by Bobbi Bly
recriminate (rih-KRIM-uh-nayt), verb
To bring up accusations against someone who has accused you.
After Natasha was snubbed by us for blabbing to the gossip pages, she RECRIMINATED by pointing out that some of us had leaked gossip ourselves.
rectitude (REHK-ti-tood), noun
Moral virtue; rightness.
“The mind that’s conscious of its RECTITUDE, / Laughs at the lies of rumor.” – Ovid, Roman poet
recumbent (rih-KUHM-bent), adjective
Inactive, idle; lying down.
During our Italian cruise, we spent most of our time RECUMBENT on the bow of the yacht, soaking up the sun’s rays.
recursive (ree-KURSS-iv), adjective
Pertaining to a process in which each step makes use of the results of the earlier steps.
The study of mathematics is a RECURSIVE learning experience.
redact (re-DAKT), verb
To edit a comment, thought, or written document before going public with it.
“You may want to REDACT your opinion on your opponent’s health care policies,” his campaign manager warned him.
redolent (RED-oh-lent), adjective
An object possessing a rich scent or alluring aroma, or a situation with a hint or promise of rich possibilities.
Her rose garden was REDOLENT with the perfume of a thousand flowers.
redoubtable (rih-DOW-tuh-bull), adjective
The quality of being a formidable opponent.
Michael’s REDOUBTABLE nature made him a successful negotiator and trial attorney.
reflexive (reh-FLEK-siv), adjective
Something that happens through reflex rather than deliberate choice or effort.
We don’t mean to act imperiously toward the nouveau riche; it’s just a REFLEXIVE and conditioned response.
refulgent (rih-FUHL-jent), adjective
Radiant, gleaming; shining brightly.
When Anastasia moved her bejeweled hand while lounging in the midday sunshine, her sparkling diamonds were REFULGENT.
rejoinder (rih-JOIN-der), noun
A clever or witty reply to a question or comment.
Lydia’s often catty REJOINDERS quickly made her the bane of our group.
remiss (rih-miss), adjective
Negligent or careless.
Our servants know that if they ever are REMISS in their duties, then we will quickly fire them.
remittance (ree-MITT-inss), noun
A payment for goods or services purchased on credit.
Lacking a credit card, he made a REMITTANCE on his account online using PayPal.
remonstrate (rih-MON-strate), verb
To protest, object, or to show disapproval.
When Carlotta REMONSTRATED our snubbing of Julia, we simply began to snub Carlotta as well.
remunerate (rih-MYOO-nuh-rate), verb
To settle a debt or other financial obligation by making a payment.
Peter’s supervisor at the insurance company would do anything to avoid REMUNERATING policyholders for the claims they made.
renaissance (REN-ah-sonce), noun, adjective
A period of great learning, thinking, and creativity—in art, literature, science, economics, and philosophy.
We were so pleased by the RENAISSANCE of wealth acquisition that arose during the closing years of the twentieth century.
renunciation (ree-nun-see-AYE-shun), noun
To distance yourself from a position or belief; to publicly state a shift in ideals or position on an issue while criticizing your past stance as wrong.
“With RENUNCIATION life begins.” – Amelia E. Barr, British novelist
reparations (reh-par-AYE-shins), noun
Payments made by nations defeated in war to the victors, who impose these payments to recover from some of the costs of battle.
After World War I, REPARATIONS of 132 billion gold marks were imposed on Germany by the French.
repartee (rep-er-TAY), noun
Conversation characterized by witty banter.
Our galas and balls are always marked by delightful REPARTEE around the grand dinner table.
repertoire (REH-per-tware), noun
A library of works that a group knows and regularly performs.
The philharmonic’s REPERTOIRE includes most of the classical standards from Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and Mozart.
replete (rih-PLEET), adjective
Abundantly provided; complete.
“The highway is REPLETE with culinary land mines disguised as quaint local restaurants that carry such reassuring names as Millie’s, Pop’s and Capt’n Dick’s.” – Bryan Miller, American food critic
repose (rih-POHZ), noun
To be in a position or state of rest.
The wholesome relief, REPOSE, content; / And this bunch, pluck’d at random from myself; / It has done its work—I tossed it carelessly to fall where it may. – Walt Whitman, American poet and humanist
reprobate (REE-pro-bait), noun
A person who routinely commits illegal, immoral, or unethical acts without hesitation or remorse.
One reason that Anthony continues to be a REPROBATE is because his father, as well as his social contacts, keep bailing him out of jail.
reprove (ree-PROOV), verb
To criticize and correct others.
We found it necessary to REPROVE Elyssia for some of her questionable fashion choices.
repudiate (reh-pew-dee-AYTE), verb
To dispute an idea, decision, or belief; to distance oneself and refuse to be associated with someone or something.
We repeatedly REPUDIATED James for his assertion that Rolex watches surpass those of Cartier.
requisite (REK-wiz-it), noun or adjective
A mandatory action, requirement, or condition; or, necessary and mandatory.
Being physically fit is a REQUISITE to getting a job as a firefighter.
requite (rih-KWYTE), verb
To seek revenge for an actual or assumed wrong.
