by David Olsen
litigious (lih-TIJ-us), adjective
Overly inclined to engage in lawsuits. Litigious can also mean “of or pertaining to litigation.”
Mr. Green, a LITIGIOUS businessman in our town, once had seven cases pending at the same time.
lout (lowt), noun
A clumsy, stupid, bumbling, moronic individual.
If you would stop acting like a LOUT, Walter, you’ d get a date once in a while.
lowbrow (LOE-brow), adjective
Uncultured; unsophisticated.
Earl’s LOWBROW humor may have been fine for his fellow mechanics down at the garage, but his wife did not consider her bridge companions the proper audience for such remarks.
lummox (LUM-ox), noun
A dim-witted and awkward person; an oaf.
Sherman had a heart of gold, but when it came to social etiquette, he was something of a LUMMOX.
lupine (LOO-pine), adjective
Describes someone who acts like a wolf in that he or she is savage and predatory.
Sid’s LUPINE behavior makes you feel like you should go home and take a shower after you’ve been around him for a little while.
maladroit (mal-uh-DROIT), adjective
Clumsy; uncoordinated.
Having earned a reputation as the most MALADROIT member of the family, Ernie came in for a lot of teasing when he announced his plans to take up figure skating.
malfeasance (mal-FEE-zunce), noun
An instance of breaking the law or otherwise engaging in wrongdoing, particularly with regard to the acts of a public official.
The D.A.’s much-publicized MALFEASANCE during the Cooper case—concealing evidence and manipulating testimony—ended up ruining his political career.
malicious (muh-LISH-uss), adjective
Spitefully mean; evil; bad in intent.
Fred said his comments were all intended as constructive criticism, but I detected a MALICIOUS note in some of his suggestions.
malign (muh-LINE), verb
To defame; to besmirch (the reputation of).
The much-MALIGNED team owner’s decision to trade his star quarterback turned out to be one of the best moves he ever made.
martyrdom (MAR-ter-dum), noun
The condition of having suffered death as a martyr. A person who has attained martyrdom has died or been killed for a principle or cause, and has come to be regarded with reverence by others as a result.
Many say that John Brown’s MARTYRDOM served his cause more effectively than anything he did at Harper’s Ferry.
megalomania (meg-uh-lo-MAY-nee-uh), noun
Delusions of wealth and/or power. Literally, megalomania is a psychopathological condition in which a person is obsessed with fantasies of riches or authority. The word is also used to describe people whose ambitions and sense of self-importance are overblown.
Some have interpreted the tycoon’s purchase of the old castle as an uncharacteristically bad real estate deal; I see it as pure MEGALOMANIA.
messianic (mess-ee-AN-ick), adjective
With a capital letter, a Messiah is the expected deliverer of the Jewish people. A lower-case “messiah” is someone expected to deliver a situation or organization from ruin. The adjective form, “messianic,” often is used negatively, to describe someone with a mercenary or inflated view of his or her importance.
I’m sickened by the MESSIANIC zeal with which Irene tackles her duties as head of the neighborhood association.
migraine (MIE-grane), noun
An excruciating headache, caused by expanding capillaries, that occurs on one (usually the left) side of the head, and causes the sufferer nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light.
As a treatment for my MIGRAINES, the doctor gave me a new prescription, suggesting I take two tablets and lie down in a very dark room whenever I felt one coming on.
mildew (MIL-doo), noun
A pungent, fungus-like coating forming on paint, cloth, carpet, etc., as a result of excessive exposure to moisture.
I remembered too late that I had left my favorite sweater in the washer; after a week of sitting damp in the machine, it stank of MILDEW.
misanthrope (MISS-un-thrope), noun
One who hates mankind or people; a person who expects only the worst in his dealings with others.
In the course of a single night, Scrooge undergoes a remarkable transformation from MISANTHROPE to enlightened benefactor.
misanthropy (miss-ANN-thruh-pee), noun
Hatred of mankind. Misanthropy refers to contempt for the human race.
