Word Meanings 20190709

morbid
/ˈmɔːbɪd/
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adjective
adjective: morbid
1.
characterized by an abnormal and unhealthy interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects, especially death and disease.
"his morbid fascination with the horrors of contemporary warfare"
synonyms: ghoulish, macabre, unhealthy, gruesome, grisly, grotesque, ghastly, horrible, unwholesome, death-obsessed; informalsick
"a morbid fascination with the horrors of contemporary warfare"
antonyms: wholesome
2.
MEDICINE
of the nature of or indicative of disease.
"the treatment of morbid obesity"
synonyms: diseased, pathological
"a morbid condition"
antonyms: healthy
Origin

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morbidity
/mɔːˈbɪdɪti/
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nounMEDICINE
noun: morbidity
the condition of being diseased.
"the therapy can substantially reduce respiratory morbidity in infants"
the rate of disease in a population.
"the levels of air pollution are associated with increased morbidity from respiratory diseases"

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poignant
/ˈpɔɪnjənt/
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adjective
adjective: poignant
evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret.
"a poignant reminder of the passing of time"
synonyms: touching, moving, sad, saddening, affecting, pitiful, piteous, pitiable, pathetic, sorrowful, mournful, tearful, wretched, miserable, bitter, painful, distressing, disturbing, heart-rending, heartbreaking, tear-jerking, plaintive, upsetting, tragic
"the father of the murder victim bade a poignant farewell to his son"
ARCHAIC
sharp or pungent in taste or smell.
"the poignant scent of her powder"
Origin

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moron
/ˈmɔːrɒn/
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nounINFORMAL
a stupid person.
"we can't let these thoughtless morons get away with mindless vandalism every weekend"
synonyms: fool, oaf, nincompoop, clown, dunce, dolt, dullard, ignoramus, simpleton; More


Moron is a term once used in psychology and psychiatry to denote mild intellectual disability. The term was closely tied with the American eugenics movement. Once the term became popularized, it fell out of use by the psychological community, as it was used more commonly as an insult than as a psychological term.


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eugenics
/juːˈdʒɛnɪks/
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noun
noun: eugenics
the science of improving a population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics.

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se·gue
[ˈseɡwā, ˈsā-]

VERB
(in music and film) move without interruption from one piece of music or scene to another.
"allow one song to segue into the next"
NOUN
an uninterrupted transition from one piece of music or film scene to another.

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vestige
/ˈvɛstɪdʒ/
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noun
1.
a trace or remnant of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.
"the last vestiges of colonialism"
synonyms: remnant, remainder, fragment, relic, echo, indication, sign, trace, mark, print, imprint, impression, legacy, reminder, memento, souvenir, token, trophy; More
2.
BIOLOGY
a part or organ of an organism which has become reduced or functionless in the course of evolution.

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smack1
/smak/
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noun
plural noun: smacks
1.
a sharp slap or blow, typically one given with the palm of the hand.
"she gave Mark a smack across the face"
synonyms: slap, blow, spank, cuff, clout, thump, punch, rap, swat, thwack, crack; More
a loud, sharp sound.
"she closed the ledger with a smack"
synonyms: bang, crash, thud, thump, wham
"the parcel landed with a solid smack on the terrace below"
a loud kiss.
"I was saluted with two hearty smacks on my cheeks"
synonyms: kiss, peck; informalsmacker
"she gave him a quick smack on the cheek"
verb
3rd person present: smacks
1.
strike (someone or something), typically with the palm of the hand and as a punishment.
"Jessica smacked his face, quite hard"
synonyms: slap, hit, strike, spank, cuff, clout, thump, punch, rap, swat, thwack, crack; More
smash, drive, or put forcefully into or on to something.
"he smacked a fist into the palm of a black-gloved hand"
synonyms: bang, slam, crash, thump, sling, fling; More
2.
part (one's lips) noisily in eager anticipation or enjoyment of food or drink.
"Morgan drank half the Scotch and smacked his lips"
3.
ARCHAIC
crack (a whip).
"the four postilions smacked their whips in concert"
Origin

mid 16th century (in the sense ‘part (one's lips) noisily’): from Middle Dutch smacken, of imitative origin; compare with German schmatzen ‘eat or kiss noisily’.
smack2
/smak/
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verb
3rd person present: smacks
have a flavour of; taste of.
"the tea smacked strongly of tannin"
synonyms: taste of, have the flavour of, have the savour of
"the tea smacked strongly of tannin"
suggest the presence or effects of (something wrong or unpleasant).
"the whole thing smacks of a cover-up"
synonyms: suggest, hint at, have overtones of, have a suggestion of, have the air of, give the impression of, have the hallmark of, have the stamp of, resemble, seem like; More
Origin

