

Primacy

"The state of being first in importance Latin "primas" meaning "principal, chief, of the first rank" Primacy comes from primary, meaning first, and is like the condition of always having first place

Exasperation

"The state of being irritated, extreme annoyance Latin verb "exasperare" meaning "to make rough" Exasperate: to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely

Ambivalence (Adjective: Ambivalent)

"The state of having conflicting emotional attitudes Latin "ambi" meaning "in two ways" and "valentia" meaning "vigor, strength" Someone who shows ambivalence about a person or thing has conflicting feelings

Efflorescence

"The state or a period of flowering; an example or result of growth and development Latin ""efflorescere"" meaning ""to bloom, flourish, blossom"" The flora part refers to a plant.

Ascendancy

"The state that exists when one person or group has power over another Latin "ascendere" meaning "to mount, ascend, go up" While ascend means to go up, ascendancy means being up.

Archaeology

"The study of ancient things Greek "Arkhaios" meaning "ancient" and "ology" meaning "the study of" Indiana Jones was a famous archaeologist.

Strut

"The supporting structural cross-part of a wing; to swagger, display to impress others Germanic origins The airplane has struts on its wings to ensure that it flies

Temperance

"The trait of avoiding excesses Latin "temperare" meaning "restrain" The temperance movement in the United States in the 19th century first urged for moderation in drinking but pushed to get Prohibition passed in 1919.

Gall

"The trait of being rude and impertinent; feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will Latin "gal" meaningn "bile" Gall bladder. In the days of Hippocrates, it was thought that if you had too much bile or fall, then you would be aggressive or depressed

Complaisance

"The willingness to comply with the wishes of others Latin "complacens" meaning "to take the fancy of" Similar to "compliance" that is fitting the standards set down by others. Complaisant means showing a willingness to please. Compleasancy; wanting to please other folks

Larceny

"Theft Latin "latrocinium" meaning "robbery, freeboarding, highway-robbery, piracy" In legal terms, larceny refers to a particular type of theft where the thief must physically carry away the stolen item.

Callous

"Thick-skinned; insensitive, unsympathetic Latin "callum" meaning "hard skin" A callous person is insensitive or emotionally hardened. Think of callused hands after the gym, they are thick-skinned, you get them because you are not being sensitve or sympathetic to taking of your hands

Viscous (adjective: viscid)

"Thick; sticky; syrupy Latin "viscosus" meaning "mistletoe, birdlime" Not quite a solid or liquid Viscosity is the thickness

Coagulate

"Thicken; to change from a fluid into a thickened mass; curdle; congeal Latin "coagulum" meaning "rennet" When liquid starts to thicken and become solid, it coagulates

Sodden

"Thoroughly soaked, saturated Old English "soden" meaning "boiled" You can call someone sodden if they are acting stupid or dull, especially if they have had too much to drink

Baleful

"Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments Old English "bealu" meaning "evil" Christian Bale foresaw a baleful script for Batman in The Dark Knight Trilogy

Frugality

"Thrift; prudence in avoiding waste (positive connotation) Latin "frugi" meaning "economical, thrifty" While cheapness is unwillingness to spend, frugality is an unwillingness to waste

Defenstrate

"Throw through or out of a window Latin ""fenestra"" meaning ""window"" The Defenstration of Prague was an incident in 1618 in which some Protestants threw Catholics out of a window.

Timorous

"Timid by nature or revealing fear and nervousness Latin "timor" meaning "fear" Think of the word "timid" which describes folks who are typically described as shy

Accrue

"To accumulate; grow by additions Latin ""accresere"" meaning ""become larger"" The interest for unsubsidized loans accrued much faster that subsidized loans.

Expatiate

"To add details to in order to clean up Latin "ex" meaning "out" and "spatiari" meaning "to walk" When you expadiate a piece of writing, you add details, thus padding it. You are also expanding it so that it can be better.

Venerate

"To adore, honor, respect Latin "venerari" meaning "to worship" Someone venerable is profoundly honored, so to venerate someone is to honor them

Embellish

"To adorn; enhance Latin "bellus" meaning "handsome" The word "bell" is in the middle, which is something that decorates, or embellishes something, making it more attractive

Obviate

"To anticipate and make unnecessary; to do away with Latin "obviatus" meaning "to act contrary to" If something is obvious, you don't need other options. If you are obviate, you can do away with other things. If you are ovulating, then you are obviating the release of the eggs.

Placate

"To appease; to calm by making concessions Latin "placare" meaning "to calm or soothe" The Latin verb "placere" is the source of the English please If you placate someone, you stop them from being angry by giving them something or doing something that pleases them

Propitiate

"To appease; to conciliate; propitious means auspicious, favorable Latin "propitius" meaning "favorable, gracious" To propitiate is to appease someone or make them happy by doing a particular thing. Pity is in the word. You may want to appease someone because you pity them.

Converge

"To approach; come together; tend to meet Latin "con" meaning "with" and "vergere" meaning "to bend or to turn" Opposite of the word diverge which means to move away

Quibble

"To argue over insignificant and irrelevant details English "quib" meaning "a petty objection" Sometimes a quibble between neighbors over two feet of property can escalte into a major feud. Think of the word ""babble""

Maintain

"To assert Latin "manu tenere" meaning "hold in the hand" The scientist maintained that the extinction of dinosaurs was most likely brought about by a drastic change in climate. A parent may maintain that their child maintains good grades.

Expiate

"To atone or make amends for Latin "expiat" meaning "appeased by sacrifice" Cersei Lannister expiated her sins by walking through King's Landing naked. You might expiate by getting someone a pie on Pi Day.

Impute

"To attribute the fault; relate to a particular cause or source Latin "imputare" meaning "enter in the account" When you impute something, you name the cause of something that has happened. In other words, you name the source like imputing your love of learning to a teacher. ""IM PUTting the blame on someone else""

Asseverate

"To aver, allege, or assert Latin "ad" meaning "to, toward" and "sevarare" meaning "serious or severe" Focus on the word ""severe"". You are making something more serious or severe.

Prattle

"To babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner German "pratelen" meaning "to chatter" Similar words: chatter, jabber, gabble, blabber, babble. Think of Spencer Pratt.

Confound

"To baffle; perplex or amaze; mix up or associate, confused, or disorder Latin "confundere" meaning "pour together, mix up" If you have an identical twin, you have probably tried dressing alike so that people confuse you with, or mistake you for, one another. Confound is to mix together or confuse things. To be confused is to be confounded.

Arch

"To be deliberately teasing Latin "arcus" meaning "bow" Arch describes something mischievous or sly like "He teased his friend with an arch comment and his shyness around girls". Think about an arrow in archery— you are aiming it at someone you are trying to tease.

Flush

"To be in abundance English origins Think of the Royal Flush in poker! You have an abundance to win the round. A flush amount of flush on your face can make you look like a clown.

Jibe

"To be in agreement, to be in accord Unknown origin You can jibe with someone that you vibe with— you agree with them

Demure

"To be modest and shy Old French "demourer" meaning "remain" Edmure Tully is the modest and shy head of House Tully.

Remiss

"To be negligent in one's duty Latin "remissus" meaning "Slackened" If you have gone through remission and your cancer is remissed, there is no more. If you are remissed, you are not fulfilling your duties.

Behooves

"To be one's duty or obligation Old English "behofian" meaning "to be of use" To behoove someone to do something is to make it advisable or necessary to do so, for their own good or that of others. Someone who behooves has the hooves to take on a duty or obligation.

Stint

"To be sparing or frugal; restrint in a stingy manner Old English "styntan" meaning "to blunt, make dull, stupefy" Think of the word stingy. The school board chose to make cuts at the administrative level, rather than stint on the children's education.

Coalesce

"To become one Latin "co" meaning "together" and "alescere" meaning "to grow up" Coalesce is when different elements of something join together and become one Think of the word adolescent who is one who is growing

Languid (Verb: Languish)

"To become weak or feeble; to lose vigor and vitality Latin verb "languere" meaning "to be weak or faint" Languorous: Characterized by tiredness or inactivity. If you do not understand the common language in a country, your understanding may be languid.

Cadge

"To beg; sponge, to borrow without intent to repay Old English "cadger" meaning "itinerant dealer" When you cadge something, you wheedle or plead for it, manipulating someone into giving it to you. If you lost a Pokemon match, you might cadge for a badge.

Fetter

"To bind; confine Dutch "veter" meaning "a lace" To fetter someone is to restrict their movement, either literally or metaphorically. You better hope you don't get into a fetter with Fetty Wap or you will get claustrophobia.

Stymie

"To block; to thwart First used on the golf course in Scotland Originally referred to an opponent's ball blocking your own ball's path to the cup. A stye on your eye can stymie your vison.

