The Big Book of Words You Should Know

by David Olsen

  Everett’s BOORISH behavior at the party was completely out of character for him.

  brassy (BRASS-ee), adjective

  Brazen; cheap or showy. Brassy can also refer to a bold, outgoing nature.

  The promotional campaign struck a BRASSY, daring tone that instantly won consumer attention.

  bromidic (bro-MID-ick), adjective

  Trite and commonplace.

  The marketing executive groaned as one BROMIDIC ad campaign after another crossed her desk.

  bulimia (buh-LEE-mee-uh), noun

  An eating disorder in which sufferers alternately binge, then purge, forcing themselves to vomit.

  The faculty health center featured a nurse with special training in dealing with BULIMIA and other eating disorders.

  bureaucracy (byoo-ROK-ruh-see), noun

  The concentration of power and authority in administrative bodies. Also: an administrative body. Bureaucracy is often characterized by adherence to routine and lack of innovation.

  As the company grew, the entrenched BUREAUCRACIES in the accounting and finance departments gained more and more influence.

  burnout (BURN-out), noun

  A condition of fatigue, low morale, or frustration resulting from excessive stress or overwork.

  Although Leland’s family feared he would suffer BURNOUT if he continued to work fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, he seemed to be happier than anyone could remember seeing him.

  cabal (kuh-BALL), noun

  A group that meets secretly and plots to overthrow a government, religion, community, etc.

  To call that sorry splinter group of the neighborhood improvement association a CABAL is to give its members way too much credit.

  callous (KAL-uss), adjective

  Unfeeling; insensitive; hardened. (See, for comparison, the entry for callus.)

  The chauffeur couldn’t understand how Mr. Jensen could be so CALLOUS as to ride by the crowd of homeless people every day without taking the least notice of them.

  cantankerous (kan-TANG-ker-us), adjective

  Ill-tempered; grumpy.

  “You kids stay off my lawn!” our CANTANKEROUS old neighbor barked.

  capricious (kuh-PREE-shuss), adjective

  Characterized by a whimsical attitude. A person who acts impulsively or unpredictably can be said to be capricious.

  Given his CAPRICIOUS approach to life, it is not surprising that Andrew never settled into one field of employment.

  captious (KAP-shuss), adjective

  Extremely critical; likely to find fault. A person who makes many criticisms about petty matters can be said to be captious.

  Myra had shown great tolerance throughout her stay, but when Mr. Clements subjected her to a CAPTIOUS interrogation about her academic career, she decided to leave.

  carbuncle (KAR-bunk-uhl), noun

  A painful inflammation of the skin similar to, but more serious than, a boil.

  Jimmy’s inventive excuses for his absences reached a new level when he told his teacher he had been unable to attend Spanish class because of a CARBUNCLE.

  carcinogen (kar-SIN-uh-gen), noun

  An agent that causes cancer.

  When experimenting with CARCINOGENS in the lab, the technicians would always wear protective masks.

  carp (karp), verb

  It’s not just a fish! To carp is to raise picky, trivial objections.

  All the CARPING at the staff meeting kept anything substantive from being done.

  celibacy (SELL-ih-bus-see), noun

  The quality of being chaste; the act of abstaining from sexual activity. For instance, someone who remains unmarried in order to follow a religious calling is said to commit to a lifestyle of celibacy.

  Although he took Holy Orders, David eventually found that he could not live a life of CELIBACY and left the priesthood.

  censorious (sen-SOR-ee-us), adjective

  Critical; easily finding fault.

  When it came to grading term papers, Mrs. Edwards was seen by many as overly CENSORIOUS, even taking off points for using a paper clip instead of a staple.

  charlatan (SHAR-luh-tun), noun

  A fake or humbug. A charlatan falsely claims to possess a given level of status, skills, or knowledge.

  The defendant, it has been claimed, is a CHARLATAN and a liar—but where is the evidence for this?

  chemotherapy (kee-mo-THARE-uh-pee), noun

  The treatment of disease by means of administering chemicals that have a toxic effect on the microorganisms that cause the disease, or that can destroy a body’s cancerous cells.

