Word Warriors Bringing good words back from oblivion http://www-dev.wordwarriors.wayne.edu/ Mon, 20 May 2013 03:46:17 -0500 PHPSimpl Lubricious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Lubricious 1. Arousing sexual desire; lecherous; lascivious. Martinet http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Martinet A strict disciplinarian; someone who insists on absolute adherence to rules. From the 17th-century French army officer Jean Martinet. Mephitic http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Mephitic Pestilential, poisonous, foul-smelling, putrid, offensive. Perfidy http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Perfidy Treachery; a deliberate breach of trust or faith. Eldritch http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Eldritch Eerie, spooky, uncomfortably weird. Beano http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Beano A noisy, festive party or celebration. Bosky http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Bosky Woodsy; abundant in bushes, shrubs or trees. Fug http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Fug A heavy, stale, suffocating atmosphere; warm, unpleasantly thick, humid air. Fussbudget http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Fussbudget An excessively picky or fault-finding person. Arcadian http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Arcadian Pastoral, rural, in a peaceful natural setting. Humdinger http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Humdinger A remarkable or extraordinary person, place, action or thing. Weltschmerz http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Weltschmerz The melancholy feeling when you realize that life and the world will never be what you'd like it to be. Once described as the inherent sadness of mortality. Gehenna http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Gehenna A place of suffering, misery or torment. Biblical reference. Camarilla http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Camarilla A group of unofficial advisers to someone in authority, often given to scheming or to secret plots; a cabal. Spatchcock http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Spatchcock To dress, split and butterfly a fowl for roasting or grilling. Buncombe http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Buncombe Rubbish; nonsense; empty or misleading talk. Proclivity http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Proclivity A natural inclination to something; predisposition; propensity. Hebetude http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Hebetude Mental dullness or lethargy. Imperious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Imperious Overbearing; arrogant; dictatorial. Stygian http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Stygian Exceedingly dark and gloomy; hellish. From the Styx, the mythological river boundary between Earth and Hades. Armamentarium http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Armamentarium Resources available for a certain purpose. Ersatz http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Ersatz A substitute, usually inferior; artificial in a pejorative sense. Tractable http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Tractable Easily controlled, managed or led. Troglodyte http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Troglodyte Literally, a cave-dweller. More frequently, a backward, mentally sluggish person. Gobbet http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Gobbet Piece, portion, fragment, especially but not only of meat. More recently, a literary excerpt proposed for analysis, review or discussion. Gorgonize http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Gorgonize To paralyze or stupefy. Ferret http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Ferret To bring something to light by searching (usually with "out"); to search for something lost or hidden. Maladroit http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Maladroit Clumsy, inept, awkward, tactless. Mawkish http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Mawkish Excessively sentimental, sappy, hopelessly trite. Futz http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Futz Fool around; pass time idly and aimlessly. Hyperbole http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Hyperbole An obvious and deliberate exaggeration in speech or writing, not intended to be taken literally. Tout de suite http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Tout de suite Right away; immediately. Jeremiad http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Jeremiad A long and mournful story, often prophesying doom or at least decrying the sad state of society. From the Biblical "Lamentations," attributed to the prophet Jeremiah. Mollify http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Mollify Pacify, appease, soothe in temper. Bereft http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Bereft Deprived; lacking something needed, wanted or expected. Dragoon http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Dragoon To compel by coercion; to force someone to do something they'd rather not. Sangfroid http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Sangfroid (sahn frwah') In French, literally "cold blood." Imperturbability; great calm. Cerulean http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Cerulean The blue of the sky. Fulminate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Fulminate To condemn or denounce. Usually followed by "against." Pharisaic http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Pharisaic Self-righteous; holier-than-thou; hypocritical. Misogyny http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Misogyny Hatred, mistrust or rank objectification of women. Fantods http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Fantods A state of extreme anxiety, nervousness or distress; the willies to the max. Persiflage http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Persiflage Banter; frivolous talk. Chelonian http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Chelonian Like a turtle (and who doesn't like turtles?). Opprobrium http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Opprobrium Harsh criticism; public disgrace resulting from shameful conduct. Winkle http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Winkle As a verb, to pry out or extract something. As in pulling the snail from a periwinkle. Intransigent