abysmal
/əˈbɪzm(ə)l/
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adjective
adjective: abysmal
1.
extremely bad; appalling.
"the quality of her work is abysmal"
synonyms: very bad, dreadful, awful, terrible, frightful, atrocious, disgraceful, deplorable, shameful, woeful, hopeless, lamentable, laughable, substandard, poor, inadequate, inferior, unsatisfactory; More
antonyms: superb
2.
LITERARY
very deep.
"waterfalls that plunge into abysmal depths"
synonyms: profound, extreme, utter, complete, thorough, deep, endless, immeasurable, boundless, incalculable, unfathomable, bottomless
"abysmal ignorance"
Origin
mid 17th century (used literally as in abysmal (sense 2)): from abysm. abysmal (sense 1) dates from the early 19th century.
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contortionist
/kənˈtɔːʃ(ə)nɪst/
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noun
noun: contortionist; plural noun: contortionists
an entertainer who twists and bends their body into strange and unnatural positions.
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coveted
/ˈkʌvətɪd/
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adjective
adjective: coveted
greatly desired or envied.
"I gave up a coveted job, that of editor-in-chief"
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covet
/ˈkʌvɪt/
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verb
past tense: coveted; past participle: coveted
yearn to possess (something, especially something belonging to another).
"I covet one of their smart bags"
synonyms: desire, be consumed with desire for, crave, have one's heart set on; More
Origin
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forewarned is forearmed
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phrase of forewarn
PROVERB
prior knowledge of possible dangers or problems gives one a tactical advantage.
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commode
/kəˈməʊd/
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noun
plural noun: commodes
1.
a piece of furniture containing a concealed chamber pot.
NORTH AMERICAN
a toilet.
HISTORICAL•NORTH AMERICAN
a movable washstand.
2.
a chest of drawers or chiffonier of a decorative type popular in the 18th century.
Origin
mid 18th century (in commode (sense 2)): from French, literally ‘convenient, suitable’, from Latin commodus . commode (sense 1) dates from the early 19th century.
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rake1
/reɪk/
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noun
noun: rake; plural noun: rakes
1.
an implement consisting of a pole with a toothed crossbar or fine tines at the end, used especially for drawing together cut grass or smoothing loose soil or gravel.
an implement similar to a rake used for other purposes, e.g. by a croupier drawing in money at a gaming table.
an act of raking.
"giving the lawn a rake"
verb
verb: rake; 3rd person present: rakes; past tense: raked; past participle: raked; gerund or present participle: raking
1.
draw together with a rake or similar implement.
"they started raking up hay"
synonyms: scrape up/together, collect, gather
"another man was raking the clippings into a sack"
make (ground) smooth with a rake.
"I sometimes rake over the allotment"
synonyms: smooth, smooth out, level, even out, flatten, comb
"she raked the gravel meticulously"
2.
scratch or scrape (something, especially a person's flesh) with a long sweeping movement.
"her fingers raked Bill's face"
synonyms: scratch, lacerate, scrape, rasp, graze, abrade, grate, bark; technicalexcoriate
"the cat raked his face with its claws"
draw or drag (something) through something with a sweeping movement.
"she raked a comb through her hair"
synonyms: drag, pull, scrape, draw, tug
"she raked a hand through her hair"
sweep (something) from end to end with gunfire, a look, or a beam of light.
"the road was raked with machine-gun fire"
synonyms: sweep, enfilade, pepper, strafe; More
move across something with a long sweeping movement.
"his icy gaze raked mercilessly over Lissa's slender figure"
synonyms: search, scan, look around/round/over, survey, study, inspect, scour, scrutinize, examine, explore; informalscope
"her eyes raked the room"
search or rummage through something.
"he raked through his pockets and brought out a five-pound note"
synonyms: rummage, search, hunt, sift, rifle; More
Phrases
rake and scrape
be extremely thrifty; scrimp and save.
rake over coals
revive the memory of an incident which is best forgotten. "no point in raking over old coals, opening old sores"
thin as a rake
(of a person) very thin. "in spite of all this food I remained as thin as a rake"
rake something in
make a lot of money. "the shop's raking it in now"
rake something up/over
revive the memory of an incident or period that is best forgotten. "I have no desire to rake over the past"
Origin
Old English raca, racu, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch raak and German Rechen, from a base meaning ‘heap up’; the verb is partly from Old Norse raka ‘to scrape, shave’.
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rake2
/reɪk/
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nounDATED
noun: rake; plural noun: rakes
a fashionable or wealthy man of immoral or promiscuous habits.
