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 — 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 — 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.
Which of the following people is most likely to be known for her intransigence?
Anonymous Poll
7%
someone who compromises her own values
9%
someone who over-thinks everything
9%
someone who likes everyone to like her
76%
someone who likes things done her way
Vacillate :
Vacillate means to waver back and forth, unable to decide.
You might vacillate between ordering waffles and pancakes at your favorite diner — it’s hard to pick just one when both are so tasty! @WordCzar
Something that vacillates sways or fluctuates, often quite unsteadily.
So use this verb to describe the staggering motions of a person who has had too much to drink, as well as the opinions of someone who can’t make up her mind. Synonyms include vibrate, hesitate, and waver.
A wise Ethiopian proverb advises, "Do not vacillate or you will be left in between doing something, having something, and being nothing.”
Vacillate means to waver back and forth, unable to decide.
You might vacillate between ordering waffles and pancakes at your favorite diner — it’s hard to pick just one when both are so tasty! @WordCzar
Something that vacillates sways or fluctuates, often quite unsteadily.
So use this verb to describe the staggering motions of a person who has had too much to drink, as well as the opinions of someone who can’t make up her mind. Synonyms include vibrate, hesitate, and waver.
A wise Ethiopian proverb advises, "Do not vacillate or you will be left in between doing something, having something, and being nothing.”
Which of the following would most likely vacillate?
Anonymous Poll
4%
a satellite that is orbiting the Earth
10%
a lottery winner about to accept his winnings
16%
a weather reporter announcing the scale of an earthquake
70%
a politician about to make an unpopular decision
Gouge :
To gouge can mean to make a hole or dent in something, or to swindle or steal by overcharging.
If your local gas station raises prices because a storm is coming, you may say that the station owner is gouging you — and that's illegal.
The verb gouge means to cut or carve.
You can use special chisels to gouge linoleum for interesting design in printing.
As a noun, a gouge is the tool you would use — instead of a flat-head chisel, a gouge has a trough — to make the gouge marks of the design.
Another meaning of the verb gouge is an indentation in the surface of something. If you're not careful with the screwdriver, you'll accidentally gouge a hole in the wall.
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To gouge can mean to make a hole or dent in something, or to swindle or steal by overcharging.
If your local gas station raises prices because a storm is coming, you may say that the station owner is gouging you — and that's illegal.
The verb gouge means to cut or carve.
You can use special chisels to gouge linoleum for interesting design in printing.
As a noun, a gouge is the tool you would use — instead of a flat-head chisel, a gouge has a trough — to make the gouge marks of the design.
Another meaning of the verb gouge is an indentation in the surface of something. If you're not careful with the screwdriver, you'll accidentally gouge a hole in the wall.
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https://t.me/joinchat/As45pEm9f_5MmOOKFHF-4A
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ABEYANCE:
An abeyance is a temporary halt to something, with the emphasis on "temporary." It is usually used with the word "in" or "into"; "in abeyance" suggests a state of waiting or holding.
@WordCzar
The word abeyance has a legal ring to it, and for a good reason — appearing in English in the 16th century, it comes from the Anglo-French word abeiance, a legal term for waiting or hoping to receive property. Nowadays, the word is used in a similar way.
Different legal rights, like property rights, can be held in abeyance until matters are resolved.
An abeyance is a temporary halt to something, with the emphasis on "temporary." It is usually used with the word "in" or "into"; "in abeyance" suggests a state of waiting or holding.
@WordCzar
The word abeyance has a legal ring to it, and for a good reason — appearing in English in the 16th century, it comes from the Anglo-French word abeiance, a legal term for waiting or hoping to receive property. Nowadays, the word is used in a similar way.
Different legal rights, like property rights, can be held in abeyance until matters are resolved.
Which of the following would most likely be considered in abeyance?
Anonymous Poll
12%
a widow's mourning period
69%
a court hearing during a recess
15%
an after-school detention
4%
a species that has evolved over time
Maverick
A maverick is a rebel, someone who shows a lot of independence.
A maverick on a motorcycle might blaze his own trail, or show a maverick touch in a rough sport by wearing a helmet with the word "Mom" inside a heart.