http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Intransigent Unwilling to compromise; incapable of being swayed or diverted; not susceptible to persuasion. Excoriate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Excoriate To rebuke scathingly; to censure; to flay verbally. Natter http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Natter To talk aimlessly, often at length. Humbug http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Humbug Rubbish; nonsense; a fraud or impostor. Interdict http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Interdict Forbid; prohibit; exclude. Enormity http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Enormity Heinous, horrible or monstrous in quality or character; extremely wicked. Laggard http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Laggard Moving slowly; sluggish; snail-paced; dilatory. Pariah http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Pariah Outcast; someone to be avoided. Gibbous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Gibbous 1. Characterized by convexity or swelling, as when the moon is more than half illuminated, but not full. 2. Humped or hunchbacked. Avuncular http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Avuncular Of or relating to an uncle, or resembling an uncle in attitude; kindly, genial, benevolent. Truckle http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Truckle To submit obsequiously; be subservient; kowtow. Declivity http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Declivity Downward inclination; slope. Gallimaufry http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Gallimaufry Hodgepodge, jumble. From a 16th-century French word meaning "stew." Winsome http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Winsome Innocently charming, engaging, appealing. Ebullient http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Ebullient Bursting with great enthusiasm or excitement. Feckless http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Feckless Ineffectual, ineffective, incompetent, weak. Cahoots http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Cahoots Partnership, collusion or collaboration, often with nefarious implications. Willowy http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Willowy Tall, slender and graceful. Sardonic http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Sardonic Scornfully mocking or cynical; disdainfully humorous. Antediluvian http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Antediluvian Very old, old-fashioned, out of date, antiquated, primitive. Literally "before the flood," referring by implication to the Biblical tale of Noah. Apoplectic http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Apoplectic Feeling intense rage or fury to the point of virtual paralysis; relating to a stroke (apoplexy). Genteel http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Genteel Polite, refined, stylish or graceful in manner. Transmogrify http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Transmogrify To change completely, often grotesquely, in appearance and form. Parlous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Parlous Dangerous; risky. Kerfuffle http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Kerfuffle Commotion, uproar, tumult, brouhaha. Penultimate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Penultimate Next to last. Susurrus http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Susurrus A murmuring or whispering sound. A classic example of onomatopoeia, from the Latin for "whisper." Crapulent http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Crapulent Sick from eating or drinking too much. Rococo http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Rococo Excessively ornate, elaborate or intricate; florid. Meretricious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Meretricious Falsely attractive; tastelessly garish; tawdry. Circumspect http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Circumspect Cautious, prudent, wary; taking all circumstances into account. Prolix http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Prolix Tending to write or speak tediously and at great length. Esoteric http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Esoteric Understood, known by or intended for a very few; requiring knowledge possessed by a select group. Pontificate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Pontificate To speak in a pompous, arrogant or dogmatic manner. Beam http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Beam To smile broadly and radiantly. A versatile word, too infrequently used this way. Supercilious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Supercilious Contemptuous, arrogant or condescending. Phlegmatic http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Phlegmatic Not easily excited or upset; calm and composed. In a pejorative sense, apathetic or indifferent. Surfeit http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Surfeit Excess; overabundance. Fatuous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Fatuous Foolish, silly, inane, insipid. Flummox http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Flummox Bewilder; baffle; confuse. Frisson http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Frisson An involuntary shiver, often signaling great emotion. Draconian http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Draconian Hard, severe, cruel. From Draco, a politician of ancient Athens whose codified laws were notorious for their severity, such as death for minor offenses. Zaftig http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Zaftig Pleasingly plump; alluringly well-proportioned. ... Another happy contribution of Yiddish to English. Concupiscence http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Concupiscence Sexual desire or longing; lust. Quisling http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Quisling Traitor; betrayer. After Vidkun Quisling, a Norwegian who collaborated with the Nazis during World War II and was later executed. Hullabaloo http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Hullabaloo A loud noise or disturbance; uproar; commotion. Doppelganger http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Doppelganger In literature and film, a ghostly double or spirit, often presaging evil; in daily use, more commonly a physical double or look-alike. From the German Doppel ("double") and Ganger ("goer"). Crucible http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Crucible Originally a container in which substances could be heated to very high temperatures. More commonly now, it means a severe test or trial. Harry http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Harry Harass; worry to the point of distraction; assail with bothersome thoughts or acts. Frazzle http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Frazzle As a verb, to exhaust physically or emotionally; as a noun, the state of being exhausted or spent. Malarkey http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Malarkey Nonsense; hogwash; rubbish; speech designed to mislead. Lollygag http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Lollygag Dawdle; waste time. Paroxysm http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Paroxysm A sudden, uncontrollable outburst. Smashing http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Smashing 1. Impressive, marvelous or very effective. 