"a merry Restoration rake"
synonyms: playboy, libertine, profligate; More
Phrases
a rake's progress — a progressive deterioration, especially through self-indulgence.
"his downfall was a rake's progress of late nights and seedy bars"
Origin
mid 17th century: abbreviation of archaic rakehell in the same sense.
rake3
/reɪk/
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verb
verb: rake; 3rd person present: rakes; past tense: raked; past participle: raked; gerund or present participle: raking
1.
set (something) at a sloping angle.
"the floor is steeply raked"
(of a ship's mast or funnel) incline from the perpendicular towards the stern.
"her long clipper bow and raked mast"
(of a ship's bow or stern) project at its upper part beyond the keel.
noun
noun: rake; plural noun: rakes
1.
the angle at which a thing slopes.
"you can adjust the rake of the backrests"
2.
the angle of the edge or face of a cutting tool.
Origin
early 17th century: probably related to German ragen ‘to project’, of unknown ultimate origin; compare with Swedish raka .
rake4
/reɪk/
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nounBRITISH
noun: rake; plural noun: rakes
a number of railway carriages or wagons coupled together.
"we have converted one locomotive and a rake of coaches to air braking"
Origin
early 20th century (originally Scots and northern English): from Old Norse rák ‘stripe, streak’, from an alteration of rek- ‘to drive’. The word was in earlier use in the senses ‘path, groove’ and ‘vein of ore’.
rake5
/reɪk/
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nounRARE
noun: rake; plural noun: rakes
a herd of colts.
Origin
late Middle English: origin uncertain; perhaps an alteration of rag1 or from obsolete or Scots rake ‘a rush, a run’.
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gawk
/ɡɔːk/
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verb
gerund or present participle: gawking
stare openly and stupidly.
"they were gawking at some pin-up"
synonyms: gape, goggle, gaze, ogle, stare, stare stupidly, stare open-mouthed, stare in wonder, look fixedly, look vacantly; More
Origin
late 17th century (as a noun): perhaps related to obsolete gaw ‘to gaze’, from Old Norse gá ‘heed’.
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hubcap
/ˈhʌbkap/
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noun
plural noun: hubcaps
a metal or plastic cover for the hub of a motor vehicle's wheel.
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heirloom
/ˈɛːluːm/
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noun
noun: heirloom; plural noun: heirlooms
a valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations.
"the violin was a family heirloom"
NORTH AMERICAN
denoting a traditional variety of plant or breed of animal which is not associated with large-scale commercial agriculture.
"his garden is filled with heirloom vegetables"
Origin
late Middle English: from heir + loom1 (which formerly had the senses ‘tool, heirloom’).
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veer1
/vɪə/
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verb
past tense: veered; past participle: veered
change direction suddenly.
"an oil tanker that had veered off course"
synonyms: swerve, career, skew, swing, sheer, weave, wheel; More
suddenly change an opinion, subject, type of behaviour, etc.
"the conversation eventually veered away from theatrical things"
(of the wind) change direction clockwise around the points of the compass.
"the wind veered a point"
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weather the storm.
Verb.
(idiomatic) To reach the end of a very difficult situation without too much harm or damage. Bob lost his job, but somehow his family weathered the storm.
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pensive
/ˈpɛnsɪv/
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adjective
adjective: pensive
engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought.
"a pensive mood"
synonyms: thoughtful, thinking, reflective, contemplative, musing, meditative, introspective, prayerful, philosophical, cogitative, ruminative, absorbed, engrossed, rapt, preoccupied, deep/immersed/lost in thought, in a brown study, broody, serious, studious, solemn, dreamy, dreaming; More
wistful, brooding, melancholy, sad;
rareruminant
Origin
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gory
/ˈɡɔːri/
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adjective
adjective: gory; comparative adjective: gorier; superlative adjective: goriest
involving or showing violence and bloodshed.
"a gory horror film"
synonyms: grisly, gruesome, violent, bloodthirsty, bloody, brutal, savage; More
ghastly, frightful, horrid, horrifying, fearful, hideous, macabre, spine-chilling, horrible, horrendous, grim, awful, dire, dreadful, terrible, horrific;
disgusting, repulsive, repugnant, revolting, repellent, sickening, distressing, shocking, appalling, abominable, loathsome, abhorrent, odious, monstrous, unspeakable;
informalblood-and-thunder, blood-and-guts, sick, sick-making, gut-churning, gross;
archaicsanguinary, disgustful, loathly
"the ritual slaughter is a gory ceremony"
antonyms: charming, uplifting
covered in blood.
synonyms: bloody, bloodstained, blood-soaked, blood-spattered
"gory pieces of human skin and bone"
Phrases
the gory details — the explicit details of something.