  The doctors warned Amelia that the CHEMOTHERAPY she was about to undergo would not be without side effects.

  chicanery (shih-KAIN-uh-ree), noun

  Cheating or deception, especially through the use of language.

  The way the candidate consistently quibbled about the precise meaning of his statements made me feel he was guilty of CHICANERY.

  chintzy (CHINT-see), adjective

  Considered cheap, tacky, or of low quality.

  Angela insisted on wearing a CHINTZY leopard-skin jumpsuit and high heels to the company Christmas party.

  churlish (CHUR-lish), adjective

  Ill-bred; boorish.

  When he started drinking soup noisily straight from the bowl, Beverly decided she had seen enough of her blind date’s CHURLISH behavior.

  coarse (koarss), adjective

  Clumsy and crude, lacking in social graces. Also, describes fabric that is rough to the touch.

  Ron’s COARSE manner is sure to get him caught in a sexual harassment suit.

  cocksure (KAHK-sure), adjective

  Extremely, swaggeringly confident . . . probably overconfident.

  Steve always acts like the COCKSURE man-about-town just because his uncle is the mayor.

  conspiracy (kun-SPEER-uh-see), noun

  A treacherous plan involving two or more persons.

  Your contention that Lyndon Johnson was part of a CONSPIRACY to assassinate President Kennedy amounts to what, in an earlier day, would have been called seditious libel, Mr. Oliver.

  contemptuous (kun-TEMP-choo-us), adjective

  Feeling disdain or scorn. A contemptuous act is one that flies in the face of established procedures or traditions.

  The defendant’s CONTEMPTUOUS behavior on the stand was, amazingly, overlooked by the judge.

  contentious (kuhn-TEN-chuss), adjective

  Argumentative, characterized by being prone to disputes and controversy.

  I walked away when the discussion heated up and got too CONTENTIOUS.

  contraband (KAHN-truh-band), noun

  Illegal or prohibited goods.

  Jean tried to smuggle a tape recorder into the concert, but her CONTRABAND was quickly discovered and taken from her.

  contretemps (KAHN-truh-tah), noun

  This French word means an embarrassing and inopportune occurrence.

  I really would have preferred to avoid that CONTRETEMPS with my wife while her parents were at our house.

  covetous (KUHV-ih-tuss), adjective

  Greedy and willing to go to shameless lengths to earn wealth.

  “The COVETOUS behavior of the average game show contestant makes me feel sick to my stomach,” Helen said.

  crass (krass), adjective

  Describes those who are coarse and crude in their actions and manner—and often—the language such people use.

  Will you please remember that you’re over fifty and stop being so CRASS?

  culpable (KUL-puh-bull), adjective

  Blameworthy; accountable for error or wrongdoing. Someone who is culpable is responsible for misdeed.

  After Ryan was found CULPABLE for the financial mismanagement at his firm, he was forced to resign.

  cupidity (kyoo-PID-ih-tee), noun

  Greed; extreme desire for wealth. One who is obsessed with acquiring money shows cupidity.

  Paul’s CUPIDITY led to much unhappiness and sorro
w in later life, though his wealth was not to be denied.

  dearth (durrth), noun

  An inadequate supply, especially one that leads to a catastrophic event.

  The DEARTH of rice worldwide has sparked fears of a global famine.

  debacle (dih-BA-kull), noun

  Utter collapse or rout. A debacle is a complete (often ludicrous) failure. The word originally referred to collapsing sheets of river ice.

  The initiative seemed promising enough, but turned out to be another of George’s DEBACLES.

  debase (dih-BASE), verb

  To lower in value.

  Once I lost its back bumper and crunched in its rear quarterpanel, my car was so DEBASED I practically had to give it away.

  debauchery (dih-BOCH-er-ee), noun

  Licentiousness; overindulgent sexual expression. To accuse someone of debauchery is to say that person is intemperate and immoral with regard to indulgence in physical pleasures.

  DeSade’s critics claimed they had only to consult his writings for evidence of his own DEBAUCHERY.

  decadence (DEK-uh-dunce), noun

  Characterized by declining moral standards. Decadence can refer to the declining standards of a nation, a period of time, or an individual.

