by Bobbi Bly
“Today we can see life as a UNITARY process, made up of a number of smaller processes.” – Julian Huxley, English evolutionary biologist
unsavory (un-SAYV-err-ee), adjective
Distasteful; unpleasant; disreputable; of dubious reputation.
“Our future is inextricably linked to what happens in Washington DC, and we know that is a very UNSAVORY reality.” – Don Libey, direct marketing advisor
unrenumerative (un-re-NEW-mer-ah-tiv), adjective
A job, investment, business venture, or other activity that pays little or no financial return.
“We find the wealth of our cities mingled with poverty and UNRENUMERATIVE toil.” – Grover Cleveland
untenable (uhn-TEN-uh-bull), adjective
Not possible to defend, as an argument or position.
“Are the legitimate compensation and honors that should come as the result of ability and merit to be denied on the UNTENABLE ground of sex aristocracy?” – Bertha Honore Potter Palmer, American socialite
unwieldy (un-WEEL-dee), adjective
Not easy to handle or to manage.
“Now mark me how I will undo myself. / I give this heavy weight from off my head, / And this UNWIELDY sceptre from my hand, / The pride of kingly sway from out my heart.” – William Shakespeare
upbraid (up-BRAYD), verb
To censure or to find fault with.
We had to UPBRAID our butler severely when we learned he was gossiping to other members of our staff.
urbane (err-BANE), adjective
Suave, sophisticated, refined, cosmopolitan, and well versed in the ways of high society.
Even in his knock-around tennis whites, Brett always manages to appear URBANE.
urbanization (ur-ban-ih-ZAY-shun), noun
The growth of cities brought about by a population shift from rural areas and small communities to larger ones.
URBANIZATION, which began in the United States in the late 1800s, was in part triggered by the shift from an agricultural economy to an industrial one.
usurper (you-SIR-per), noun
A person who seizes a position of power through illegal means, force, or deception.
“A USURPER in the guise of a benefactor is the enemy that we are now to encounter and overcome.” – William Leggett, American poet and fiction writer
usury (USE-err-ee), noun
To charge illegally high or excessive interest rates on a loan.
Loan sharks lend money at USURIOUS rates, and break your legs if you don’t make back the principal with interest on time.
utilitarian (you-till-ih-TAYR-ee-an), adjective
Showing preference for things and ideas that are practical and utterly pragmatic while eschewing the fanciful and useless.
Paul’s UTILITARIAN mindset makes him an ideal trader on Wall Street.
utopia (you-TOE-pee-uh), noun
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.
uxorious (uhk-SAWR-ee-us), adjective
Doting on one’s wife to an excessive degree.
“The same things change their names at such a rate; / For instance—passion in a lover’s glorious, / But in a husband is pronounced UXORIOUS.” –Lord Byron, British Romantic poet
“One impulse from a VERNAL
wood / May teach you more of man, /
Of moral evil and of good, / Than all
the sages can.”
William Wordsworth, British
Romantic poet
V
vacillate (VAH-sill-ate), verb
To swing back and forth between two points.
“But modern character is inconstant, divided, VACILLATING, lacking the stone-like certitude of archaic man….” – Saul Bellow, American author
vacuous (VAK-yoo-us), adjective
Devoid of emotion, intelligence, or any normal human thought processes; stupid; moronic.
The VACUOUS stare from her two eyes, looking like raisins pushed into a lump of dough, made him shiver with loathing and contempt.
vagary (VAY-guh-ree), noun
A random or unexpected occurrence.
One needs to accept the VAGARIES of life if one is to be happy or at least content.
vainglorious (vayne-GLOR-ee-us), adjective
Conceited; boastful; prone to showing off and bragging.
Although the scion of a well-established family, Gordon is so VAINGLORIOUS that you’d think him a parvenu!
valuation (val-you-AYE-shun), noun
The calculated worth or value of an asset, based on a rigorous appraisal.
One of the accounting firm’s services is business VALUATION, where you can pay to have an accurate appraisal of what your business would sell for if acquired.
vanguard (VAN-gard), noun
That which is at the forefront or the leading edge; the most advanced group.
Robert is among the VANGUARD of area oenophiles.
vapid (VAH-pid), adjective
Dull; void of intellectual curiosity or intelligence; lacking spirit and enthusiasm; dull, routine, unchallenging.
What irked him most about his sister-in-law was her VAPID stares in response to simple questions, conversation, and jokes.
variegated (VAIR-ee-ih-gate-ed), adjective
That which changes color or contains different hues of the same color.
A lawn covered in VARIEGATED fallen leaves is the sign that autumn is finally here.
vehement (VEE-heh-ment), adjective
Insistent; unyielding in one’s opinion or decision; intense inflexibility about matters.
Milly, a chronic worry wart, was VEHEMENT about her children calling her if they were going to be late getting home from school.
venal (VEE-null), adjective
Refers to people who can be bought, bribed, or otherwise persuaded to deviate from their beliefs and purpose.