Kowtow

"To bow or act in a subservient manner Chinese "k'o-t'ou" meaning "knock the head" Describes the act of kneeling and touching one's head to the ground to show respect, used to be a custom in Chinese culture. A Kowtow bow!

Recrudesce

"To break out or happen again; revive Latin "recrudescere" meaning "become raw again, break open afresh" When something "crud" or bad is coming back to haunt you like pimples or disease, it is a recrudescence.

Broach

"To bring up; to announce; to begin to talk about Latin "brocchus" meaning "projecting" The piercing tool you use is also called a broach. Think of piercing someone with your idea the next time you broach a touchy issue. You might not want to broach about abortion to someone who is Pro-Life. Your bro can be a roach if he always broaches things to other people that you do not want brought up.

Hector

"To bully or intimidate From Greek mythology "Hector" In Homer's Illiad, Hector was the muscular, daunting force who rallied the Trojans to keep fighting. As people were intimidated around Hector, it makes sense that the word hector means to bully or intimidate.

Mollify

"To calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity Latin "mollificare" meaning "to make soft" Molly as a drug increases dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin which may calm or soothe a person

Appease

"To calm, pacify, placate French "apaisier" meaning "to pacify, make peace, or be reconciled" Think of British Prime Minister Chamberlain's attempt to appease the Nazis at Munich

Descry

"To catch sight of French "descrier" meaning "publish, proclaim" Usually, you descry something after observing carefully for a while. You can describe something that you descried.

Precipitate

"To cause or happen before anticipated or required; acting suddenly, hasty or rash Latin "praecipitatus" meaning "to cast down headlong" If you decide to throw your class project in the trash just because someone in your class had a similar idea, then your actions might be described as precipitate. Precipitation like rain can be precipitate.

Etiolated

"To cause to become weakened or sickly; drain of color or vigor French word "etioler" meaning "to make pale" Commonly used to describe plants without light. Synonymous with the word emaciated

Engender

"To cause; produce Latin "in" meaning "in" and "generare" meaning "beget" Asking the class to say their gender pronouns engenders them to be more aware of other people's gender pronouns

Admonish

"To caution or reprimand Latin ""admonere"" meaning ""urge by warning"" Always used with an eye on improving someone's behavior. Brandy's character Moesha would always get admonished.

Fête

"To celebrate a person French "fête" meaning "party" Close to the word fiesta. The circumflex accent over the first "e" in fete looks like a party hat, which is how you can remember it.

Expurgate

"To censor; to purge or cleanse moral offensiveness Latin "expurgare" meaning "to clean out" Think of The Purge movies!

Color

"To change as if by dyeing, i.e., to distort, gloss, or affect (usually the first) From Latin "color" Color can mean to give bias to something. A bad experience on the first day of school will color how you feel about school for the rest of the year. It can also mean to misinterpret or deceive. If someone colors their story of bringing a cat down from a tree, they may make it seem like they rescued two little kids, three kittens, etc.

Chortle

"To chuckle, laugh merrily English "chuckle" and "snort" Combine chuckle and snort

Exculpate

"To clear of blame; to pronounce not guilty of criminal charges Latin "ex" meaning "from" and "culpa" meaning "blame" Similar to the word exonerate where you clear a person of an accusation and any suspicion that goes along with it A culprit is someone who perpetrates wrongdoing

Amalgamate

"To combine several elements into a whole Greek "malagma" meaning "softening agent" Originally referred to the mixture of metals, but now it refers to any mixing or blending

Proscribe

"To condemn, forbid, outlaw Latin "pro" meaning "in front of" and "scribere" meaning "write" While prescribe means to recommend, proscribe is the opposite— it forbids you

Cloister

"To confine; seclude, a place of religious seclusion, as a monastery or convent Latin "claustrum" meaning "lock, enclosed place' A cloister is an enclosed garden, usually surrounded by covered walkways. A closet is a cloister. The Pokemon Cloyster is cloistered in their hard shell.

Corroborate

"To confirm or to lend to (usually an idea or claim) Latin "corroborare" with "Cor" meaning "completely" and "robrorare" meaning "to strengthen" from "Robur" meaning "strengthen" To corroborate something is to make it more robust

Belie

"To contradict; misrepresent; give a false impression Old English "beleogan" meaning "to deceive by lying" It suggests characteristics or behavior that inadvertently or deliberately hides the truth. You are effectively lying.

Chasten

"To correct by punishment or reproof; to restrain or subdue Latin "castus" meaning "morally pure" To chasten someone is to correct him or her, often with the use of some pretty steep punishment. Jessica Chastain was in the movie The Help which featured a character that chastened her old employer by putting shit in her pie. Chastened as an adjective means corrected, punished, or humbled.

Vitiate

"To corrupt, to debase, to spoil, to make ineffective Latin "vitiat" meaning "impaired" Related to the word vice which is a moral failing or a bad habit. To vitaite is to fall into certain vices

Inundate

"To cover with water, overwhelm Latin "inundat" meaning "flooded" To inundate means to quickly fill up or overwhelm. An undulation can overwhelm you.

Censure

"To criticize severely; to officially rebuke Latin "censura" meaning "censorship" Censor means to suppress speech or other forms of expression whereas censure is to criticize

Excoriate

"To criticize very harshly Latin "ex" meaning "out, from" and "corium" meaning "skin, hide" In a medical sense, excoriate means to tear your skin off by chafing. If someone excoriates you verbally, it might make you feel like you have been physically excoriated. Someone excoriating you can feel like they are ripping out your core.

Fleece

"To deceive English origins Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow. It was such a nice, clean fleece that Mary tricked the lamb into trusting her, then robbed him of his fleece and turned it into a bomber jacket and a pair of boots. She totally fleeced him.

Consecrate

"To declare or dedicated sacred Latin "sacer" meaning "sacred" Consecrate means to make holy or to dedicate to a higher purpose. Consacred, consecrate.

Vilify

"To defame; to characterize harshly Latin "vilis" meaning "of little worth, base cheap" When you vilify someone, you make them sound villainous

Champion

"To defend or support Latin "campionem" meaning "gladiator, fighter" As a verb, to champion means to protect or fight for something

Mulct

"To defraud or swindle Latin "multare" meaning "punish, to sentence to pay a fine" If you got mulct, someone took you money. They milked you by mulcting you. A cult can mulct you.

Prevaricate

"To deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead; to speak in an evasive way Latin "praevaricatus" meaning "to straddle something, collude with an opponent's advocate" Basically means to lie Lord Varys will mislead to protect the Seven Kingdoms

Obfuscate

"To deliberately obscure; to make confusing Latin "obfuscat" meaning "darkened" Politicians often obfuscate the truth about issues to win support for their positions so they can win elections. The ""fus"" in obfuscate is similar to the ""fus"" in confusing, which is a synonym.

Harangue

"To deliver a forceful or angry speech; ranting speech or writing French "harangue" meaning "speech, oration" You can give a harangue about being hungry

Gainsay

"To deny, to dispute, to contradict, to oppose Middle English "gain" meaning "against" When you challenge authority, you gainsay, as in teachers don't like it when unruly students gainsay them. Related to the word against.

Abscond

"To depart in a secret manner or in an illicit way; To steal off and hide Latin "abscondere" meaning "to hide or stow away" Generally used to describe someone running from law or capture Your abs can disappear. Graceful exit!

Extirpate

"To destroy, to exterminate, to cut out, to exscind Latin "ex" meaning "out" and "stirps" meaning "a stem" Close to the word exterminate. You are ex-ing out or tearing up something.

Damp

"To diminish the intensity or check the vibration of a sound West Germanic origins The rain can be very loud. If only there was a way to dampen the volume of it!

Besmirch

"To dirty or tarnish Originated in 1590s Synonymous to defame or to slander

Inveigh

"To disapprove; protest vehemently Latin "invehere" meaning "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 driven

Divulge

"To disclose something secret Latin "di" meaning "widely" and "vulgare" meaning "publish" from "vulgus" meaning "common people" Vulgar means lacking sophistication or good taste. Divulge means to reveal something that may be vulgar

Daunt

"To discourage; intimidate; to overcome with fear; dishearten Latin "domare" meaning "to tame" Something daunting can scare you off. If you have a lot of studying to do, it may seem like a daunting task

Dissemble

"To disguise or conceal; to mislead Latin "dissimulare" meaning "disguise, conceal" Disassemble is the opposite of assemble while dissemble is to not resemble yourself

Refute

"To disprove; to successfully argue against Latin "refutare" meaning "to check, suppress" A rebuttal is an attempt to prove something isn't true, but to refute is to actually prove that it isn't

Perturb

"To disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious Latin "per" meaning "completely" and "turbare" meaning "disturb" To perturb is to bug or bother someone by confusing them or throwing them off balance

Bifurcate

"To divide in two parts Latin "bi" meaning "two" and "furca" meaning "fork" Picture a river that bifurcates— having two forks. Think of it as bi-fork-ate

Circumscribed

"To draw a line around; encircle within bounds Latin root "circum" meaning "round" Latin root "scribere" meaning "to write" Restricting something or drawing around. Think of a circumference.

