September Word of the Day

Augment (verb)

• Definition: To make something greater by adding to it; to increase.
• Sentence: She decided to augment her income by taking on a second part-time job.

Bolster (verb)

• Definition: To support or strengthen; to prop up.
• Sentence: The committee’s report helped to bolster his argument for increased funding.

Cajole (verb)

• Definition: To persuade someone to do something by sustained flattery or gentle teasing.
• Sentence: He managed to cajole his friend into lending him the car for the weekend.

Censure (verb)

• Definition: To express severe disapproval of someone or something, especially in a formal statement.
• Sentence: The board will censure the CEO for his unethical business practices.

Delineate (verb)

• Definition: To describe or portray something precisely.
• Sentence: The architect must delineate the floor plan in great detail before construction begins.

Elicit (verb)

• Definition: To evoke or draw out (a response, answer, or fact) from someone in reaction to one’s own actions or questions.
• Sentence: The journalist’s probing questions failed to elicit a straight answer from the politician.

Embellish (verb)

• Definition: To make something more attractive by adding decorative details or features; to make a story more interesting by adding details, often untrue ones.
• Sentence: He was known to embellish his stories with a few extra dramatic details.

Enervate (verb)

• Definition: To cause someone to feel drained of energy or vitality; to weaken.
• Sentence: The long, boring lecture began to enervate the students, who struggled to stay awake.

Exacerbate (verb)

• Definition: To make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse.
• Sentence: His sarcastic comment only served to exacerbate the tension in the room.

Extrapolate (verb)

• Definition: To extend the application of (a method or conclusion, especially one based on statistics) to an unknown situation by assuming that existing trends will continue or similar methods will be applicable.
• Sentence: We can extrapolate from the current sales figures that the company will have a successful year.

Fecund (adjective)

• Definition: Producing or capable of producing an abundance of offspring or new growth; fertile.
• Sentence: The fecund soil of the valley yielded a bountiful harvest.

Forbearance (noun)

• Definition: Patient self-control; restraint and tolerance.
• Sentence: The teacher showed great forbearance with her particularly difficult class.

Furtive (adjective)

• Definition: Attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive.
• Sentence: The cat made a furtive glance at the open bag of treats on the counter.

Ignominious (adjective)

• Definition: Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame.
• Sentence: The team suffered an ignominious defeat, losing by an embarrassing margin.

Impetuous (adjective)

• Definition: Acting or done quickly and without thought or care; rash.
• Sentence: His impetuous decision to quit his job without a backup plan was a mistake.

Inundate (verb)

• Definition: To overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with; to flood.
• Sentence: After the storm, emergency services were inundated with calls for help.

Juxtapose (verb)

• Definition: To place or deal with close together for contrasting effect.
• Sentence: The artist chose to juxtapose the dark colors of the night sky with the bright city lights.

Languid (adjective)

• Definition: (Of a person, manner, or gesture) having a disinclination for physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed.
• Sentence: A languid afternoon was spent lounging by the pool with a good book.

Mitigate (verb)

• Definition: To make something less severe, serious, or painful.
• Sentence: They hoped to mitigate the damage caused by the storm by boarding up the windows.

Nuance (noun)

• Definition: A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.
• Sentence: The translator had a keen understanding of every nuance of the foreign language.

Obsequious (adjective)

• Definition: Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
• Sentence: The obsequious assistant constantly praised her boss’s every idea, no matter how foolish.

Pedantic (adjective)

• Definition: Meticulous, academic, or overly concerned with minor details and rules; often used to describe someone who is excessively concerned with formality and correctness.
• Sentence: The professor’s pedantic lecture on the use of a semicolon bored his students.

Placate (verb)

• Definition: To make someone less angry or hostile.
• Sentence: He tried to placate his irritated neighbor by offering to mow his lawn.

Prosaic (adjective)

• Definition: Having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty; dull, ordinary.
• Sentence: The prosaic details of his daily life were not very interesting to listen to.

Quell (verb)

• Definition: To put an end to (a rebellion or other disorder), typically by the use of force; to suppress.
• Sentence: The police were called in to quell the riot.

Repudiate (verb)

• Definition: To refuse to accept or be associated with; to deny the truth or validity of.
• Sentence: The celebrity was forced to repudiate the false rumors circulating about him.

Rescind (verb)

• Definition: To revoke, cancel, or repeal (a law, order, or agreement).
• Sentence: The company decided to rescind its job offer after a failed background check.

Sojourn (noun)

• Definition: A temporary stay.
• Sentence: My summer sojourn in France was an unforgettable experience.

Subjugate (verb)

• Definition: To bring under domination or control, especially by conquest.
• Sentence: The empire’s main goal was to subjugate the neighboring territories.

Ubiquitous (adjective)

• Definition: Present, appearing, or found everywhere.
• Sentence: In today’s world, cell phones have become truly ubiquitous.