Word Fun |
The words we use are often wrong and frequently repetitive. Let's use some more interesting ones. Try these........... |
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ABNEGATE deny oneself; renounce
ALTITUDINOUS high
AMBIGRAM symbol legible both ways
ANAMORPHOSIS distorted image only viewable in a specific way
ANATOPISM getting one's geography wrong
AMANUENSIS person who takes dictation or copies manuscripts
ANNEAL temper by heat treatment
ANOMY lack of social or moral standards
APERCU outline; insight
APOGEE highest point
ARGUFY argue, especially over something trivial
ARROGATE claim for oneself without justification
BROBDINGNAGIAN gigantic, huge
CARAPACE hard shield on crabs etc
CAREEN sway dangerously over to one side
CAROM cannon, in the billiards sense
CARNALITY sensuality
CASUISTRY resolution of moral dilemmas; misleading reasoning
CONTUMELY scornful language or behaviour
CRAPULOSITY drunkenness
DECALOGUE the ten commandments
DEFENESTRATION throwing someone out of a window
DELETERIOUS harmful
DEMAGOGUE political agitator, usually via oral incitement
DEMENTING maddening
DESIDERATUM something lacked or wanted
DIASPORA dispersion, especially of jews
DISQUISITION formal written or oral examination of a subject
DYSPEPTIC irritable
DYSTOPIA imaginary place where everything is as bad as it can be
EGREGIOUS outstandingly bad
EIDETIC exceptionally vivid and allowing detailed recall
ENCOMIUM a formal expression of praise
ESPIEGLERIE mischievousness
EUPHUISTIC stylishly affected speech or writing
FARCTATE stuffed
FARRAGO hotchpotch
FEBRILE feverish
GAMBRINOUS full of beer
GLOZE to explain away
HEGEMONY domination of one power or class over others
HIRPLE to limp
IMMOLATE offer as a sacrifice, especially by fire
INELUCTABLE inescapable
INIMICAL adverse, unfavourable
JEJUNE naïve, unsophisticated
LAPIDARY a person who works with gemstones
LIMINAL too faint to be experienced
LITTORAL coastal
MALFEASANCE a wrongful act
MEDULLAR related to the innermost part of an organ or structure
MENDICANT begging, beggar
MENDACITY tendency to be untruthful
MISPRISION deliberate concealment of a felony
NUMINOUS relating to religious emotions
OBJURGATE reprimand
ONANISM masturbation
ONTOLOGY branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being
ORDNANCE military supplies, artillery
ORNERY stubborn or vile-tempered
PABULUM food, food for thought (usually bland)
PANJANDRUM a pompous self-important official
PANTHEISTIC readiness to worship all or lots of gods
PARSE to play a role in the structure of a sentence
PASSERINE to do with perching birds
PENUMBRAL half in shadow
PERIPATETIC itinerant
PERIPHRASTIC expressed in a roundabout way
PERSPICACITY acute perception
PHILOLOGY analysis of historical texts and linguistics
PLANGENT mournful, loud, deep
PLENIPOTENTIARY invested with full power
PLEBISCITE referendum, public opinion
POLRUMPTIOUS rude
POLTROON an abject or contemptible coward
POLYANDROUS being married to more than one husband at a time
POLYDIPSIA excessive thirst
PREHENSILE adapted for grasping (usually a tail)
PRESTIDIGITATION sleight of hand
PRIAPIC phallic
PROPHYLAXIS prevention of disease
PROSELYTISE to convert from one faith to another
PRURIENT unusually interested in sex
PTEROMERHANOPHOBIA fear of flying
PTOSIS drooping part
PUGILIST boxer or fist fighter
PULCHRITUDE physical beauty
PUSILLANIMOUS having a lack of courage
PUTATIVE inferred, with no direct evidence
QUOTIDIAN daily; commonplace
RAMBUNCTIOUS boisterous
RATIOCINATE argue logically and rationally
RECIDIVIST habitually relapsing into crime
RECLAME publicity
REFULGENT shining
RELIQUARY repository for relics
RESTITUTION return to original state
RHAPSODIC extravagantly enthusiastic
SATURNINE having a gloomy temperament
SCLEROTIC debilitating lack of progress in organisation
SCOTOMA blind spot
SEMPITERNAL eternal
SESQUIPEDALIAN tending to use very long words
SIMULACRUM an image or representation of something
SINECURE a paid role involving minimal duties
SLATTERNLY sluttish
SOLECISM non-standard use of grammar, violation of manners
SOLIPSISM denying any knowledge except of one’s own existence
SOPHISTRY seemingly plausible argument that is actually invalid
SOPHOMORE second-year student at college
STERTOROUS accompanied by heavy snoring
STEVEDORE person employed to unload ships
SUPERNUMERARY exceeding a regular or proper number
SYLLOGISM deductive piece of reasoning from two premises
SYNCRETIC combining different philosophies or religions
TACHISTOSCOPIC of images shown very briefly
TACTILITY touchiness
TAUPE brownish-grey
TAUTOLOGY words that repeat what is already true
TELEOLOGY assigning a purpose to everything
TERGIVERSATE change sides or loyalties
THEODICY defending the attributes of god against objections resulting from evil
THURIBLE container for burning incense
TINTINNABULATION pealing of bells
TRILEMMA quandary posed by three alternative courses of action
UNCTUOUS slippery or greasy
UNGULATE hoofed animal
UXORIOUS excessively dependent on one’s wife
VERTIGINOUS relating to vertigo
VITUPERATE to berate or rail against abusively
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