Category: Today’s Word

Today’s Word

recluse

Definition: (noun) A person who withdraws from the world to live in seclusion and often in solitude. Synonyms: solitudinarian, troglodyte, hermit, solitary. Usage: He was …

abstruse

adjective: Hard to understand; obscure.

perspicacious

Definition: (adjective) Having or showing penetrating mental discernment; clear-sighted. Synonyms: sagacious, sapient. Usage: She was much too perspicacious to be taken in by such a …

proparoxytone

adjective: Having stress on the third-from-the-last syllable. noun: Such a word.

azure

Definition: (adjective) A light purplish blue. Synonyms: cerulean, lazuline, sapphire, sky-blue. Usage: The large silver kite gleamed against the azure expanse of sky. Discuss

verbify

verb tr.: To convert into a verb.

scatology

Definition: (noun) Obscene language or literature, especially that dealing pruriently or humorously with excrement and excretory functions. Synonyms: vulgarism, obscenity. Usage: She hated to encounter …

obtrude

Definition: (verb) To impose (oneself or one's ideas) on others with undue insistence or without invitation. Synonyms: push out, thrust out. Usage: He never hesitated …

apoplexy

Definition: (noun) Sudden impairment of neurological function, especially that resulting from a cerebral hemorrhage. Synonyms: stroke, cerebrovascular accident. Usage: The medical evidence showed conclusively that …

chimeric

adjective: 1. Made up of parts that are very different. 2. Fanciful; imaginative; illusory.

execrable

Definition: (adjective) Of very poor quality; unequivocally detestable. Synonyms: hateful, odious, deplorable. Usage: The meal they were served was execrable from beginning to end, but …

panderer

noun: One who caters to the base desires, whims, or prejudices of others.

magnum opus

Definition: (noun) A great work, especially a literary or artistic masterpiece. Synonyms: masterpiece. Usage: <i>Paradise Lost</i> is generally considered to be Milton's magnum opus. Discuss

eolian

adjective: Relating to or caused by the wind.

disperse

Definition: (verb) To drive off or scatter in different directions. Synonyms: dissipate, spread, dispel. Usage: When it seemed that a riot was about to start, …

Proteus

noun: One who can easily change appearance, form, character, principles, etc.

Orphean

adjective: 1. Melodious. 2. Enchanting. 3. In the manner of Orpheus’s journey to the underworld.

pariah

Definition: (noun) A social outcast. Synonyms: castaway, leper, untouchable. Usage: The rumors of his traitorous actions were enough to make him a pariah among his …

torrid

Definition: (adjective) Scorching; burning. Synonyms: fervent, fiery, ardent, burning. Usage: The torrid noonday sun shone down on the travelers in the desert. Discuss

verisimilitude

Definition: (noun) The quality of appearing to be true or real. Synonyms: vraisemblance. Usage: While recounting the preposterous tale, he threw in a few convincing …

Carnaby

adjective: Fashionable or stylish.

refulgent

Definition: (adjective) Shining radiantly; resplendent. Synonyms: effulgent, radiant, beaming. Usage: Standing by the edge of the sea, they witnessed a refulgent sunset. Discuss

mnemonic

Definition: (noun) A device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering. Synonyms: aide-memoire. Usage: The students came up with a …

stepney

noun: 1. A spare wheel or a spare tire. 2. Something or someone treated as a backup.

emollient

Definition: (adjective) Softening and soothing, especially to the skin. Synonyms: demulcent, salving, softening. Usage: In the winter, she applied emollient cream to her hands to …

mucilage

Definition: (noun) A sticky substance used as an adhesive. Synonyms: glue, gum. Usage: They wanted to make a model airplane, but lacked the mucilage needed …

empirical

Definition: (adjective) Relying on or derived from observation or experiment. Synonyms: objective. Usage: Scientists insist on empirical results, not mere speculation, to support their theories. …

ultramarine

Definition: (noun) A blue pigment made from powdered lapis lazuli; a vivid or strong blue to purplish blue. Synonyms: indigo, French blue. Usage: She found …

glamazon

noun: A tall, glamorous, self-assured woman.

pinguid

Definition: (adjective) Fat; oily. Synonyms: oily. Usage: His car was splattered with some sort of pinguid substance, and trying to wash it away only seemed …

fritinancy

Definition: (noun) A chirping or creaking, as of a cricket. Synonyms: chirping. Usage: As night fell, the fritinancy of insects outside their open window grew …

insinuendo

noun: An assertion or hint that’s disparaging and suggestive.

macerate

Definition: (verb) To make soft, usually by steeping in liquid, and cause to disintegrate as a result. Synonyms: soften. Usage: The stale bread was left …

glamp

verb intr.: To camp in comforts or luxuries not typically available in camping, such as electricity, plumbing, beds, etc.

conceit

Definition: (noun) A favorable and especially unduly high opinion of one's own abilities or worth. Synonyms: amour-propre, vanity. Usage: She was convinced that she was …