2. Devastating or crushing. Ossify http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Ossify To harden like bone; to become set in one's ways. (From the Latin "os," for bone.) Eviscerate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Eviscerate ih VISS ur reyt. Verb. Literally, to disembowel. More commonly, to remove vital parts from something or make it virtually meaningless. Schadenfreude http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Schadenfreude (SHA den froy duh. A noun borrowed shamelessly from German.) Pleasure or satisfaction derived from someone else's misfortune. Portent http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Portent Noun. An indication that something momentous is about to happen; a signal of dire events; an evil omen. Oleaginous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Oleaginous 1. Having the properties of oil; greasy. 2. Smarmy and unctuous; falsely sincere. Befuddle http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Befuddle Verb. 1. To confuse, perplex or bewilder. 2. To stupefy as if with alcoholic drinks. Sibilance http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Sibilance Producing a hissing sound, like that of "s" or "sh." Refulgent http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Refulgent Adj. Radiant; shining brightly. Seeming to shine with light or warmth. Mountebank http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Mountebank A charlatan, quack or con artist; one who sells phony medicines from a podium or perch. Sacrosanct http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Sacrosanct Sacred; beyond criticism; inviolable. Efficacious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Efficacious Producing or capable of producing a desired effect. Portentous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Portentous Ominous. Foreboding. Of great significance. Woolgathering http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Woolgathering Idle daydreaming. Equivocate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Equivocate To speak ambiguously or evasively, in such a way as to avoid taking a position; hedge. Evanescent http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Evanescent Ephemeral; fleeting. Penurious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Penurious Extremely stingy; miserly; cheap to a fault. ... Also may mean indigent. Reprehensible http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Reprehensible Deplorable; guilty; worthy of censure. Disingenuous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Disingenuous Lacking in candor; insincere. Panoply http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Panoply An impressive array. ... Oddly enough, panoply also can mean a full suit of armor, originating in the Greek "panoplia" or "all weapons." Crestfallen http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Crestfallen Disappointed, blue, dejected, depressed. Debacle http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Debacle (dey bah' kul) Complete failure; rout; an event that ends in utter disaster. Assuage http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Assuage To make something less painful or severe; to lessen the intensity of; to mitigate. Bibulous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Bibulous Excessively fond of drinking alcohol; referring to the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Execrable http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Execrable (eks' sek rab bl) Atrocious, wretched, deplorable, extremely inferior. Hornswoggle http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Hornswoggle To deceive. Effrontery http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Effrontery Shameless audacity; rank impudence. Parsimonious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Parsimonious Excessively frugal; stingy; miserly. Numinous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Numinous Awe-inspiring; profoundly moving; evocative of transcendence. (Despite what Webster's Dictionary says, it never presumes the supernatural.) Petulant http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Petulant Irritable; easily annoyed; grouchy. Procrustean http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Procrustean Designed to produce conformity to arbitrary standards by ruthless or capriciously violent means. From Procrustes, a mythical giant who stretched or shortened his captives to make them fit their beds. Obloquy http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Obloquy Abusive language, defamation or denunciation. Also the ill repute, deserved or not, that results from such abuse. Incorrigible http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Incorrigible Unchangeable; beyond correction; impervious to reform. Indecorous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Indecorous (1) Lacking propriety in manners and conduct; (2) Not in accord with accepted standards of appropriate behavior polite society Desuetude http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Desuetude (Des' wi tyood). Obsolescence; a state of disuse. Truculent http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Truculent Savage; pugnacious; ferocious; brutally harsh; defiant. Myriad http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Myriad (adj.)A large, indefinite number; made up of many diverse elements. ... "A myriad of" is gaining acceptance only because those who don't know any better brazenly continue to use it. Orotund http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Orotund (1) Pompous or bombastic. (2) Characterized by fullness, clarity and strength of sound. Oblique http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Oblique Indirect, slanting. Devious. Scuttle (verb) http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Scuttle (verb) A versatile verb meaning to sink a ship or boat deliberately; to sink figuratively, as to scuttle a project; or to scurry. Pipsqueak http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Pipsqueak Someone who is small and insignificant. Saturnine http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Saturnine Gloomy, cold and unfeeling, morose, sardonic. Querulous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Querulous Petulant; complaining; peevish; whiny. Superfluous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Superfluous More than enough. Unecessary. Extraneous. Redundant. Perturbate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Perturbate To upset, agitate or unsettle. Thrall http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Thrall Slavery; servitude. Irascible http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Irascible Irritable; easily provoked; quick-tempered. Ennui http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Ennui Boredom. Lack of interest. Concatenation http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Concatenation A series of things depending on each other, as if linked together. A chain. Temerity http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Temerity Reckless boldness; audacity. Enervate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Enervate To weaken (reduce in strength) or debilitate. Recalcitrant http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Recalcitrant Resisting authority; disobedient; hard to handle. Vacuous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Vacuous Lacking in intelligence or ideas. Devoid of meaning. Ineluctable http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Ineluctable Unavoidable; inevitable; inescapable. Tyro http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Tyro A beginner in learning; a novice. Lacuna http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Lacuna A gap or absent part, as in a manuscript or logical argument; a hiatus. From the Latin "lacuna," for ditch, hole or gap. The preferred plural is "lacunae." Sinecure http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Sinecure A position or commission that requires little or no work or real responsibility but still receives payment. Sycophant http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Sycophant Someone who seeks personal advantage by excessively trying to please someone else. Toady; brown-noser; suck-up. Panache http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Panache Distinctive, often flamboyant, style or action. Verve. Tomfoolery http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Tomfoolery A silly act, matter, or thing; foolish or silly behavior. Disabuse http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Disabuse To free someone from a misconception. Cantankerous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Cantankerous Cranky; disagreeable to deal with; stubborn; contentious; surly. Mirth http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Mirth Merriment; amusement accompanied by laughter. Abominable http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Abominable Loathsome, odious or detestable. Rigmarole http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Rigmarole An intricate and often petty set of procedures. Quaff http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Quaff To drink deeply or with vigor. Imbroglio http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Imbroglio A complicated disagreement; a confused or chaotic situation. From the Italian "imbrogliare," meaning to tangle. Taciturn http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Taciturn Habitually silent or reserved; reticent, uncommunicative. Loquacious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Loquacious Adj. Talkative, especially when excessively so. Dastardly http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Dastardly Cowardly; meanly base; sneaking. Sophistry http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Sophistry A plausible but fallacious or misleading argument. Unctuous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Unctuous Oily or greasy; unpleasantly polite and insincerely earnest. Vociferous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Vociferous Clamorous; loud; making or given to noisy outcries. Hurly-burly http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Hurly-burly Noisy tumult and confusion. Insidious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Insidious Producing serious harm in a stealthy, often gradual, manner. Treacherous. (Wiktionary) Galoshes http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Galoshes Waterproof shoes or boots. "Galoshes" may be said to be onomatopoeic, mimicking the sound they make when splashing through puddles. Gallivant http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Gallivant To frolic or roam about in a joyful manner, with no definite plan or objective. Cloying http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Cloying Unpleasantly excessive; excessively sweet. Peckish http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Peckish A bit hungry. Not famished, not starving, just in the early stages of hunger. Indefatigable http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Indefatigable Tireless; endlessly persistent. Quietus http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Quietus Something that stifles or ends; a period of inactivity. Paraphernalia http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Paraphernalia Personal belongings; articles or equipment used in a particular activity or by a specific profession; according to common law, a married woman's personal property excluding her dowry. Bellicose http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Bellicose Warlike, aggressive, hostile. President Obama did his part for rescuing this word from obscurity by using it in a recent press conference. Lachrymose http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Lachrymose Tearful; deeply gloomy; mournful. Cogent http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Cogent Convincing, plausible, reasonable, persuasive. Bloviate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Bloviate