Bedizen

"To dress in a vulgar, showy manner Dutch "dizen" meaning "to deck out" Picture big jewels and gold bling. Kind of related the word bedazzling.

Preen

"To dress up; to primp to groom oneself with elaborate care Possible association to Middle English meaning "to stab, pierce" A preteen likes to preen or dress up

Quaff

"To drink deeply First recorded in 1515-1525 Imitating a possible sound of someone hella thirsty. You quaff so you can quench your thirst. If you quaff from a lake, make sure not to eat a duck which can quack.

Imbibe

"To drink or absorb as if drinking; an intake of knowledge or information Latin "imbibere" meaning "absorb, drink, inhale" A bib is meant to absorb any liquid or stains so that it does not get on your clothes. To imbibe is to absorb or drink the liquid.

Desiccate

"To dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull, lacking vitality Latin "desiccare" meaning "dry up" Think of the desert which is dessicated by the climate and burning sun

Assuage

"To ease or lessen; to appease or pacify French "assouagier" meaning "sweet" Sounds like sugar; think about adding something sweet to something unpleasant. Or think of a massage.

Expunge

"To eliminate completely Latin "expungere" meaning "prick out, blot out, mark for deletion" Typically, you expunge something from a document. You censor, block it, or eliminate it.

Immure

"To enclose, usually in walls Latin "immurare" meaning "to shup up within walls" The root "mur"" is in there like a "mural" which is a painting on a wall or "intramural" which means "inside the walls."" To immure something is to put it behind a wall or a confining space.

Sap

"To enervate or weaken the vitality of Old English "saep" meaning "undermine" If you sap a person of strength, you have rendered them defenseless

Reconnoiter

"To engage in reconnaissance, make a preliminary inspection of French ""reconoistre"" meaning ""to identify"" A reconnaisance is a preliminary researching or surveying of the place. Typically describes a military action to look around to try to get some kind of feel for the place. You may have all your materials for reconnaisance in your Northface Recon.

Regale

"To entertain; provide with choice or abundant food or drink French "gale" meaning "pleasure" Akin to the word gala meaning "a festive party" and "gallant" meaning "spirited and adventurous". If you regale someone with a gala, they will gave a good time

Begrudge

"To envy someone for possessing or enjoying something; to give reluctantly Middle English "grucchen" meaning "to murmur, find fault with, be angry" A grudge is ill will that you hold towards someone: to begrudge is to hold that grudge.

Waffle

"To equivocate; to change one's position English "waff" meaning "yelp" Think of the word waff and how people can waff at each other You may waff at someone to get waffles instead of pancakes.

Misattribute

"To erroneously attribute; to falsely ascribe; used especially of authorship Latin "mis" meaning "bad, wrong" and "attribuere" meaning "assign, allot, ascribe, impute" To misattribute is to attribute wrongly.

Beg

"To evade or dodge (a question) Old English "bedecian" meaning "to beg" When you beg a question, you are trying to avoid. As a vegan you are beggin bacon.

Plumb

"To examine deeply; determine the depth Latin "plumbum" meaning "lead" If you plumb the depths of something, you go in deep for knowledge and experience. A plumber will plumb the problem with your pipes.

Peruse

"To examine with great care Middle English "perusen" meaning "to use up" from the Latin prefix "per" meaning "thoroughly" Perusal is the activity of carefully reading, poring over, or studying something with the intent of remembering it. Peruse this study guide to do well GRE.

Galvanize

"To excite to action or spur on; to strengthen steel; to motivate someone Named after 18th Century scientist Luigi Galvani Luigi Galvani found that a spark could make a frog's leg move. This discovery led to studies in bioelectrogenesis and the basis for Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Distend

"To expand; swell out, stretch Latin "dis" meaning "apart" and "tendere" meaning "to stretch" Often applies to stomachs— a pregnancy would also cause a stomach to distend, but it can also refer to anything that is stretched out as a result of internal pressure. Distend is related to the word extend.

Exorcise

"To expel evil spirits; free from bad influence Greek "ex" meaning "out" and "horkos" meaning "oath" Think of "The Exorcist"

Milk

"To exploit; to squeeze every last ounce Greek "amelgein" meaning "to milk" Milk every last bit from the cow's udder

Default

"To fail to act Latin "defaillir" meaning "to fail" If you default on your loans, you fail to act on them

Renege

"To fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise Latin "negare" meaning "to deny" A renegade is a person who deserts or betrays an organization, country, or set of principles

Cavil

"To find fault with good reason Latin "cavillari' meaning "jeer, scoff, quibble" and "cavilla" meaning "jesting, banter" A cavil is a small or petty objection. You may cavil that Henry Cavil was a bad Superman

Fawn

"To flatter or praise excessively Latin "fetus" meaning "offspring" You might fawn over Bambi if you want to hang out with the cute and fuzzy gang

Interdict

"To forbid, to nix, or to veto Latin "interdicere" meaning "to forbid" A pope can interdict someone by excommunicating or prohibiting the person from the functions and privileges of the church

Exact

"To force the payment of; demand and obtain by authority Latin "exigere" meaning "to force out or demand" Picture the mob demanding money. They are exacting the exact amount of money that is owed.

Relegate

"To forcibly assign, especially to a lower place or position Latin "legare" meaning "to send" Delegate means to send someone in your place to complete a task. To relegate is to do something similar but in a more forcible way.

Adumbrate

"To foreshadow vaguely or intimate; to suggest or outline sketchily; to obscure or overshadow Latin "umbra" meaning "shade" Like an umbrella, it relates to a ""shadow"" which can be vague. To adumbrate is to foreshadow.

Presage

"To foretell; indicate in advance Latin "prae" meaning "before" and "sagire" meaning "perceive keenly" Picture a sage that is warning you about something bad that is going to happen. The sage is presaging the event.

Abdicate

"To give up a position, right, or power Latin ""ab"" meaning ""away, from"" and ""dicare"" meaning ""proclaim"" Someone in power may give up their power and step down from their position by abdicating their position

Wend

"To go, proceed, walk Uncertain origin If you are hungry and craving a burger, you might want to wend to Wendys.

Wax

"To gradually increase in size or intensity Old English "weax" meaning "substance made by bees" A waxing moon becomes larger and larger each night until it becomes a full moon

Proliferate

"To grow or increase swiftly and abundantly French origins Originally a biological term used to describe the growth of cells and producing offspring Since the 1961s, nuclear weapons proliferated due to the Cold War

Burgeon

"To grow rapidly or flourish Middle English "burjon" meaning "shoot, bud" A burgeoning economy is a thriving economy

Indemnify

"To guard or secure against anticipated lost Latin ""indemnis"" meaning ""unhurt"" Buying insurance is typically used with this word. Root ""demn"" means ""damage, so indemnify means not damaged.

Redound

"To have a good or bad effect, especially as a result of a person's efforts or actions (usually used with to, on, or upon) Latin "redundare" meaning "to overflow" Use "redound" in formal situations to mean "contribute" or "have an effect". The Dow Jones can have a redound effect.

Blinkered

"To have a limited outlook or understanding Middle Dutch "blinken" meaning "to glitter" If you blink, you might miss an important thing. To be blinkerd is to miss out on the whole thing.

Defray

"To help pay the cost of, either in part or full French "de" meaning "out" and "fraier" meaning "spend" Defray, Depay. Walder Frey defrayed the Lannisters with the cost of war.

Impede

"To hinder; block Latin "impedire" meaning "to hold the feet" from "in" meaning "in" and "pes" meaning "foot" A speech impediment is a physical defect that affects speech

Stem

"To hold back or limit the flow or growth of something Old English "stemn" meaning "stem of a plant, trunk of a tree" A plant stem may stem when it does not get enough water, sun, or nutrients.

Hobble

"To hold back the progress of something Dutch "hobbelen" meaning "rock from side to side" To hobble is to bobble the progress of something.

Pirate

"To illegally use or reproduce Greek "peirates" meaning "one who attacks" Pirating movies

Stultify

"To impair or reduce to uselessness Latin "stultus" meaning "foolish" When something stultifies you, it stalls you of your energy, enthusiasm, or pleasure.

Intimate

"To imply, suggest, or insinuate Latin "intimus" meaning "innermost" When you get intimate with someone, you may intimate having a relationship. Always ask for consent!

Subsume

"To include, incorporate; contain; consider as part of a general rule or principle Latin "sub" meaning "from below" and "sumere" meaning "to take Think of subsume as meaning to take from below, like a sneak attack by some kind of deep sea creature

Aggrandize

"To increase in intensity, power, influence, or prestige Latin "grandis" meaning "large" If you are making yourself seem greater, then people may say you are self-aggrandizing

Diminutive

"To indicate smallness; very small Latin "deminuere" meaning "to lessen" The word "minute" is in there which indicates that it is about a small amount.