  After six months on the prairie, Clyde found it difficult to return to what he saw as the DECADENCE of city life.

  decapitate (dee-KAP-ih-tate), verb

  To remove the head of.

  Although the guillotine was initially proposed as a humane method of execution, the idea of using a machine to DECAPITATE criminals now strikes most people as barbaric.

  decrepit (di-KREP-it), adjective

  Enfeebled, as by old age. Decrepit can refer to a weakened person, or to an object or idea that is past its prime.

  The car’s DECREPIT appearance was deceiving; Colin found it capable of 75 mph on the highway, and it got very good mileage.

  deface (dih-FACE), verb

  To disfigure or damage.

  It breaks my heart to see the old stone bridge, my one unchanging companion from boyhood, DEFACED with the spray painted grumblings of drunken teenagers.

  defamation (def-uh-MAY-shun), noun

  False, baseless attack on a person’s or group’s reputation. To defame is to disgrace; defamation is the act of defaming.

  After the last of the Journal’s articles on her, Virginia decided she had put up with enough DEFAMATION and decided to sue.

  defeatist (dih-FEET-ist), adjective

  Accepting defeat as an unavoidable consequence of life; pessimistic.

  Sheldon’s DEFEATIST attitude led Monica, his supervisor, to wonder whether he would ever complete the project he was working on.

  defile (dih-FILE), verb

  To pollute; to corrupt or make unclean.

  The river that only a few years ago ran clean and clear is now DEFILED with a witches’ brew of chemicals, thanks to the new tanning plant.

  delinquent (dih-LINK-went), adjective and noun

  Describes someone who—or some group that—offends due to the violation of laws. Also, delinquent describes a payment that is overdue.

  Carl’s drawer full of unpaid parking tickets has caused the local police to label him a DELINQUENT.

  demagogue (DEM-uh-gog), noun

  An individual (usually a politician or other leader) who gains power by appealing to the emotions and passions of the people, especially by means of inflamed speech. Demagogues often address complicated issues by suggesting simplistic measures that appeal to public prejudice or misconception.

  The senator’s aides honestly believed that they had agreed to go to work for a statesman, but saw now that they were furthering the ambitions of a DEMAGOGUE.

  depraved (duh-PRAVED), adjective

  Describes someone whose conduct or actions deviate considerably from what most believe is acceptable or morally right.

  I knew I needed to stop dating Jared immediately when I saw that all the books on his shelves concerned the lives of DEPRAVED murderers.

  depravity (dih-PRAV-ih-tee), noun

  Corruption, moral reprehensibility. Someone who corrupts something or introduces wickedness to it commits depravity.

  The DEPRAVITY of those years is still summoned up with reverence by some of our more naive writers.

  dereliction (dare-uh-LIK-shun), noun

  Willful neglect; shirking of responsibility. Dereliction is the knowing failure to perform one’s duty.

  The sergeant’s inaction that night led to troubling accusations of DERELICTION of duty.

  deride (dih-RIDE), verb

  To ridicule with cruelty; to laugh at and make fun of.

  His classmates DERIDED Joe for wearing argyle socks to the prom.

  derogatory (dih-ROG-uh-tore-ee), adjective

  Tending to lessen or impair someone or something; disparaging and negative.

  Butch’s DEROGATORY remarks about my girlfriend were meant to goad me into a fight, but I was determined to keep my cool.

  desecrate (DESS-ih-krate), verb

  To abuse the sacred character of a thing. Those who write lewd sayings on a church wall, for instance, desecrate the church.

  Such profane language from our organization’s current leader serves only to DESECRATE the memory of the founder.

  despotism (DESS-po-tiz-um), noun

  Authoritarian rule. Despotism is a system where one dominant figure exercises complete power.

  It was not until some years after the revolution began that the General’s DESPOTISM passed into history.

  diabolical (die-uh-BOL-ih-kul), adjective

  Devilish, evil. Something diabolical is considered to be wicked or cruel.

  The terrorists, the papers claimed, had a DIABOLICAL agenda.

  dilettante (DIL-uh-tont), noun

  Someone with only an amateurish or aimless interest in a subject or discipline.

