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Word Of The Day Archives - October 2007
Monday, October 1, 2007
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| fervent (adj) |
showing great emotion |
| fervor |
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| Sentence: |
Citizens of a democracy have an obligation to remain fervent in defense of personal liberties. |
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| Similar Words: |
zealous, ardent, passionate |
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Tuesday, October 2, 2007
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| admonish (v) |
gently criticize |
| admonishment; admonition; admonitory |
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| Sentence: |
I admonished the normally careful worker to take his time. |
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| Similar Words: |
rebuke, reprove, reproach, reprimand |
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Wednesday, October 3, 2007
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| brazen (adj) |
shameless, audacious |
| brazenness |
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| Sentence: |
A brazen display, the crime occurred in broad daylight. |
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| Similar Words: |
flagrant |
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Thursday, October 4, 2007
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| strident (adj) |
harsh, shrill |
| stridency |
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| Sentence: |
A strident harangue by a parent to discipline a child is usually less effective than a quiet word or two. |
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| Similar Words: |
discordant |
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Friday, October 5, 2007
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| contagious (adj) |
communicable |
| contagion |
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| Sentence: |
Colds and flu's are highly contagious. |
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| Similar Words: |
infectious |
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Saturday, October 6, 2007
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| blandishment (n) |
flattery, coaxing |
| blandish |
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| Sentence: |
Despite all the salesman's blandishments, I managed to resist buying an expensive sports car. |
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| Similar Words: |
wheedling, cajolery |
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Sunday, October 7, 2007
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| sequester (v) |
make separate |
| sequestration |
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| Sentence: |
The funds were sequestered into a safe account. |
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| Similar Words: |
isolate, segregate |
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Monday, October 8, 2007
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| detract (v) |
take from |
| detractor |
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| Sentence: |
A few typos will not detract from an otherwise excellent essay. |
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| Similar Words: |
divert |
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Tuesday, October 9, 2007
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| oaf (n) |
a clumsy fool |
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| Sentence: |
Be smart; don't act like an oaf around your teachers. |
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| Similar Words: |
dolt, buffoon |
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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
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| intrepid (adj) |
brave |
| intrepidness |
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| Sentence: |
The intrepid explorers felt their way down the roaring waters of the Grand Canyon. |
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| Similar Words: |
dauntless, bold |
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Thursday, October 11, 2007
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| rakish (adj) |
stylish |
| rakishness |
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| Sentence: |
The rakish young man stole many hearts. |
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| Similar Words: |
dashing |
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Friday, October 12, 2007
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| unconscionable (adj) |
extortionate, egregious |
| unconscionableness |
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| Sentence: |
The authorities finally shut down the loan shark because of his unconscionable lending practices. |
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| Similar Words: |
extreme, unscrupulous |
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Saturday, October 13, 2007
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| vicissitude (n) |
change in fortune |
| vicissitudinous |
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| Sentence: |
Sometimes the vicissitudes of life are responsible for great advances in human skill. |
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| Similar Words: |
variation |
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Sunday, October 14, 2007
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| tedium (n) |
weariness |
| tedious |
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| Sentence: |
The tedium of the professor's lectures caused his classes to shrink on a weekly basis. |
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| Similar Words: |
boredom, ennui |
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Monday, October 15, 2007
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| discursive (adj) |
rambling |
| discursiveness |
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| Sentence: |
The inexperienced teacher's discursive remarks were nearly impossible to follow. |
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| Similar Words: |
desultory, incoherent |
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Tuesday, October 16, 2007
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| aplomb (n) |
self-confidence |
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| Sentence: |
Even as a young girl, my confident daughter could handle herself with aplomb in any situation. |
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| Similar Words: |
assurance, poise |
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Wednesday, October 17, 2007
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| pivotal (adj) |
centrally important |
| pivot |
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| Sentence: |
The pivotal event in the Civil War was Gettysburg. |
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| Similar Words: |
crucial, vital |
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
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| loquacious (adj) |
talkative |
| loquaciousness |
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| Sentence: |
My loquacious friend wore our ears out. |
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| Similar Words: |
garrulous |
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Friday, October 19, 2007
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| affable (adj) |
friendly |
| affability |
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| Sentence: |
The young actress's affable nature won her friends wherever she went. |
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| Similar Words: |
congenial, sociable |
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Saturday, October 20, 2007
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| subservient (adj) |
submissive |
| subservience |
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| Sentence: |
The proud employee was subservient to no one. |
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| Similar Words: |
submissive, slavish |
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Sunday, October 21, 2007
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| doggerel (n) |
crude, comic verse |
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| Sentence: |
I wrote some irreverent doggerel to entertain my colleagues at our company retreat. |
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| Similar Words: |
poem, jingle |
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Monday, October 22, 2007
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| consecrate (v) |
declare sacred |
| consecration |
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| Sentence: |
The priest consecrated the venerable old church building. |
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| Similar Words: |
sanctify |
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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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| ambiguous (adj) |
of multiple meanings |
| ambiguity |
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| Sentence: |
The spy did not know what the ambiguous message meant. |
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| Similar Words: |
vague, obscure |
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007
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| malign (v) |
speak evil of |
| malignant |
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| Sentence: |
Unable to speak kindly of anyone, the tyrant maligned even his close friends. |
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| Similar Words: |
defame, slander, libel, calumniate, vilify, traduce |
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Thursday, October 25, 2007
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| salutary (adj) |
intended for improvement |
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| Sentence: |
The chairman's salutary suggestion corrected a long-standing problem in our club. |
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| Similar Words: |
healthful, wholesome |
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Friday, October 26, 2007
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| gait (n) |
way of walking |
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| Sentence: |
The colt's gait was steady and sure. |
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| Similar Words: |
pace |
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Saturday, October 27, 2007
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| grievous (adj) |
dire, extreme |
| grievousness |
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| Sentence: |
The murderer's grievous crime shook our whole town. |
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| Similar Words: |
awful, atrocious |
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Sunday, October 28, 2007
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| rescind (v) |
void, cancel |
| rescission |
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| Sentence: |
Did you have authority to rescind the contract unilaterally? |
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| Similar Words: |
terminate, abrogate, revoke, annul |
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Monday, October 29, 2007
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| diabolical (adj) |
fiendish |
| diabolicalness |
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| Sentence: |
The diabolical plot of the out-of-town fans was to steal our mascot and hang it from the rafters of our gym. |
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| Similar Words: |
wicked, devilish |
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007
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| anomaly (n) |
departure from normal |
| anomalous |
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| Sentence: |
The opera singer's baritone voice was an anomaly in a room full of tenors. |
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| Similar Words: |
aberration, deviation |
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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
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| persistent (adj) |
determined |
| persistence |
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| Sentence: |
A persistent effort, over many years, finally resulted in a cleanup of the bay. |
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| Similar Words: |
diligent, assiduous, tenacious, dogged, sedulous |
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