“… certain sets of human beings are very apt to maintain that other sets should give up their lives to them and their service, and then they REQUITE them by praise” – Charlotte Brönte, British novelist
rescind (ree-SINNED), verb
Take away, revoke, cancel, withdraw, remove.
Richard RESCINDED his order for a yacht, opting instead to purchase a private aircraft.
respite (RESS-pit), noun
A temporary delay from something distressing.
“Sweet Flower of Hope! free Nature’s genial child! / That didst so fair disclose thy early bloom, / Filling the wide air with a rich perfume! / For thee in vain all heavenly aspects smiled; / From the hard world brief RESPITE could they win …” – Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet
resplendent (reh-SPLEN-dent), adjective
Garbed or decorated in lush fabrics and rich, vibrant colors.
The bride was RESPLENDENT in a beaded silk gown.
restive (RESS-tihv), adjective
Impatient and stubborn.
Audrey was so worked up about her first summer abroad that her excitement came across as RESTIVE.
reticent (REH-tih-scent), adjective
Reluctance to openly express one’s thoughts, feelings, and personal business to other people; behaving like an introvert in social situations.
“The shorter poems tend to be RETICENT, psychologically acute love poems about the shifting inequalities of love.” – Edward Mendelson, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Colombia University
retinue (RET-n-oo), noun
A group of people who follow an important person either because they desire to do so or because it is their job to do so.
A Secret Service RETINUE follows the President wherever he goes, twenty-four hours a day.
retort (rih-TORT), verb, noun
To reply in a sharp, retaliatory manner.
Carl had to bite back a sharp RETORT when Sallee criticized the couture
gown his mother wore to the soiree.
retrograde (REH-trow-grayed), adjective
Reverting to an earlier state, condition, or style; harkening to an earlier time and place.
My favorite diner is decorated in a RETROGRADE art deco style.
revelry (REV-uhl-ree), noun
Boisterous festivity and merrymaking.
“Midnight shout and REVELRY, / Tipsy dance and jollity.” – John Milton, English poet
rhetoric (REH-tore-ik), noun
Artful use of language to get other people to see your point of view; making a persuasive case more through persuasive speech or writing than with actual facts and evidence.
Plato called RHETORIC “the art of ruling the minds of men.”
ribald (RIB-uld), adjective
Lewd; off-color; somewhat dirty and inappropriate.
“It is … useful to distinguish between the pornographic, condemned in every society, and the bawdy, the RIBALD, the shared vulgarities and jokes, which are the safety valves of most social systems.” – Margaret Mead, American cultural anthropologist
rife (RIFE), adjective
Prevalent, abundant, abounding.
The hotel was RIFE with tourists, so we quickly went upstairs to the penthouse.
rigmarole (RIG-muh-roll), noun
Absurdly complicated procedures and instructions; a bunch of unnecessary baloney.
The club had some value to him in business, but he quickly grew tired of all the RIGMAROLE at meetings.
riposte (rih-POST), noun
A quick, often witty or cutting, response to a comment or question.
Eileen was unable to offer one of her usual RIPOSTES when we descried her decision to eschew the season’s fashion.
risible (RIZZ-uh-bull), adjective
Capable of causing laughter due to its ludicrous nature.
Janine’s decision to summer in the Hamptons instead of on the French Riviera was deemed RISIBLE by the rest of us.
roisterers (ROY-stir-ers), noun
Partiers, celebrators, or an individual or group having a good time in a loud and boisterous manner.
The ROISTERERS’ enjoyment of the party was so infectious, their neighbors joined them instead of complaining about the noise.
roué (roo-AY), noun
A dissolute man in fashionable society; a rake.
“A pretty wife is something for the fastidious vanity of a ROUÉ to retire upon.” – Thomas Moore, Irish poet and songwriter
rubric (ROO-brick), noun
A class, category, title, or heading.
We decided to place Natasha’s ball gown under the RUBRIC of “failed fashion choices.”
rue (ROO), verb
To repent of and regret bitterly.
Elliott knew he would RUE the day that he decided to sell his Maserati, but he did so at his father’s urging.
rumination (ROO-muh-nay-shun), noun
The act of thinking about something in great detail, weighing the pros and cons over and over in your mind.
For busy people under stress, RUMINATION after going to bed is a frequent contributor to insomnia.
ruritanian (roor-ih-TAYNE-ee-in), adjective
Anything related to a romantic adventure or its environment.
The two lovers found Barbados to be a RURITANIAN paradise.
“It is natural to indulge in the
illusions of hope. We are apt to shut
our eyes to that SIREN until she
‘allures’ us to our death.”
Gertrude Stein, American author
S
sacrilegious (sack-reh-LIIH-juss), adjective
Openly insulting or disrespectful to the beliefs, religion, ideas, and practices of others—especially the ones they hold most sacred.
Bryson’s insistence that Miró is more collectible that Warhol is positively SACRILEGIOUS.
sacrosanct (SACK-roh-sankt), adjective
Beyond criticism because it is considered sacred.
