| |
Word Of The Day Archives - December 2007
Saturday, December 1, 2007
|
| scintilla (n) |
barest amount |
|
|
| Sentence: |
There is not a scintilla of evidence of the man's guilt. |
|
| Similar Words: |
iota |
|
Sunday, December 2, 2007
|
| manifest (adj) |
plain, apparent |
|
|
| Sentence: |
Pele's prowess as a soccer player was manifest to anyone who watched him for even a few minutes. |
|
| Similar Words: |
patent |
|
Monday, December 3, 2007
|
| finesse (n) |
clever maneuver |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The general's artful finesse put a quick end to the battle. |
|
| Similar Words: |
stratagem, craftiness |
|
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
|
| testy (adj) |
irritable |
| testiness |
|
|
| Sentence: |
Please don't be testy with me just because you've had a hard day |
|
| Similar Words: |
cantankerous |
|
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
|
| exhort (v) |
strongly encourage |
| exhortation |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The president exhorted the troops to push on to victory. |
|
| Similar Words: |
urge |
|
Thursday, December 6, 2007
|
| abdicate (v) |
abandon, step down |
| abdication |
|
|
| Sentence: |
Old and sick, the king abdicated the throne. |
|
| Similar Words: |
relinquish |
|
Friday, December 7, 2007
|
| patent (adj) |
apparent |
| patency |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The effects of the flood on our town will be patent if you just take a drive down main street. |
|
| Similar Words: |
manifest, plain |
|
Saturday, December 8, 2007
|
| argot (n) |
jargon, slang |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The local gang's argot mystified the state police. |
|
| Similar Words: |
vernacular |
|
Sunday, December 9, 2007
|
| culpable (adj) |
guilty, blameworthy |
| culpability |
|
|
| Sentence: |
A jury found the bus driver culpable for the injury to his passengers. |
|
| Similar Words: |
reprehensible |
|
Monday, December 10, 2007
|
| burgeon (v) |
burst forth |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The burgeoning flowers soon covered the meadow. |
|
| Similar Words: |
explode |
|
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
|
| corrupt (v) |
taint, spoil |
| corruption |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The radio's circuits were corrupted by water. |
|
| Similar Words: |
adulterate, degrade, debase |
|
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
|
| inimical (adj) |
hostile, unfriendly |
| inimicality |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The preacher's fiery sermons were inimical to the restoration of order in our town. |
|
| Similar Words: |
antagonistic, noxious |
|
Thursday, December 13, 2007
|
| queue (n) |
line of people |
|
|
| Sentence: |
Hold a place in the queue while I buy a ticket. |
|
| Similar Words: |
file |
|
Friday, December 14, 2007
|
| abate (v) |
lessen |
| abatement |
|
|
| Sentence: |
Noise-abatement is always an issue for people who live near airports. |
|
| Similar Words: |
mitigate, alleviate |
|
Saturday, December 15, 2007
|
| equivocate (v) |
speak ambiguously |
| equivocation; equivocal |
|
|
| Sentence: |
Don't equivocate! Tell me exactly what you need. |
|
| Similar Words: |
hedge, prevaricate |
|
Sunday, December 16, 2007
|
| proselytize (v) |
seek to convert |
| proselytism, proselyte |
|
|
| Sentence: |
Don't try to proselytize us; we are happy as we are. |
|
| Similar Words: |
recruit |
|
Monday, December 17, 2007
|
| palpitate (v) |
quiver |
| palpitation |
|
|
| Sentence: |
After running the marathon, the palpitations in my calf muscles shook by whole body. |
|
| Similar Words: |
throb, tremble |
|
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
|
| agnostic (adj) |
doubtful about God |
| agnosticism |
|
|
| Sentence: |
My best friend grew up in a religious home but ended up agnostic. |
|
| Similar Words: |
skeptical |
|
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
|
| epitaph (n) |
inscription on cemetery monument |
|
|
| Sentence: |
When you die, how would you like your epitaph to read? |
|
| Similar Words: |
remembrance |
|
Thursday, December 20, 2007
|
| pique (v) |
provoke, arouse |
|
|
| Sentence: |
We piqued the kitten's curiosity with new ball of yarn. |
|
| Similar Words: |
stimulate, incite |
|
Friday, December 21, 2007
|
| protracted (adj) |
prolonged |
| protractedness, protract |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The protracted proceedings of the committee kept the staff on the job throughout the weekend. |
|
| Similar Words: |
extended, drawn-out |
|
Saturday, December 22, 2007
|
| equitable (adj) |
fair |
| equity, equitableness |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The warring sides attempted to work out an equitable compromise. |
|
| Similar Words: |
impartial |
|
Sunday, December 23, 2007
|
| sacrilege (n) |
misuse of something sacred |
| sacrilegious |
|
|
| Sentence: |
It was a sacrilege to deface the old church. |
|
| Similar Words: |
desecration |
|
Monday, December 24, 2007
|
| rejoinder (n) |
quick reply |
|
|
| Sentence: |
My lawyer's clever rejoinder in court saved the day for us. |
|
| Similar Words: |
retort, riposte |
|
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
|
| choleric (adj) |
temperamental |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The arrival of the choleric, troubled old man sent everyone fleeing. |
|
| Similar Words: |
irascible |
|
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
|
| spelunk (v) |
explore caves |
|
|
| Sentence: |
Spelunking in the Appalachian limestone is my new hobby. |
|
Thursday, December 27, 2007
|
| interloper (n) |
intruder, meddler |
|
|
| Sentence: |
Please leave; we do not need any interlopers here. |
|
| Similar Words: |
trespasser |
|
Friday, December 28, 2007
|
| bereave (v) |
leave alone by death |
| bereavement |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The whole town was bereaved by the mayor's passing. |
|
| Similar Words: |
mourn |
|
Saturday, December 29, 2007
|
| dither (n) |
agitation |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The principal's comments about extra homework had put the entire school into a dither for the afternoon. |
|
| Similar Words: |
frenzy, commotion |
|
Sunday, December 30, 2007
|
| thwart (v) |
prevent |
|
|
| Sentence: |
We thwarted the surprise attack with little difficulty. |
|
| Similar Words: |
prevent, interrupt |
|
Monday, December 31, 2007
|
| harbinger (n) |
omen |
|
|
| Sentence: |
The stock market crash was a harbinger -- and perhaps a cause -- of the Great Depression. |
|
| Similar Words: |
sign, portent, augury |
|
| Return to Today's Word of the Day Page |
|
| Intensive Vocab™ is a revolutionary online program that enables you to learn 2400 vocabulary words through fully interactive and customizable quizzes.... the most effective vocabulary builder yet. Intensive Vocab™ is fun, easy and free! |
|
™