Scrooge’s MISANTHROPY was to end that Christmas Eve.
misogyny (my-SOJ-uh-nee), noun
Hatred of women. Someone who holds a bitter contempt for all women practices misogyny.
Rousseau’s prejudices against women frequently cross the line and harden into outright misogyny.
mononucleosis (mon-oh-noo-klee-OH-siss), noun
An infectious illness caused by an increase of mononuclear leukocytes in the blood, and characterized by extremely swollen glands, a sore throat, and exhaustion.
Erika’s MONONUCLEOSIS caused her to miss nearly two months of school.
mossback (MAWSS-back), noun
A person with outdated values and beliefs, especially someone who tries to foist those beliefs and values onto others.
Far from being a MOSSBACK, my grandfather remains committed to new ideas.
mulct (muhlkt), verb
To get something from someone else by swindling him or her.
The grifter MULCTED ten bucks from the unsuspecting couple.
mulish (MYOO-lish), adjective
Describes someone who acts like a mule: stubborn, intractable, etc.
If you were any more MULISH about making compromises, Trevor, you’ d grow long ears!
myopic (my-AHP-ick), adjective
This technical term for nearsightedness has come to mean, more broadly, narrow-mindedness or short-sightedness in one’s views.
Your MYOPIC views will win you few votes during the election, senator.
napalm (NAY-pom), noun
A type of burning plastic used as a weapon in military conflicts. Napalm is disfiguring and excruciatingly painful.
The United States used NAPALM extensively during the Vietnam War.
natter (NA-tuhr), verb
To talk mindlessly and at length.
The old guy started NATTERING so much that I wished I hadn’t stopped and asked him for directions.
nefarious (nih-FARE-ee-uss), adjective
Openly evil; wicked.
The NEFARIOUS Darth Vader serves as the unforgettable villain of George Lucas’s Star Wars.
nepotism (NEP-uh-tiz-um), noun
The practice of favoring relatives.
The company practiced shameless NEPOTISM, regularly passing up qualified applicants and hiring the underqualified sons, daughters, and cousins of board members.
niggardly (NIG-urd-lee), adjective
Stingy. Niggardly refers to an unwillingness to give, share, or spend.
The NIGGARDLY merchant turned the begging man away with an impatient wave of the hand.
nihilism (NIE-uh-liz-im), noun
The belief that life is meaningless.
A profound NIHILISM seems to have fallen over the poet during the last six months she spent in London; her letters to her mother indicate a severe depression.
obstreperous (ob-STREP-er-us), adjective
Uncontrollably aggressive; defiant, boisterous.
Before announcing the plan for massive layoffs to his workers, the boss hired an extra security force to prevent certain OBSTREPEROUS persons from inciting a riot.
odious (OH-dee-us), adjective
Abhorrent. Something that stirs disgust or hatred could be said to be odious.
Such ODIOUS sentiments of racial prejudice have no place in this company.
off-color (off-KUH-lur), adjective
Questionable in taste or propriety; distaste
ful.
The comedienne was talented, but her frequent use of OFF-COLOR remarks kept her from getting bookings on network television shows.
onerous (OWE-nur-uss), adjective
Troublesome and burdensome. Something that entails a heavy obligation might be considered onerous.
This contract—a thoroughly one-sided agreement—is perhaps the most ONEROUS document I have ever seen.
ophidian (oh-FIDD-ee-un), adjective
Describes snakes or something snake-like. More broadly, it can be used as a “nice”
way to call someone dishonest or mean-spirited.
The lawyer’s OPHIDIAN eyes made me second-guess myself with every question he asked.
ornery (ORE-nuh-ree), adjective
Stubborn or unyielding; inclined toward obstinate behavior.
Grandma insists that Grandpa was an easygoing fellow in his youth, but since their move from the country he has become quite ORNERY.
osteoporosis (oss-tee-oh-puh-ROE-sis), noun
A condition of fragile, brittle bones, particularly common in women of advanced age.
