(UM-brij), noun
To take exception to and be offended by a comment or action seen as a slight or insult.
acrimonious (ak-rih-MOAN-ee-us). Angry; bitter; disputed.
“There is something about the literary life that repels me, all this desperate building of castles on cobwebs, the long-drawn ACRIMONIOUS struggle to make something important which we all know will be gone forever in a few years…”—Raymond Chandler, American author
bellicose (BELL-ih-kohss). Belligerent, surly, ready to argue or fight at the slightest provocation.
Doug is so touchy about his new Jaguar that he’ll instantly grow BELLICOSE if you so much as brush against it.
importunate (ihm-PORE-chuh-nitt). Urgent and persistent in solicitation, to the point of annoyance.
“Sisters are always drying their hair. / Locked into rooms, alone, / They pose at the mirror, shoulders bare, / Trying this way and that their hair, / Or fly IMPORTUNATE down the stair / To answer the telephone.”—Phyllis McGinley, American poet
contretemps (KON-treh-tahn). An inopportune occurrence with embarrassing results.
“Pan had been amongst them… the little god Pan, who presides over social CONTRETEMPS and unsuccessful picnics.”—E.M. Forster, English novelist
imprecation (IM-pre-kay-shun). A curse spoken aloud.
Thomas muttered IMPRECATIONS as he circled the airfield, waiting for clearance to land his Airbus 380.
deprecate (DEPP-rih-kayt). To express severe disapproval of another’s actions.
“Those who profess to favor freedom and yet DEPRECATE agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground.”—Frederick Douglass, American abolitionist and orator
execrate (EK-sih-krayt). To loathe; to subject to scorn and derision.
We EXECRATED William for weeks due to his casual rejection of an invitation to join Yale’s Skull and Bones.
impugn (ihm-PYOON). To attack as false or wrong.
“I do not IMPUGN the motives of any one opposed to me. It is no pleasure to me to triumph over any one.”—Abraham Lincoln
badinage (bah-dih-NAHZH). Light, good-natured, even playful banter.
“If you don’t care for me, you can move out now. I’m frankly not up to BADINAGE.”—Harlan Ellison, American author
conciliatory (kon-SILL-ee-ah-tore-ee). Actions or words meant to settle a dispute or resolve a conflict in a manner that leaves no hard feelings on either side.
“If you are not very clever, you should be CONCILIATORY.”—Benjamin Disraeli, British statesmen and literary figure
innocuous (ih-NAHK-yew-us). Not harmful or offensive; innocent, incidental, and hardly noticeable.
“I know those little phrases that seem so INNOCUOUS and, once you let them in, pollute the whole of speech.”—Samuel Beckett, Irish writer, dramatist, and poet
(uhn-KAR-ing), noun
The state of unconcern; lack of worry; inattentiveness; thoughtlessness; apathy.
cavalier (kav-uh-LEER). Unconcerned with what is considered important; nonchalantly unengaged, especially with regard to serious matters.
His CAVALIER attitude toward financial management may be his company’s undoing.
cursory (KUR-suh-ree). Performed with haste and without care.
Mrs. Wallace avoided giving tests on the Friday before a vacation, as she knew her students’ efforts would be CURSORY at best.
desultory (DEH-sul-tor-ee). Lacking guidance or progressing randomly; aimless; fitful.
Unable to believe it was his last day on the job, Bill’s DESULTORY thoughts wandered through his mind.
feckless (FEK-less). Ineffective; careless; lacking definitiveness of purpose.
Some accuse us of being FECKLESS, but they have no idea how difficult it is to live a wealth-infused lifestyle.
incogitant (in-KOJ-uh-tuhnt). Thoughtless, inconsiderate.
Bill never became accustomed to Ann’s continual INCOGITANT acts.
indolent (IN-duh-lnt). Lazy, as a way of life; inactive and unlikely to exert oneself.
Peter, an INDOLENT young man, spent his young days gazing out the window daydreaming.
insensate (in-SENS-ayt). Without human feeling, or lacking judgment and good sense.
Owen’s INSENSATE behavior the morning after their tryst made Amy realize she’d made a mistake in asking him to stay the night.
insouciant (in-SOO-see-unt). Acting as if one has not a care in the world; free of worry and angst.
We are never INSOUCIANT about our wealth because we must work at all times to ensure its protection.
intemperate (in-TEM-prit). Refers to a person who indulges his own whims and fancies without regard to other people’s feelings or inconvenience.
“Certainly it was ordained as a scourge upon the pride of human wisdom, that the wisest of us all, should thus outwit ourselves, and eternally forego our purposes in the INTEMPERATE act of pursuing them.”—Laurence Sterne, Irish-born English novelist and Anglican clergyman
lackadaisical (lack-uh-DAY-zih-kuhl). Lazy and indolent; lacking determination.
No matter how many times a week her father allows her to go on a spending spree, Millicent is never LACKADAISACAL about her trips to Cartier.
laggard (LAG-uhrd). Moving sluggishly and reacting slowly.
