The Big Book of Words You Should Know

by David Olsen

  laudable (LAWD-uh-bul), adjective

  Worthy or deserving of praise.

  Dryly, Professor Helmut told me that my ambition to write the great American novel was LAUDABLE, but that unfortunately my manuscript was a few drafts away from meeting that goal.

  laudatory (LAW-duh-tore-ee), adjective

  Giving praise. A laudatory speech is one that praises or glorifies.

  John’s LAUDATORY remarks really motivated the sales force.

  levity (LEH-vih-tee), noun

  Lightness; insubstantiality. Levity often refers to inappropriately idle or humorous chatter.

  Gentlemen, with all due respect, we face a crisis; this is no time for LEVITY.

  liaison (lee-ay-ZON), noun

  A communication channel. Also: a person who acts as a go-between or formal representative. Also: a romantic affair. Liaison is often used to describe the meetings of lovers, but it applies equally to formal organizational or bureaucratic contact.

  Captain Morse was met by an Air Force LIAISON within minutes of his arrival.

  libation (li-BAY-shun), noun

  An alcoholic beverage offered or accepted in celebration. (The word is usually used facetiously, as if to exaggerate the supposed formality of an informal occasion.) Originally, a libation was a liquid offering at a formal religious rite.

  Will you join us in a LIBATION, Charles?

  libretto (li-BRET-oh), noun

  The text of a musical work, such as a cantata or opera, often accompanied by a translation.

  As she is fluent in Italian, Maria rarely needs to refer to the LIBRETTO when attending the opera.

  lieu (loo), noun

  Place; stead.

  This year, in LIEU of individual Christmas presents, the five of us took a family vacation to Hawaii.

  limpid (LIM-pid), adjective

  Very clear; transparent.

  Looking into a LIMPID stream of swift-flowing water, we saw that it was full of migrating salmon.

  litany (LIT-uh-nee), noun

  Something (especially a list or a single sentence) related incessantly in an unwavering manner. A litany is a responsive prayer service within the Catholic church marked by much repetition.

  We listened to Greta recite the usual LITANY of problems in the marketing department.

  livid (LIH-vid), adjective

  Extremely angry; infuriated. Literally, livid means discolored (as from a bruise).

  To say someone is livid in the sense of being angry is really to say his anger is so acute as to cause a change in his coloring.

  Caroline was LIVID after she realized she had been swindled.

  locomotion (lo-kuh-MO-shun), noun

  The act or ability of moving from place to place.

  Children’s lack of LOCOMOTION today is resulting in an obesity epidemic.

  loquacious (loe-KWAY-shuss), adjective

  Extremely talkative. Someone prone to nervous chatter could be said to be loquacious.

  Michael proved a LOQUACIOUS houseguest; Mrs. Stevens did the best she could to manage his one-sided conversational torrents.

  lucid (LOO-sid), adjective

  Intelligible. Lucid can also refer to a clear mental state.

  Although be lost consciousness for a few minutes, Glenn was LUCID before the ambulance arrived.

  lucre (LOO-kur), noun

  Profits; financial rewards; money.

  After untold hours creating and developing the software program, Miles received only $2,000 for his efforts—a tiny fraction of the LUCRE that poured into company coffers from sales of the product.

  lugubrious (loo-GOO-bree-us), adjective

  Mournful in the extreme. Lugubrious refers to something or someone mournful to an inappropriate degree.

  You may consider Steven’s poems “dark”; to me, they are simply LUGUBRIOUS.

  macrocosm (MAK-ruh-koz-um), noun

  A representation on a large scale; the universe envisioned in its totality. In addition, a large system that reflects one of its component systems is a macrocosm.

  Some early astronomers obviously believed the physical universe to be a a MACROCOSM of existing social and religious structures.

  magisterial (madge-ih-STEER-ee-uhl), adjective

  Describes the authority, weight, and gravity of someone considered a master of a particular art, task, ability, etc.

  With MAGISTERIAL grace, the conductor lifted her baton.

  malaise (muh-LAZE), noun

  A vague feeling of illness, uneasiness, or sadness.