To speak at length in a pompous or boastful manner. Interregnum http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Interregnum Literally the interval between the end of a sovereign's reign and the accession of a successor. Also has come to mean any interruption in leadership or, more rarely, any break in continuity. Bugbear http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Bugbear An imaginary goblin or specter used to excite fear; an object or source of dread; a continuing source of irritation. Denigrate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Denigrate Criticize; defame; disparage. cause to seem less serious; play down Raconteur http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Raconteur One who tells stories and anecdotes with skill and wit. Bamboozle http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Bamboozle To cheat or steal. Sanguine http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Sanguine 1. Optimistic, cheerful, confident. 2. Of the color of blood. ... In medieval physiology, a reddish complexion was thought to imply a hopeful temperament. Vicissitudes http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Vicissitudes Changes, especially in life circumstances or fortunes; changes as a natural process. Usually seen as plural. Lagniappe http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Lagniappe Something thrown in for free. A bonus. Promulgate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Promulgate To make known or public; to put into effect by publishing, as a regulation. Approbation http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Approbation Approval, sanction or commendation. Balderdash http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Balderdash Nonsense. Noisome http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Noisome Offensive, unwholesome; disgusting; disagreeable, foul-smelling. Ignominious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Ignominious Shameful or disgraceful. Vestigial http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Vestigial A visible sign or trace remaining after something more important has disappeared. 2. In biology, surviving in a degenerate, atrophied or imperfect form. Lugubrious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Lugubrious Extremely mournful or gloomy. Palimpsest http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Palimpsest An old vellum or parchment document from which the original words have been scraped away to permit new writing. "Many historical texts have been recovered using ultraviolet light and other technologies to read the erased writing." (Wiktionary) Insipid http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Insipid Dull; lacking qualities that excite, interest or stimulate. Invidious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Invidious Tending to cause envy, discontent or animosity. Profligate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Profligate Recklessly wasteful; wildly extravagant (adj.). Preposterous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Preposterous Consummately absurd or foolish. Poppycock http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Poppycock Nonsense. Reportedly from an old Dutch word, 'pappekak,' meaning soft manure. Moot http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Moot Open to debate (adj.). Having no legal significance (n.). Mayhap http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Mayhap Perhaps; possibly. Usually dismissed as archaic, but what the heck. Putative http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Putative Commonly believed to be true, but without proof; supposed, reputed. Reticent http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Reticent 1. Disposed to be silent or not speak freely; reserved. 2. Reluctant or restrained. Innocuous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Innocuous Harmless. Wont http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Wont Someone's usual way of doing things; accustomed. Jejune http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Jejune Childish; unsophisticated; naive; dull or uninteresting; lacking nutritive value. Nadir http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Nadir Lowest point. Inimical http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Inimical Having harmful effects; hostile. Quotidian http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Quotidian Commonplace; occurring daily. Practically nobody uses this word nowadays except Gore Vidal. Panegyric http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Panegyric Formal, elaborate public praise; an encomium. Cadge http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Cadge To obtain by wit or cajolery; to mooch. Quash http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Quash To defeat, suppress or put down. Most commonly, but not always, used in a legal context. Peripatetic http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Peripatetic Nomadic, traveling from place to place (adj.). 2. Pedestrian, itinerant, one who walks about (n.). Punctilious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Punctilious Attention to minute detail; meticulous. Verisimilitude http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Verisimilitude The appearance or quality of being true or real. Redact http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Redact 1. To edit in such a way as to make suitable for publication. 2. To censor sensitive information from a document to protect an individual or institution. Panjandrum http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Panjandrum An important person -- or one who just thinks he is. Legerdemain http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Legerdemain Trickery, often in the guise of magic. Lambast/Lambaste http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Lambast/Lambaste To beat or reprimand severely. Folderol http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Folderol 1. Nonsense. 