The doctor advised all of his female patients over fifty to make sure they took in plenty of calcium as a precaution against OSTEOPOROSIS.
ostracize (OSS-truh-size), verb
To exclude or banish. To ostracize someone is to exclude him from a social circle.
Desmond was OSTRACIZED from the group after the negative publicity his mother received.
otiose (OH-she-oass), adjective
Useless, ineffective, or idle due to laziness.
You’re never going to lose weight, Janine, if you don’t change your OTIOSE lifestlye.
parasitic (pair-uh-SIT-ick), adjective
Describes something or—more often—someone who acts like a parasite and lives off of another while doing little if anything useful.
My PARASITIC brother-in-law said he was just going to stay with us until he got back on his feet, but he’s been sitting around on our couch for nearly a month now!
pariah (puh-RIE-uh), noun
An outcast; one who is shunned, avoided, or despised.
After his firing, Milton had the nerve to show up unannounced at the company picnic, then seemed surprised when he was treated as a PARIAH.
passé (pass-SAY), adjective
No longer fashionable or current.
Marge’s insistence that platform shoes were PASSÉ led me to believe that she hadn’t been keeping up with fashion trends.
patsy (PAT-see), noun
Someone who is set up to take the blame of a crime or wrongdoing; one who is framed.
Although conspiracy theorists have seized on Lee Oswald’s description of himself as a PATSY, other observers remain unconvinced that he acted as part of an organized plot to kill President Kennedy.
peculate (PECK-you-late), verb
To steal something, such as public funds, that has been entrusted to one’s care.
The city manager lost his job and was arrested after PECULATING funds set aside for employee retirement.
pedant (PED-unt), noun
A person who displays learning inappropriately or excessively; also, someone who focuses too narrowly on rules and minor details.
Don’t get Roland started on Shakespearean tragedy; he’s a shameless PEDANT who’ ll dominate an entire lunch hour’s discussion with observations on the time problem in Othello.
pedantic (puh-DAN-tik), adjective
Intellectually showy or overblown. A pedant is a person who makes a great display of knowledge; to be pedantic is to act in this way. Pedantic can also mean “overly concerned with formal rules.”
I found James’s PEDANTIC manner quite condescending.
penury (PEN-you-ree), noun
Extreme poverty.
Not many of us would be willing to exchange our lot in life for the simple life of PENURY taken on by these monks.
perjure (PURR-jer), verb
To lie or give false and misleading testimony. To perjure oneself is to commit the crime of testifying to something one knows is untrue.
Although Mr. Frattori was not convicted on the main charges he faced, he may serve time in prison for having PERJURED himself during the trial.
perjury (PUR-juh-ree), noun
To lie purposely while under oath.
Rather than risk PERJURY charges by lying to the Senate committee, the witness was advised to refuse to answer questions pertaining to his activities in Central America.
pernicious (pur-NISH-uss), adjective
Harmful or destructive in nature.
Although the pesticide in question does safely prevent wheat from being ravaged by insects when used alone, environmentalists argue that it is PERNICIOUS—even lethal—when combined with other common farm compounds.
pettifoggery (pet-ee-FOG-er-ee), noun
Petty dishonesty or trickery.
“Let’s put all this PETTIFOGGERY behind us,” said Mr. Powers, “and start dealing with each other in a more straightforward manner.”
petty (PET-ee), adjective
Describes something small and trifling, and petty often is used in a negative way, to suggest that someone is being small-minded and mean.
“I still can’t believe our relationship ended over such a PETTY argument,” Stewart said.
philander (fi-LAN-der), verb
To engage in amorous flirtations or exploits with someone who one cannot or does not intend to marry. Philander is used in reference to the sexual habits of men, not women.
These accusations of PHILANDERING, whether based in fact or not, have little to do with the question of whether the candidate will serve our state well in the United States Senate.
pilfer (PIL-fer), verb
To take without authorization or permission; to steal.