  “Sheer idiocy,” commented the professor at the end of my paper, in which I argued that Shakespeare’s King Lear suffered only a passing MALAISE, not madness.

  malcontent (mal-kuhn-TENT), adjective or noun

  Someone unhappy with his or her circumstances or with his or her government, job, lifestyle, etc. As an adjective, malcontent describes such a person.

  Harvey is such a MALCONTENT that he’ll argue with you if you tell him it’s a nice day!

  mar (mar), verb

  To spoil, damage, or tarnish.

  Alissa’s birthday party was MARRED by a loud altercation between two motorists on the street outside our house.

  masticate (MASS-tih-kate), verb

  To chew. To masticate is to knead and grind with the teeth.

  Grandpa, always an extravagant speaker, referred to his dentures as his “MASTICATING companions.”

  maudlin (MAUD-lin), adjective

  Gushingly or tearfully sentimental.

  I would have liked to believe Kent when he swore I was his dearest friend in the world, but I had a feeling it was all the MAUDLIN babbling of a man who had had a little too much fun at a party.

  maunder (MAWN-dur), verb

  To speak or act in an aimless, incoherent fashion.

  In spite of—or perhaps because of—his father’s tendency to be an overachiever, William MAUNDERED through life without the slightest ambition.

  meander (mee-AN-der), verb

  To follow a turning and winding path. To meander is to wander idly without a set goal.

  Jack, lost without his shopping list, MEANDERED helplessly through the aisles of the supermarket.

  melee (MAY-lay), noun

  From the French meaning “meddle,” a melee is a confused struggle involving many people.

  After the batter was struck by the pitcher’s ball, players from both teams ran out onto the field, and a MELEE ensued.

  mendicant (MEN-dih-kunt), noun

  Beggar.

  There, among the castoffs of society, the lepers, MENDICANTS, and prostitutes of the city, he decided to begin his ministry.

  meritorious (mare-uh-TORE-ee-uss), adjective

  Worthy of praise, laudable.

  Earl’s work at the homeless shelter was MERITORIOUS, but it left him little time for his family and friends.

  mete (meet), verb

  To measure out; to distribute in proportion.

  Roland pressed ahead with the case, confident that right would prevail and that justice would eventually be METED out.

  meticulous (muh-TICK-you-luss), adjective

  Precise and thorough, to the point of fussiness.

  James is so METICULOUS he can tell if you’ve moved anything on his dresser as little as a quarter of an inch!

  métier (MAY-tee-yay), noun

  From the French meaning “minister,” one’s métier is one’s occupation, profession, or field of work.

  If you need some proofreading done, go see Albert. Editing is his MÉTIER.

  microcosm (MY-kro-koz-um), noun

  A model that reflects a larger thing. A microcosm is a small system roughly comparable to a larger system.

  A MICROCOSM of society is represented on board the Pequod in Melville’s novel Moby Dick.

  midriff (MID-riff), noun

  On the human body, the middle area of the torso; the diaphragm.

  Allison wondered if the outfit she had selected was appropriate for meeting her fi
ance’s parents; the shirt barely covered her MIDRIFF.

  mien (meen), noun

  Demeanor; appearance; overall impression.

  A punctual man with an attentive, organized MIEN, Tony seemed the ideal candidate for the job.

  milieu (mill-YOU), noun

  From the French meaning “in the middle,” milieu describes one’s cultural and social surroundings.

  When I walked into the skateboard store, I knew immediately that I was out of my MILIEU.

  minuscule (MIN-uss-kyool), adjective

  Extremely small.

  Sometimes, trying to decipher the MINUSCULE names, numbers, and signs on a map only makes me feel more lost.

  minutiae (mih-NOO-shuh), noun

  From the Latin meaning “smallness,” minutiae are all the small, trifling matters that one encounters on an average day.

  By the time I’ve taken care of all the day’s MINUTIAE—paying bills, getting the kids to school—I barely have any time left to work!

  miscellany (MISS-uh-lay-nee), noun

  A grouping or collection of various elements.

  The volume, which featured a hodgepodge of essays, poems, and interviews relating to the Beats, was an intriguing MISCELLANY of writings from the bohemian world of the fifties.

  misconstrue (mis-kun-STROO), verb

  To get the wrong idea; to misunderstand or misinterpret.

