30 Days To A More Powerful Vocabulary Funk Lewis Wordlist

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30 DAYS TO A MORE POWERFUL VOCABULARY
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BY
WILFRED FUNK & NORMAN LEWIS
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Word-List
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WORDS FOR MATURE MINDS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
vicarious [vy-]
adj., felt through sharing imaginatively in the feelings or activities
etc. of another person.
Mothers feel a vicarious pleasure in their children's accomplishments.
rationalise
v., invent a rational expression for.
Do not try to rationalise dishonest works.
gregarious
adj., fond of company.
Mary is too gregarious to be without friends.
obsequious
adj., excessively respectful.
The waiter bowed obsequiously to every wealthy customer.
maudlin
adj., sentimental in a silly or tearful way.
The motion-picture was so sickeningly maudlin that most of the audience
left the theatre in disgust.
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ascetic
adj., not allowing oneself pleasures and luxuries.
n., a person who is ascetic.
He lived the life of an ascetic, for he abhorred self-indulgence and
luxury.
pander
v. [pander to], gratify by satisfying a weakness or vulgar taste.
The dishonest politician panders to the greed and thoughtlessness of the
mob.
sublimate
v. divert the energy of (an emotion or an impulse) to a culturally
higher activity.
Some say that all great art is a sublimation of primitive instincts.
wanton
adj., irresponsible, lacking proper restraint.
She led a fruitless, wanton, irresponsible life.
effete
adj., having lost vitality, feeble.
His dissipated life has sapped his ambition and health and made him
effete.
WORDS ABOUT DOCTORS AND SPECIALISTS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
obstetrician
deals with childbirth.
paediatrician
specialises in the treatment of infants and very young children.
podiatrist/chiropodist
treats minor ailments of the feet.
osteopath
treats certain conditions by manipulating bones and muscles.
ophthalmologist
treats eye-diseases.
optometrist
checks and corrects vision, usually by prescribing and fitting
eye-glasses.
optician
grinds or sells lenses to an optometrist's or ophthalmologist's
specifications, or sells eyeglasses, binoculars and other optical
instruments.
gynaecologist
specialises in the diseases of women.
dermatologist
treats skin-diseases.
psychiatrist
specialist in mental ailments, emotional problems, psychoses, neuroses,
etc.
orthodontist
specialises in straightening crooked teeth and in correcting bad
'bites'.
VERBS GIVE YOU POWER
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
expiate
v., make amends for.
People expiate their sins, crimes, blunders and errors.
importune [-tyoo-]
v., beg for ceaselessly, beseech, entreat.
People importune God for divine favours.
impute
v., ascribe, attribute or charge an act or thought (to someone), usually
in a bad or accusatory sense.
People impute unworthy motives to their enemies.
scintillate
v., sparkle with wit or humour.
Witty people scintillate at cocktail-parties.
mulct
v., cheat.
People mulct the unwary or gullible public.
ostracise
v., exclude from public or private favour, ban.
People ostracise members of religious, political or racial minorities.
deprecate
v., disapprove of (the actions of someone).
People deprecate the foibles of others.
procrastinate
v., put off until a future time; delay.
People procrastinate and then vow to be more punctual in the future.
rusticate
v., spend time in the country.
People rusticate in the summer, if finances permit.
vegetate
v., live in a passive way.
People vegetate all year, if they are lacking in imagination, initiative
or energy.
dominate
v., have control over.
Beethoven's compositions have always dominated the musical scene.
facilitate
v., make easier.
Let me pack for you; that will facilitate your departure.
emulate
v., follow the example of.
Let us emulate the habits of successful men.
gesticulate [jest-]
v., make gestures or motions to convey meanings.
In her confusion, she gesticulated wildly.
recuperate [-kyoo-]
v., get better.
I have never seen a sick man recuperate so quickly.
patronise
v., be condescending toward.
Your friends think you are conceited because you seem to patronise them.
penalise
v., make pay a fine or suffer punishment.
Nature will penalise you for your alcoholic excesses.
dramatise
v., make vivid or moving.
Carl Sandburg's biography vividly dramatises the life of Lincoln.
immortalise
v., make live forever.
The 'Elegy in a Country Churchyard' did much to immortalise the poet
Thomas Gray.
plagiarise
v., Appropriate and claim as one's own the literary work of another.
He built an insecure and dishonest literary reputation by plagiarizing
the classics.