Old English smæc ‘flavour, smell’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch smaak and German Geschmack .
smack3
/smak/
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nounBRITISH
plural noun: smacks
a single-masted sailing boat used for coasting or fishing.
"the village still harbours a few fishing smacks"
Origin

early 17th century: from Dutch smak, of unknown ultimate origin.

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ferocious
/fəˈrəʊʃəs/
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adjective
adjective: ferocious
savagely fierce, cruel, or violent.
"a ferocious beast"
synonyms: fierce, savage, wild, feral, untamed; More
antonyms: tame, gentle
INFORMAL
very great; extreme.
"a ferocious headache"
synonyms: intense, extreme, strong, powerful, fierce, burning, searing; More
antonyms: mild
Origin

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savage
/ˈsavɪdʒ/
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adjective
adjective: savage
1.
(of an animal or force of nature) fierce, violent, and uncontrolled.
"packs of savage dogs roamed the streets"
synonyms: ferocious, fierce; More
antonyms: tame
cruel and vicious; aggressively hostile.
"a savage attack on the government"
synonyms: vicious, brutal, cruel, sadistic, ferocious, fierce, violent, bloody, murderous, homicidal, bloodthirsty, bestial, brutish, barbaric, barbarous, merciless, ruthless, pitiless, heartless, inhuman, harsh, callous, cold-blooded; More
antonyms: mild, gentle
2.
(of something bad or negative) very great; severe.
"the decision was a savage blow for the town"
synonyms: severe, crushing, devastating, crippling, terrible, awful, dreadful, dire, catastrophic, calamitous, ruinous; More
3.
DATED•OFFENSIVE
(of a person or group) primitive and uncivilized.
"a savage race"
synonyms: primitive, uncivilized, unenlightened, non-literate, in a state of nature, heathen; More
antonyms: civilized
(of a place) wild-looking and inhospitable; uncultivated.
synonyms: rugged, rough, wild, inhospitable, uninhabitable
"the most savage landscape you are likely to see in the Pyrenees"
noun
noun: savage; plural noun: savages
1.
a brutal or vicious person.
"the mother of one of the victims has described his assailants as savages"
synonyms: brute, beast, monster, barbarian, ogre, demon, sadist, animal
"the mother of one of the victims has described his assailants as savages"
2.
DATED•OFFENSIVE
a member of a people regarded as primitive and uncivilized.
synonyms: barbarian, wild man, wild woman, primitive, heathen; cannibal
"she had expected mud huts and savages"
3.
HERALDRY
a representation of a bearded and semi-naked man with a wreath of leaves.
verb
verb: savage; 3rd person present: savages; past tense: savaged; past participle: savaged; gerund or present participle: savaging
1.
(especially of a dog or wild animal) attack ferociously and maul.
"police are rounding up dogs after a girl was savaged"
synonyms: maul, attack, tear to pieces, lacerate, claw, bite, mutilate, mangle; worry
"11-year-old Kelly was savaged by two Rottweilers"
subject to a vicious verbal attack; criticize brutally.
"he savaged the government for wasting billions in their failed bid to prop up the pound"
synonyms: criticize severely, attack, lambaste, condemn, flay, shoot down, pillory, revile; More
antonyms: praise, commend, applaud
Origin

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affectation
/afɛkˈteɪʃ(ə)n/
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noun
noun: affectation; plural noun: affectations
behaviour, speech, or writing that is pretentious and designed to impress.
"the affectation of a man who measures every word for effect"
synonyms: pretension, pretentiousness, affectedness, artificiality, insincerity, posturing, posing, pretence, ostentation, grandiosity, snobbery, superciliousness; More
antonyms: naturalness
a studied display of real or pretended feeling.
"an affectation of calm"
synonyms: facade, front, show, appearance, false display, pretence, simulation, posture, pose, sham, fake, act, masquerade, charade, mask, cloak, veil, veneer, guise; More
Origin

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