The Big Book of Words You Should Know Read online

  Since the juggler was AMBIDEXTROUS, she could start her routine with a circular motion to either the left or the right.

  ambiguous (am-BIG-yoo-uss), adjective

  Unclear in meaning; open to more than one interpretation. (See, for comparison, the entry on ambivalent.)

  The letter from my mother was AMBIGUOUS as to the date of the family reunion, so we will have to call her to get the specifics.

  ambivalent (am-BIV-uh-lunt), adjective

  Uncertain or undecided. (See, for comparison, the entry on ambiguous.)

  I’m AMBIVALENT as to whether we should invite Ralph to the party; he’s a great storyteller, but he sometimes drinks too much.

  amend (uh-MEND), verb

  To modify or update. (See, for comparison, the entry on emend.)

  In light of the testimony we’ve heard tonight, Madame President, I’ d like to AMEND my earlier remarks.

  amenity (uh-MEN-ih-tee), noun

  A pleasant manner or custom. Also: a component or feature that gives pleasure or satisfaction. While the primary meaning of amenity has to do with the customs of social interaction, its use in advertising and sales settings to mean “a convenient and desirable extra” has gained ground in recent years.

  Chris’s home, which was once spare, now featured all the AMENITIES: a sauna, a plasma TV, and even a new swimming pool in the back.

  amiable (AY-me-uh-bul), adjective

  Possessing a pleasant, cordial nature. A person who has a happy disposition and is easy to get along with is said to be amiable.

  Jeanne made it a point to speak to everyone at the party; she came across as quite an AMIABLE hostess.

  amicable (AM-ih-kuh-bull), adjective

  Generally, “amicable” means “characterized by goodwill or peace,” but the term is typically used to describe things most people don’t consider particularly amicable.

  The Hudsons’ divorce is so AMICABLE that they often go out to dinner together.

  amnesty (AM-nuh-stee), noun

  Freedom from imprisonment for large numbers of people, initiated by a government.

  The prisoners of war waited years for AMNESTY.

  amorous (AM-er-us), adjective

  Strongly disposed toward love or sexuality. Someone who is amorous is preoccupied with thoughts of love, especially sexual love.

  The young man’s AMOROUS attentions merely annoyed Rose.

  androgynous (an-DROJ-ih-nuss), adjective

  Either specifically male nor female; appearing with both male and female characteristics.

  Amy said her new short haircut was a breeze to maintain compared to the long mane she used to have, but I thought it made her look rather ANDROGYNOUS.

  anecdote (AN-ik-doht), noun

  A short, interesting story, often amusing and biographical.

  The speaker filled his talk with funny ANECDOTES of his time in the U.S. Navy.

  animosity (an-ih-MOSS-ih-tee), noun

  Intense hostility toward a person or thing, usually taking the form of action. Animosity is a bitter dislike directed at something or someone.

  Clyde’s first few months on the job were fine, but after he was transferred to a new department he came to harbor real ANIMOSITY toward his supervisor.

  anomaly (uh-NOM-a-lee), noun

  A seemingly abnormal example; a deviation from established form. When something differs markedly from the expected order of things, it is an anomaly.

  Bill, who was raised in a family of avid golfers, is something of an ANOMALY: he thinks the sport is boring.

  antagonist (an-TAG-uh-nist), noun

  The “bad guy” in a story, novel, film, etc. The character who opposes a story’s main character.

  As an ANTAGONIST, you can’t get any better than John Milton’s version of Satan in Paradise Lost.

  antecedent (AN-tih-see-dent), noun

  A trend, idea, fashion, historical event, etc., that came before. Also: an earlier word to which a pronoun refers. (In the sentence “The car was painted blue, though it had a huge red rust mark,” car is the antecedent of it.)

  Remember, writers: the ANTECEDENT always goes first in the sentence.

  anticlimactic (an-tee-klie-MAK-tik), adjective

  A disappointing decline in contrast to a previous rise; an average ending to a series of important events.

  Mike got down on his knees and produced a small velvet box, only to reveal a tiny pewter thimble bearing a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge—which Elizabeth found ANTICLIMACTIC, to say the least.

  antiquity (an TI-kwi-tee), noun

  Ancient times, often used in reference to Greek and Roman civilizations.

