August Word of the Day

Abnegation (noun)

• Definition: The act of renouncing or rejecting something; self-denial.
• Sentence: The monk’s life was characterized by complete abnegation of worldly possessions.

Acrimonious (adjective)

• Definition: Angry and bitter; caustic, sharp, or biting, especially in speech or debate.
• Sentence: Their debate became so acrimonious that the moderator had to intervene.

Adumbrate (verb)

• Definition: To report or represent in outline; to foreshadow or symbolize.
• Sentence: The early chapters of the novel adumbrate the tragic events to come.

Alacrity (noun)

• Definition: Brisk and cheerful readiness; eagerness.
• Sentence: The student responded to the teacher’s request with great alacrity.

Anathema (noun)

• Definition: Something or someone that one vehemently dislikes; a formal curse.
• Sentence: The idea of a late-night study session was anathema to the exhausted students.

Apropos (adjective/adverb)

• Definition: Very appropriate to a particular situation; with reference to; by the way.
• Sentence: The speaker’s comment was quite apropos to the topic of discussion.

Ascetic (adjective)

• Definition: Characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.
• Sentence: The writer lived an ascetic life in a remote cabin, dedicating himself entirely to his craft.

Bifurcate (verb)

• Definition: To divide into two branches or forks.
• Sentence: The old trail bifurcated, with one path leading to the river and the other to the mountains.

Celerity (noun)

• Definition: Swiftness of movement.
• Sentence: The courier delivered the urgent message with surprising celerity.

Conflagration (noun)

• Definition: An extensive fire which destroys a great deal of land or property.
• Sentence: The entire city block was engulfed in a terrible conflagration.

Didactic (adjective)

• Definition: Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.
• Sentence: The fables of Aesop are inherently didactic, each one teaching a simple lesson.

Disparate (adjective)

• Definition: Essentially different in kind; not able to be compared.
• Sentence: The team was made up of individuals with disparate skills, but they worked well together.

Ephemeral (adjective)

• Definition: Lasting for a very short time.
• Sentence: Fame is often ephemeral, disappearing as quickly as it arrives.

Esoteric (adjective)

• Definition: Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest.
• Sentence: The philosopher’s lecture was full of esoteric concepts that only his fellow scholars could grasp.

Etiology (noun)

• Definition: The cause, set of causes, or manner of causation of a disease or condition; the investigation of a subject’s origin or history.
• Sentence: Doctors are still studying the etiology of the mysterious illness.

Execrable (adjective)

• Definition: Extremely bad or unpleasant.
• Sentence: The food at the new restaurant was absolutely execrable.

Exigent (adjective)

• Definition: Pressing; demanding; urgent.
• Sentence: The exigent circumstances of the emergency required immediate action.

Fatuous (adjective)

• Definition: Silly and pointless.
• Sentence: He made a fatuous remark that contributed nothing to the serious conversation.

Garrulous (adjective)

• Definition: Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
• Sentence: The garrulous old man would tell long, rambling stories to anyone who would listen.

Iconoclast (noun)

• Definition: A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.
• Sentence: Steve Jobs was an iconoclast who challenged the traditional way of thinking about technology.

Idiosyncrasy (noun)

• Definition: A mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual; a peculiarity.
• Sentence: One of his many idiosyncrasies was his habit of wearing two different colored socks.

Inchoate (adjective)

• Definition: Just beginning; not fully formed or developed.
• Sentence: The writer’s first draft was an inchoate mess of ideas without a clear structure.

Inimical (adjective)

• Definition: Tending to obstruct or harm; unfriendly, hostile.
• Sentence: The harsh climate was inimical to the growth of crops.

Insipid (adjective)

• Definition: Lacking flavor, interest, or vigor.
• Sentence: The novel was so insipid that I couldn’t bring myself to finish it.

Inveterate (adjective)

• Definition: Having a particular habit, interest, or activity that is long-established and unlikely to change.
• Sentence: She was an inveterate traveler who had been to every continent.

Lachrymose (adjective)

• Definition: Tearful or given to weeping.
• Sentence: The movie was so sad that it left the entire audience in a lachrymose state.

Lugubrious (adjective)

• Definition: Looking or sounding sad and dismal.
• Sentence: The dog gave a lugubrious howl after its owner left.

Mendacious (adjective)

• Definition: Not telling the truth; lying.
• Sentence: The politician was known for his mendacious statements during the campaign.

Obfuscate (verb)

• Definition: To render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.
• Sentence: The speaker attempted to obfuscate the issue with vague and confusing language.

Pernicious (adjective)

• Definition: Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.
• Sentence: The pernicious rumor slowly destroyed her reputation.

Quixotic (adjective)

• Definition: Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
• Sentence: His quixotic plan to save the world seemed noble but was ultimately unachievable.