The Big Book of Words You Should Know
Page 31
respite (RESS-pit), noun
A reprieve; an instance of temporary relief.
Mark had worked on the book for six weeks straight without RESPITE.
restitution (res-ti-TOO-shun), noun
The act of compensating for a past misdeed. To make restitution for something is to acknowledge the wrongness of a past act and attempt to repair the damage caused by it.
A bill authorizing RESTITUTION to the citizens interned in the camps recently cleared Congress.
reticent (RET-ih-sent), adjective
Reserved. Someone who prefers silence to conversation in social settings could be said to be reticent.
Little Amy was RETICENT at the party, staying close to her mother and avoiding all talk with strangers.
retinue (RET-n-oo), noun
A group of companions or followers (of a person of great importance). A retinue is an entourage.
The President and his RETINUE are expected here just before noon.
rote (roat), noun
A habit or mechanical routine.
The children learned their multiplication tables by ROTE.
rube (roob), noun
Slang for an unsophisticated person; a bumpkin.
“Look at those RUBES over there,” Charlie scoffed; “they wouldn’t know a good restaurant if it smacked them in the face.”
rueful (ROO-ful), adjective
Regretful. Rueful can also mean pitiable.
In the terminal, Jean gave a RUEFUL sigh as she stared at the plane that was to carry her away from San Francisco forever.
ruminate (ROO-muh-nate), verb
To ponder or review mentally. Someone who ruminates over something tosses it over in his mind.
Elaine was still RUMINATING over whether or not to attend college in the fall.
salacious (suh-LAY-shuss), adjective
Lewd or off-color. Salacious is generally used in reference to deliberately provocative pictures or writing.
Most magazines sent by family members to the troops were entirely innocent; who could find anything SALACIOUS in a copy of Golf Digest?
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.
sallow (SAL-low), adjective
Colorless; sickly-looking.
The SALLOW tone of Melanie’s skin led us to wonder whether she was ill.
salutary (SAL-yoo-tare-ee), adjective
Promoting physical soundness. That which is conducive to good health is salutary.
The medicine Dr. Catton gave to Mother seems to have had a SALUTARY effect.
sardonic (sar-DON-ik), adjective
Bitter or sarcastic. That which is derisively scornful is sardonic.
Milton gave a SARDONIC laugh when asked if he would mind stepping aside to let someone else have a turn at the pinball machine.
sate (sate), verb
To satisfy completely or to excess.
Our hunger for television SATED for the evening, we switched off the set and looked for a good book to read aloud.
schism (SKIZ-um), noun
A division; a break or rupture of relations, especially one due to ideological or political differences.
The SCHISM in the party over the issue of slavery reflected a division in the country itself.
scintillate (SIN-til-ate), verb
Giving off sparks. Something of remarkable interest that sets off a sudden reaction among people can also be said to scintillate.
News about the new film has been hard to come by, but a few SCINTILLATING details have leaked out.
secede (sih-SEED), verb
To withdraw officially and formally from an organization or union; to renounce one’s membership.
After Lincoln’s election to the presidency, the southern states, with South Carolina leading the way, began to SECEDE from the Union.
sedimentary (sed-uh-MEN-tuh-ree), adjective
Characterized by being settled in one’s ways or habits. Sedimentary usually has a negative connotation. Sediment is rocks and minerals that have settled over millions of years.
Your SEDIMENTARY lifestyle is just going to lead you to an early grave!
sentient (SEN-shunt), adjective
Having consciousness and use of the senses.
Until he’s had his morning coffee, Mike cannot even be classified as a SENTIENT being.
sequential (sih-KWEN-shul), adjective
An order of arrangement or succession; one after another in arrangement.
The class graduation proceeded in SEQUENTIAL order from the beginning of the alphabet to the end, which Jane Zsilow found disheartening.
sequester (si-KWES-ter), verb
To set apart (from outside influence). That which is protected from the prejudices of the external world is sequestered.
The jury was SEQUESTERED, due to the extraordinary amount of publicity the trial generated.
severance (SEV-uh-runce), noun
A division; a breaking away, as of a relationship.
Bill was able to negotiate a handsome SEVERANCE package when he left the company.
shibboleth (SHIB-uh-leth), noun
A special term not widely known that, when used, identifies the user as a member of a group. Shibboleth (a word with biblical origins) can also refer to a peculiarity of fashion or lifestyle common to a single group.
The more cynical in the department will tell you that career advancement has less to do with ability than with contacts and memorizing SHIBBOLETHS.
shunt (shunt), verb
To change the direction of; to divert.
When his proposal was dismissed after less than a minute of discussion, Mark felt more than ever that his ideas were being SHUNTED aside without due consideration.
slough (sluff), verb
To become shed or cast off, like the slough—or outer skin layer—of a snake.
I did my best to SLOUGH off my feelings of uncertainty and to move ahead optimistically.
solecism (SOL-ih-siz-um), noun
An act that breaks formal rules. Solecism is generally taken to mean “a transgression of established standards” (for instance, with regard to etiquette or writing).