Apprise

"To inform or make aware of French "apprendre" meaning "learn, teach" Appraise means to determine the value of something while to apprise is to inform or make aware. When you apprise someone, you are giving them a prize of noticing them.

Interpolate

"To insert; change by adding new words or material Latin "inter" meaning "between" and "polire" meaning "To polish" When you interpolate words into a text, you alter the text by adding words in. To extrapolate is to extend, but to interpolate is to insert.

Demean

"To insult; to cause someone to lose dignity or respect Old English "de" meaning "down" and "mean" meaning "intend" To demean someone is to be very mean to them. Insulting language is often called demeaning.

Rescind

"To invalidate; to repeal; to retract Latin "scindere" meaning "to divide, split" Your college offer gets rescinded if you get lower than a C in an A-G class

Cajole

"To inveigle, coax, wheedle, sweet talk Middle French ""cageoler"" meaning ""to chatter like a jay"" Looks like cage. When you cajole someone, it is like you are luring them into a cage.

Concoct

"To invent; prepare or make; to devise, make up, contrive Latin "concoct" meaning "cooked together" When you concoct something, you mix up different ingredients

Abate

"To lessen in intensity or degree French "abattre" meaning "to beat down" Vegans abate eating meat and meat products.

Allay

"To lessen; ease soothe Old English "alecgan" meaning "lay down or aside" Laying down can help ease or soothe your stresse.

Check

"To limit Old French ""eschequier"" meaning ""play chess, put in check"" Usually used to modify the growth of something. Think of checks and balances.

Hedge

"To limit or qualify a statement; to avoid making a direct statement Old English "hecg" meaning "hedge" A hedge is a living fence made of closely planted bushes, which, as they grow and get trimmed and shaped, form a wall of green. A figurative hedge does the same thing in limiting something. Hedge funds are based on when brokers make money betting against the market.

Qualify

"To limit; to be legally competent or capable Latin "qualis" meaning "of what kind, of such a kind" When you qualify for something, don't feel qualified and go beyond the qualifications

Eke

"To live off meager resources; to scrape by From Old English "eac" To eke out is to get by with difficulty or struggle

Quail

"To lose courage; to turn frightened From Latin "coacula" If you are a quail, you might quail at the thought of quail-hunting season Think of how the word chicken is associated with the word fear

Fulminate

"To loudly attack or denounce Latin "fulmen" meaning "lightning flash" During a violent thunderstorm, you may catch thunder and lightning fulminate or explode loudly and violently overhead. Looks like the word luminate which lightning is related to.

Err

"To make an error Latin "errare" meaning "to stray" When you err, you make an error

Ameliorate

"To make better or more tolerable Latin "meliorare" meaning "improve" Food drives can ameliorate hunger Amelia Earhardt wanted to ameliorate flying planes.

Facilitate

"To make less difficult Latin "facilis" meaning "Easy" Facile in French means "easy"

Unnerve

"To make nervous or upset Latin "nervus" meaning "sinew, tendon" To unnerve is to make them feel scared or confused

Antiquated

"To make obsolete, old-fashioned, or out of date by replacing with something newer or better Latin "antiquatus" meaning "old, ancient" equivalent to "antiquare" meaning "to put in an earlier state" Think of making something an antique.

Mitigate

"To make or become less severe or intense; to moderate; alleviate Latin "mitis" meaning "soft" and "agere" meaning "to do/act" Sunscreen is used to mitigate the effects of the sun on your skin

Rarefy

"To make or become thin, less dense; to refine Latin "rarefacere" meaning "make rare" If you rarefy something, you make it more rare because there is less of it

Consummate

"To make perfect and complete in every respect Latin "consummate" meaning "brought to completion" If you refer to someone as a consummate chef, then you are saying he is the ultimate chef

Palliate

"To make something seem less serious, to gloss over, to make less severe or intense Latin "palliat" meaning "cloaked" Something that palliates relieves the symptoms or consequences of something, without addressing the underlying cause. If you go on a paleo diet, you are palliating the effects of carbohydrates on your body. If you are not feeling well, your pal can palliate your pain.

Discomfit

"To make uneasy; disconcert or to confuse or dejected Latin "dis" meaning "away" and "conficere" meaning "put together" To discomfit is to embarrass someone while discomfort is a noun meaning uncomfortable. Discomfiting someone may make them feel discomfort

Exacerbate

"To make worse or more severe Latin "exacerbatus" meaning "to exasperate, provoke" Exacerbate is related to the adjective acrid which is often used to describe sharp-smelling smoke. Think of exacerbate then as a sharp or bitter thing that makes something worse. Something acerbic may exacerbate someone's taste.

Defame

"To malign; harm someone's reputation Latin "diffamare" meaning "spread evil report" Think of the word defamation

Cozen

"To mislead by trick or fraud; deceive, cheat Italian "cozzone" meaning "middleman, broker" Someone who is cozen is cozy with lying and misleading. Your evil cousin is cozen

Deride

"To mock, to laugh at in scorn or contempt; scoff or jeer at Latin "deridere" meaning "to ridicule, to scorn" To ride people is to get on their case or give them a hard time, and to deride is to do the same with insulting language or poor treatment. Derision is scorn, ridicule, or contemptuous treatment

Lumber

"To move heavily and clumsily Middle English "lomere" meaning "clumsy movement" Large or tall people are inevitably said to lumber as the common phrase "lumbering giant" attests

Waver

"To move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in opinion Old English "waefre" meaning "restless" When the wind blows, it makes the leaves and flowers waver, or move, in that same direction

Occlude

"To obstruct or block Latin "occludere" meaning "shut up" Prefix "oc" basically means blocking, against, concealing. If you are occluding. you are concluding the the movement of something. You can't conclude something if there is a occlude.

Inveigle

"To obtain by deception or flattery French "aveugler" meaning "delude, make blind" The people you inveigle don't see what you are really up to. You put a veil up. Think of as "in veil".

Commandeer

"To order or force into active military service French "comander" meaning "to entrust, order" Related to the word "commander" who is someone officially in charge, giving orders, and making decisions for a group such as a nation or a military

Condone

"To overlook voluntarily; forgive or pardon Latin "condonare" meaning "refrain from punishing" If you condone something, you allow it, approve of it, or at least can live with it

Pervade

"To permeate throughout Latin "per" meaning "throughout" and "vadere" meaning "go" Pervasive means to spread widely throughout an area or a group of people

Badger

"To pester German origins The badger is an animal that digs tunnels underground to keep warm. They are pestering the ground.

Tamp

"To plug, to drive in or down by a series of blows English origins You tamp a tampon... or a USB drive.

Depredate

"To plunder, pillage, ravage or destroy; to exploit in a predatory manner Latin ""depraedare"" meaning ""to pillage, ravage"" To depradate is to make something your prey. You are the predator.

Plummet

"To plunge or drop straight down French "plommet" meaning "lead" Temperatures plummet overnight

Burnish

"To polish; to make smooth or shiny French "brunir" meaning "darken, polish" You can burnish a resume by polishing it until it is perfect. You can make glass more polished by burning it in very hot heat.

Laud

"To praise highly or extravagantly Latin "laudere" meaning "to praise" To laud someone is to glorify them or sing their praise loudly

Forestall

"To prevent; delay Prefix "fore" meaning "before" and German "stall" meaning "stand, place, stable, stall" To forestall is to stall in advance— you try to prevent or put off something you do not want to happen

Goad

"To prod; stab or urge on; give heart or courage to Germanic origins Literally or figuratively, a goad prods and pokes and provokes people into doing something, The toad in the Princess and the Frog is just trying to goad until they find a princess to kiss.

Tender

"To proffer or offer Latin "tener" meaning "tender, delicate" The butcher tendered me to tenderize the meat himself for free. Nude pics are tendered on Tinder.

Mince

"To pronounce or speak affectedly; to euphemize, to speak too carefully. Also, to take tiny steps; to tiptoe Latin "minutus" meaning "small" She minces her words when she talks to shy kindergarteners. Think of the word ""minute"" which relates to smallness. A garlic mince is small.

Purport

"To propose, intend, or claim Latin "por" meaning "forth" and "portare" meaning "carry, bear" Use when you want to convince people about something that might not be true, like when you purport that the dog ate your homework. If you are purporting not using a straw, you are purporting that you are saving the porpoises AKA dolphins.

Remonstrate

"To protest, to object Latin "monstrare" meaning "to show" Demonstrate is to display the method of using an object while remonstrate is to object; to express disapproval

Bolster

"To provide support or reinforcement Old English "belg" meaning "bag" A bolster is also the name of a long pillow you might use to make your back feel better You bolster a friend when you cheer them up when they are feeling down

Prize

"To pry, to press or force with a lever; something taken by force, spoils French "preisier" meaning 'to praise, appraise" Think of the word pry like prying open a lock

Tout

"To publicly praise or promote Middle English "tute" meaning "look out" Asian parents tout about the accomplishments of their children.