“Reviewers… must normally function as huff-and-puff artists blowing LAGGARD theatergoers stageward.”—Walter Kerr, American theater critic
perfunctory (per-FUNK-ter-ee). Implemented or executed quickly, without much care or thought put into it.
“The tale is so contrived and PERFUNCTORY that many readers will be tempted to skip to the real story in the second half of the book.”—Tim Parks, British novelist
remiss (rih-miss). Negligent or careless.
Our servants know that if they ever are REMISS in their duties, we will quickly fire them.
supine (SOO-pine). Apathetic; indolent; passive.
Damon found the marketing department SUPINE when it came to implementing ideas.
ennui (on-WEE). Apathy and lack of energy caused by boredom and disinterest.
“And he spoke of ENNUI, of jaded appetites, of nights and days aboard a moonstone vessel as large as a city.”—Harlan Ellison, American author
fainéant (fay-nay-AHNT). Someone who is lazy and idle.
I spent my vacation as a FAINÉANT, so I found it hard to focus on work once I returned to my “real life.”
improvidence (im-PRAH-vih-dense). A rash action performed without careful consideration or deliberation.
“This made him think of all the nights… spending his youth with the casual IMPROVIDENCE of a millionaire.”—Richard Matheson, American science fiction writer
lotus-eater (LOH-tus-ee-ter). A person who leads a life of indolence and ease, unaware of reality and duty.
Raymond considered adopting the lifestyle of a LOTUS-EATER, but could not reconcile his income to the task.
torpor (TORE-purr). Temporary loss of the power of motion or sensation; dormancy; apathy; indifference.
“A multitude of causes unknown to former times are now acting with a combined force to blunt the discriminating powers of the mind, and unfitting it for all voluntary exertion to reduce it to a state of almost savage TORPOR.”—William Wordsworth, British Romantic poet
discernment (dih-SURN-muhnt). The power of discerning; keen perception or judgment; insight.
“The supreme end of education is expert DISCERNMENT of all things.”—Samuel Johnson, English poet and critic
solicitude (suh-LIS-ih-tood). The state of being concerned and anxious.
Amy’s SOLICITUDE for John’s welfare while he was overseas demonstrated a newfound concern for him as a friend.
(uhn-der-STAN-ding), noun
The mental state and process of a person who understands; comprehension; discernment.
cognizant (KOG-nih-sint). Aware of the realities of a situation.
Amanda is always COGNIZANT of her acquaintances’ pedigrees.
implicit (im-PLIH-set). understood but not stated directly.
“The vanity of men, a constant insult to women, is also the ground for the IMPLICIT feminine claim of superior sensitivity and morality.”—Patricia Meyer Spacks, American literary critic
lucid (LOO-sid). Intelligible; clear to the understanding.
The documentary gave a lucid account of the underlying causes of the events.
luciferous (loo-SI-fuh-ruhs). Providing insight or enlightenment; illuminating.
Blake did not find his college courses LUCIFEROUS, so he decided to devote his life to world travel instead.
recondite (REHK-un-dite). Beyond typical knowledge and understanding.
For most people, opera, polo, and fine wine remain RECONDITE subjects.
tacit (TASS-it). Implied; understood without being openly explained or expressed.
The men took their sergeant’s harsh language toward Ned as TACIT approval of their own abusive behavior toward him.
perspicacity (per-spih-KASS-ih-tee). Insightfuness; keen understanding.
The problem was a complex one that required the analysis of someone with great PERSPICACITY.
profundity (pruh-FUN-dih-tee). Depth of reasoning or insight; great understanding and intellectual incisiveness.
A paper’s length is no indication of its PROFUNDITY.
savoir faire (SAV-wahr-FAIR). An evident sense of confidence, optimism, and proficiency in the task at hand.
Eileen hosted a charity luncheon for forty people with her usual SAVOIR FAIRE.
peruse (puh-ROOZ). To read through with attention; to examine with an eye to detail.
The witness PERUSED the document for some time, then declared that it was not the one he had signed.
transcendent (tran-SEN-dent). Beyond the realm of normal experience or understanding; transcending customary bounds of perception.
While the astronauts reacted in different ways to the TRANSCENDENT experience of space travel, all were profoundly affected by the experience.
See also: Judgment, Learn, Think
(uhn-REE-uhl), adjective
Not real or actual; imaginary; fantastic; illusory; false; artificial.
incorporeal (in-core-PORE-ee-al). Lacking form.
The moanings and low rumblings in the old house suggested INCORPOREAL visitors to Kate.
ineffable (in-EF-uh-bull). So fantastic, incredible, or difficult to grasp it cannot be described in words.
Poet Ezra Pound wrote of “the infinite and INEFFABLE quality of the British empire.”
intangible (in-TAN-juh-bul). Incapable of being touched, felt, or calculated.
Friends berated me for breaking up with Matthew, but there was something INTANGIBLE missing from the relationship, something I couldn’t do without.
spectral (SPEK-trul). Reminiscent of ghosts or spirits; gruesome and otherworldly.
Scrooge’s SPECTRAL visitors take different forms, but each is interested in the same thing: the redemption of the old man’s heart.
surreal (suh-REEL). Possessing a quality that makes something seem unreal; strange; bizarre; almost other-worldly.