She told her husband not to worry, that forgetting a host’s name was only a minor SOLECISM and certainly nothing to be concerned about.
soporific (sop-uh-RIF-ik), adjective
Causing or likely to cause sleep or drowsiness; anything likely to induce sleep.
Rick’s endless speech on the social habits of the grouse was a poor choice for after-dinner entertainment, but, judging by the reaction of the group, an excellent SOPORIFIC.
spay (spay), verb
To render (an animal) infertile by removing the ovaries.
After she had whelped three litters, Myron decided that it was about time to have Queenie SPAYED.
spurious (SPYOOR-ee-uss), adjective
Inauthentic. Something that is not genuine is spurious.
There were many in the academic community who were ready to accept the SPURIOUS manuscripts as coming from Shakespeare’s own hand.
staccato (stuh-KAH-toe), adjective
Made up of abrupt, separate parts.
Suddenly we were awakened by STACCATO bursts of gunfire in the next street.
stanch (stanch), verb
To stop a liquid’s flow (usually said of the bleeding accompanying a wound).
Dr. Cooper tied a tourniquet around Mark’s injured arm to STANCH the flow of blood.
staunch (stonch), adjective
Firm in resolution or belief; fixed.
Mr. West, a STAUNCH conservative, believed that government waste was the main problem requiring attention in Washington.
stentorian (sten-TORE-ee-uhn), adjective
A sound characterized as loud and powerful.
stigma (STIG-muh), noun
A sign of disgrace or low status. Stigma derives from a Greek word meaning “tattoo”; presumably the sense of disgrace arose from the practice of physically marking someone to distinguish him as belonging to a lower class.
I was unprepared to deal with the social STIGMA of bankruptcy, yet it seemed my only available course of action.
stilted (STILL-tud), adjective
Stiff and formal; rigid and unspontaneous in nature.
The letter was composed in such STILTED, elaborately correct language that Sergeant Ryan surmised it was written by someone whose native language was not English.
stipend (STIE-pend), noun
A periodic payment, such as a scholarship or other allowance; remuneration for a service.
A small monthly STIPEND from the Institute made it possible for Vernon to continue his biography of Yeats.
stipulation (stip-yoo-LAY-shun), noun
A condition. A stipulation is an essential point (of an agreement or arrangement) that must be satisfied.
The will does feature one important STIPULATION: you must wait until you are thirty years old to receive the money.
stoic (STO-ik), adjective
Above succumbing to sensations of pain or pleasure. Stoic originally referred to a philosophy that advocated putting aside unjust thoughts and indulgences and attending first and foremost to the duties of life.
Paul remained STOIC when given the news that his father had finally succumbed to the illness.
straits (strayts), noun
A position of difficulty and challenge, often brought on by making bad decisions.
After a series of bad investments, I found myself in dire financial STRAITS.
strident (STRY-dnt), adjective
Harsh. Speech that is obtrusively grating is strident.
Dennis’s appeals for money became more common—and more STRIDENT—as the year wore on.
stymie (STIE-mee), verb
To thwart; to prevent (another) from achieving a goal.
The reporter’s attempts to get to the bottom of the scandal were STYMIED by the refusal of the principals to talk to him—either on or off the record.
subjugate (SUB-juh-gate), verb
To cause to become subservient. To subjugate another is to make him perform your will.
The dictator’s attempts to SUBJUGATE his country’s smaller neighbors will end in failure, mark my words.
subliminal (sub-LIM-ih-nul), adjective
Operating below the level of conscious perception.
The advertising industry has long been suspected of using SUBLIMINAL implants in advertisements for cigarettes and liquor, but scientists and industry insiders have always scoffed at the notion.
substantiate (sub-STANT-chee-ate), verb
To provide proof or evidence; to give validity to.
The soft-drink company sought to SUBSTANTIATE the claim that their soda was the best tasting by holding blind taste tests in shopping malls across the country.
supercilious (soo-per-SIL-ee-uss), adjective
Disdainful or haughty. Someone who is overbearingly proud could be said to be supercilious.
Randy can take on a SUPERCILIOUS air at times; you mustn’t let his highminded behavior bother you.
supersede (soo-per-SEED), verb
To supplant or replace. If A now fulfills the function of B and makes B obsolete, A supersedes B.
This form, which SUPERSEDES the old version, has been made much easier to read and fill out.
supplicate (SUP-lih-kate), verb
To make a humble, sincere, and earnest request of someone.
The department heads decided their best bet was to assemble as a group in the president’s office and SUPPLICATE her to approve the budget increases.
surreptitious (sur-up-TISH-uss), adjective
Undertaken in stealth. That which is done in hiding is done surreptitiously.
I have reason to believe our conference room has been fitted with “bugs” designed to monitor our SURREPTITIOUS conversations.
syncretize (SINK-rih-tize), verb
To combine or unite varying parties, ideas, principles, etc.
