The Big Book of Words You Should Know

by David Olsen

  regale (rih-GALE), verb

  To entertain; to give delight. Also, to provide pleasure, particularly by means of food, spectacle, or the like.

  In this film, although the millionaire REGALES the innocent country girl with beautiful gifts and a lavish week on the town, money isn’t enough to win her heart in the end.

  regress (rih-GRESS), verb

  To return to an earlier state of being.

  Every time Dan gets around Lydia he REGRESSES to some sort of infantile state.

  relapse (RE-laps), noun

  A return or slip back into an old condition, state, or mindset.

  Mom warned me that I’ d have a RELAPSE of the flu if I stood out in the cold watching the football game for three hours, and she was right.

  relegate (REL-uh-gate), verb

  To assign or place in a position, often one of low prestige or power; to set out of sight; banish.

  Although the press release described Lou’s new position as a promotion, he and everyone else in the organization knew he was being RELEGATED to a less prominent spot in the hierarchy after the fiasco of the Darwin project.

  relentless (ri-LENT-lis), adjective

  Unceasingly harsh. Something that is unyieldingly intense or severe is relentless.

  Under the RELENTLESS questioning of the prosecutor, Diane lost her composure.

  relevance (REL-uh-vence), noun

  The quality of being pertinent. That which has a connection or apt association has relevance.

  These sales figures have no RELEVANCE for our purposes; they are at least six years old.

  relevant (REL-uh-vunt), adjective

  Pertaining to or having bearing, influence, or relation to the matter at hand.

  The defense attorney argued vehemently—but in vain—that the accused’s past history was not RELEVANT to the case.

  relinquish (ri-LING-kwish), verb

  To give up. Someone who surrenders or forswears a thing relinquishes it.

  The King RELINQUISHED his throne to marry the woman he loved.

  relish (REL-ish), verb

  To enjoy heartily; also, an instance of great enjoyment. (Also: a sweet pickle dish composed of various vegetables.)

  On particularly difficult days, Barbara RELISHED a private fantasy of kicking Mr. Wilkins in the shins.

  reminisce (rem-uh-NISS), verb

  To recall the past; to remember; to have memories.

  I used to like to sit on the porch swing with Grandma on those cool summer nights and listen to her REMINISCE about her childhood in Italy.

  rendezvous (RON-day-voo), noun

  A meeting; especially, a secret meeting between lovers.

  Claire knew that if her mother found out about her RENDEZVOUS with Elton, she would be grounded for at least a week.

  renounce (re-NOWNCE), verb

  To abandon or deny any connection with. Someone who renounces something severs all ties to it.

  Only by RENOUNCING all desire for possessions, the monks believed, could one attain enlightenment.

  renowned (rih-NOWND), adjective

  Famous or well-known.

  We were all thrilled to learn that a RENOWNED author of your caliber had agreed to teach at the university this semester, sir.

  repercussion (ree-per-KUSH-un), noun

  An echo; reverberation; also, the result of an action, often negative.

  The REPERCUSSIONS of Ben’s cheating were more severe than he had expected: a failing grade for the class and a two-week suspension.

  replica (REP-lih-kuh), noun

  A copy, imitation, or facsimile of an original.

  While Steve was in Paris he bought a REPLICA of the Mona Lisa for his mother.

  reprieve (ri-PREEV), noun

  A suspension or delay from imminent proceedings. A reprieve is a respite.

  The inmate won a last-minute REPRIEVE from the governor.

  reproach (ri-PROACH), verb and noun

  To express stern disapproval of. As a noun, reproach means scornfully stated disdain.

  Your many efforts to get on Harvey’s good side have succeeded only in winning his REPROACH.

  requisite (REK-wi-zit), adjective

  Necessary. That which is required or essential is requisite.

  Having failed to fill out the REQUISITE forms, Lydia missed the opportunity to enter her work in the fair.

  rescind (ri-SIND), verb

  Reverse (for instance, an order, command, or edict). To rescind an instruction is to overrule it.

  The order of detention is hereby RESCINDED; you may return to your native country at your earliest convenience, Mr. Dawson.

  resilience (ri-ZIL-yunce), noun

  The ability to rebound. That which bounces back shows resilience.

