inanity
Definition: (noun) Total lack of meaning or ideas. Synonyms: mindlessness, pointlessness, senselessness, vacuity. Usage: My classmates' inanity forced me to seek intelligent conversation elsewhere. Discuss
Category: Today’s Word
Today’s Word
alterity
noun: Otherness: the state or quality of being other or different.
straggly
Definition: (adjective) Spreading out in different directions. Synonyms: rambling, sprawling. Usage: The gardener's job was to tame the yard's few straggly bushes and make them …
panache
noun: 1. A confident, stylish manner; swagger. 2. A tuft of feathers on a headdress, such as a helmet, hat, etc.
dubitable
Definition: (adjective) Open to doubt or suspicion. Synonyms: doubtful, in question, dubious. Usage: Tom insists that his business is doing well, but from the looks …
canary
noun: 1. A small finch, native to the Canary Islands, having greenish to yellow color, and known for its melodious song. 2. A bright yellow …
butterfingered
adjective: Clumsy or careless, especially frequently dropping things.
conflate
Definition: (verb) Mix together different elements. Synonyms: coalesce, fuse, mix, merge, commingle, flux, blend, meld, combine. Usage: My kids think that I spend all day …
zen
noun: An activity, approach, state of mind, etc., emphasizing intuition and insights, instead of fixation on goals. adjective: Calm, peaceful, unruffled.
inequity
Definition: (noun) Injustice by virtue of not conforming with rules or standards. Synonyms: unfairness. Usage: Even though I am older, my brother gets more allowance …
sententious
Definition: (adjective) Concise and full of meaning. Synonyms: pithy. Usage: He was a man of few words, but when he did speak, his sententious statements …
peccadillo
Definition: (noun) A petty misdeed. Synonyms: indiscretion. Usage: I have stayed with my husband for the sake of our children, but I can tolerate his …
hightail
adjective: Archaic. Named or called.
sleight
Definition: (noun) Adroitness in using the hands. Synonyms: dexterity. Usage: Only through his unequaled sleight can the juggler manage to keep eight chainsaws safely aloft. …
pinnacle
noun: 1. The highest point. 2. An architectural ornament capping a tower, buttress, etc. verb tr.: 1. To reach the peak of achievement, development, etc. …
misanthropic
Definition: (adjective) Characterized by a hatred or mistrustful scorn for humankind. Synonyms: cynical. Usage: Perhaps rendered more misanthropic by the infirmities that come with years …
hackle
noun: 1. Hairs or feathers on the neck or back of some animals that stand up when the animal is agitated. 2. Temper; anger. 3. …
transmogrify
Definition: (verb) Change completely the nature or appearance of. Synonyms: metamorphose, transfigure. Usage: In Franz Kafka's story "The Metamorphosis," a human being transmogrifies into a …
carapace
noun: 1. A hard shell on the back of animals such as turtles, crabs, etc. 2. An attitude developed as a protective measure against something.
artificer
Definition: (noun) A skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft. Synonyms: artisan, journeyman, craftsman. Usage: There are native tanners, shoemakers, weavers, blacksmiths, stonecutters, and …
rostrum
noun: 1. A platform, stage, dais, etc., for public speaking. 2. A beaklike projection on a warship, used for ramming another ship. 3. A snout, …
levelheaded
Definition: (adjective) Exercising or showing good judgment. Synonyms: sound, intelligent, healthy. Usage: While I stood around bawling uselessly, my levelheaded sister calmly called a towing …
exhilarate
Definition: (verb) Fill with sublime emotion. Synonyms: beatify, inebriate, tickle pink, exalt, thrill. Usage: The beauty of the art exhibit exhilarated me so much that …
scurry
Definition: (verb) To move about or proceed hurriedly. Synonyms: scamper, scuttle, skitter. Usage: Once we heard thunder and saw lightning, we scurried from the beach …
savvy
verb: To understand or know. noun: Know-how, practical knowledge, or shrewdness. adjective: Shrewd or knowledgeable, especially in practical matters.
seclude
Definition: (verb) Keep away from others. Synonyms: sequester, withdraw. Usage: During my moody teenage years, I would often seclude myself in my room to brood. …
bivouac
noun: A temporary encampment, in the open air, typically without tents or cover. verb intr.: To take shelter temporarily for the night.
halfhearted
Definition: (adjective) Feeling or showing little interest or enthusiasm. Synonyms: lukewarm, tepid. Usage: I made a halfhearted attempt to start a conversation with him and …
festoon
noun: A decorative chain or string, of flowers, leaves, ribbons, etc., hanging between two points. verb tr.: To make or hang festoons; to decorate.
fragrancy
Definition: (noun) A pleasingly sweet olfactory property. Synonyms: redolence, bouquet, sweetness. Usage: The fragrancy of her perfume seemed to attract every man in the room, …
balk
noun: 1. A check or hindrance. 2. A defeat or disappointment. 3. A beam or rafter. 4. A ridge; an unplowed strip of land between …
environ
Definition: (verb) Extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle. Synonyms: border, surround, skirt, ring. Usage: They are everywhere, above us, on our left, on our …
woodshed
noun: 1. A place for storing firewood. 2. A place for administering punishment. 3. A place for intensive practice, especially music practice. verb tr., intr.: …
intermingle
Definition: (verb) To mix or cause to mix or mingle together. Synonyms: blend, intermix. Usage: The office mail has been intermingled with the outgoing mail, …
jabber
Definition: (verb) Talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner. Synonyms: mouth off, rabbit on, rant, rave, spout. Usage: The instant I walked through the …
indigent
Definition: (adjective) So poor as to lack even necessities; very needy. Synonyms: destitute, impoverished, necessitous, poverty-stricken. Usage: As we drove through the slum, our car …
diffidence
noun: Timidity or shyness.
chastise
Definition: (verb) Censure severely. Synonyms: castigate, chasten, objurgate, correct. Usage: She chastised him for his insensitive remarks about her weight until he was the one …
intransigence
noun: Unwillingness to compromise, especially from an extreme position.
statecraft
Definition: (noun) The art of conducting public affairs. Synonyms: statesmanship, diplomacy. Usage: Only through superior statecraft was he able to avoid a war while simultaneously …