2. A pretty but useless trinket. Interlocutor http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Interlocutor Someone who takes part in a conversation or dialogue. In music, the emcee of a minstrel show. Fetching http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Fetching Attractive. Eleemosynary http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Eleemosynary Charitable. Cleave http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Cleave To split or penetrate; to cling or be faithful. Antithetical http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Antithetical Opposite. Nonplus http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Nonplus To bewilder or confound (v.) ... A state of confusion (n.) Skedaddle http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Skedaddle To run away; flee. Sartorial http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Sartorial Of or relating to tailoring, clothes or style of dress. Dulcet http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Dulcet Pleasing to the ear or sweet to the taste. Spurious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Spurious False. Specious. Ne'er-do-well http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Ne'er-do-well A good-for-nothing, ineffectual person. Peachy http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Peachy Really good. Odium http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Odium A state of disgrace resulting from hateful conduct. Also contempt. Pusillanimous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Pusillanimous Timid; cowardly. Mellifluous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Mellifluous Smooth and flowing with sweetness. Perspicacity http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Perspicacity Discernment. Sharp and insightful intelligence. Persnickety http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Persnickety Very particular about details; fastidious. Salient http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Salient Prominent; most important (adj.) Projection (n.), as a military position protruding into enemy lines. Replete http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Replete Well-supplied or abounding (with). Usuriously http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Usuriously To an exorbitant degree. Adverb form of usurious, or "excessively immoderate." Gobbledygook http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Gobbledygook Incomprehensible jargon bordering on gibberish. Probity http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Probity Integrity. Honesty. Intelligentsia http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Intelligentsia The intellectual elite. Inimitable http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Inimitable Matchless. One of a kind. Indubitable http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Indubitable Beyond doubt. Undeniable. Fractious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Fractious Cranky. Unruly. Peevish. Malfeasance http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Malfeasance Wrongdoing, misconduct or misbehavior, especially by a public official. Obstreperous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Obstreperous Unruly, noisy, clamorous. Palaver http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Palaver Discussion; also idle talk; also unnecessarily time-consuming chatter. From the Portuguese "palavra," or "talk," or the Spanish "palabra," or "word." Specious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Specious Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious or at best not serious. Festoon http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Festoon To adorn or decorate, principally in a loop between two points. Impalpable http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Impalpable Barely felt or discernible; intangible but nonetheless perceptible. Disambiguation http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Disambiguation The removal of ambiguity; clarification. Discombobulate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Discombobulate Confuse or upset. Copacetic http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Copacetic Acceptable. Satisfactory. Churlish http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Churlish Rude. Boorish. Ill-mannered. Calumny http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Calumny The making of false and defamatory statements in order to damage someone's reputation; a false and slanderous statement. Antepenultimate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Antepenultimate Third from the end. The one before the next-to-the-last. Erratum http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Erratum Latin word meaning an error. The plural is "errata." Cognoscente http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Cognoscente A person who has superior knowledge or understanding in a particular field. Conniption http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Conniption A fit of extreme anger or excitement. Imperturbable http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Imperturbable Marked by extreme calm; serene Visceral http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Visceral Instinctive, as opposed to rational, like a "gut feeling." From the Latin "viscera," for internal organs. Termagant http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Termagant A quarrelsome, overbearing woman; a shrew. Malapropism http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Malapropism The substitution of an incorrect word for one with a similar sound, frequently to comic effect. From the misspeaking character of Mrs. Malaprop in Sheridan's play "The Rivals" (1775). Crepuscular http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Crepuscular Pertaining to or active in twilight; dim; moving about at dawn or dusk. Bacchanalian http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Bacchanalian Relating to drunkenness and mad revelry. From Bacchus, the Greek god of wine. Conundrum http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Conundrum A difficult problem to be solved, especially one whose answer involves a pun or play on words. A difficult decision. Recreant http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Recreant Cowardly; disloyal. Brouhaha http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Brouhaha Uproar; hubbub. Flibbertigibbet http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Flibbertigibbet A scatterbrained or ditzy person. Impecunious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Impecunious Poor; penniless. Fulsome http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Fulsome Excessively, even offensively, flattering or ingratiating. Insincere. Beware attempts to give this word a positive spin. Fortnight