  Joanne’s RESILIENCE was remarkable; she recovered from the operation in record time.

  resilient (rih-ZIL-yunt), adjective

  Having the ability to survive; likely to rebound, particularly from hardship.

  Although Rudy failed to make the team during his freshman year, he was RESILIENT and dedicated enough to earn a spot the next year.

  resonant (REZ-uh-nunt), adjective

  Pertaining to or reminiscent of a sound (often deep and pleasant) that echoes or continues.

  The calm, RESONANT tone of the professor’s voice was, after a night without sleep, very nearly enough to put me asleep.

  resonate (REZ-uh-nate), verb

  To vibrate or sound in a way similar to something else. In addition, that which matches or complements an existing pattern can be said to resonate with that pattern.

  The sound of clicking footsteps RESONATED through the cavernous hallway.

  resurgence (ri-SUR-jents), noun

  Reappearance or revival. Something that has a resurgence returns to a position of prominence or visibility.

  A RESURGENCE of popularity for bell-bottom slacks is not expected this season, but the experts have been wrong before.

  resurrect (rez-uh-REKT), verb

  To bring back from the dead. Figuratively, to resurrect something (a fashion, for instance) is to reintroduce it after it has been dismissed as no longer relevant or appropriate.

  It astounds me that you have gone to the trouble to RESURRECT these completely discredited ideas.

  resuscitate (rih-SUS-ih-tate), verb

  To revive someone after he or she has passed out or died.

  The crowd cheered as the lifeguard RESUSCITATED the drowning victim.

  retraction (rih-TRAK-shun), noun

  A formal renunciation of statements considered or determined to be false or injurious to reputation.

  After erroneously linking Mr. Vining to organized crime figures, the paper was forced to issue a front-page RETRACTION explaining and acknowledging its mistake.

  retribution (ret-ruh-BYOO-shun), noun

  Punishment (as from God) for past wrongdoing. Retribution can also refer to divine reward for the just, but the negative sense is more common.

  Some saw the Mafia don’s debilitating illness as a form of divine RETRIBUTION for a life of crime.

  retroactive (ret-ro-AK-tiv), adjective

  Effective back to a stated point in time. Something that is made retroactive is extended as though it had been taking place since a certain past date.

  We will be raising your salary to $100,000 a year, Perkins, RETROACTIVE to January 1.

  retrospect (RET-ruh-spekt), noun

  Hindsight. Retrospect derives from the Latin roots for “backward” and “vision.”

  In RETROSPECT, the decision to launch the attack at night now seems like a catastrophic error.

  reverberate (rih-VUR-buh-rate), verb

  To echo back and forth, rebound, or recoil.

  The sound of the gunshot REVERBERATED throughout the canyon.

  riff (riff), noun

  In music, especially jazz and rock, a short melodic phrase repeated as background or used as a main theme.

  Once the bass player sta
rted playing the insistent opening RIFF to “My Girl,” people poured out onto the dance floor.

  rudimentary (roo-duh-MEN-tuh-ree), adjective

  Basic. That which is elementary is rudimentary.

  This thesis is full of RUDIMENTARY errors in grammar, to say nothing of several significant lapses in style.

  sacrilege (SACK-ruh-lij), noun

  The violation of anything sacred or anything someone may consider sacred.

  The bar patrons found Dan’s negative words about the Yankees a SACRILEGE.

  salient (SAY-lee-unt), adjective

  Striking, obvious.

  Let’s not get bogged down in the details of the bonus plan; the SALIENT point is, we’ve provided our editors with a measurable financial incentive to do the very best acquisitions work they can.

  salivate (SAL-ih-vate), verb

  To secrete saliva. To salivate over something is to eagerly anticipate eating it; the word has seen some figurative use in this sense.

  We now know that dogs will SALIVATE upon hearing a bell they associate with food, even if the food is not present.

  sangria (sang-GREE-uh), noun

  A cocktail of Mexican origin consisting of wine and fruit juices.