"she told him the gory details of her past"
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pep talk
nounINFORMAL
a talk intended to make someone feel more courageous or enthusiastic.
"I was to meet my editor for a pep talk"
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swat
/swɒt/
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verb
past tense: swatted; past participle: swatted
hit or crush (something, especially an insect) with a sharp blow from a flat object.
"I swatted a mosquito that had landed on my wrist"
hit (someone) with a sharp blow.
"she swatted him over the head with a rolled-up magazine"
Origin
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touchstone
/ˈtʌtʃstəʊn/
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noun
noun: touchstone; plural noun: touchstones
a piece of fine-grained dark schist or jasper formerly used for testing alloys of gold by observing the colour of the mark which they made on it.
a standard or criterion by which something is judged or recognized.
"they tend to regard grammar as the touchstone of all language performance"
synonyms: criterion, standard, yardstick, benchmark, barometer, litmus test, indicator, indication; More
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URBAN DICTIONARY:
rapo
A Rapist pure and simple
So he was moved uo onto tier 18 with all the other RAPOS
rapist
Someone who is so good at something he absolutely rapes his opposition.
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steeple
/ˈstiːp(ə)l/
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verb
gerund or present participle: steepling
place (the fingers or hands) together so that they form an upward-pointing V-shape.
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nix1
/nɪks/
INFORMAL
pronoun
pronoun: nix
1.
nothing.
"apart from that, nix"
exclamation
exclamation: nix
1.
expressing denial or refusal.
"‘I owe you some money,’ ‘Nix, nix.’"
verbNORTH AMERICAN
verb: nix; 3rd person present: nixes; past tense: nixed; past participle: nixed; gerund or present participle: nixing
1.
put an end to; cancel.
"he nixed the deal just before it was to be signed"
Origin
late 18th century (as a noun): from German, colloquial variant of nichts ‘nothing’.
nix2
/nɪks/
nounRARE
noun: nix; plural noun: nixes; noun: nixie; plural noun: nixies
a water sprite.
Origin
mid 19th century: from German; related to the archaic English word nicker, denoting a water demon believed to live in the sea.
nix3
/nɪks/
exclamationINFORMAL•DATED
exclamation: nix
used as a signal or warning that a person in authority is approaching.
Origin
mid 19th century: perhaps from the phrase keep nix ‘to watch, guard’ (see nix1).
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lint
/lɪnt/
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noun
noun: lint
1.
short, fine fibres which separate from the surface of cloth or yarn during processing.
"some fabrics leave tiny specks of lint on the glass"
SCOTTISH
flax fibres prepared for spinning.
the fibrous material of a cotton boll.
2.
a fabric, originally of linen, with a raised nap on one side, used for dressing wounds.
"he smeared ointment on a strip of lint"
Origin
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glib
/ɡlɪb/
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adjective
adjective: glib; comparative adjective: glibber; superlative adjective: glibbest
(of words or a speaker) fluent but insincere and shallow.
"the glib phrases soon roll off the tongue"
synonyms: slick, pat, neat, plausible, silky, smooth-talking, fast-talking; More
antonyms: sincere, thoughtful, inarticulate
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twit1
/twɪt/
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nounINFORMAL•BRITISH
noun: twit; plural noun: twits
a silly or foolish person.
synonyms: fool, idiot, ass, halfwit, nincompoop, blockhead, buffoon, dunce, dolt, ignoramus, cretin, imbecile, dullard, moron, simpleton, clod; More
Origin
1930s (earlier dialect, in the sense ‘talebearer’): perhaps from twit2.
twit2
/twɪt/
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verbINFORMAL
verb: twit; 3rd person present: twits; past tense: twitted; past participle: twitted; gerund or present participle: twitting
tease or taunt (someone), especially in a good-humoured way.
"her playmates could not twit her about her pigtail"
Origin
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tail between the legs:
phrase. If you say that you have your tail between your legs, you are emphasizing that you feel defeated and ashamed. [emphasis] His team retreated last night with tails tucked firmly between their legs.
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bumpkin
/ˈbʌm(p)kɪn/
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noun
noun: bumpkin; plural noun: bumpkins
an unsophisticated or socially awkward person from the countryside.
"she thought Tom a bit of a country bumpkin"
synonyms: yokel, country cousin, rustic, countryman, countrywoman, country dweller, son/daughter of the soil, peasant, provincial; More
antonyms: sophisticate
Origin
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preen
/priːn/
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verb
gerund or present participle: preening
(of a bird) tidy and clean its feathers with its beak.