  Tom MISCONSTRUED Linda’s friendliness as flirting—until he met her boyfriend.

  misnomer (miss-NO-mur), noun

  An incorrect or inappropriate name.

  Vlad the Impaler, the historical antecedent for the Dracula character, was a man apparently intent on demonstrating to the world that his name was no MISNOMER.

  moniker (MON-ih-kur), noun

  Name; nickname.

  The rock star Sting has revealed in interviews that even his parents and children refer to him by his famous MONIKER.

  monochromatic (mon-owe-kru-MAT-ik), adjective

  Of a single color. Something that features varying shades of only one hue in addition to the background hue (usually white) is monochromatic.

  The sweep and power of Adams’s MONOCHROMATIC photography proves how much can be accomplished with a roll of black-and-white film.

  montage (mon-TAZH), noun

  From the French meaning “a mounting,” a montage is a variety of visuals—photographs, film clips, etc.—brought together to present an idea. In essence, a montage is a video collage.

  The documentary’s excellent use of MONTAGE really brought to life the triumphs and heartbreaks of World War II.

  moribund (MORE-uh-bund), adjective

  About to die. Moribund means, literally, “bound toward death.”

  The Confederacy lay in ruins, its currency worthless, its capital desecrated, its once proud fighting force MORIBUND.

  morose (muh-ROCE), adjective

  Frightening or gloomy. Morose refers to that which is melancholy or sullen in spirit.

  Carl knew his company was headed for bankruptcy; he spent several long MOROSE nights alone staring silently at the accounting ledger.

  multifaceted (mul-tee-FASS-ih-tid), adjective

  Possessing many facets or dimensions. Someone who has many talents is multifaceted.

  Joan, a MULTIFACETED writer, had published poems, essays, and novels.

  muse (myooz), verb

  To meditate (about a topic). To muse over something is to consider it closely.

  Phyllis MUSED over the advertising campaign for some days before finally approving it.

  mutable (MYOO-tuh-bull), adjective

  Unstable and likely to change at a moment’s notice.

  Barb’s fashion sense is completely MUTABLE. One day she’s in polka dots, the next in stripes, the next in imitation zebra skin.

  myriad (MEER-ee-ud), adjective

  Innumerable. To say there are myriad reasons to do something is to say there are too many to list.

  Edward’s responsibilities were MYRIAD, but his authority was almost nonexistent.

  nascent (NAY-sunt), adjective

  Emerging. Nascent refers to something’s early stages of coming into existence.

  The NASCENT republic had few if any established democratic traditions.

  nebulous (NEB-yuh-luss), adjective

  Cloudy; vague.

  Every time Claudia tried to ask Philip about his intentions or the future of their relationship, he gave a NEBULOUS reply and changed the subject.

  negate (nih-GATE), verb

  To cause to be ineffectual; to deny.

  I imagine that double hot fudge sundae I ate completely NEGATED the effects of my morning exercises.

  neophyte (NEE-uh-fite), noun

  A recent convert. Neophyte often refers to someone whose newfound zeal is not balanced by experience.

  Jane, a relative NEOPHYTE, found little warmth in her discussions with the other, more knowledgeable members of the group.

  nettle (NET-uhl), verb

  A nettle is a plant covered with stinging hairs. Thus, when used as a verb, nettle means to provoke, irritate, or annoy.

  Lynn’s irksome comments never fail to NETTLE me.

  nondescript (non-duh-SKRIPT), adjective

  Not having a particularly distinctive or interesting appearance; hard to describe.

  With all the cars on the lot to choose from, Peggy went and picked a NONDESCRIPT grey sedan.

  nonentity (non-EN-ti-tee), noun

  Something that does not exist. A nonentity is a vacuum or a purely imaginary thing. Nonentity is sometimes used insultingly to describe a person of little importance.

  You may safely regard this clause of the contract as a NONENTITY; it is obsolete and completely unenforceable.

  nonpareil (non-puh-RELL), noun

  A person without parallel or equal. Nonpareil can also mean “a flat chocolate covered with colored sugar.”