  The cool cantina, with its seemingly endless supply of enchiladas and SANGRIA, was just what we needed after a long day of sightseeing in the hot Acapulco sun.

  satire (SA-tire), noun

  A humorous work employing sarcasm or irony in order to ridicule, expose, or make light of a person, institution, or practice.

  I wonder how many of the young children now streaming to theaters to watch this cartoon are accompanied by adults who can appreciate its subtle SATIRE of consumer culture.

  scanty (SCAN-tee), adjective

  Insufficient; noticeably lacking.

  The food at this restaurant is certainly good, but the portions are a little too SCANTY for the price we’re paying.

  scapegoat (SKAPE-goat), noun

  A person considered responsible for a fiasco or mishap who was not in fact totally responsible for it. Scapegoat derives from an ancient practice of selecting a goat to accept the sins of a community.

  I will not act as SCAPEGOAT in this affair; you all had a vote in the matter, and you all voted yes, just as I did.

  scathing (SKAY-thing), adjective

  Violently critical. Scathing usually refers to speech or writing about another’s conduct or performance.

  The SCATHING review by the Times theater critic had the anticipated effect: the show closed within two weeks.

  scrutinize (SKROOT-n-ize), verb

  To review extremely closely. Someone who examines an object or document in minute detail scrutinizes it.

  It is your job to SCRUTINIZE these applications carefully for any inaccuracies or misleading statements.

  sear (sear), verb

  To burn or scorch, or to cause to dry up and wither.

  While I was on vacation, the heat SEARED my plants, leaving them nothing but lifeless brown stalks.

  seasonable (SEE-zun-uh-bull), adjective

  Timely; in keeping with or appropriate to the season. (See, for comparison, the entry for seasonal.)

  In December, the outside of our building is done up in SEASONABLE green and red lights.

  seasonal (SEE-zun-ul), adjective

  Happening as a result of regular and anticipated changes occurring at a specific time of the year.

  Don’t worry; that dramatic drop in sales for February is a SEASONAL dip experienced to one degree or another by everyone in our industry.

  seclude (sih-KLOOD), adjective

  To hide or keep apart; to keep in isolation.

  The two met in a woody, SECLUDED area of the estate to be sure their conversation would not be overheard.

  secular (SEK-yuh-lur), adjective

  Not religious in form or content; worldly.

  Although the Cardinal had a long list of ecclesiastical issues to review with me, he began our interview with a few wholly SECULAR remarks on the poor fortunes of the Red Sox this year.

  seethe (seethe), verb

  To boil. In addition, someone who internalizes agitation or anger can be said to seethe.

  Still SEETHING from his defeat at the hands of the Dodgers on Tuesday, Gibson took the mound with a look of unwavering determination last night.

  semaphore (SEM-uh-fore), noun

  A method of (usually seafaring) communication or signaling based on the positionings of the arms of a standing person or the similar positioning of flags (with one held in each hand).

  Mark’s attempt to render the complete works of Goethe in SEMAPHORE makes for a dedicated, if not exactly enthralling, piece of long-term performance art.

  serendipity (sare-un-DIP-ih-tee), noun

  The quality of coming upon important insights or discoveries by accident. To experience serendipity is to encounter fortunate coincidence.

  It was pure SERENDIPITY that, nearly fainting with hunger, I came upon the stock of supplies that night.

  serenity (suh-REN-ih-tee), noun

  Peacefulness in outlook; a lack of agitation.

  Although she had always been a whirlwind of activity while we were growing up, my sister Alice seems to be enjoying the SERENITY of convent life.

  serpentine (SUR-pun-teen), adjective

  Snakelike. That which is reminiscent of serpents is serpentine.

  Most salespeople resent the stereotype of their profession as SERPENTINE and ruthless.

  severity (suh-VARE-uh-tee), adjective

  Great force or concentration; harshness.

  The SEVERITY of Milton’s remarks about my proposal’s deficiencies came as a shock to me; he had told me before the meeting that he liked the idea.

  shear (sheer), verb

  To clip or cut. (See, for comparison, the entry for sheer.)