  A man who cultivates a superficial knowledge of modern art solely to impress others, for instance, might be called a dilettante.

  The cafe was once a meeting-place for struggling artists and poets of genuine talent, but by 1970 it was nothing more than a swamp of DILETTANTES.

  disconsolate (dis-KON-suh-lut), adjective

  Beyond consolation; unable to be comforted; deep in grief or sorrow.

  Jamie was DISCONSOLATE after missing what should have been the game-winning field goal.

  discordant (dis-KOR-dunt), adjective

  Conflicting; lacking in harmony.

  I find that composer’s DISCORDANT style difficult to listen to.

  disenfranchise (diss-in-FRAN-chize), verb

  To take away someone’s right to vote or to deprive someone of legal rights or privileges.

  By changing the bylaws, the city council effectively DISENFRANCHISED residents who lived near the city’s urban core.

  dissemble (diss-SEM-bul), verb

  To act with an insincere or disguised motive.

  Although many on the committee were convinced that the undersecretary was DISSEMBLING about how much he knew of rebel activities, there was no hard proof to support this view.

  diuretic (die-er-ET-ik), noun

  Tending to increase urination; a drug that causes this increase.

  After being admitted to the clinic for anorexia, Danielle told the doctors how she had used amphetamines and DIURETICS to speed her weight loss.

  dowdy (DOW-dee), adjective

  Lacking stylishness, most likely because one is dressed in a prim, out-of-date manner.

  After my grandmother retired, she dropped her DOWDY pantsuits and began to wear skirts and shoulder-exposing blouses.

  dregs (dreggs), noun

  Literally, the (sediment-bearing) contents of the bottom of a nearly empty container of wine, coffee, or the like; also, something or someone perceived as worthless or as the last and least appealing in a series of choices.

  Though many in her town looked on ex-convicts as the DREGS of society, it was Debbie’s job as a
social worker to try to rehabilitate everyone who came through her door, regardless of past history.

  dun (dunn), verb

  To torment, especially to torment someone because he or she has not paid a bill.

  Alan declared bankruptcy to stop being DUNNED by numerous creditors.

  duplicity (doo-PLISS-ih-tee), noun

  Trickery; two-facedness; purposeful deceptiveness.

  Officer Wilkins began to suspect his informant of DUPLICITY, and wondered whether she was leading him into a trap.

  dysfunctional (diss-FUNK-shun-uhl), adjective

  Characterized by not working properly.

  Charlie always blames his rotten behavior on being the product of a DYSFUNCTIONAL family.

  dyspeptic (diss-PEP-tick), adjective

  Dyspepsia is indigestion, so dyspeptic can describe something—such as certain foods—that causes dyspepsia, or it describes someone who is irritable as though suffering from dyspepsia.

  No wonder Fred can’t get a girlfriend. His DYSPEPTIC temperament drives all potential mates away.

  eczema (EG-zuh-muh), noun

  An inflammatory skin condition, characterized by red, itching skin that erupts into lesions that later become scaly, hard, and crusty.

  The skin cleanser Noxzema was named after its supposed ability to “ knock ECZEMA.”

  effete (uh-FEET), adjective

  Lacking robust vitality; sterile; without force. Effete originally meant exhausted from the labors of childbirth, but is rarely if ever used in that context today.

  Thomas was labeled an EFFETE snob by some, but Jane had seen him work miracles in the office through pure concentration of effort and solid teamwork.

  egocentric (ee-go-SEN-trik), adjective

  Selfish; tending toward the belief that one’s own existence is all-important. An egocentric person places his interests above those of all others.

  His was a strange and EGOCENTRIC way of life that had no place for a mate.

  embezzle (im-BEZ-ul), verb

  To appropriate funds for oneself that were placed in one’s care for another party.

  Bill had always seemed to be a model employee, so the news that he had been EMBEZZLING money from the company for some years came as a complete shock to us all.

  ethnocentricity (eth-no-sen-TRISS-ih-tee), noun

  The belief that cultures different from one’s own are inherently inferior.

  The Nazis displayed a monstrous ETHNOCENTRICITY, to be sure, but they were also pragmatic enough to know when an alliance with the Japanese served their interests.