  Frank is hardly the NONPAREIL as a mystery writer he makes himself out to be.

  nonpartisan (non-PAR-tih-zun), adjective

  Not a member of a party (political group) or association; unbiased.

  Although the commission was supposed to be NONPARTISAN, Martin knew for a fact that three of the members were dyed-in-the-wool Democrats who would never vote against the interests of their party.

  obeisance (oh-BAY-suhnts), noun

  A movement, such as a bow, that shows respect for someone else. Most of the time, this word is used negatively, to indicate that one believes someone is acting like a sycophant or toady.

  The OBEISANCE Max shows Mr. Jenkins is just revolting.

  obfuscate (OB-fuss-kate), verb

  To muddy or confuse an issue. Someone who obfuscates makes every effort to muddle facts important to someone else’s judgment or decision.

  The defense has put up with enough of these attempts to OBFUSCATE, Your Honor.

  obsolescence (ob-suh-LESS-unce), noun

  The state or condition of becoming outdated. Planned obsolescence is the deliberate “underdesigning” of products or systems; the items are meant to wear out sooner than they might in order to make way for new items to fulfill essentially the same function.

  The farm machinery’s OBSOLESCENCE was now hard for even Grandpa to deny.

  oeuvre (OO-vruh), noun

  From the French meaning “work,” an oeuvre is an artist’s, writer’s, or composer’s body of work, treated as a whole.

  The film was not appreciated for many years because it seemed so separate from the director’s usual OEUVRE.

  ogle (OH-gul), verb

  To watch intently; to gaze at lasciviously.

  Bryan’s idea of an afternoon well spent was lounging around the beach OGLING women twenty years too young for him.

  omnibus (OHM-nih-bus), noun

  Something that covers many areas or subjects; also, a bus.

  The OMNIBUS law passed shortly after the publication of Sinclair’s The Jungle was meant to assure consumers that blatant violat
ions of basic health and quality standards would never again be seen in the food industry.

  omnidirectional (om-nee-duh-REK-shun-ul), adjective

  Capable of receiving or transmitting from every direction.

  Agent Warren hid a tiny OMNIDIRECTIONAL microphone in the suspected drug smuggler’s hotel room.

  onomatopoeia (on-uh-mot-uh-PEE-uh), noun

  The development of a word whose pronunciation imitates its main reference. The words “splat” and “buzz,” for instance, are examples of onomatopoeia.

  Over the centuries, the process of ONOMATOPOEIA has become an accepted part of the English language.

  opacity (oh-PASS-ih-tee), adjective

  Degree of imperviousness to light; level of opaqueness.

  The paper was of a very low OPACITY, nearly transparent.

  operatic (op-uh-RAT-ik), adjective

  Relating to or reminiscent of the opera; overly dramatic or difficult to believe.

  I’m afraid my family’s conflict style tends to be a little OPERATIC at times.

  orator (ORE-uh-tur), noun

  A gifted and persuasive professional public speaker.

  Don’s encyclopedic knowledge of the topic, combined with his ability as an ORATOR, made him the odds-on favorite to win the debate.

  orgiastic (ore-jee-ASS-tick), adjective

  Reminiscent of or pertaining to an orgy; likely to elicit extremely intense emotions.

  When the doors opened the shoppers streamed into the store in an ORGIASTIC frenzy, hurrying to find the sale’s best bargains.

  orifice (ORE-ih-fiss), noun

  An opening in the body.

  The ORIFICE Prince Hamlet makes the Player King select as the receptacle for poison, his victim’s ear, recalls the method Claudius used in killing Hamlet’s father.

  oscillate (OSS-ih-late), verb

  To sway back and forth; vacillate.

  My two-year-old nephew was mesmerized by the fishtank, with its colorful fish, OSCILLATING plants, and soft lighting.

  ostensibly (uh-STEN-sib-lee), adverb

  Seemingly; as represented. A reason ostensibly given for taking an action is the reason that, to all intents and purposes, one would associate with motivating the act.

  He was OSTENSIBLY visiting the city on business; no one was aware of his espionage activities.

  overweening (OH-ver-WEEN-ing), adjective

  Overconfident, proud, arrogant.

  Even after losing the race, the athlete retained her OVERWEENING manner.