"reed buntings preened at the pool's edge"
synonyms: clean, tidy, groom, smooth, arrange; More
(of a person) devote effort to making oneself look attractive and then admire one's appearance.
"adolescents preening in their bedroom mirrors"
synonyms: admire oneself, primp oneself, primp, prink oneself; More
congratulate or pride oneself.
"it did not prevent them from preening themselves on their achievement"
synonyms: congratulate oneself, be pleased with oneself, pride oneself, be proud of oneself, pat oneself on the back, give oneself a pat on the back, feel self-satisfied; archaicpique oneself
"he's busy preening himself on acquiring such a pretty girlfriend"
Origin
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corny
/ˈkɔːni/
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adjectiveINFORMAL
adjective: corny; comparative adjective: cornier; superlative adjective: corniest
trite, banal, or mawkishly sentimental.
"it sounds corny, but as soon as I saw her I knew she was the one"
synonyms: banal, trite, hackneyed, commonplace, clichéd, predictable, stereotyped, platitudinous, inane, fatuous, vapid, jejune, weak, feeble, tired, stale, overworked, overused, well worn; More
antonyms: original
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preen
/priːn/
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verb
gerund or present participle: preening
(of a bird) tidy and clean its feathers with its beak.
"reed buntings preened at the pool's edge"
synonyms: clean, tidy, groom, smooth, arrange; More
(of a person) devote effort to making oneself look attractive and then admire one's appearance.
"adolescents preening in their bedroom mirrors"
synonyms: admire oneself, primp oneself, primp, prink oneself; More
congratulate or pride oneself.
"it did not prevent them from preening themselves on their achievement"
synonyms: congratulate oneself, be pleased with oneself, pride oneself, be proud of oneself, pat oneself on the back, give oneself a pat on the back, feel self-satisfied; archaicpique oneself
"he's busy preening himself on acquiring such a pretty girlfriend"
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sensual
/ˈsɛnʃʊəl/
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adjective
adjective: sensual
relating to or involving gratification of the senses and physical, especially sexual, pleasure.
"the production of the ballet is sensual and passionate"
synonyms: physical, physically gratifying, carnal, bodily, fleshly, animal; More
antonyms: spiritual, mental, ascetic, frigid, passionless
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grandstand
/ˈɡran(d)stand/
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verbDEROGATORY
gerund or present participle: grandstanding
seek to attract applause or favourable attention from spectators or the media.
"they accused him of political grandstanding"
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pundit
/ˈpʌndɪt/
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noun
plural noun: pundits
1.
an expert in a particular subject or field who is frequently called upon to give their opinions to the public.
"political pundits were tipping him for promotion"
synonyms: expert, authority, adviser, member of a think tank, member of a policy unit, specialist, consultant, doyen, master, mentor, guru, sage, savant; More
2.
variant form of pandit.
Origin
mid 17th century (in pundit (sense 2)): from Sanskrit paṇḍita ‘learned man’, use as noun of paṇḍita ‘learned, skilled’. pundit (sense 1) is first recorded in the early 19th century.
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petulant
/ˈpɛtjʊl(ə)nt/
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adjective
adjective: petulant
(of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered.
"he was moody and petulant"
synonyms: peevish, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, pettish, cross, impatient, irritable, moody, in a bad mood, sulky, snappish, crotchety, touchy, waspish, irascible, tetchy, testy, querulous, fractious, captious, cantankerous, grumpy, complaining, whiny, fretful, huffish, huffy, pouty, disgruntled, crabbed, crabby, ill-humoured; More
antonyms: good-humoured, easy-going, affable
Origin
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35 MORE WORDS:
1.
uproarious
/ʌpˈrɔːrɪəs/
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adjective
adjective: uproarious
characterized by or provoking loud noise or uproar.
"an uproarious party"
synonyms: disorderly, tumultuous, riotous, unruly, wild, unrestrained, rip-roaring, rollicking, boisterous, roisterous; More
noisy, loud, rowdy, rackety, clamorous;
informalrumbustious;
informalrambunctious;
archaicrobustious
"an uproarious party"
antonyms: quiet, tame
provoking loud laughter; very funny.
"uproarious humour"
synonyms: hilarious, extremely amusing, very funny, comic, riotous, screamingly/hysterically funny, too funny for words, side-splitting, rib-tickling, comical, absurd, ridiculous; More
informalpriceless, a scream, a hoot;
datedkilling, killingly funny
"they were laughing as if at some uproarious joke"
antonyms: solemn, unfunny
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2.
cynic
/ˈsɪnɪk/
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noun
plural noun: cynics; plural noun: Cynics
1.
a person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honourable or unselfish reasons.