http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Fortnight Two weeks. Obfuscate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Obfuscate To make something obscure or otherwise hard to understand. Scintilla http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Scintilla A very, very small amount. Bumbershoot http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Bumbershoot Umbrella; parasol. Smarmy http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Smarmy Overly, even unbearably, ingratiating. Unctuous. Jiggery-pokery http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Jiggery-pokery Hanky-panky. Skullduggery (see below). Saucy http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Saucy Impertinent; impudent. Egregious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Egregious Outstanding, usually in the negative sense. Outrageously bad. Twee http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Twee Excessively cute; nice to the point of being saccharine. Crux http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Crux The pivotal point in an argument. From the Latin "crux," or cross. Popinjay http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Popinjay A person given to vain, pretentious displays and empty chatter; coxcomb; fop. Comport http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Comport To behave in a particular way. Ineffable http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Ineffable Indescribable; inexpressible. Unexpurgated http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Unexpurgated Unedited; without deletions. Munificent http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Munificent Very generous; extremely liberal in giving. Overweening http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Overweening Arrogant; excessive. Myrmidon http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Myrmidon A subordinate who follows orders without question. From the Myrmidons, who followed Achilles to Troy. Eschew http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Eschew Avoid; shun. Consternation http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Consternation Stunning or confounding amazement and/or dismay. Propinquity http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Propinquity Nearness; proximity. Bifurcate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Bifurcate Divide into two branches. Scrofulous http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Scrofulous Morally degenerate; corrupt. Chicanery http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Chicanery Deception; trickery. Lilliputian http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Lilliputian Very small. From Lilliput, a country of teeny-weeny people in Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels." Uxorious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Uxorious Excessively devoted or submissive to one's wife. Phantasmagoria http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Phantasmagoria A dreamlike state featuring both real and imagined elements. Yclept http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Yclept Named or so-called. Ratiocination, ratiocinative http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Ratiocination, ratiocinative Rational and exact thought, or the process of precise reasoning. Measured http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Measured Careful and calculated. Didactic http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Didactic Instructive; intending to teach (adj.) Effluvium http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Effluvium A slight or invisible exhalation or vapor, esp. one that is disagreeable or foul-smelling. Ribald http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Ribald Coarsely or disrespectfully humorous; vulgar. Recrudescence http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Recrudescence A new outbreak, especially of something undesired. Rebirth. Turgidity http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Turgidity Excessively ornate or (more likely) pompous and overblown language. Gumption http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Gumption Initiative, usually implying a lack of outside prompting. Enterprise. Spunk. Peccadillo http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Peccadillo A trivial or petty misdeed. Picayune http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Picayune Something trivial. Poltroon http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Poltroon An abject coward. Pernicious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Pernicious Highly injurious or destructive. Recidivist http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Recidivist One who relapses; a repeat offender. Pithy http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Pithy Brief but meaningful. The Gettysburg Address was described as "pithy." Obtuse http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Obtuse Dull. Slow on the uptake. Paramount http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Paramount Extreme importance. Insouciance http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Insouciance The quality of being carefree; a lack of concern. Skullduggery http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Skullduggery Underhanded or unscrupulous behavior. Trickery. Sagacity http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Sagacity Keen discernment or insight; sound judgment. Resplendent http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Resplendent Splendid, brilliant or glorious. Quixotic http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Quixotic Excessively romantic; visionary but unrealistic. Like Cervantes' Don Quixote. Obsequious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Obsequious Overly deferential or attentive; fawningly submissive. Mercurial http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Mercurial Fickle; erratic. Mendacious http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Mendacious Untruthful; dishonest. Higgledy-piggledy http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Higgledy-piggledy In a disordered manner; helter-skelter. Farrago http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Farrago An assortment or medley, a jumble or a hodgepodge. Defenestrate http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Defenestrate To throw out of a window. Charlatan http://wordwarriors.wayne.edu/list.php#Charlatan Quack. Imposter.