WORDS ABOUT THEORIES
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
atheist
n., one who does not believe in God.
agnostic
n., one who is sceptical about the existence of God.
fatalist
n., one who believes that everything in the universe is pre-ordained by
a divine force.
egoist
n., one who is self-centred.
altruist
n., one who is interested in the welfare of others rather than himself.
stoic
n., one who is calm and uncomplaining.
chauvinist [show-]
n., one who is exaggeratedly patriotic.
jingoist
n., one who is excessively patriotic and has contempt towards other
nations.
liberalist
n., one who advocates liberal politics.
conservative
n., one who opposes change (to governance).
epicurean
n., one who believes that life is to enjoy.
QUICK VOCABULARY BUILDER
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
gamos: marriage.
monogamy, bigamy, polygamy, misogamy.
monos: one.
monograph (a treatise on one subject), monologue, monomania, monoplane
(an aeroplane with one pair of wings), monopoly, monosyllable (a word
of one syllable), monotheism (belief in one God), monotone (one
unvarying tone), monarchy, monastery, monk, monotonous.
bis: twice, two.
bicycle, biennial (once in two years), bifocal, bigamy, bimonthly,
binoculars, biped, biscuit, bisect, bivalve, bilateral, bigamous,
biscuspid (having two points).
misein: to hate.
misogamy, misogynist, misanthropy.
logos: word, study, science, proportion, discourse.
dialogue, eulogy (good words), biology, trilogy (discourse in three
parts), theology (study of God or religion), philology (study of
language), anthropology (study of the history and development of
mankind).
anthropos: man, mankind.
anthropoid, anthropologist, philanthropist, misanthrope, misanthropist.
glotta: tongue.
polyglot (one who speaks many languages)
polys: many.
polygamy, polyglot, polygon, polytheism.
theos: god.
polytheism (belief in many gods), theology, theocracy (rule by a divine
being or priests), atheism, monotheist.
philein: to love.
philologist, philatelist, philanthropy.
cuspis: point.
bicuspid, tricuspid.
WORDS ABOUT YOUR FELLOW-MEN
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
coquette [kow-ket]
n., a flirt. This girl promises much, flirts a lot, but delivers very
little.
I had a tough time dating with that coquette.
circe [sur-see]
n., destructive flirt. Her greatest pleasure comes from luring men to
their destruction.
Mary acted like a circe, spoiling John the studious fellow.
amazon
n., a masculine woman. Big, tall and muscular.
Female athletes are often amazons.
virago [-ray-]
n., a woman with a sharp tongue and a vicious temper.
Our neighbour is such a virago that we hardly talk to her.
adonis [-don-]
n., a handsome man who is the heart-throb of young women.
Elvis Presley was the adonis of America in the mid-20th century.
judas
n., a person who betrays a friend; untrustworthy.
Brutus was a judas.
futilitarian
n., a person who claims life is completely futile.
Futilitarians often achieve nothing in their life.
vulgarian
n., a person who has vulgar tastes and manners.
A vulgarian is usually mentally deranged due to family or upbringing
problems.
pedant [ped-unt]
n., a person who is ostentatious about his learning.
I don't like his pedantic corrections for every sentence I utter.
aesthete [ess-theet]
n., a person of fine taste and artistic flair.
He is such an aesthete: look at the paintings hung on the walls!
demagogue
n., a person who wins support by appealing to popular feelings
and prejudices.
Unfortunately most of today's politicians are demagogues.
martinet
n., a person who demands (tiresomely) strict obedience.
Our physical-education teacher was a martinet and we strongly resented
him.
sycophant [sik-]
n., a person who bootlicks the rich and the powerful.
Sycophants do not have any self-respect or dignity.
tyro
n., a beginner in some profession or art.
We are all a tyro in some subject or the other.
virtuoso [vur-choo-o-so]
n., a skilful practitioner of some art.
Thomas Alva Edison was an accomplished virtuoso at inventing things.
clairvoyant
n., a person who claims that he foresees the future.
Many people cheat the gullible by calling themselves clairvoyants.
philatelist [fuh-lat-uh-list]
n., a person who collects stamps.
Philatelists often pay thousands for a rare stamp.
numismatist
n., a person who collects coins.
Numismatists have coins which have more historical value than
economical.
gourmet [gyoor-may]
n., a person who has a fine taste in food.
A dinner with my friend showed what a fine gourmet he is.
connoisseur [kon-uh-sur]
n., a critical judge of excellence in some art, food or area of
excellence.