  The civilizations of ANTIQUITY have much to teach us today.

  antithesis (an-TITH-i-sis), noun

  The opposite or highest possible contrast. Antithesis refers to the exact opposite of a given thing. Antithesis is also the name of a form in rhetoric in which two ideas are contrasted dramatically: “We will live as heroes or die in the attempt.”

  Mr. Brown—haggard, unkempt, and exhausted—looked like the very ANTITHESIS of the charismatic achiever we’ d heard about.

  antonym (AN-tuh-nim), noun

  A word having an opposite meaning to that of another word.

  “Rapid” and “slow” are ANTONYMS.

  apathy (APP-uh-thee), noun

  The state of not caring, or seeming not to care, one way or the other how a situation resolves itself.

  Because the characters weren’t very convincing, their peril made me feel little more than APATHY.

  ape (AYP), verb

  To imitate someone else’s characteristics, mannerisms, voice, etc.

  Joey got suspended after he APED the teacher’s pronounced limp.

  apex (AY-pex), noun

  The highest point.

  The APEX of Dawn’s career came when her novel was made into a miniseries starring Elizabeth Taylor as the heroine.

  aplomb (uh-PLOM), noun

  A sense of self-possession and calm amidst chaos.

  The police chief showed remarkable APLOMB amid the noise and confusion of the riot.

  apocalyptic (uh-pok-uh-LIP-tik), adjective

  Having to do with revelation or prophecy. Also: presaging imminent destruction or disaster. In part because the final book of the Bible, Revelation, outlines prophecies of the end of the world, apocalypse has come to suggest a cataclysmic conflict of forces, and apocalyptic to reflect a sense of imminent mass destruction.

  The novel’s APOCALYPTIC ending may be appropriate, but it is still heartwrenchingly difficult to read of violence on this large a scale.

  apparel (uh-PAIR-ul), noun

  Clothing; something worn.

  After sweating through class after class in the heavy wool uniform, I wanted to march to the principal’s office and demand to know why shorts were considered inappropriate APPAREL for school.

  apparition (ap-uh-RISH-un), noun

  A ghostly figure; something appearing to be a ghost.

  The APPARITION waved its spectral hands and emitted a horrible moan.

  appease (uh-PEEZE), verb

  To placate; to soothe or satisfy.

  I only wore the dress to APPEASE my mother, who had made pointed comments all week about people who went to weddings dressed like slobs.

  apportion (uh-POOR-shun), verb

  To divide and distribute something in an equitable manner.

  I don’t think we’ ll have any trouble APPORTIONING the blame for this problem. There’s plenty of blame to go around!

  appraise (uh-PRAZE), verb

  To estimate (an item’s) value. (See, for comparison, the entry for apprise.)

  This desk has been in our family for over a hundred years and I wouldn’t dream of selling it—so there’s really no use in getting it APPRAISED, is there?

  apprehension (ap-ri-HEN-sun), noun

  Uneasiness about the future; suspicion of impending bad fortune. Also: the act of arresting or stopping. Anoth
er sense of apprehension is “idea or understanding.”

  A vague feeling of APPREHENSION came over Gordon as he stepped into the old house.

  apprentice (uh-PREN-tiss), noun

  One who is learning a trade or art form by assisting a veteran practitioner or professional.

  Uncle Jake offered to let me work as an APPRENTICE in his plumbing business for the summer, but I had no interest in water pipes.

  apprise (uh-PRIZE), verb

  To notify; to cause to be aware of. (See, for comparison, the entry for appraise.)

  Have you been APPRISED of the most recent news from home?

  arbitrary (AR-bih-trer-ee), adjective

  Unregulated by law or reason; determined by impulse. Arbitrary refers to decisions made, not according to established procedures or laws, but purely through the discretion of an individual. It carries a sense of capriciousness or even lack of responsibility.

  The rules you have laid down for this contest are completely ARBITRARY and have no basis in past tournaments.

  archival (are-KIE-vul), adjective

  Of or pertaining to important records or archives.

