-
abate
- verb: to lessen in intensity or degree
- In an hour or so the storm would abate and they could leave.
-
accolade
- noun: an expression of praise
- He does not praise his employees; silence is his highest accolade.
-
adulation
- noun: excessive praise; intense adoration
- But here in America, great accomplishments and pop-culture adulation walk hand in hand.
-
aesthetic
- adj: dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
- The new browser is much more than an aesthetic overhaul.
-
ameliorate
- verb: to make better or more tolerable
- I'm very glad to see someone working to help ameliorate that situation.
-
ascetic
- noun: one who practices rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion
- He renounced his kingdom and embraced instead the path of the ascetic.
-
avarice
- noun: greed, esp. for wealth
- adj form: avaricious
- Usually, politics is about the avarice of one person or group in conflict .
-
axiom
- noun: a universally recognized principle
- adj form: axiomatic
- Another axiom of science is dispassionate observation.
-
burgeon
- verb: to grow rapidly or florish
- Expect the black market to burgeon again.
-
bucolic
- adj: rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
- It's true that I had a bucolic, truly peaceful childhood, growing up in a house next to our family's orchard.
-
cacophony
- noun: harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
- adj form: cacophonous
- Some worry that such changes will invite a cacophony of contentious discussion.
-
canon
- noun: an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
- adj form: canonical
- In the ancient canon of the Roman mass, he is ranked among the martyrs
-
catalyst
- noun: a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
- The bombing attack was the catalyst for war.
-
caustic
- adj: burning or stinging; causing corrosion
- a caustic cleaner
-
chary
- adj: wary; cautious; sparing
- most people are chary of allowing themselves to be photographed
-
misnomer
- n.incorrect name or word for something
- An example of misnomer is someone telling a child that an elephant is a lion.
- “International Airport” is something of a misnomer, since almost all the arriving and departing flights are local.
-
misogynist
- n.one who hates women
- A male chauvinist who thinks all women are stupid and manipulative is an example of a misogynist.
-
mitigate
- v.to make less forceful; to become more moderate; to make less harsh or undesirable:
- "He was trying to mitigate the damage he had done."
- (n: mitigation)
|
|