Samuel A. Maverick owned a lot of cattle, and he let them roam around Texas without a brand, or identification mark, seared into their skins. Samuel was a maverick for going against the common practice of tracking his animals, and his last name became part of the English language as both an adjective and a noun in the 19th century.
Someone who acts very independently is a maverick, and individual actions that stand out are maverick, as in "her maverick jumping style on the ice was both wild and delicate."
A maverick is a rebel, someone who shows a lot of independence.
A maverick on a motorcycle might blaze his own trail, or show a maverick touch in a rough sport by wearing a helmet with the word "Mom" inside a heart.
Samuel A. Maverick owned a lot of cattle, and he let them roam around Texas without a brand, or identification mark, seared into their skins. Samuel was a maverick for going against the common practice of tracking his animals, and his last name became part of the English language as both an adjective and a noun in the 19th century.
Someone who acts very independently is a maverick, and individual actions that stand out are maverick, as in "her maverick jumping style on the ice was both wild and delicate."
Officious :
Though officious sounds like official, it means being annoyingly eager to do more than is required.
"The officious lunch lady made everyone's food choices her business, and made nasty comments when students chose cookies over carrots."
Officious is a tricky word as it seems like it might mean something like office or official. Instead, it is a word to describe someone that acts more official than they actually are.
People who are officious are busybodies. They want to make their opinions known and followed, despite not having any kind of real power.
Though officious sounds like official, it means being annoyingly eager to do more than is required.
"The officious lunch lady made everyone's food choices her business, and made nasty comments when students chose cookies over carrots."
Officious is a tricky word as it seems like it might mean something like office or official. Instead, it is a word to describe someone that acts more official than they actually are.
People who are officious are busybodies. They want to make their opinions known and followed, despite not having any kind of real power.
Infirm :
To be infirm is to be physically weak. If your great grandmother can't get around without a walker or a wheelchair, you might describe her as infirm.
The adjective infirm is most often used to talk about elderly people whose bodies don't work as well as they used to — there's an implication of old age in the word.
You could also describe an infirm person as decrepit or feeble.
Sometimes a person's morals or character are described as infirm, which means you can't count on them to do the right thing.
The Latin root, infirmus means "weak or feeble," or alternately, "superstitious or inconstant."
To be infirm is to be physically weak. If your great grandmother can't get around without a walker or a wheelchair, you might describe her as infirm.
The adjective infirm is most often used to talk about elderly people whose bodies don't work as well as they used to — there's an implication of old age in the word.
You could also describe an infirm person as decrepit or feeble.
Sometimes a person's morals or character are described as infirm, which means you can't count on them to do the right thing.
The Latin root, infirmus means "weak or feeble," or alternately, "superstitious or inconstant."
ABSTEMIOUS
Reserve abstemious for someone who exercises restraint, especially with regard to alcohol.
A rock musician may sing about enjoying wine and women, but in his private life he may be abstemious.
You might get the idea that abstemious is a relative of abstain with a change of consonant, but in fact the two words only share the abs- prefix, meaning "away."
The -temious bit in this adjective is from Latin temetum, "intoxicating drink," so it came to refer to someone who keeps alcohol (or other temptations) at arm's length. This word has the vowels a, e, i, o and u in alphabetical order; the adverb abstemiouslyadds the y!
Reserve abstemious for someone who exercises restraint, especially with regard to alcohol.
A rock musician may sing about enjoying wine and women, but in his private life he may be abstemious.
You might get the idea that abstemious is a relative of abstain with a change of consonant, but in fact the two words only share the abs- prefix, meaning "away."
The -temious bit in this adjective is from Latin temetum, "intoxicating drink," so it came to refer to someone who keeps alcohol (or other temptations) at arm's length. This word has the vowels a, e, i, o and u in alphabetical order; the adverb abstemiouslyadds the y!
APPROBATION :
Approbation is a formal word for approval or praise.
Approbation is like getting the nod in a big way. Politicians rely on the public’s approbation to get elected.
How is it possible that approbation means approval when probation is a form of being in trouble?
Probation is a testing period, to see if you can be good.