"some cynics thought that the controversy was all a publicity stunt"
a person who questions whether something will happen or whether it is worthwhile.
"the cynics were silenced when the factory opened"
synonyms: sceptic, doubter, doubting Thomas, scoffer; More
pessimist, prophet of doom, doom merchant, doom and gloom merchant, doomster, doomsayer, doom-monger, doomwatcher, Cassandra
antonyms: idealist, optimist
2.
a member of a school of ancient Greek philosophers founded by Antisthenes, marked by an ostentatious contempt for ease and pleasure. The movement flourished in the 3rd century BC and revived in the 1st century AD.
Origin
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3.
highfalutin
/ˌhʌɪfəˈluːtɪn/
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adjectiveinformal
adjective: highfalutin; adjective: highfaluting; adjective: hifalutin; adjective: hi-falutin; adjective: high-falutin; adjective: high-faluting
(especially of speech, writing, or ideas) pompous or pretentious.
"you don't want any highfalutin jargon"
synonyms: pretentious, affected, high-sounding, high-flown, lofty, grandiose, magniloquent grandiloquent, ornate, florid, flowery, overblown, overdone, overripe, overwrought, verbose, inflated, rhetorical, oratorical, turgid; More
pompous, bombastic, declamatory, sonorous, portentous, pedantic, boastful, boasting, bragging;
informalwindy, purple, la-di-da, fancy-pants, hoity-toity;
informalponcey, posh;
rarefustian, euphuistic, orotund, tumid
"the report was cloaked in highfalutin language"
antonyms: unpretentious
Origin
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4.
umbrage
/ˈʌmbrɪdʒ/
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noun
noun: umbrage
1.
offence or annoyance.
"she took umbrage at his remarks"
synonyms: take offence, be offended, take exception, bridle, take something personally, be aggrieved, be affronted, take something amiss, be upset, be annoyed, be angry, be indignant, get one's hackles up, be put out, be insulted, be hurt, be wounded, be piqued, be resentful, be disgruntled, get/go into a huff, get huffy; More
2.
ARCHAIC
shade or shadow, especially as cast by trees.
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5.
gamut
/ˈɡamət/
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noun
noun: gamut; plural noun: gamuts
1.
the complete range or scope of something.
"the whole gamut of human emotion"
synonyms: range, spectrum, span, sweep, compass, scope, area, breadth, width, reach, extent, catalogue, scale, sequence, series; variety
"the complete gamut of human emotion"
2.
MUSIC
a complete scale of musical notes; the range of a voice or instrument.
"the orchestral gamut"
HISTORICAL
a scale consisting of seven overlapping hexachords, containing all the recognized notes used in medieval music, covering almost three octaves from bass G to treble E.
HISTORICAL
the lowest note in the gamut scale.
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6.
seminal
/ˈsɛmɪn(ə)l/
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adjective
adjective: seminal
1.
strongly influencing later developments.
"his seminal work on chaos theory"
synonyms: influential, formative, groundbreaking, pioneering, original, creative, innovative; More
antonyms: irrelevant, unimportant
2.
relating to or denoting semen.
"the spermatozoa are washed to separate them from the seminal plasma"
synonyms: spermatic, sperm, seed; More
BOTANY
relating to or derived from the seed of a plant.
"the seminal root system"
Origin
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7.
extempore
/ɪkˈstɛmp(ə)ri,ɛkˈstɛmp(ə)ri/
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adjective & adverb
adjective: extempore; adverb: extempore
spoken or done without preparation.
"extempore public speaking"
synonyms: impromptu, spontaneous, unscripted, ad lib; More
antonyms: rehearsed, planned, from notes, with preparation
Origin
mid 16th century: from Latin ex tempore ‘on the spur of the moment’ (literally ‘out of the time’).
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8.
lackadaisical
/ˌlakəˈdeɪzɪk(ə)l/
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adjective
adjective: lackadaisical
lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy.
"a lackadaisical defence left Spurs adrift in the second half"
synonyms: careless, lazy, lax, unenthusiastic, half-hearted, uninterested, lukewarm, indifferent, uncaring, unconcerned, casual, offhand, blasé, insouciant, leisurely, relaxed; More
antonyms: enthusiastic, excited
Origin
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9.
verbatim
/vəːˈbeɪtɪm/
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adverb & adjective
adverb: verbatim; adjective: verbatim
in exactly the same words as were used originally.
