Intractable :
Can't manage your stubborn little brother who won't do what anyone says? You could call him intractable, or you could call your mother.
Problems are intractable when they can't be solved.
Intractable means not tractable.
Helpful, right? No? Let's break it down.
In both words you see the word tract. A contract is a written document that explains how a legal situation is to be managed together.
When someone is tractable they are able to be managed or handled. When they are intractable, they are as unmanageable as a hungry two-year old.
Can't manage your stubborn little brother who won't do what anyone says? You could call him intractable, or you could call your mother.
Problems are intractable when they can't be solved.
Intractable means not tractable.
Helpful, right? No? Let's break it down.
In both words you see the word tract. A contract is a written document that explains how a legal situation is to be managed together.
When someone is tractable they are able to be managed or handled. When they are intractable, they are as unmanageable as a hungry two-year old.
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Exculpate :
To exculpate means to find someone not guilty of criminal charges.
If you've been wrongly accused of robbery, you'd better hope a judge will exculpate you, unless you want to go to jail because you've heard prison food is amazing.
Exculpate comes from two Latin words: ex-, meaning "from," and culpa, meaning "blame." Exculpate is similar in meaning to exonerate.
When you exonerate someone, you clear a person of an accusation and any suspicion that goes along with it.
Exculpate usually refers more directly to clearing the charges against someone. So if that judge exculpates you from the robbery charge, everyone in town might still think you did it. Get him to exculpate and exonerate you.
To exculpate means to find someone not guilty of criminal charges.
If you've been wrongly accused of robbery, you'd better hope a judge will exculpate you, unless you want to go to jail because you've heard prison food is amazing.
Exculpate comes from two Latin words: ex-, meaning "from," and culpa, meaning "blame." Exculpate is similar in meaning to exonerate.
When you exonerate someone, you clear a person of an accusation and any suspicion that goes along with it.
Exculpate usually refers more directly to clearing the charges against someone. So if that judge exculpates you from the robbery charge, everyone in town might still think you did it. Get him to exculpate and exonerate you.
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A judge is most likely to exculpate which of the following criminals?
Anonymous Poll
8%
one who only committed a single crime
10%
one who felt very guilty for his crimes
74%
one who was found to be innocent
8%
one who committed many terrible crimes
Specious
Use specious to describe an argument that seems to be good, correct, or logical, but is not so.
We live on the earth, therefore the earth must be the center of the universe has been proven to be a specious theory of the solar system.
Specious is pronounced "SPEE-shuhs."
Something that is specious is attractive in a deceptive way, and if you follow the word's etymology, you'll see why.
In Middle English, this adjective meant "attractive," from Latin speciลsus "showy, beautiful," from speciฤs"appearance, kind, sort." Latin speciฤs is also the source of English species.
Use specious to describe an argument that seems to be good, correct, or logical, but is not so.
We live on the earth, therefore the earth must be the center of the universe has been proven to be a specious theory of the solar system.
Specious is pronounced "SPEE-shuhs."
Something that is specious is attractive in a deceptive way, and if you follow the word's etymology, you'll see why.
In Middle English, this adjective meant "attractive," from Latin speciลsus "showy, beautiful," from speciฤs"appearance, kind, sort." Latin speciฤs is also the source of English species.
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Obviate :
To obviate means to eliminate the need for something or to prevent something from happening.
If you want to obviate the possibility of a roach infestation, clean your kitchen regularly.
The prefix ob means "to go against."
That makes sense when you look at the words obstruct and obstacle, but how about obstetrics? Why does the name of the branch of medicine dealing with birth have the same root as words that mean "stop" or "get in the way"? Because a midwife stands opposite to, or against, the woman giving birth.
To obviate means to eliminate the need for something or to prevent something from happening.
If you want to obviate the possibility of a roach infestation, clean your kitchen regularly.
The prefix ob means "to go against."
That makes sense when you look at the words obstruct and obstacle, but how about obstetrics? Why does the name of the branch of medicine dealing with birth have the same root as words that mean "stop" or "get in the way"? Because a midwife stands opposite to, or against, the woman giving birth.
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Denigrate
To denigrate is to say bad things โ true or false โ about a person or thing.
Your reputation as a math whiz might be hurt if your jealous classmate manages to denigrate you, even though the accusations are unfounded.
The verb denigrate comes from the Latin word denigrare, which means โto blacken.โ To sully or defame someoneโs reputation, or to spread negative or hurtful information about a company or a situation, is to denigrate it.
Your neighbors may denigrate your proposal for mandatory recycling in an attempt to stop your plan.
Denigrate can also mean that you're making something seem less important, like when your brother tries to denigrate your athletic achievements
To denigrate is to say bad things โ true or false โ about a person or thing.
Your reputation as a math whiz might be hurt if your jealous classmate manages to denigrate you, even though the accusations are unfounded.
The verb denigrate comes from the Latin word denigrare, which means โto blacken.โ To sully or defame someoneโs reputation, or to spread negative or hurtful information about a company or a situation, is to denigrate it.
Your neighbors may denigrate your proposal for mandatory recycling in an attempt to stop your plan.
Denigrate can also mean that you're making something seem less important, like when your brother tries to denigrate your athletic achievements
Desiccate :
The verb desiccate means to dry out, dry up and dehydrate.