Approbation means it's all good. Or you can remember this rhyme: "Filled with approbation, the audience gave a standing ovation."
Approbation is a formal word for approval or praise.
Approbation is like getting the nod in a big way. Politicians rely on the public’s approbation to get elected.
How is it possible that approbation means approval when probation is a form of being in trouble?
Probation is a testing period, to see if you can be good.
Approbation means it's all good. Or you can remember this rhyme: "Filled with approbation, the audience gave a standing ovation."
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The opposite of approbation is:
Anonymous Poll
9%
influence
78%
condemnation
10%
concentration
3%
innocence
Wheedle :
To wheedle is to sweet talk, or flatter someone in the hopes of getting something in return.
You might try to wheedle a meter maid into not giving you a parking ticket. Good luck with that.@WordCzar
If you want your parents to do something for you that they don’t want to do, you may have to wheedle them with breakfast in bed and a shower of compliments in order to get what you want.
To wheedle someone is to “charm” that person, though it’s a little more on the “suck up to” side than it is charming. The teacher’s pet might try to wheedle her way into a better grade.
To wheedle is to sweet talk, or flatter someone in the hopes of getting something in return.
You might try to wheedle a meter maid into not giving you a parking ticket. Good luck with that.@WordCzar
If you want your parents to do something for you that they don’t want to do, you may have to wheedle them with breakfast in bed and a shower of compliments in order to get what you want.
To wheedle someone is to “charm” that person, though it’s a little more on the “suck up to” side than it is charming. The teacher’s pet might try to wheedle her way into a better grade.
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Hagiography :
A hagiography is a type of biography that puts the subject in a very flattering light. Hagiographies are often about saints.
The two halves of hagiography refer to holiness and writing, and it is something written about holy people. Originally, a hagiography was a biography of a saint written without skepticism or criticism. A hagiography idealizes the subject and puts them on a pedestal.
These days, a hagiography is not necessarily written about a saint, but it still idolizes the subject. A hagiography makes the subject seems like a hero, or at least a wonderful, nearly perfect person.
A hagiography is a type of biography that puts the subject in a very flattering light. Hagiographies are often about saints.
The two halves of hagiography refer to holiness and writing, and it is something written about holy people. Originally, a hagiography was a biography of a saint written without skepticism or criticism. A hagiography idealizes the subject and puts them on a pedestal.
These days, a hagiography is not necessarily written about a saint, but it still idolizes the subject. A hagiography makes the subject seems like a hero, or at least a wonderful, nearly perfect person.
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Swanky :
Swanky things are fancy and stylish, like a swanky hotel lobby with sparkling chandeliers, plush furniture, and elegant guests.
You can also call swanky things ritzy or classy.
They're expensive and luxurious, like a swanky car, a swanky apartment building with a doorman, or a swanky neighborhood where only movie stars can afford to live.
The adjective swanky comes from its less-common synonym swank, which stems from the now-obsolete verb swank, "to behave ostentatiously."
Swanky things are fancy and stylish, like a swanky hotel lobby with sparkling chandeliers, plush furniture, and elegant guests.
You can also call swanky things ritzy or classy.
They're expensive and luxurious, like a swanky car, a swanky apartment building with a doorman, or a swanky neighborhood where only movie stars can afford to live.
The adjective swanky comes from its less-common synonym swank, which stems from the now-obsolete verb swank, "to behave ostentatiously."
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Forestall
It takes a bit of planning to forestall something, meaning stop it from happening.
To forestall the effects of aging, exercise and take care of your health all your life.
You can break the word forestall into parts to figure out its meaning. The prefix fore is one you've seen in words like forewarn, which means "to warn in advance." And you probably know that stall means "delay." So to forestall is to stall in advance, or put another way, to try to prevent or put off something you don't want to happen
It takes a bit of planning to forestall something, meaning stop it from happening.
To forestall the effects of aging, exercise and take care of your health all your life.
You can break the word forestall into parts to figure out its meaning. The prefix fore is one you've seen in words like forewarn, which means "to warn in advance." And you probably know that stall means "delay." So to forestall is to stall in advance, or put another way, to try to prevent or put off something you don't want to happen
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