paean • / PEE-un / • noun

Paean is a literary word that refers to a song of joy, praise, or victory. It can also be used as a synonym of tribute for a work that praises or honors its subject.

• Her retirement party featured many paeans for her long years of service to the company.
• Critics considered the movie both a thrilling Western and a paean to the natural beauty of the Rockies.

exhilarate • / ig-ZIL-uh-rayt / • verb

Exhilarate means "to cause (someone) to feel very happy and excited." It is usually used in the passive voice as (be) exhilarated.

• She was exhilarated by the prospect of attending her dream school.

vaunted • / VAWN-tud / • adjective

Vaunted describes someone or something that is often spoken of or described as very good or great.

• The team’s vaunted defense faltered in the second half of the game.

libertine • / LIB-er-teen / • noun

A libertine is in broad terms a person who is unrestrained by convention or morality. More narrowly, the word describes someone who leads an immoral life.

• The legend of Don Juan depicts him as a playboy and libertine.

hector • / HEK-ter / • verb

To hector someone is to criticize or question them in a threatening way.

• The judge ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness.

mea culpa • / may-uh-KOOL-puh / • noun

The noun mea culpa is used for a formal acknowledgment of personal fault or error.

• The podcast host's mea culpa did little to satisfy those who found the episode deeply offensive.

immure • / ih-MYOOR / • verb

To immure something is to enclose it within or as if within walls. Immure is also sometimes used synonymously with imprison.

• Scientists at the research station in Antarctica are immured by the frozen wild that surrounds them.

tranche • / TRAHNSH / • noun

Tranche refers to a division or portion of a whole.

• A tranche of leaked documents was delivered to the newspaper anonymously, with more promised to come.

Erin go bragh • / air-un-guh-BRAW / • phrase

Erin go bragh is an Irish phrase that means “Ireland forever.”

• They proudly waved the Irish flag during the parade, shouting “Erin go bragh!”

eureka • / yoo-REE-kuh / • adjective

As an interjection, eureka is used to express excitement when a discovery has been made. When used as an adjective, eureka describes something (typically a moment) that is characterized by a usually sudden triumphant discovery.  See the entry > 

• After years of trying to piece together a concrete business idea, I had a eureka moment and everything made sense.  

dross • / DRAHSS / • noun

Something referred to as "dross" is of low value or quality. Dross may also be used as a technical term to refer to unwanted material that is removed from a mineral to make it better.

• He's a skilled editor who has a talent for turning literary dross into gold.

fiscal • / FISS-kul / • adjective

Fiscal is used to describe things relating to money and especially to the money a government, business, or organization earns, spends, and owes.

• The recent change in leadership was essential for addressing the fiscal health of the university.

cadge • / KAJ / • verb

To cadge something is to persuade someone to give it to you for free. Cadge can also mean “to take, use, or borrow (something) without acknowledgment.”

• I don’t know how, but my brother always manages to cadge an extra scoop of ice cream on his sundaes.
• The last line of the poem is cadged from Shelley’s “Ozymandias.”

adroit • / uh-DROYT / • adjective

Adroit describes someone or something that has or shows skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations.

• We marveled at how adroit the puppeteers were, the marionettes responding to each precise shift of their hands, each flick of their wrists.

wiseacre • / WYZE-ay-ker / • noun

A wiseacre is someone who says or does things that are funny but annoying. Wiseacre is an informal and old-fashioned word, as well as a synonym of smart aleck.

• Some wiseacre in the audience kept heckling the comedian throughout the performance.

cotton • / KAH-tun / • verb

The verb cotton is used with on or on to to mean “to begin to understand something; to catch on.” Cotton used with to alone means “to begin to like someone or something.”

• It took a while, but they are finally starting to cotton on.
• She quickly cottoned on to why her friend was nudging her, and stopped talking just before their teacher entered the room.
• We cottoned to our new neighbors right away.

glaucous • / GLAW-kus / • adjective

Glaucous as a color word can describe things of two rather different shades: a light bluish-gray or bluish-white color, or a pale yellow-green. It can also mean "having a powdery or waxy coating that gives a frosted appearance and tends to rub off."

• His glaucous eyes grew wide with curiosity.
• The tree's glaucous leaves help prevent sun damage.

subterfuge • / SUB-ter-fyooj / • noun

Subterfuge is a formal word that refers to the use of tricks to hide, avoid, or get something.

• They obtained the documents by subterfuge.

kibitzer • / KIB-it-ser / • noun

A kibitzer is someone who watches other people and makes unwanted comments about what they are doing.

• It wasn't long after they bought their house that the couple heard from neighborhood kibitzers offering tips on landscaping and remodeling.

enjoin • / in-JOIN / • verb

Enjoining is about requiring or prohibiting. To enjoin a person is to direct or order them to do something. To enjoin an act or practice is to prohibit it; in legal contexts, that prohibition is by way of a judicial order.

• Our guide enjoined us to take great care as we began our journey.
• The court has enjoined the ban.
• We were enjoined from speaking on the tour.