Contrive

"To pull off a plan or scheme, usually though skill or trickery Latin "controver" meaning "imagine, invent" Describes something that is artificially planned, especially in an obvious way. Contriving something will be controversial.

Hound

"To pursue relentlessly Old English "hund" meaning "dog" Hounds are dogs that have been traditionally used for hunting because they are excellent at tracking

Dog

"To pursue relentlessly; to hound Old English origins Imagine a dog following you home or a dog barking at you to go away or to do something

Demur

"To question or oppose French "demurer" meaning "to linger" You cannot demur that lemurs have big eyes

Adulterate

"To reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients Latin word "adulterare" meaning "to falsify" or "to corrupt" Adultery is a sin.

Repudiate

"To refuse to have anything to do with; to disown Latin "repudiare" meaning "to put away, reduce" To repudiate something is to reject it, or to refuse to accept or support it. If you repudiate someone, it is like you are throwing them into a puddle and walking away from them.

Buttress

"To reinforce; support French "boter" meaning "to strike or thrust" A buttress is a structure that adds stability to a wall or building

Alleviate

"To relieve; improve partially Latin "levis" meaning "light" The words elevator and levitate imply the lightening of one's load and alleviate is the sense of lightening burden such as physical pain or emotional duress

Recast

"To remodel or reconstruct Prefix ""re"" meaning ""again"" and Middle English "casten" meaning "to throw" In a movie, recasting a part means finding a different actor to play the role. Aunt Viv on Fresh Prince of Bel Air was recasted

Table

"To remove (as a parliamentary motion) from consideration Latin "tabula" meaning "plank, tablet, list" You can table an issue if you are not able to compromise or if you are unprepared to talk about it

Exonerate

"To remove blame Latin "exonerat-" meaning "freed from burden" To exonerate someone is to declare him not guilty of criminal charges

Abjure

"To renounce or reject solemnly; to recant; to avoid Latin "ab" meaning "away" and "jurare" meaning "to swear" It is a more dramatic way of declaring your rejection of something you once felt or believed. You swear it away and disassociate yourself with it. Example: You might abjure astrology after receiving bad fortune

Supersede

"To replace, especially to displace as inferior or antiquated Latin "super" meaning "above" and "sedere" meaning "sit" The root super implies something good is going on, so to supersede something is to replace with something better

Limn

"To represent or portray Latin "luminare" meaning "to illuminate" Most often used to describe the act of drawing or painting a portrait, but it can also refer to describing or outlining a scene or event. Jeremy Lim limns Asian Americans in professional sports.

Chastise

"To reprimand harshly French "chastier" meaning "to warn, advise, instruct" Synonym to castigate which looks like the word.

Recant

"To retract a statement of opinion Latin "re" meaning "back" and verb "cantare" meaning "to sing" It has been suggested that recant was first used when someone reversed a charm, curse, or some other type of magical spell that would have been chanted or sung

Betray

"To reveal or make known something, usually unintentionally English "be" meaning "thoroughly" and "traine" meaning "betrayal, deception, deceit" The growling of your stomach betrays your hunger or the secret you tell about your friend that betrays her trust. You put something on a tray for everyone to see it.

Putrefy

"To rot; to decay and give off a foul odor Latin "putreficare" meaning "to make rotten" Putrid refers to the smell of something organic that has begun to decompose. That process is putrefication.

Steep

"To saturate or completely soak, as in to let a tea bag steep Germanic origins If you fall of a steep cliff, you can get steeped in the water

Rail

"To scold with bitter or abusive language Latin "regula" meaning "straight, stick, rule" To rail means to criticize severely. When you rail someone, it is figuratively like you are tying them to a rail and running them over with your train of criticsm.

Ferret

"To search for something persistently Latin "fur" meaning "thief" To ferret means to act like a ferret; to dig for something until you find it

Repatriate

"To send back to one's own country Latin word "repatriatus" meaning "to return to one's fatherland" Most often used to mean "send refugees home"

Expatriate

"To send into exile; someone who lives in another country by choice Latin "ex" meaning "out of" and "patria" meaning "one's native country" F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein were American expatriates who lived in Paris

Adjudicate

"To serve as a judge in a competition; to arrive at a judgement or conclusion Latin "adjudicat" meaning "awarded judicially" with "ad" meaning "toward" To adjudicate is to act like a judge.

Subside

"To settle down, grow quiet Latin "sub" meaning "down" and "sider" meaning "to settle" Often used to describe a negative situation that has improved significantly. For example, violence, disease, and unemployment can all subside. A subsidy is meant to subside payment.

Evince

"To show or express clearly Latin "evincere" meaning "overcome, defeat" Evince is about expressing. If you are keeping your feelings inside, there is not a lot of evincing going on. When you are trying to convince someone, you must evince your argument.

Eschew

"To shun or avoid German "scheuen" meaning "shun" If you eschew something, you deliberately avoid it. In elementary school, you were taught to eschew chewing gum.

Founder

"To sink; fail; collapse Latin "fundus" meaning "bottom, base" A company's founder will never hope to founder

Calumniate (Noun: calumny)

"To slander, to make a false accusation; aspersion From Latin "calumnia" Calumny means to slander It is a fancy way of saying "lie". If they lie or slander, calumn out!

Disparage

"To slight or belittle Prefix ""dis"" meaning ""opposite of"" Latin "par" meaning "equal" If you haven't gotten anything nice to say, then it is time to disparage someone— you belittle or degrade a person or idea. You make things unequal.

Denigrate

"To slur someone's reputation or defame, sully, to speak damagingly of, criticizing Latin "denigrare" meaning "to blacken" To call someone an ingrate is like denigrating them

Simper

"To smirk; to say something with a silly, coy smile Danish ""semper"" meaning ""affected, coy, prudish"" If you simper too much and end up laughing too loud, you may have to simmer down. If you think something is funny, you might simply simper.

Malign

"To speak evil of; to feign illness to escape duty Latin "malignus" meaning "wicked or bad-natured" If you malign someone, you bad-mouth them

Stipulate

"To specify as an essential condition Latin "stipulat" meaning "demanded as a formal promise" Anytime you draw up a legal agreement, you can stipulate a requirement that has to be met for that agreement to be met

Diffuse

"To spread out or scatter, to pour out Latin "dis" meaning "apart" and "fundere" meaning "to pour" Also applies to spreading things such as ideas or culture so that they become widely known

Aver

"To state as a fact; to declare or assert French "averer" meaning "declare or confirm to be true" You can aver that something is the average by adding up the totals and dividing by the amount of things being divided

Foment

"To stir up public opinion Latin "fovere" meaning "to heat" Ferment is to cause a chemical change to food or drink like grapes to wine, but to foment is to stir up trouble like turning a group of people into an angry mob. When you make public opinion your foe, you are being foment.

Stanch

"To stop or check the flow of Latin "stagnum" meaning "pond, pool" Related to the word stagnate which describes a word that experiences no movement. If something has a strong stench, you might stanch to get rid of it

Impinge

"To strike; encroach Latin "in" meaning "into" and "pangere" meaning "fix, drive" When you impinge on something, you intrude and pinch whether it is someone else's space, time, or rights.

Contend

"To struggle in opposition; strive in rivalry; compete; To assert or maintain earnestly Latin "contendere" meaning "to stretch out" To defend a belief or keep affirming that it is true is to contend. Contentious means causing or likely to cause an argument so to contend is to struggle in opposition.

Start

"To suddenly move or dart in a particular direction Dutch ""storten"" meaning ""push"" Think of the word startle!

Preempt

"To supersede; appropriate for oneself Latin "prae" meaning "in advance" and "emere" meaning "buy" A preemptive action is made to keep some other action from being taken. Peremptory means to be arrogant. You don't have to be arrogant to make a preemptive move, just cautious

Underwrite

"To support financially Old English "underwritan" meaning "write at the foot of" To underwrite is to insure or promise to be financially responsible in case of loss or damage. It supports you financially

Substantiate

"To support with proof or evidence Latin "substantiat" meaning "given substance" Substantial means solid, so to substantiate a claim is to make it solid or believable

Capitulate

"To surrender (usually under agreed conditions) Latin "capitulum" meaning "headings" Picture a captain who is surrendering. They are capitulating.

Arrest, Arresting

"To suspend; to engage; holding one's attention: as in an arresting portrait Latin "ad" meaning "at, to" and "restare" meaning "remain, stop" Picture being arrested by a cop.