“Give me but the liberty of the press, and I will give to the minister a VENAL House of Commons.” – Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Irish playwright and statesman
venerable (VEN-err-uh-bull), adjective
An individual or institution that is respected and revered, sometimes because of achievement, intelligence, or character; but just as often as a result of being around a long time.
“Is the babe young? When I behold it, it seems more VENERABLE than the oldest man.” – Henry David Thoreau, American author and transcendentalist
venial (VEE-nee-ul), adjective
A pardonable offense; a minor misdeed for which one is easily forgiven.
Cassidy was initially angry that Carley lied to her about where she bought her vintage handbag, but soon deemed the deed VENIAL.
veracity (ver-ASS-ih-tea), noun
The characteristic or habit of being truthful and conforming to accepted standards of behavior.
“The world is upheld by the VERACITY of good men: they make the earth wholesome.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet, essayist, and transcendentalist
verbiage (VER-bee-ij), noun
Words; in particular, prose written to fill space and impress others rather than communicate ideas and information.
“There’s some white space on the back page of the sales brochure,” the marketing manager told his ad agency, “so let’s fill it with some VERBIAGE about service and quality.”
verbose (ver-BOHS), adjective
Describes a person or composition using more words than are needed to get the point across.
Long-winded and VERBOSE, Mitch made his team members groan whenever he stood up to speak at a charity event.
verdant (VUR-dant), adjective
Lush with trees, bushes, ferns, and other green foliage.
With its careful mix of plants, the Whittingtons’ formal garden remains VERDANT year-round.
veritable (VER-ih-tah-bull), adjective
Genuine; t
he real thing; a perfect specimen or example.
“For me, the child is a VERITABLE image of becoming, of possibility, poised to reach towards what is not yet, towards a growing that cannot be predetermined or prescribed.” – Maxine Greene, American philosopher and educator
vernacular (ver-NAK-you-lar), adjective, noun
The language of a particular region or specific group of people.
Communicating with stockbrokers is difficult for many investors because they do not speak the VERNACULAR of the financial world.
vernal (VER-nul), adjective
Related to spring.
“One impulse from a VERNAL wood / May teach you more of man, / Of moral evil and of good, / Than all the sages can.” – William Wordsworth, British Romantic poet
vers libre (VERSS-LEE-breh), noun
Free verse, a style of poetry requiring no rhyme or meter.
H. L. Mencken observed that VERS LIBRE is “a device for making poetry easier to write and harder to read.”
vertiginous (ver-TIJ-uh-nuss), adjective
Causing vertigo, imbalance, dizziness, or stumbling.
Mallory and Michael enjoyed their weekend getaway to Paris, spending many moments staring at the Parisian skyline from the VERTIGINOUS heights of the Eiffel Tower.
vestigial (VESS-tih-jee-ul), adjective
Describes a remaining sample or trace of something that is disappearing or has already all but disappeared.
Some babies are born with a VESTIGIAL tail at the base of the spine.
vexation (vek-SAY-shin), noun
Frustration, annoyance, or irritation resulting from some action, occurrence, or statement.
“There is not much less VEXATION in the government of a private family than in the managing of an entire state.” – Michel de Montaigne, Renaissance scholar
vicariously (vye-KARE-ee-uss-lee), adverb
To enjoy imagined feelings and experiences largely by observing or hearing about another person’s life and adventures.
Married for over twenty-five years, Roger often told his single friends that he lived VICARIOUSLY through them.
vicissitudes (vi-SIS-ih-toods), noun
The constant change of one’s situation or condition, common throughout life.
“VICISSITUDES of fortune, which spares neither man nor the proudest of his works, which buries empires and cities in a common grave.” – Edward Gibbon, British historian
vignette (vin-YET), noun
A brief story, incident, or episode, usually told to illustrate some point.
Adding a VIGNETTE or two to a speech can help make abstract ideas clearer.
vindicate (VIN-dih-kate), verb
To prove your opinion is correct, or your action justified, or that you are innocent of a misdeed you stand accused of, despite opinions and evidence to the contrary.
We laughed at Paulette’s predictions about the imminent fall fashions, but, once the couture was unveiled, Paulette was VINDICATED.
visage (VIZ-aj), noun
Face or overall appearance.
When the doctor entered the patient lounge, his grim VISAGE told the whole story before he could say a word.
visceral (VIS-er-ul), adjective
An immediate and strong gut reaction; a quickly formed opinion, based mainly on instinct and usually negative in nature.
“[Multiculturalism’s] passions are political; its assumptions empirical; its conception of identities VISCERAL.” – Joyce Appleby, American historian
vitriol (vih-tree-AWL), noun
An attitude of bitterness, hatred, or mean-spiritedness.
The school board reprimanded the coach with VITRIOL.
vituperative (veye-TOO-pre-tiv), adjective
A person who is bitter and angry, and readily takes that anger out on those around them.
VITUPERATIVE to an unreasonable degree, George smashed one of Jessica’s prized dishes for every one of his old golf clubs she had given away when cleaning out the garage.
vivacious (vy-VAY-shuss), adjective
Joyful; happy, spirited; possessing a positive attitude about and enthusiasm for life; a person who lives life to the fullest.