“If men could get pregnant, maternity benefits would be as SACROSANCT as the G.I. Bill.” – Letty Cottin Pogrebin. American editor and writer
sagacity (suh-GASS-ih-tee), noun
Wisdom; soundness of judgment.
“Our minds are endowed by nature with such activity and SAGACITY that the soul is believed to be produced from heaven.” – Quintilian, Roman rhetorician
salacious (suh-LAY-shuss), adjective
Having an unhealthy, obsessive, or addictive interest in sex.
For weeks, the society pages were rife with SALACIOUS gossip, which turned out to originate from Mallory, who had lost her beau to Jeannette.
salient (SALE-yent), adjective
Relevant; germane; important; something that stands out and gets noticed.
The pond in the front yard is the most SALIENT feature of our new home.
salubrious (suh-LOO-bree-us), adjective
Favorable to one’s health.
After father’s asthma reasserted itself, the family began to spend more time at its Arizona compound due to the area’s dry weather, which is SALUBRIOUS toward asthmatics.
salutary (SAL-you-tar-ee), adjective
To have a soothing or healing effect; an act that helps one 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.
sanctimonious (sank-tih-MOAN-ee-us), adjective
Overbearingly self-righteous and smug in the (perhaps mistaken) belief that one’s opinion is correct, and possessing an air of moral superiority about one’s opinion.
“Not but I’ve every reason not to care / What happens to him if it only takes / Some of the SANCTIMONIOUS conceit / Out of one of those pious scalawags.” – Robert Frost, American poet
sangfroid (san-FWAH), noun
The attitude or state of possessing a cool head and steadfast composure in the face of danger, adversity, or stressful situations.
The car crash shook him, but within seconds he recovered his SANGFROID and went to check on his driver.
sanguine (SANG-gwihn), adjective
Accepting of circumstances with good cheer and a positive attitude.
“Many marketers were SANGUINE about the Do Not Call introduction, saying that it helped better focus their telephone communications.” – Eleanor Trickett, DM News editor
sapient (SAY-pee-ent), adjective
Wise.
The judge made a SAPIENT ruling in splitting custody between the two parents.
sardonic (sar-DON-ik), adjective
Mean-spirited sarcasm.
When I asked the bank for another home equity loan, the president, who was called out of his office by the teller, approached with a SARDONIC grin.
sartorial (sar-TOR-ee-al), adjective
Anything related to the way a person dresses, typically used to describe a man who wears finely tailored clothing.
Jonathan’s personal tailor always makes sure that Jonathan radiates SARTORIAL splendor.
satiety (suh-TIE-ih-tee), noun
The sensation or feeling of being full or having eaten too much.
Although we knew we would be struck by SATIETY, we could not resist the gustatory delights offered at the Whittington’s New Year’s gala.
saturnine (SAT-ur-neen), adjective
Moody; morose; gloomy; unhappy; having a pessimistic outlook on life.
Ever since his father told him he could not have another Lotus Esprit, Williams has acted positively SATURNINE.
satyr (SAY-ter), noun
A lascivious, lecherous man.
Harold’s graceful manners disappear once he has had a few glasses of champagne, and he becomes a veritable SATYR.
savant (sah-VANT), noun
A person with a natural talent or genius in a particular field or skill.
With her family’s background in finance, it was a given that Francine would be a Wall Street SAVANT.
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.
scarify (SKARE-ih-fie), verb
To wound with harsh criticism.
We deemed it necessary to SCARIFY Eileen for having the nerve to criticize our fashion sense.
scintilla (SIN-tih-lah), noun
A spark; a tiny trace amount.
“The air twittered with bright SCINTILLAS of fading light.” – Harlan Ellison, American author
scion (SIGH-uhn), noun
A descendant or heir.
“SCION of chiefs and monarchs, where art thou? / Fond hope of many nations, art thou dead?” –Lord Byron, British Romantic poet
sectarian (sek-TAYR-ee-in), adjective
Relating to the practices, nature, or activities of a sect.
“In the early 1990s, as the insurgency took on a more unambiguously religious and SECTARIAN flavor, several Pandits were killed, and most of the rest fled for their lives.” – William Dalrymple, Scottish historian and author
secular (SEK-yuh-lehr), adjective
Separate from or devoid of religious belief or connotation.
“The liberal humanist assumption that American society, like that of Europe, would become progressively SECULAR was always something of a delusion.” – Gordon Wood, History Professor at Brown University
sedentary (SEHD-n-tare-ee), adjective
Resting a great deal and taking little exercise.
All we have to do is hire a personal trainer if our SEDENTARY habits begin to have negative effects on our well-being.
sedition (sih-DISH-uhn), noun
An action that promotes discontent or rebellion.
In an act of childish SEDITION, Alex quit the club after we refused to play a round of golf with him.
sentient (SEN-tea-ent), adjective
Possessing enough intelligence to be self aware.
“Many years ago, a particular creature was selected to develop into the dominant life form on this planet. It was given certain breaks and certain challenges, all of which, when utilized or overcome, marked it indelibly with particular traits as it moved along the road to a higher SENTIENCE.” – Roger Zelazny, American science fiction writer