  After the lab fire, the scientist was less disturbed by the loss of equipment and samples than by the destruction of the contents of his ARCHIVAL vault, a loss that set his work back at least six months.

  ardent (AR-dent), adjective

  Intense, passionate, devoted; characterized by high emotion. Ardent people show great enthusiasm for causes and people close to them.

  Barbara, an ARDENT stamp collector, has the most impressive collection of French stamps in the school.

  arduous (AR-joo-us), adjective

  Requiring exceptional effort or care. Something is arduous if it is mentally or physically challenging, or if it pushes one to the limit of one’s abilities.

  Stacy has been preparing all week for the ARDUOUS marathon competition.

  aromatic (air-o-MAT-ik), adjective

  Possessing a pleasant odor. An aromatic flower is one that is pleasing to the smell. Many sweet-scented things share a certain chemical structure known as an aromatic compound.

  The herbs lent what would have been an ordinary meal a satisfying AROMATIC touch.

  ascend (uh-SEND), verb

  To climb or mount, especially a mountain.

  Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to ASCEND Mt. Everest.

  ascertain (ass-sur-TANE), verb

  To find out something by experimenting or by making inquiries.

  Arriving to find the house locked and shuttered, I ASCERTAINED from the neighbors that my fiance had loaded up a moving van and fled the day before.

  ascribe (uh-SKRYBE), verb

  To attribute or assign causal responsibility to a person or thing. Ascribing something to someone is acknowledging their responsibility or creation of it.

  This work has been ASCRIBED to Rousseau, but his authorship now seems uncertain.

  assent (uh-SENT), noun

  To agree that an opinion, view, or proposal is correct; to concur, corroborate, or acquiesce.

  You forget, Mr. Jameson, that it is only with the ASSENT of the stockholders that the CEO can be ousted.

  assertion (uh-SUR-shun), noun

  A positive statement or claim. An assertion is something claimed straightforwardly, without support of evidence or logical justification.

  Your ASSERTION that my car was at the scene of the crime has no basis in fact.

  assimilate (uh-SIM-uh-late), verb

  In general, to assimilate is to absorb knowledge, food, etc., but you may hear it in regard to immigrants. In that sense, “assimilate” refers to the act of becoming similar to those already living in one’s new environment.

  You’re giving me so much new information that I’m having trouble ASSIMILATING all of it.

  assuage (uh-SWAJE), verb

  To ease; to make less severe; to mitigate.

  Gary tried to ASSUAGE his grief at the loss of his lover by taking a long trip to Europe.

  astute (uh-STUTE), adjective

  Skilled; quick to learn or grasp; shrewd; sharp-witted.

  Carl was an ASTUTE investor who knew when to follow the crowd and when to ignore it.

  atrophy (A-truh-phee), verb

  To shrivel or shrink from lack of use.

  After sitting around on the couch all summer, my leg muscles had ATROPHIED so much that I had trouble walking to the mailbox!

  attrition (uh-TRISH-un), noun

  The gradual wearing down of something or the gradual reduction of a group. Often, you’ll hear this word used in connection with a company that is trying to reduce its workforce.

  The struggling company used a combination of early-retirement incentives and ATTRITION to reduce its workforce enough to continue to meet its payroll.

  audacious (aw-DAY-shuss), adjective

  Brazen, daring, or fearless. Audacious refers to bold, unrestrained, uncompromising behavior. It often carries a sense of bending accepted rules or disregarding prevalent standards.

  His AUDACIOUS behavior at the family reunion shocked even his brothers and sisters.

  auger (AW-gur), noun

  A tool for drilling holes. (See, for comparison, the entry for augur.)

  I couldn’t use my father’s drill because the AUGER was missing.

  augment (og-MENT), verb

  To make bigger; increase; enhance.

  The evening’s program—a series of soliloquies from Shakespeare—was AUGMENTED by a short reading from Bradley’s Notes on Hamlet.

  aura (OR-uh), noun

  A field of energy that some believe emanates from human beings.