“He seemed to toss them all into the mixed salads of his poetry with the same indifference to form and logic, the same domesticated SURREALISM, that characterized much of the American avant-garde of the period.”—Frank O’Hara, American poet
chimera (kih-MEER-uh). An illusion or fabrication; an imaginary monster.
“What a CHIMERA then is humankind. What a novelty! What a monster, what a chaos!”—Blaise Pascal, French philosopher
dystopia (diss-TOPE-ee-uh). An imaginary society characterized by human misery, squalor, fear, oppression, and hunger.
A popular genre of motion pictures features the postapocalyptic DYSTOPIA.
eidolon (eye-DOH-luhn). A phantom or apparition; or, the image of an ideal
“By a route obscure and lonely, / Haunted by ill angels only, / Where an EIDOLON, named Night, / On a black throne reigns upright.”—Edgar Allan Poe, American author and poet
nonentity (non-EN-tih-tee). A person or thing considered completely unimportant or that exists only in the imagination.
You may safely regard this clause of the contract as a NONENTITY; it is obsolete and completely unenforceable.
phantasmagoria (fan-taz-muh-GORE-ee-uh). A dreamlike, constantly changing series of visions.
The avant-garde film had no dialogue or plot in the traditional sense; it was essentially a PHANTASMAGORIA set to music.
philter (FIL-tur). A magical love potion.
Thinking the glass contained Evian water, Veronica drained the PHILTER to its dregs; her eyes met those of the startled butler, and she melted with tenderness.
phoenix (FEE-niks). A mythical bird about the size of an eagle, but with brilliantly colored plumage, that dies by fire and then is reborn from the ashes.
One day the PHOENIX appeared in the forests of France, and legend has it that all the other birds become instantly jealous.
thaumaturge (THAW-mah-turj). A person who works miracles.
If you were ever to see Hannah early in the morning, just after she has awoken, then you would know her personal make-up artist is the epitome of a THAUMATURGE.
Triton (TRY-ton). A mythical creature, similar to a mermaid, with a human torso and arms, gills under the ears, and a tail like a dolphin.
TRITONS served Neptune as his attendants.
utopia (you-TOE-pee-uh). A perfect or ideal society.
Many of us who are accustomed to wealth have learned to accept that we must make our own UTOPIAS, rather than to rely on the actions of outside forces or agencies.
Xanadu (ZAN-uh-dyoo). A place of perfect, idyllic beauty.
“In XANADU did Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure-dome decree: / Where Alph, the sacred river, ran / Through caverns measureless to man / Down to a sunless sea”—Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet
yeti (YEH-tee). The (legendary) Abominable Snowman.
Carl claims to have photographic evidence of the Loch Ness Monster, several UFOs, and a large gray YETI, but I have yet to see any of it.
de facto (dee-FAK-toe). Existing in fact but not officially.
Although we eschew titles, Sasha clearly is the DE FACTO head of our arts-patronage club.
substantive (SUHB-stuhn-tiv). Existing independently; having a real existence; actual.
After the election, the local blogs were full of criticism written by people who did not vote and had no SUBSTANTIVE complaints.
(you-TOE-pee-uh), noun
A perfect or ideal society.
halcyon (HAL-see-un). Calm, peaceful, carefree, prosperous.
“It was the most HALCYON summer I ever spent.”—Rick Bass, American author and environmental activist
luciferous (loo-SI-fuh-ruhs). Providing insight or enlightenment; illuminating.
Blake did not find the Ivy League LUCIFEROUS, so he decided to devote his life to world travel instead.
salutary (SAL-you-tore-ee). To have a soothing or healing effect; helping recover or benefit from a situation.
Tuberculosis patients were often sent to the mountains, where the fresh air was thought to have a SALUTARY effect on their condition.
sybaritic (sih-bar-IT-ik). Relating to self-indulgent sensuous luxury and pleasure.
Selena rubbed the suntan lotion over her tanned middle slowly, and the whole thing had an erotic, SYBARITIC quality that made the men’s eyes pop out of their heads.
eidolon (eye-DOH-luhn). A phantom or apparition; or, the image of an ideal.
“By a route obscure and lonely, / Haunted by ill angels only, / Where an EIDOLON, named Night, / On a black throne reigns upright.”—Edgar Allan Poe, American author and poet
panacea (pan-uh-SEE-uh). A universal solution for all problems, diseases, or woes.
Parents today see buying their kids everything they want as a PANACEA for misery, boredom, and unhappiness.
consecrate (KON-seh-KRAYT). To declare something sacred, true, sacrosanct, or involuble.
“It is regarded as normal to CONSECRATE virginity in general and to lust for its destruction in particular.”—Karl Kraus, Austrian writer
Draconian (drah-KONE-ee-an). Strict; mean-spirited; excessively harsh; cruel; punishment or restriction meant to cause misery to those receiving it.
Ophelia was distraught over the DRACONIAN way that her father forced her to stay with her chaperone throughout their vacation on the Greek Isles.