I had a feeling the tickets Wayne was trying to sell me had been PILFERED from someone, but he assured me that was not the case.
polygamy (puh-LIG-uh-mee), noun
The societal practice of having more than one spouse (especially, more than one wife) at a time.
The sect’s advocacy of POLYGAMY and group parenting eventually brought it into bitter conflict with the stern-minded townsfolk of Harris Hollow.
polygraph (POL-ee-graff), noun
A machine used in lie detection that indicates changes in pulse, perspiration, blood pressure, and respiration.
After the suspect passed a series of POLYGRAPH tests, police formally dropped some of the charges.
pompous (POM-puss), adjective
Pretentious; overblown; self-important.
The food was good and the service was prompt, but our waiter’s POMPOUS air and unceasing sneer made me consider leaving a single penny as a tip.
prate (prayt), verb
To talk at length in a pointless manner.
As her blind date continued to PRATE about his former girlfriends, Lydia considered jumping out of the moving car to get away from the guy.
prodigal (PROD-ih-gul), adjective
Extravagant or wasteful; imprudent.
Helen’s PRODIGAL spending habits were well known to the family, and were one of the main reasons they fought her bid to take over the business.
profligate (PROFF-lih-git), adjective
Shamelessly immoral. Profligate can also mean extravagantly or recklessly wasteful.
Cedric abandoned his PROFLIGATE ways and decided it was time to live life along the straight and narrow.
promiscuity (prom-ih-SKYOO-ih-tee), noun
Indiscriminate choice of sexual partners. A promiscuity can also be an instance of promiscuous sex.
The comparatively tolerant attitude toward the PROMISCUITY of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s changed dramatically with the onset of the AIDS crisis.
provincial (pruh-VIN-shull), adjective
Describes people with narrow-minded, unsophisticated attitudes, such as those considered to originate in provinces.
After moving to Manhattan from a small
town, Phyllis quickly left behind her PROVINCIAL tastes.
psoriasis (suh-RIE-uh-suss), noun
A chronic skin disease causing the skin to become covered with red patches and white scales.
Emmett treated his first bout of PSORIASIS by applying copious amounts of moisturizer, but it did no good.
puerile (PYOO-ur-ul), adjective
Juvenile. Puerile derives from a Latin word meaning “boyish.”
Such PUERILE babbling is not fit to be printed in the Letters section of this newspaper.
pugnacious (pug-NAY-shuss), adjective
Prone to quarrels or fights. A pugnacious person is one who is given to conflict or dispute.
Aaron’s PUGNACIOUS attitude is the reason he is involved in so many arguments.
purloin (PURR-loin), verb
To steal or to take by dishonest means.
Bobby PURLOINED almost all the contents of his dad’s change jar before being discovered.
putrid (PYOO-trid), adjective
Rotten . . . either in terms of vegetables OR in terms of behavior.
Vivian’s PUTRID, drunken antics got us thrown out of the fancy French restaurant.
pyromaniac (pye-roe-MAY-nee-ak), noun
One who compulsively sets fires.
Police believe that the blaze is not the work of an arsonist out for commercial gain, as was initially suspected, but the art of a PYROMANIAC.
quarantine (KWOR-un-teen), verb
To set apart; to isolate from others in order to prevent the spread of disease.
An elementary knowledge of public health procedures would have led you to QUARANTINE this area immediately, Dr. Miller.
querulous (KWER-uh-luss), adjective
Given to complaining. Someone who makes peevish complaints is querulous.
Adrienne, a QUERULOUS young woman, complained about all her problems during lunch hours at work.
regime (ruh-ZHEEM), noun
A government or ruling system in power. Regime tends to have a negative connotation.
The fascist REGIME was toppled by freedom fighters.
regurgitate (rih-GURJ-ih-tate), verb
To vomit; to cast (something) back again.
Frankly, the prospect of working all night on the project made me want to REGURGITATE, but the deadline was near and it had to be met.
renege (ri-NEG), verb
To go back (on one’s word). Someone who breaks a promise or commitment reneges on an agreement.