Codify

"To systematize; to make a digestive of; to reduce by code From Latin "codex" To codify is to arrange information in a logical order that others can follow

Appropriate

"To take for one's own use; to confiscate Latin "appropriare" meaning "to make something fit, to make something one's own" During Halloween, a lot of people may appropriate other cultures.

Revel

"To take great pleasure Middle English "revelen" meaning "to raise tumult, make merry" Lorde said ""I'm kind of older than I was when I revelled without a care"" in her song ""Team"". To rebel is to revel in not listening to anyone.

Supplant

"To take the place of; to supersede Middle English "supplanten" meaning "to trip up, overthrow" Supplement means something added to complete a thing Plant to take the place of

Prate

"To talk idly; chatter German origins On Snapchat's E! The Run Down, Erin Lim frequently has guest Spencer Pratt who prates, talking on and on.

Gouge

"To tear out; scoop out; swindle, overcharge Celtic roots If your local gas station raise prices because a storm is coming, you may say that the station owner is gouging you

Essay

"To test or try; to attempt; to experiment Old French "essai" meaning "trial" To essay is to make an attempt. If you essay to run for student council, you might lose to the girl who promises more recess, longer lunches, and less homework. To write a good essay, it may take you several essays.

List

"To tilt or lean to one side Old English "liste" meaning "border" Erosion caused the old tree to be listed. By listing the pros and cons of something will help you list towards something

Delineate

"To trace the outline of; represent precisely or accurately Latin word: "lineare" meaning "to make straight, mark with lines" When you create an outline for a paper, it usually summarizes what you will detail later. You delineate the sections or mark the heading lines, and when you write the details, you delineate the subject of each heading

Lambaste

"To trash verbally or physically From English "lam" meaning "to beat, to lame" and "baste" meaning to thrash" To lambaste is to reprimand ot berate someone severely. If you eat lamb, a vegan might lambaste you (not Marvin though).

Flout

"To treat scornfully, with disdain, or contempt Middle English "flowten" meaning "to play the flute" You can flout the law or float above the law and the concept of civilian safety by making a concerted effort to jaywalk every time I cross a street.

Disabuse

"To undeceive; to set right; to free someone of a belief that is not true Latin "abusus" meaning "misuse, wasting" Opposite of abuse

Exhort

"To urge by strong appeals Latin "ex" meaning "thoroughly" and "hortari" meaning "encourage" A sergeant might exhort his troops after a defeat just as a dad can exhort his daughter after a missed note during a piano recital. A horticulture is the art or practice of gardening. Someone passionate about gardening will exhort you to get into horticulture.

Equivocate

"To use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent Latin "aequus" meaning "equal, the same" and "vocare" meaning "to call, to speak" When you give your voice to two opposing views in order to mislead or keep your options open, you're equivocating. Using your voice to make things "equal". Unequivocal assumes a statment that is in such away that ther is no room for doubt.

Vituperate

"To use harsh condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely or abusively; to berate Latin "vituperationem" meaning "blame or censuring" from "vitium" meaning "fault or defect" To vituperate is to speak or write in an extremely negative way about someone

Ford

"To wade across the shallow part of a river or stream Originated from Dutch "voorde" Imagine a Ford Vehicle crossing a shallow part of the river— it can't cross a deep part of the river

Squander

"To waste by spending or using irresponsibly First recorded in English in 1585-1595 Don't squander your income

Vacillate

"To waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another Latin "vacillat" meaning "swayed" You might vacillate between ordering waffles and pancakes at your favorite diner because it is hard to pick just one

Attenuate

"To weaken Latin "ad" meaning "to" and "tenuare" meaning "make thin" The effects of aging may be attenuated by exercise— or by drinking from the fountain of youth. Think of ten meaning ""thin"". You are athinuating your body.

Enervate

"To weaken; to reduce in vitality; to sap enregy from Latin "enervare" meaning "to cut the sinew" or "to cause to be cut from muscle" When something enervates you, it does more to get on your nerves, it brings you down!

Solder

"To weld, fuse or join, as with a soldering gun English ""sawd"" meaning ""mend by soldering"" To solder is to make it more solid. When you become 18, you can solder the army and become a soldier.

Pine

"To yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor Old English "pine" meaning "to torture or cause to experience pain" If you pine for someone, you desperately want to see them, be with them, or perhaps smother them with kisses. If you really like the smell of pine, you may pine the closest national forest to you.

Sycophant

"Toady; servile, self-seeking flatterer; parasite Greek "sykon" meaning "fig" and "phainein" meaning "to show, make known" A peron who tries to win favor from wealthy or influential people by flattering them are sycophants. They are ""psychos"" that phantasize about having more power for themselves.

Liberal

"Tolerant; broad-minded Latin "liber" meaning "free" The opposite of a conservative

Ineffable

"Too sacred to be uttered; defying expression or description Latin "ineffabilis" meaning "unutterable" Something ineffable is indescribable. You can't eff'in describe it.

Rent

"Torn (past tense of rend); an opening or tear caused by such From Old French "rente" Paying rent can cause a large rent in your savings

Mystefied

"Totally perpexed and mixed up French ""mystique"" meaning ""a mystic"" or ""mystere"" meaning ""a mystery"" Think of the word mystery. You are completely confused by something that is a mystery

Vestige

"Trace or sign of something that once existed Latin "vestigium" meaning "footprint, trace" Vestigial features in biology are those left over from a previous stage of evolution such as limbs on whales and snakes and tailbones on humans.

Pellucid

"Transparent, easy to understand, limpid Latin "perlucere" meaning "shine through" Think of the word lucid which means easy to understand

Diaphanous

"Transparent; gauzy Greek "dia" meaning "through" and "phainein" meaning "to show" If a dress is see-through that light shines through it, it is diaphanous. Think of the word phantom which can be diaphanous.

Peripatetic

"Traveling by foot Greek "peri" meaning "around" A peripatetic describes someone who likes to walk or travel around.

Cosseted

"Treat with excessive indulgence Uncertain origin To cosset is to pamper or spoil. You might cosset yourself by being a lot of corsets.

Ruse

"Trick, craftly stratagem Old French "ruser" meaning "use trickery" You would use a ruse if you were up to something sneaky and were trying to get away with it without being discovered. If your rush in your ruse, you may rue it.

Chicanery

"Trickery to deceive someone German "schikken" meaning "to arrange" Another funny sounding word for trickery like shenanigans. Chicanegans. Maybe an offensive word inspired by Chinanx

Picayune

"Trifling or petty (a person); things that are so small, trivial, and unimportant that they are not worth getting into French "picaillon" meaning "coin worth 5 cents" A picky person is picayune— they comb through every minor detail

Natty

"Trimly neat and tidy, dapper Middle English ""net"" meaning ""pure, fine, elegant"" Someone natty is neatly dressed. For the DCAC photoshoot, Natalie was dressed Natty.

Nominal

"Trivial, so small as to be unimportant; in name only, so called Latin "nominalis" meaning "pertaining to a name or names" Nominal means "in name only". The CEO is the nominal head of the company, but his assistant is the one who is really in charge of the day-to-day business of the company.

Harried

"Troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances Middle English "herigan" meaning "to pillage, plunder, or make war" In the Harry Potter series, Harry was harried constantly by the antics of Voldemort

Onerous

"Troubling; burdensome Latin "onerosus" meaning "burden" An onus is a task or duty that is onerous. An owner can have onerous problems with their business if no one is buying from them.

Veritable

"Truthfully, without a doubt Latin "veritas" meaning "true" When something is veritable, it is true

Veracity

"Truthfulness; honesty Latin "verax" meaning "true" A voracious person eats very large amounts of food. A veracious person is truthful and would tell them they are eating too much

Ruminate

"Turn over in the mind, reflect on; chew cud (as a cow) Latin "ruminare" meaning "to chew the cud; turn over in the mind" If you are a cow, to turn food over and over in your stomachs in order to digest it will take a long time. When you ruminate something, you are thinking very deeply about it.

Insolvent

"Unable to pay one's bills; bankrupt Latin "in" meaning "not" and "solventem" meaning "paying" Solvent is the ability to pay one's debts. Being insolvent is being unable to pay one's bills

Dispassionate

"Unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice Prefix "dis" meaning "the opposite of" and "passionatus" meaning "affected with passion" The opposite of passionate. Dispassionate people are often described as "cold". Describes someone who is not getting carried away by— or maybe not even having— feelings

Precarious

"Uncertain; fraught with danger Latin "precarious" meaning "obtained by asking or praying" Precarious always signals that help is needed desperately. You may want to pray that your situation gets taken care of

Indeterminate

"Uncertain; indefinite Latin "in" meaning "not" and "detreminatus" meaning "limited, determined" When you buy an antique vase and don't know when it dates from, you might describe it as of an indeterminate era. If you are traveling and don't know when you plan to return home, you can say your return is undetermined.