  I’m sure Paul will be a successful politician because he exudes an AURA of trust and dependability.

  auspicious (aws-PISH-us), adjective

  Promising; seemingly favorable or likrly to be accompanied by good fortune. Auspicious is usually used to describe encouraging signals or reasons for optimism at the beginning of an undertaking.

  The trip did not begin AUSPICIOUSLY; our car broke down within an hour.

  austere (aw-STEER), adjective

  Severe in appearance or nature; self disciplined or strict to a high degree. An austere person is self-controlled and somber. That which is without ornamentation or luxury is austere.

  The interior of the monastery presented an appearance of AUSTERE beauty.

  autism (AW-tiz-um), noun

  A condition in which the sufferer has difficulty with or indifference to social contact, residing almost exclusively in his or her own world.

  Often subjected to abuse and inhumane treatment two or three decades ago, those suffering from AUTISM are now more likely to receive a meaningful therapeutic regimen.

  auxiliary (auk-ZIL-yuh-ree), noun

  Backup, reserve, extra.

  “Don’t panic,” Mr. Forrest told his anxious staff after the office went black, “the AUXILIARY power will come on any minute now, and we’ ll be back in business.”

  avail (uh-VAYL), verb

  To be of benefit or use. Someone whose actions are to no avail acts in vain.

  In November, we decided to AVAIL ourselves of the opportunity for a vacation.

  avid (A-vid), adjective

  Earnest; eager; passionate and committed.

  Ralphie, an AVID Pittsburgh Steelers fan, owned posters, pennants, hats, socks, jackets, shirts, sweatshirts, and underwear bearing his team’s logo and colors, but his wife had drawn the line at a tattoo.

  avoid (uh-VOID), verb

  To shun; to stay removed from. (See, for comparison, the entry for evade.)

  At all costs, AVOID the Chef ’s Surprise at Trudy’s Whistlestop Cafe.

  azure (AZH-uhr), adjective

  The color of the sky on a clear day; sky-blue.

  His AZURE eyes and charming manner may attract women initially, but his conceited personality keeps them from staying interested for long.

  baccalaureate (bak-uh-LOR-ee-it), noun
r />   The degree awarded upon completion of an undergraduate course of study. A baccalaureate, also called a bachelor’s degree, is the degree given to a college graduate. A baccalaureate is also a farewell address to a graduating class.

  I received my BACCALAUREATE in 2003 from Brandeis University.

  balk (bock), verb

  To hesitate and refuse to go forward; to prevent from accomplishing an aim; to stop oneself in order to consider whether or not to go on. In baseball: to perform an illegal maneuver in the delivery of a throw from the pitching mound; an instance of such an illegal delivery.

  At first Mona BALKED at the suggestion that she apply for the position in management; she did not like the idea of working late hours.

  ballistics (buh-LISS-tiks), noun

  The study of projectiles and impacts.

  Each of the scientists working on the missile project had extensive experience in BALLISTICS.

  baritone (BARE-uh-tone), noun

  The second-deepest voice range on the scale, higher than bass and deeper than treble.

  Given his diminutive stature and shy demeanor, few suspected that Craig’s powerful BARITONE would dominate the choir.

  barometer (buh-ROM-uh-ter), noun

  An instrument that measures air pressure and aids in weather prediction.

  After a lesson on meteorology, Mr. Cantelli put a BAROMETER up on the classroom’s outer wall so that his students could practice predicting the weather.

  barrage (buh-ROZH), noun

  Concentrated outpouring or volley. A barrage is an overwhelming torrent of something, usually words, blows, or projectiles. The word was originally used only in a military sense.

  The defense attorney subjected the witness to a BARRAGE of questions about the events of that night.

  bastion (BASS-chun), noun

  A stronghold or bulwark for protection.

  Because he is so shy, Peter uses his genius-level intellect as a BASTION to keep others at arm’s length.

  bazaar (buh-ZAR), noun

  A marketplace, especially one in the open air. (See, for comparison, the entry for bizarre.)

  As Ned and I ambled through the BAZAARS of Casablanca, we kept an eye out for enemy agents.

  beatific (bee-uh-TIFF-ic), adjective

  Having a saintly or angelic character or demeanor.