  I’m afraid I’m not much good at SHEARING sheep; I can’t cut the fleece evenly.

  sheer (sheer), adjective

  Absolute; utter. Also: transparent. (See, for comparison, the entry for shear.)

  To work on a project for twenty-four hours straight is SHEER madness, Roland.

  shun (shun), verb

  To keep away from or avoid.

  Wade’s parents thought he would be glad they had agreed to chaperone the school dance, and seemed surprised when he SHUNNED them for the entire evening.

  singsong (SING-song), adjective

  Rendered chantingly or with a musical air; spoken in a manner reminiscent of singing.

  Bert taunted Arthur with a SINGSONG recitation of his most embarrassing incidents at school.

  singularity (sing-you-LAIR-ih-tee), noun

  A peculiarity or unique quality.

  Fiona’s SINGULARITY in fashion makes her—for good or ill—the talk of most parties she attends.

  site (site), noun

  A place or spot. (See, for comparison, the entry for cite.)

  We will build the new library and treasure hall on this SITE.

  skepticism (SKEP-tih-siz-um), noun

  An instance of doubt or uncertainty.

  Your SKEPTICISM that we will be able to finish the work on time is understandable, given our history of delivering material late.

  skittish (SKIT-ish), adjective

  Nervous and lacking confidence. Someone who is uneasy about approaching a task can be said to be skittish about it.

  Lisa is still a bit SKITTISH about the computer, George; perhaps you can give her a hand.

  sluggish (SLUG-gish), adjective

  Lacking vitality or alertness; lethargic.

  As the hours drew on, I pecked away at my keyboard dutifully; toward morning, however, I could tell that I was getting SLUGGISH.

  sobriety (so-BREYE-uh-tee), noun

  Clear-headedness. Sobriety is generally used to signify freedom from the influence of alcoholic drink.

  My guess is that W.C. Fields had as few moments of SOBRIETY in real life as he had in the movies.

/>   sociopolitical (so-she-oh-puh-LIT-uh-kuhl), adjective

  Describes the combination of social and political factors that affects certain people, groups, classes, etc.

  Depending on his audience, the politician either emphasized or distanced herself from the SOCIOPATHIC background of her family.

  solace (SOL-uss), noun

  Consolation. To give solace is to sympathize with and console.

  The fact that he had thrown three touchdowns was little SOLACE to Jim: all he could think about was losing the game.

  solicitous (suh-LISS-ih-tuss), adjective

  Openly concerned or worried (about the condition of another). Someone who is attentively eager to help is solicitous.

  Joan could not have been more SOLICITOUS to Peter while he was sick.

  solidarity (sol-uh-DARE-ih-tee), noun

  Unity arising from a common purpose or situation.

  As the project’s deadline got closer and closer, the assembled team showed an amount of SOLIDARITY that it earlier had lacked.

  soliloquy (suh-LIL-uh-kwee), noun

  In drama, a speech given by a character when no one else is present on stage. A soliloquy can also be any discourse a person gives to himself, or an account of a person’s interior thoughts.

  Hamlet’s third act SOLILOQUY was delivered in a strange, choppy manner that I found most unsettling.

  somber (SOM-ber), adjective

  Depressing; joyless.

  The SOMBER expression on my boss’s face before our meeting made me wonder whether the long-rumored layoff was finally to be ordered, but as it turned out he had simply slept poorly.

  soprano (suh-PRAN-oh), noun

  The uppermost singing voice in boys and women.

  Every woman in the a capella group had a good voice, but to me the tall SOPRANO in the blue sweater stood out as an exceptional musical talent.

  sovereignty (sov-rin-tee), noun

  Power or legitimacy as a nation. A nation’s sovereignty refers to its self-determination and right to exist as a separate, independent entity.

  The border incursion should be accepted for what it is: an affront against the SOVEREIGNTY of our country.

  spasmodic (spaz-MOD-ik), adjective

  Characteristic of a spasm; brief and fitful.

  The regime’s SPASMODIC attempts at reform had yet to bring prosperity to the nation’s citizens.

  spectral (SPEK-trul), adjective

  Reminiscent of ghosts or spirits; gruesome and otherwordly.