Ambiguous

"Unclear or doubtful in meaning Latin "ambi" meaning "both ways" and "guous" from the verb "agere" meaning "to lead or drive" Something ambiguous is unclear or vague, but if you are ambivalent about something, you can take it or leave it.

Insouciant

"Unconcerned, carefree, heedless Prefix "in" meaning "not" and "soucier" meaning "to trouble or disturb" Miles Davis was the insouciant master who showed no concern for or interest in what his listeners might prefer. Someone insouciant does not care about sauce.

Insensible

"Unconscious; unresponsive Latin "in meaning "not" and "sensus" meaning "sense" Describes a lack of emotional response or being indifferent

Unforthcoming

"Uncooperative, not willing to give up information Prefix "un" meaning "not" and Old English "foracuman" meaning "to come forth, come to pass" If you are unforthcoming, you are not coming with information or cooperation

Compunction

"Uneasiness or anxiety caused by guilt or doing wrong Latin "compungere" meaning "prick sharply" When you feel compunction, you feel very sorry usually for something you did to hurt someone or mess something up. You feel like you are a punk.

Infelicitous

"Unfortunate; inappropriate Latin "felicitas" meaning "happiness" Felicity is the state of being happy, so infelicitous would be the opposite

Bereft

"Unhappy in love; suffering from unrequited love; sorrowful through loss of deprivation Old English "bereafian" meaning "to deprive of, take away by violence, seize, rob" Bereave means to be deprived of a loved one through a profound absence, especially due to a loved one's death. Be berEFT without your EFT notification

Blase

"Unimpressed or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it before French "blaser" meaning "to cloy, sicken from surfeit" Used to describe someone with pleasures of life because of frequent exposure

Incessant

"Uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing Latin "in" meaning "not" and "cessare" meaning "to stop" Something incessant continues without interruption

Implausible

"Unlikely; unbelievable Latin "in" meaning"'not" and "plaus" meaning "applauded" Something plausible is likely so something implausible is not likely

Hapless

"Unlucky, unfortunate Old Norse "happ" meaning "chance, good luck" and "less" meaning "lacking" Describes someone who is unlucky or ill-fated

Inert

"Unmoving; lethargic; sluggish Latin "inert-" meaning "unskillful" Inertia is resistance to change

Wan

"Unnaturally pale, or showing some other indication of sickness, unhappiness, etc.; weak, lacking forcefulness Old English "wann" meaning "dark, dusky, lacking luster" later "leaden, pale, gray" Someone who is wan is visibly unwell and lacking in energy. Obi Wan Kenobi is dead.

Tautology

"Unnecessary repetition Greek "tautologos" meaning "repeating what is said" Tautology, Tautology, Tautology, Tautology, Tautology, Tautology can taunt you.

Heterodox

"Unorthodox, heretical, iconoclastic Greek "heteros" meaning "the other" and ""doxa"" meaning "opinion" First applied to people who held a different religious opinion from the standard beliefs and teachings

Inclement

"Unpleasant, stormy; used of persons or behavior; showing no mercy Latin "in" meaning "not" and "clemens" meaning "clement" Clement means either mild or merciful. Being inclement is to not have clemency.

Erratic

"Unpredictable; strange and unconventional Latin ""errare"" meaning ""to wander"" Like the linguistic relative ""error"", ""erratic"" implies something that is deviating from the norm or wrong.

Unconscionable

"Unreasonable; unscrupulous; excessive; not guided by conscience Latin "un" meaning "not" and "conscientia" meaning "a joint knowledge of something" Something conscionable is reasonable, so unconscionable is unreasonable

Maladroit

"Unskillful, awkward, tactless Prefix ""mal"" meaning ""bad""French "droit"" meaning "elegant, skillful" Adroit means that you are graceful or nimble. Saying that you are maladroit is not being nice.

Spartan

"Unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgement; practicing great self-denial Named after the Greek city state of Sparta While Athens had artists, good food, and great parties, Sparta had the warriors— guys who went to bed early and drilled all day. They lived in bare rooms and didn't get sick days or time off. A spartan life is a life of discipline and self-denial

Irresolute

"Unsure of how to act; weak Latin "irresolutus" meaning "not loosened" Resolute describes certainty, someone who gets things done whereas an irresolute person does not know what to do. Hillary = resolute; Trump = irresolute.

Incredulous

"Unwilling or unable to believe something Prefix "in-" meaning "not" Latin word "credere" meaning "to believe" Credulous: having or showing great readiness to believe things Incredible: impossible to believe

Loath

"Unwillingness to do something contrary to your custom Old English "lao" meaning "hatred, hateful, hostile, repulsive" To loathe something is to hate something, but loath describes an unwillingness or reluctancy. You may be loath to something if you loathe it.

Obdurate

"Unyielding; hardhearted; intractable Latin "obdurare" meaning "to harden" Synonym is adamant from Latin "adamas" meaning "hard metal, diamond". Think of the word ""durable"".

Exigent

"Urgent, pressing; requiring immediate action or attention Latin "exigere" meaning "to drive out, demand" Something exigent is urgent.

Hortatory

"Urging to some course of conduct or action; encouragaing Latin ""hortatorius"" meaning ""encouraging, cheering"" If you really want horchata, your friend giving you hortatory to buy some will make you want it even more.

Euphemism

"Use of agreeable or inoffensive language in place of offensive language Greek "euphemismos" meaning "good speech" "Please refrain from speaking" is a euphemism for "Shut the **** up!" A euphemism is an understatement.

Laconic

"Using few words; terse Greek "Lakonikos" meaning "native of Laconia" Laconia was a region in Ancient Greece where the local Spartan rulers gave very short speeches

Judicious

"Using good judgement; wise, sensible Latin "iudicium" meaning "judgement" Related to "judicial" which means "relating to judges, courtrooms, justice". While a judicious person is wise, a judicial attitude would probably be cold, impartial, detached.

Execrable

"Utterly detestable; very bad Latin word "ex(s)ecrabilis" meaning "accursed, detestable" Part of the power and nastiness of execrable lies in the world's similarity to Excrement: Waste matter discharged from the body, especially feces

Nebulous

"Vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form Latin "nebulosus" meaning "cloudy, misty, or foggy" A nebula is a vapor or fog and was adopted by astronomers to mean "a cloud of gas and dust in outer space"

Wistful

"Vaguely longing, sadly thoughtful English "wistly" meaning intently" Wishful is having hope for something while wistful is having sadness or melancholy about something. If you are wistful, you might be wishful for a pick-me-up.

Jejune

"Vapid, uninteresting, nugatory; childish, immature, puerile Latin "jejunus" meaning "fasting, barren" Derived from the second part of the small intestine, the jejunum, where the inside walls absorb the food's nutrients. Sounds very jejune.

Invective

"Verbal abuse Latin "invectivus" meaning "attacking" Invective is harsh, abusive language like "you dirty rotten scoundrel". If you are invective towards someone, it may be because you are vexed by them.

Abysmal

"Very bad Greek ""abussos"" meaning ""bottomless"" An abyss is an eternal pit. You do not want to go down there or that would be very bad

Munificent

"Very generous Latin "munificus" meaning "generous or bountiful" Use to describe instances of over-the-top generosity like Oprah's gift-giving binge who was like ""You get muni, you get muni, you get muni!""

Unstinting

"Very generous Prefix "un" meaning "not" and Latin "unceasing" meaning "lavish" Unstinting, Not stingy!

Torrid

"Very hot, parching, burning; passionate Latin "torrere" meaning "parch or scorch" The "torrid zone" is the region of Earth between the tropics which is very hot

Fervid

"Very hot; heated in passion or enthusiasm Latin "fervidus" meaning "glowing, burning; vehement, fervid" Similar to fervent and perfervid which also mean "passionate, fiery, deeply enthusiastic" and comes from a root relating to heat

Magnate

"Very important or influential person, especially in business Latin "magnus" meaning "great" Someone who is magniloquent talks in an overly grand way. Someone who is magnanimous is high-minded, noble, and forgiving.

Miscreant

"Villain; criminal French "mes" meaning "wrongly" and "creire" meaning "believe" Aladdin was called a miscreant for being a thief

Heretical

"Violating accepted dogma or convention Greek "hairetikos" meaning "able to choose" Heresy is a belief that doesn't agree with the official tenets of a particular religion

Timbre

"Voice tone color Greek "tumpanon" meaning "drum" Saying "Timber!" may describe the tone or unique quality of the sound of a tree falling

Rapacious

"Voracious, greedy, plundering, subsisting on prey Latin ""rapere"" meaning ""to seize"" Think of the word ""rape"".

Maunder

"Wander aimlessly; speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly Latin "medicare" meaning "to beg, ask alms" Maunder is to wander aimlessly or in a meandering way.