"subjects were instructed to recall the passage verbatim"
synonyms: word for word, letter for letter, line for line, to the letter, literally, exactly, precisely, in every detail, closely, faithfully, religiously, rigorously, punctiliously, with strict attention to detail, strictly; More
antonyms: loosely, imprecisely, loose, imprecise
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10.
verboten
/vəːˈbəʊt(ə)n,German fɛɐˈboːtn/
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adjective
adjective: verboten
forbidden, especially by an authority.
"bank fishing is verboten on Strathbeg"
Origin
German.
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11.
steeple
/ˈstiːp(ə)l/
Learn to pronounce
noun
1.
a church tower and spire.
verb
1.
place (the fingers or hands) together so that they form an upward-pointing V-shape.
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12.
gambit
noun [ C ] UK /ˈɡæm.bɪt/ US /ˈɡæm.bɪt/
gambit noun [ C ] (CLEVER ACTION)
a clever action in a game or other situation that is intended to achieve an advantage and usually involves taking a risk:
Her clever opening gambit gave her an early advantage.
Their promise to lower taxes is clearly an election-year gambit.
games specialized a way of beginning a game of chess, in which you intentionally lose a pawn (= game piece) in order to win some other form of advantage later
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13.
lascivious
/ləˈsɪvɪəs/
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adjective
adjective: lascivious
feeling or revealing an overt sexual interest or desire.
"he gave her a lascivious wink"
synonyms: lecherous, lewd, lustful, licentious, libidinous, goatish, salacious, wanton, lubricious, prurient, dirty, smutty, filthy, naughty, suggestive, indecent, ribald; More
antonyms: puritanical, ascetic
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14.
promenade
/ˌprɒməˈnɑːd,ˌprɒməˈneɪd,ˈprɒmənɑːd,ˈprɒməneɪd/
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noun
noun: promenade; plural noun: promenades
1.
a paved public walk, typically one along the seafront at a resort.
synonyms: esplanade, front, seafront, parade, walk, boulevard, avenue, walkway, mall; More
a leisurely walk, or sometimes a ride or drive, taken in a public place so as to meet or be seen by others.
"an evening promenade"
synonyms: walk, stroll, saunter, turn, wander, amble, breather, airing; More
(in country dancing) a movement in which couples follow one another in a given direction, each couple having both hands joined.
2.
NORTH AMERICAN
archaic term for prom (sense 2 of the noun).
verb
verb: promenade; 3rd person present: promenades; past tense: promenaded; past participle: promenaded; gerund or present participle: promenading
1.
take a leisurely public walk, ride, or drive so as to meet or be seen by others.
"they promenaded along the waterfront"
synonyms: walk, stroll, saunter, wander, amble, stretch one's legs, take a walk/stroll, go for a walk/stroll, take the air; More
take a promenade through (a place).
"people began to promenade the streets"
DATED
escort (someone) about a place, especially so as to be seen by others.
"the governor of Utah promenades the daughter of the Maryland governor"
Origin
mid 16th century (denoting a leisurely walk in public): from French, from se promener ‘to walk’, reflexive of promener ‘take for a walk’.
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15.
sweltering
/ˈswɛlt(ə)rɪŋ/
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adjective
adjective: sweltering
uncomfortably hot.
"a sweltering English summer"
swelter
/ˈswɛltə/
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verb
gerund or present participle: sweltering
be uncomfortably hot.
"Barney sweltered in his doorman's uniform"
synonyms: hot, stifling, suffocating, humid, steamy, sultry, sticky, muggy, close, stuffy, airless, oppressive, tropical, torrid, burning, searing, parching, like an oven, like a Turkish bath, jungle-like; More
antonyms: cold, chilly, cool
Origin
Middle English: from the base of dialect swelt ‘perish’, of Germanic origin.
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16.
platitude
/ˈplatɪtjuːd/
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noun
a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.
"she began uttering liberal platitudes"
synonyms: cliché, truism, commonplace, hackneyed/trite/banal/overworked saying, banality, old chestnut; More
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17.
blatantly
/ˈbleɪt(ə)ntli/
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adverb
in an open and unashamed manner.
"yet another space show that blatantly disregarded scientific fact"
in a completely obvious and unsubtle way.
"it's blatantly her first kiss"
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18.
vindicate
/ˈvɪndɪkeɪt/
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verb
verb: vindicate; 3rd person present: vindicates; past tense: vindicated; past participle: vindicated; gerund or present participle: vindicating
clear (someone) of blame or suspicion.