Even after her family maintained some steep revenue losses, Sandra retained her VIVACIOUS character.
vociferous (vo-SIF-er-uss), adjective
Something said loudly so as to gain the listener’s attention; a person who speaks loudly so as to gain attention.
“Let the singing singers / With vocal voices, most VOCIFEROUS, / In sweet vociferation out-vociferize / Even sound itself.” – Henry Carey, English poet
volitional (voe-LISH-uhn-uhl), adjective
Describes an action performed or thought achieved through deliberate and conscious effort.
Our servants’ persistent and VOLITIONAL attention to detail makes them absolutely indispensable to us.
voluptuous (vuh-LUP-chew-us), adjective
Anything arising from or giving extreme sensory or sensual pleasure.
A VOLUPTUOUS banquet was the highlight of the Masterlys’ Thanksgiving gala.
voracious (vo-RAY-shuss), adjective
Possessing a huge and insatiable appetite, whether for food, knowledge, amusement, or something else.
Her son always had a VORACIOUS desire for knowledge. He read anything he could get his hands on and was always willing to experience something new.
vortex (VOR-teks), noun
Liquid or gas swirling in a spiral that sucks everything in or near it toward its center; a problem or situation that draws in everyone around it.
The permanent whirlpool where the river goes underground is a dark VORTEX sucking in everything in its current.
vox populi (VOKS-pop-you-LYE), noun
Expression of the prevailing mood, concerns, and opinions in a country.
In response to an environmentally friendly VOX POPULI, more and more corporations are “going green.”
“In our WANDERLUST, we are
lovers looking for consummation.”
Anatole Broyard, literary critic
for the New York Times
W
waft (WAFT), verb
To carry lightly, as if caught in a breeze.
“This quiet sail is as a noiseless wing / To WAFT me from distraction.” – Lord Byron, British Romantic poet
waggish (WAG-ish), adjective
Joking, witty, and mischievous.
“This species of ‘fame’ a WAGGISH acquaintance says can be manufactured to order, and sometimes is so manufactured.” – Herman Melville, American author
waif (WAFE), noun
A stray person or animal.
The occasional nouveau riche WAIF may float into our circle, but she rarely lasts long.
wan (WAHN), adjective
Showing or suggesting ill health or unhappiness.
“So shaken as we are, so WAN with care, / Find we a time for frighted peace to pant.” – William Shakespeare
wanderlust (WON-dehr-lust), noun
A strong and innate desire to travel far from home.
“In our WANDERLUST, we are lovers looking for consummation.” – Anatole Broyard, literary critic for the New York Times
wane (WAYN), verb
To gradually decrease; to fade away; to become diminished.
Once she finally received the Cartier watch from her father, Karen’s interest in the timepiece quickly WANED.
wangle (WANG-guhl), verb
To accomplish by underhanded methods.
Jennifer managed to WANGLE an invitation to the Clarksons’ party, even though she is the gauchest of the area’s parvenus.
wanton (WAHN-tn), adjective
Loose, lascivious, and lewd.
Robert is so WANTON that women stay away from him in spite of his family’s connections.
waspish (WOS-pish), adjective
Irascible and petulant; given to resentment.
Rebecca can be WASPISH, but we forgive her because she gives the b
est galas.
wassail (WAH-sull), noun
A salute or toast given when drinking to someone’s health, well-being, or success.
We lost count of the mugs of beer consumed with the numerous WASSAILS to our teacher wishing him a happy retirement.
watershed (WAW-ter-shed), noun
An important event that signals the beginning of a new era or phase.
We knew it was a WATERSHED event when the Smythingtons did not hold their annual New Year’s Eve gala last year.
watermark (WAW-terr-mark), noun
A faint design, graphic, or lettering pressed into paper while it is still in pulp form.
The CEO’s classy letterhead bears a WATERMARK of the company logo.
wayfaring (WAY-fair-ing), adjective
Traveling on foot.
We spent many WAYFARING weekends during our month-long jaunt in France last year.
weal (WEEL), noun
Prosperous well-being; vitality.
Jordan is convinced that expensive jewelry is necessary for one’s WEAL and welfare.
weir (WEERE), noun
A low dam or barrier built across a river either to control water levels or catch fish.
When the water level in the Passaic River lowered during a drought, a stone WEIR built by Indians for catching fish became visible.
weltschmerz (VELT-schmayrtz), noun
A lingering sorrow that some believe is a given in life.
When we snubbed Margaret for buying so many fashion knockoffs, her WELTSCHMERZ lasted until we forgave her.
wend (WEND), verb
To go; to proceed.
“As they WEND away / A voice is heard singing / Of Kitty, or Katy, / As if the name meant once / All love, all beauty.” – Philip Larkin, British poet, novelist, and jazz critic
whelp (WEHLP), noun
A despised person or his or her offspring.
“’Twas Slander filled her mouth with lying words, / Slander, the foulest WHELP of Sin.” – Robert Pollok, Scottish poet