Peregrination

"Wandering from place to place Latin "peregrinari" meaning "to travel abroad" A peregrine falcon wanders from place to place

Fervor

"Warmth and intensity of emotion Latin "fervere" meaning "to boil, glow" Cal students have so much fervor that they bleed blue and gold

Dross

"Waste; worthless matter Old English "dros" meaning "scum of molten metal" You may think that something dross is gross

Sinecure

"Well-paying job that requires little or no work Latin "sine cura" meaning "without care" Orignially was used to describe a church position that did not include caring for the souls of parishioners, but the meaning is considered archaic now. A drugdealer has a sinecure. They sell drugs which temporarily cure.

Eloquent

"Well-spoken, expressive, articulate Latin "eloquent" meaning "speaking out" Something beautifully, gorgeously, or perfectly said or written is eloquent

Vortex

"Whirlpool, center of turbulence Latin "vortex" meaning "eddy" Picture a tornado or whirlpool— swirling around and causing distraction

Maelstrom

"Whirlpool; turmoil Early Modern Dutch "maalen" meaning "grind, whirl" and "stroom" meaning "stream" These days, you are more likely to hear maelstrom used metaphorically to describe disasters where many competing forces are at play. Think of a male storm as a maelstrom.

Illustrious

"Widely known and esteemed; having or conferring glory Latin "illustris" meaning "bright, distinguished, famous" Similar to the word "luster" which is a brilliant shine, so imagine that something illustrious is as wonderful as a sparkling diamond.

Tortuous

"Winding, twisting; excessively complicated Latin 'torquere" meaning "to twist" A tortuous journey has many twists and turns

Sage

"Wise Latin "salvus" meaning "safe" You might think of a wizard, but it means a wise man

Prudent

"Wise in practical matters, carefully providing for the future Latin "providens" meaning "to foresee" If you show good and careful judgement when handling practical matters, you can be described as prudent.

Wag

"Wit, joker Old English "wagian" meaning "to sway" The Joker is a wag who known to wag his finger

Akimbo

"With hands on hips and elbows extending outward Middle English phrase "in kenebowe" meaning "at a sharp angle" Picture a girl yelling "Who left the toilet seat up?". Picture Kimbo-rly Kardashian yelling at her sisters.

Askance to

"With suspicion or disapproval Latin "a scancio"" meaning "obliquely, slantingly" Related to the word "askew" meaning "wrong, awry"

Sere

"Withered, arid Latin ""sudus"" meaning ""dry"" Searing refers to something extremley hot like what sere might suggest.

Wizened

"Withered, shriveled Old Norse "visna" meaning "to wither" Wizened implies that something is old. Old people may be wise and full of experience.

Austere

"Without adornment; bare; severely simple; practicing self-denial Latin "austerus" meaning "harsh, rough, bitter" Something austere had its adornments teared away.

Conspicuous

"Without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious Latin "conspicer" meaning "to look at" Adjective for something that stands out so much you notice it right away. Con meaning together and spic meaning look. You look at it together, it is not secret!

Wanton

"Without check or limitation; showing no moral restraints to one's anger, desire, or appetites Old English "wan" meaning "lacking" and "togen" meaning "to train, discipline" A wanton wants too much— desire, appetite— with no limitation

Impeccable

"Without fault or error Latin "impeccabilis" meaning "to be sinless" Something peccable is capable of sinning. Think of the word ""peck"".Something impeccable has no flaws.

Inarticulate

"Without or deprived of the use of speech or words Latin "in" meaning "not" and "articulatus" meaning "to separate into joints" To be articulate is having or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently. Inarticulate is the opposite of that.

Evenhanded

"Without partiality From even + handed Evenhanded means treating both "hands" evenly. Hands could mean sides of an argument

Unscrupulous

"Without scruples or principles Latin "un" meaning "not and "scrupulus" meaning "scruple" A scrupulous person is someone who is concerned about doing things that are morally right whereas an unscrupulous person is someone who behaves in a dishonest or unethical way

Raconteur

"Witty, skillful storyteller French "raconter" meaning "to recount" Looks like recount. If you recount an event, you are telling a story.

Coquette

"Woman who flirts; a woman who flirts lightheartedly with men to win their admiration and affection French "coquet" meaning "flirt" Picture a French girl flirting with you

Verbose

"Wordy Latin "verbosus" meaning "full of words" Something verbose may have too many verbs in there

Boondoggle

"Work of little or no value; done merely to look busy Originated in 1935 Any endeavor that is a total waste of time or has no value is called a boondoggle. Any word that has ""dog"" in it has a negative connotation.

Travail

"Work, especially arduous work; use of physical or mental energy; agony or anguish Latin "trepalium" meaning "instrument of torture" Think about the Spanish word "trabajo" which means "work". In French, the word also means "work"

Commendable

"Worthy of high praise Latin "commendare" meaning "to praise" To commend someone is to praise them. Someone commendable is worthy of praise. A Letter of recommendation is meant to praise someone.

Belletristic

"Written and regarded for aesthetic value rather than content Latin "bella" meaning "fine, good-looking" Think of Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

Callow

"Young and inexperienced Old English "calu" meaning "bald or featherless" Think of Caillou who is young and inexperienced

Comely

Attractive or appropriate Old English "cymlic" meaning "splendid, finely made" Related to the word becoming, in the sense of something's being attractive and appropriate. You are comely wearing that becoming blouse, the way she told the story was becoming to a comely young lady.

Cauterize

Burn, sear, or freeze tissue using a hot iron or electric current or a caustic agent; make insensitive or callous; deaden feelings or morals Greek "kauter" meaning "burning or branding iron" Cauterize looks like the word caustic. You can use a caustic substance to clean a wound

Inflection

Change in pitch or tone of the voice Latin "inflexionem" meaning "a bending, inflection, modification" A point of inflection in calculus is when the graph changes from concave or convex to the other. Think about this but in terms of someone's tone.

Finicky

Difficult to please; exacting especially about details Middle Dutch "fijkens" meaning "precisely, exactly" Finicky people focus to much on the fine and icky details.

Atrophied

Diminished in size or strength as a result of disease or injury or lack of use Greek "atrophia" meaning "a wasting away" You are opposite of deserving a trophy for your strength and athleticism.

Coruscating

Emitting vivid flashes of light; sparkling Latin "coruscare" meaning "to vibrate, glitter" My eyes coruscate when Mommy Diona cooks cascaron.

Mephitic

Foul-smelling; noxious Latin "mephitis" meaning "noxious exhalation" Mephitis is the Roman goddess of foul-smelling gases from volcanoes and swampy areas. The North American striped skunk is named Mephitis mephitis.

Flocculent

Having a fluffy character or appearance Latin "floccus" meaning "lock of hair" or "tuft of wool" A flock of sheep would have a lot of flocculence.

Salve

Healing ointment West Germanic "salbo" meaning "oily substance" Eating the Salvadorian pupusas will salve your craving for it.

Candor

Honesty; openness; frankness Latin "candere" meaning "to shine, be white" The corresponding adjective is candid. Someone who is candor is candid about their experiences.

Rote

Memorized by repetition Latin "rota" meaning "wheel" If you keep ordering roti, your server may have rote your order.

Peripheral

On the edge; not important Greek "peri" meaning "around" and "pherein" meaning "to bear" Peripheral vision is focused on how far you can see toward the outer right and left edges that you can see.

Pneumatic

Pertaining to air or gas Latin "pneumaticus" meaning "of the wind, belonging to the air" Think of pneumonia which is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs.

Parietal

Pertaining to the walls of a cavity in the body Latin "parietalis" meaning "of walls" Think of the parietal lobe of the brain.

Staved Off

Prevent the occurence of; prevent from happening Dates from 1620 when it used to mean "fend off with a staff" Using Stevia staved off the effects of natural sugar on your body.

Iridescent

Showing luminous colors that seem to change when seen from different angles Latin "iris" meaning "rainbow Picture a bubble with iridescent colors.

Dour

Stern, unyielding, gloomy, ill-humored Latin "durus" meaning "hard" Dour sounds like sour. If you are in a sour mood, you have no sense of humor and you are dour.

Senescence

The natural process of growing older and showing the effects of increasing age Latin "senescere" meaning "to grow old" Melvin Sen is growing old. He is going through senescence.

Foreground

To call attention to From English "fore" and "ground" The foreground is the opposite of the background, which is the part of the photograph, painting, or scene that is farthest away from you

Exscind

To cut out; excise Latin "exscindere" meaning "to extirpate, destroy" from "scindere" meaning "to cut, tear, split" Focus on the sci part which is related to scissor.

Lest

With the intention of preventing; to avoid the risk of Old English "thy laes" meaning "whereby less that" Lester Holt as the moderator of the 2016 Presidential Debate wanted to lest the audience from reacting loudly to the statements that the candidates aid.

Unabashedly

Without embarrassment or shame Old French "esbaer" meaning "lose one's composure, be startled, be stunned" Think of the word bashful which means shy. Unabashedly is the opposite.