"hospital staff were vindicated by the inquest verdict"
synonyms: acquit, clear, absolve, free from blame, declare innocent, exonerate, exculpate, discharge, liberate, free, deliver, redeem; More
antonyms: convict, blame, incriminate
show or prove to be right, reasonable, or justified.
"more sober views were vindicated by events"
synonyms: justify, warrant, substantiate, establish, demonstrate, ratify, authenticate, verify, confirm, corroborate, prove, defend, offer grounds for, support, back, evidence, bear out, bear witness to, endorse, give credence to, lend weight to; rareextenuate
"I felt I had fully vindicated my request"
antonyms: disprove
Origin
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19.
gawky
/ˈɡɔːki/
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adjective
adjective: gawky; comparative adjective: gawkier; superlative adjective: gawkiest
nervously awkward and ungainly.
"a gawky teenager"
synonyms: awkward, ungainly, inelegant, graceless, ungraceful, gauche, maladroit, inept, bumbling, blundering, lumbering; More
antonyms: graceful, adroit
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20.
aeon
/ˈiːən/
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noun
plural noun: eons
1.
an indefinite and very long period of time.
"he reached the crag aeons before I arrived"
synonyms: age, epoch, generation, year, time, long period; More
ASTRONOMY•GEOLOGY
a unit of time equal to a thousand million years.
GEOLOGY
a major division of geological time, subdivided into eras.
"the Precambrian aeon"
2.
PHILOSOPHY
(in Neoplatonism, Platonism, and Gnosticism) a power existing from eternity; an emanation or phase of the supreme deity.
Origin
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21.
reconnoitre
/ˌrɛkəˈnɔɪtə/
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verb
gerund or present participle: reconnoitering
make a military observation of (a region).
"they reconnoitred the beach some weeks before the landing"
synonyms: survey, make a reconnaissance of, explore, scout (out), make a survey of, make an observation of; More
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22.
capricious
/kəˈprɪʃəs/
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adjective
adjective: capricious
given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behaviour.
"a capricious and often brutal administration"
synonyms: fickle, inconstant, changeable, variable, unstable, mercurial, volatile, erratic, vacillating, irregular, inconsistent, fitful, arbitrary; More
antonyms: stable, consistent
changing according to no discernible rules; unpredictable.
"a capricious climate"
Origin
early 17th century: from French capricieux, from Italian (see capriccioso).
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23.
pipsqueak
/ˈpɪpskwiːk/
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nounINFORMAL
noun: pipsqueak; plural noun: pipsqueaks; noun: pip-squeak; plural noun: pip-squeaks
a person considered to be insignificant, especially because they are small or young.
"I was damned if a nineteen-year-old pipsqueak with spots was going to make me feel loathsome"
synonyms: insignificant person, nobody, nonentity, non-person, gnat, insect, cipher, pygmy; More
antonyms: somebody
Origin
early 20th century: symbolic and imitative.
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24.
burrow
/ˈbʌrəʊ/
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noun
noun: burrow; plural noun: burrows
1.
a hole or tunnel dug by a small animal, especially a rabbit, as a dwelling.
synonyms: warren, tunnel, hole, lair, set, den, earth, retreat, excavation, cave, dugout, hollow, scrape
"the rabbits' burrow"
verb
verb: burrow; 3rd person present: burrows; past tense: burrowed; past participle: burrowed; gerund or present participle: burrowing
1.
(of an animal) make a hole or tunnel, typically for use as a dwelling.
"moles burrowing away underground"
synonyms: tunnel, dig (out), excavate, grub, mine, bore, drill, channel; More
dig into or through something solid.
"worms that burrow through dead wood"
hide underneath or press close to something.
"the child burrowed deeper into the bed"
make a thorough inquiry; investigate.
"journalists are burrowing into the prime minister's business affairs"
Origin
Middle English: variant of borough.
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25.
hangar
/ˈhaŋə/
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noun
noun: hangar; plural noun: hangars
1.
a large building with an extensive floor area, typically for housing aircraft.
verb
verb: hangar; 3rd person present: hangars; past tense: hangared; past participle: hangared; gerund or present participle: hangaring
1.
house (an aircraft) in a hangar.
"the army choppers that were hangared out at Springs"
Origin
late 17th century (in the sense ‘shelter’): from French; probably from Germanic bases meaning ‘hamlet’ and ‘enclosure’.
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26.
schlubby
/ˈʃlʌbi/
adjectiveINFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
adjective: schlubby; comparative adjective: schlubbier; superlative adjective: schlubbiest; adjective: shlubby; comparative adjective: shlubbier; superlative adjective: shlubbiest
poorly dressed, untidy, or unattractive (typically used of a man).