As the denomination’s local attendance began to fall sharply, several churches SYNCRETIZED their efforts to improve overall attendance.
synergy (SIN-er-gee), noun
The situation that exists when two or more groups, agents, businesses, etc. join forces to accomplish a common goal. Synergy is a word commonly used in today’s corporate culture.
The SYNERGY demonstrated by the two departments quickly sparked amazing results.
synthesis (SIN-thuh-suss), noun
A combination of elements to form a new whole.
The writer’s latest book is an intriguing SYNTHESIS of classical Greek tragedy and cyberpunk elements.
taciturn (TASS-ih-turn), adjective
Quiet. Someone who tends to avoid speech is taciturn.
You must understand that Betty can be quite TACITURN after a day at work; her silence is not because of anything you have done.
tactile (TACK-tul), adjective
Of or pertaining to the sense of touch.
At this stage, your baby’s need for TACTILE stimulation is intense; she must be held, stroked, and cuddled regularly.
tariff (TEAR-if), noun
Duties or taxes placed on imports or exports.
In an effort to balance trade, the government levied a TARIFF on most imported goods.
temerity (tuh-MARE-uh-tee), noun
Rashness; reckless disregard of danger or unpleasant consequences. To take a bold action is to show temerity.
You have the TEMERITY to ask for a raise after showing up late forty percent of the time over the last three months?
temperance (TEM-puh-runce), noun
Self-restraint; moderation; specifically, the act of abstaining from consuming alcohol or other intoxicating substances.
Although Mr. Bedford had been a model of TEMPERANCE for most of his adult life, he relented when I pleaded with him to try some of the punch we had made for the party.
temporal (TEM-puh-rul), adjective
Pertaining to or limited by time; characteristic of worldly (rather than celestial or heavenly) endeavor.
My father believed that TEMPORAL joys and sorrows were of little consequence in the grand scheme of things.
tenable (TEN-uh-bull), adjective
Capable of being maintained. That which is tenable can be held.
The general warned the mayor that the troops’ position was no longer TENABLE, and that preparations should be made to evacuate the city immediately.
tendril (TEN-dril), noun
A threadlike organ of leafless plants that often attaches itself to other objects or surfaces to support the plant.
The shrub’s tendrils had wound themselves around the wooden pole and were threatening to crush it.
tenuous (TEN-yoo-uss), adjective
Not solid (in terms of logical connection); insubstantial. Literally, tenuous means “slender (as a thread).”
The connection between the performance of the stock market and the result of the yearly Super Bowl game might seem TENUOUS at best, but there is evidence of some strange correlation between the two.
titular (TICH-uh-lur), adjective
By title only. The titular head of a group is a person who is technically designated as the leader, but who lacks real power.
Ed may be the TITULAR head of the organization, but I have a feeling that Bill has more influence in day-to-day matters.
torpor (TOR-pur), noun
Indifference, sloth, or inactivity. Torpor is a state calling to mind the hibernation of animals.
Gregg’s TORPOR on the job has been troubling me; I can’t help wondering if he may be having trouble at home.
torque (tork), noun
/> In mechanics, the force that causes twisting or rotation in a body.
The screwdriver was too small to generate enough TORQUE for the job.
totem (TOTE-um), noun
An animal, plant, or other natural object believed to be an ancestor of a tribe of peoples; a representation of such an object.
The tribe had an impressive collection of carved wooden TOTEMS.
tractable (TRAK-tuh-bull), adjective
Manageable or easy to control. Someone who takes instruction or guidance easily is tractable.
Jane was a willful and disobedient little girl, but her sister Annie was more TRACTABLE.
transmogrify (trance-MOG-rih-fy), verb
To change into a different shape or form.
Drink this and I promise you you’ ll be TRANSMOGRIFIED into a poet for the ages.
translucent (tranz-LOO-sunt), adjective
Capable of allowing some light to show through, but not transparent. A gauzy shower curtain, for instance, is translucent.
From my bed, through the TRANSLUCENT hospital curtains, I could dimly make out that a scuffle of some kind was taking place in front of the building.
transubstantiation (tran-sub-stan-shee-AY-shun), noun
The theology that the bread and wine of the Eucharist became the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ, while retaining their original appearance.
The doctrine of TRANSUBSTANTIATION became a main focus of disagreement between Protestants and Catholics during the Reformation.
tremulous (TREM-yuh-luss), adjective
Describes someone or something trembling as a result of fear or timidity.
As Brock steeled his courage to ask out Alice, his TREMULOUS voice exposed his trepidation.
trenchant (TREN-chunt), adjective
Incisive and discerning.
Mart’s TRENCHANT observations on Scorsese’s films were a welcome addition to our discussion of major American directors.
triage (TREE-ozh), noun
The procedure of prioritizing victims (of a battle or accident, for instance) to determine which will receive medical care first; of or pertaining to this procedure.
Nurse Victoria’s single day in the TRIAGE unit of the mobile hospital left her so exhausted that she found herself wondering how the others worked there day after day.
tundra (TUN-druh), noun
A treeless arctic plain.
For days the members of the search team trekked through the frigid TUNDRA, but at last they had to abandon the expedition without locating any survivors.