It's helpful to desiccate weeds but certainly not crops.
As anyone who's been stuck in the desert will tell you, being desiccated by the burning sun isn't much fun.
Stemming from the Latin word desiccare, which means to "dry up," desiccate also means to preserve something by drying it out.
Without desiccation, raisins or beef jerky would not be possible!
The verb desiccate means to dry out, dry up and dehydrate.
It's helpful to desiccate weeds but certainly not crops.
As anyone who's been stuck in the desert will tell you, being desiccated by the burning sun isn't much fun.
Stemming from the Latin word desiccare, which means to "dry up," desiccate also means to preserve something by drying it out.
Without desiccation, raisins or beef jerky would not be possible!
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Incongruity :
Incongruity means out of place โ something that doesn't fit in its location or situation.
The art show patrons couldn't help but chuckle at the incongruity of a toilet sitting in the middle of an exhibition of Renaissance paintings.
An incongruity is very different from everything around it, to the point of being inappropriate to the situation. A cat at a dog's birthday party would be an incongruity, as would a pacifist at a meeting of the War Lovers' Society.
Incongruity is the idea that something is incongruous, or inappropriate. @WordCzar
A purple towel is an incongruity in an all black-and-white bathroom.
Incongruity means out of place โ something that doesn't fit in its location or situation.
The art show patrons couldn't help but chuckle at the incongruity of a toilet sitting in the middle of an exhibition of Renaissance paintings.
An incongruity is very different from everything around it, to the point of being inappropriate to the situation. A cat at a dog's birthday party would be an incongruity, as would a pacifist at a meeting of the War Lovers' Society.
Incongruity is the idea that something is incongruous, or inappropriate. @WordCzar
A purple towel is an incongruity in an all black-and-white bathroom.
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Which two people are most likely to experience incongruity?
Anonymous Poll
6%
two students working on a group project
10%
two lawyers working at different firms
68%
two lawyers arguing for opposite sides of a case
16%
a waitress and a customer at a restaurant
Enervate :
To enervate is to weaken, wear down, or even bum out.
A three-hour lecture on the history of socks might thrill someone, it would enervate most people. So would a too-long soak in a hot tub. With your parents.@WordCzar
Trace enervate back far enough and you'll discover that it comes from the Latin enervare which means basically โto cut the sinewโ or โto cause to be cut from the muscle.โ That would certainly weaken someone. These days, thereโs no need for violence.
To enervate someone is to sap their energy, like by reading your ex all the love letters your new sweetheart wrote you. When something enervates you, it does more than get on your nerves; it brings you down.
To enervate is to weaken, wear down, or even bum out.
A three-hour lecture on the history of socks might thrill someone, it would enervate most people. So would a too-long soak in a hot tub. With your parents.@WordCzar
Trace enervate back far enough and you'll discover that it comes from the Latin enervare which means basically โto cut the sinewโ or โto cause to be cut from the muscle.โ That would certainly weaken someone. These days, thereโs no need for violence.
To enervate someone is to sap their energy, like by reading your ex all the love letters your new sweetheart wrote you. When something enervates you, it does more than get on your nerves; it brings you down.
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Which of the following is most likely to enervate a person?
Anonymous Poll
18%
an irritating dog
7%
a relaxing vacation
2%
a gust of sea air
73%
a traumatic event
Exigency :
Think of a mix of excitement and emergency, and you have exigency, a sudden, urgent crisis.
The very word conjures up danger and intrigue that demand a cool head and an immediate effort at a solution.
The meaning of exigency is obvious from its source, the Latin noun exigentia, which means "urgency" and comes from the verb exigere, meaning "to demand or require."@WordCzar
An emergency situation, or exigency, is urgent and demands immediate action.
Our lives are filled with exigencies, both large and small, from a child stuck in a tree to lightning striking your house to catastrophic river flooding. Each is an exigency โ it's all a matter of perspective.
Think of a mix of excitement and emergency, and you have exigency, a sudden, urgent crisis.
The very word conjures up danger and intrigue that demand a cool head and an immediate effort at a solution.
The meaning of exigency is obvious from its source, the Latin noun exigentia, which means "urgency" and comes from the verb exigere, meaning "to demand or require."@WordCzar
An emergency situation, or exigency, is urgent and demands immediate action.
Our lives are filled with exigencies, both large and small, from a child stuck in a tree to lightning striking your house to catastrophic river flooding. Each is an exigency โ it's all a matter of perspective.
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Intransigence
If you refuse to compromise with your sister about whose turn it is to do the dishes, your mother might accuse you both of intransigence.
Intransigence is a stubborn refusal to change your views.
Inside of intransigence you see the Latin transigere which means to come to an understanding.
People who show intransigence refuse to do this. Nations are often accused of intransigence when they refuse to comply with international standards or will.
If you refuse to compromise with your sister about whose turn it is to do the dishes, your mother might accuse you both of intransigence.
Intransigence is a stubborn refusal to change your views.
Inside of intransigence you see the Latin transigere which means to come to an understanding.
People who show intransigence refuse to do this. Nations are often accused of intransigence when they refuse to comply with international standards or will.