"a schlubby, petulant man-child"
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27.
immaculate
/ɪˈmakjʊlət/
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adjective
adjective: immaculate
1.
perfectly clean, neat, or tidy.
"an immaculate white suit"
synonyms: clean, spotless, pristine, unsoiled, unstained, unsullied, speckless, ultra-clean; More
antonyms: dirty, grubby, bad, damaged
free from flaws or mistakes; perfect.
"an immaculate safety record"
synonyms: unblemished, spotless, pure, impeccable, unsullied, undefiled, untarnished, stainless; More
antonyms: blameworthy
THEOLOGY
(in the Roman Catholic Church) free from sin.
2.
BOTANY•ZOOLOGY
uniformly coloured without spots or other marks.
Origin
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28.
saunter
/ˈsɔːntə/
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verb
past tense: sauntered; past participle: sauntered
walk in a slow, relaxed manner.
"Adam sauntered into the room"
synonyms: stroll, amble, wander, meander, drift, maunder, potter, walk, promenade, ramble; More
Origin
late Middle English (in the sense ‘to muse, wonder’): of unknown origin. The current sense dates from the mid 17th century.
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29.
canoe
/kəˈnuː/
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noun
noun: canoe; plural noun: canoes
1.
a light, narrow boat with pointed ends and no keel, propelled with a paddle or paddles.
synonyms: kayak, dugout, outrigger; More
verb
verb: canoe; 3rd person present: canoes; past tense: canoed; past participle: canoed; gerund or present participle: canoeing
1.
travel in or paddle a canoe.
"he had once canoed down the Nile"
Origin
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30.
soirée
/ˈswɑːreɪ/
noun
noun: soirée; noun: soiree; plural noun: soirées; plural noun: soirees
an evening party or gathering, typically in a private house, for conversation or music.
Origin
French, from soir ‘evening’.
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31.
precarious
/prɪˈkɛːrɪəs/
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adjective
adjective: precarious
not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse.
"a precarious ladder"
dependent on chance; uncertain.
"he made a precarious living as a painter"
synonyms: uncertain, insecure, unreliable, unsure, unpredictable, undependable, risky, hazardous, dangerous, unsafe, hanging by a thread, hanging in the balance, perilous, treacherous, on a slippery slope, on thin ice, touch-and-go, built on sand, doubtful, dubious, delicate, tricky, problematic; More
antonyms: safe, secure
Origin
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32.
idyllic
/ɪˈdɪlɪk/
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adjective
adjective: idyllic
like an idyll; extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque.
"an attractive hotel in an idyllic setting"
synonyms: perfect, ideal, idealized, wonderful, blissful, halcyon, happy; More
antonyms: hellish
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33.
horrendous
/hɒˈrɛndəs/
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adjective
adjective: horrendous
extremely unpleasant, horrifying, or terrible.
"she suffered horrendous injuries"
synonyms: horrible, dreadful, horrifying, horrific, frightful, fearful, awful, terrible, shocking, appalling, hideous, grim, grisly, ghastly, harrowing, gruesome, heinous, vile, nightmarish, macabre, unspeakable, hair-raising, spine-chilling; More
Origin
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34.
affable
/ˈafəb(ə)l/
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adjective
adjective: affable
friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to.
"an affable and agreeable companion"
synonyms: friendly, amiable, genial, congenial, cordial, warm, pleasant, pleasing, nice, likeable, personable, charming, agreeable, sympathetic, benevolent, benign, good-humoured, good-natured, kindly, kind, courteous, civil, gracious, approachable, accessible, amenable, sociable, outgoing, gregarious, convivial, jovial, clubbable, comradely, neighbourly, welcoming, hospitable, obliging, easy-going, informal, open, communicative, unreserved, uninhibited, natural, relaxed, easy; More
antonyms: unfriendly, prickly
Origin
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35.
asinine
/ˈasɪnʌɪn/
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adjective
adjective: asinine
extremely stupid or foolish.
"Lydia ignored his asinine remark"
synonyms: stupid, foolish, pointless, brainless, mindless, senseless, doltish, idiotic, imbecilic, imbecile, insane, lunatic, ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd, preposterous, nonsensical, fatuous, silly, childish, infantile, puerile, immature, juvenile, inane, witless, half-baked, empty-headed, unintelligent, half-witted, slow-witted, weak-minded; More
antonyms: intelligent
Origin
late 15th century: from Latin asininus, from asinus ‘ass’.
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Word Meanings 20190810
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