Le Corbusier was a connoisseur of architecture.
WORDS FOR PHOBIAS AND MANIAS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
pyromaniac:
a person having an insatiable urge to set things on fire.
dipsomaniac:
a person having a madness of drinking too much alcohol.
megalomaniac:
a person having a conviction that he is someone great, or
has too much wealth.
monomaniac:
a person mad at one area, but perfectly normal otherwise.
claustrophobia:
fear of enclosed places.
agoraphobia:
fear of open, unbounded places.
acrophobia:
fear of heights.
hypochondriac:
a person who complains about imaginary illnesses.
amnesiac:
a person who has very poor memory.
somnambulist:
a person who walks in sleep.
insomniac:
a person who has difficulty getting sleep.
manic-depressive:
a person who has alternate periods of depression and excitability.
schizophrenic [skizuh-frenik]:
a person who is a divided personality, and who often imagines and acts
as if he is someone else.
melancholiac:
a person who is always in gloom and depression.
paranoiac [pah-ruh-noh-yak]:
a person who always has delusions of persecution.
Oedipus complex [ee-di-pus]:
Unresolved attachment to mother with accompanied hatred towards father.
(Usually in reference to males.)
Electra complex:
Abnormal attachment of a girl to her father, with hostility to her
mother.
WORDS ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
nostalgia
n., severe homesickness; a longing for the pleasant past.
He was overcome with a wave of nostalgia whenever he thought of his
boyhood days in Scotland.
satiated [say-shee-ay-ted]
v., filled beyond natural desire; glutted.
The huge dinner left him satiated.
benevolence
n., desire for the welfare of others; charitableness.
There have been benevolent kings in all countries in the history of the
world.
frustration
n., failure or inability to attain something desired.
The gods seem to be bent upon thwarting his plans and ideas--life is a
frustration, for him.
lethargy
n., state of apathy or indifference.
His illness left him in a state of lethargy.
enervated
adj., deprived of physical, nervous and emotional energy.
His all-night wait completely enervated him.
weltschmerz [-shmairtz]
n., sadness from a gloomy world philosophy.
Adolescents are often pessimistic over the future of humanity; this
weltschmerz is a natural outcome of their maturing bodies and minds.
ennui [ahn-wee]
n., a feeling of listless weariness due to boredom, satiety or
inactivity.
The life at prison filled him with ennui.
compunction
n., self-reproach for wrong-doing; slight regret.
He had no compunctions about cheating his friends.
antipathy
n., an instinctive feeling of aversion or dislike.
He has a violent antipathy towards all topics even remotely related to
Microsoft.
supercilious [-see-lee-uhs]
adj., lofty with pride; haughtily contemptuous.
Supercilious people often have few friends.
vindictive
adj., disposed to revenge; retaliatory.
Don't hurt her feelings; you don't know how vindictive some women can
be.
WORDS THAT END IN OLOGY
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
anthropology
study of the habits, distribution, history and culture of mankind.
geology
study of the planet earth.
archaeology
study of antiquities and ancient things.
embryology
study of embryos.
entomology
study of insects.
ethnology
study of human races and their characteristics.
etymology
study of the origin of words.
ornithology
study of birds.
philology
study of languages.
psychology
study of the human mind.
WORDS FOR HUMAN TRAITS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
loquacious
adj., extremely talkative.
gullible
adj., simple, credulous, easily deceived.
suave [swahv]
adj., smooth and pleasant in manner; bland; gracious; smoothly
ingratiating.
pompous
adj., marked by assumed self-importance; pretentious.
opinionated
adj., unduly attached to one's own opinions; obstinate in holding on to
beliefs.
phlegmatic [fleg-matik]
adj., by temperament, not easily perturbed; calm; emotionally sluggish
or unresponsive.
erudite [air-uh-dyt]
adj., very learned, scholarly.
complacent
adj., completely self-satisfied, smug.
punctilious
adj., very exact or scrupulous in observance of forms of etiquette,
ceremony or behaviour.
indefatigable
adj., not exhausted by labour or exercise; never tiring.
iconoclastic
adj., one who assails or mocks traditional or cherished beliefs.
puerile [pyoo-uh-ryl]
adj., immature and silly or trivial; juvenile.
WORDS FOR HUMAN FAULTS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
peccadillo
n., a slight sin.
'Tis low ebb with his accusers when such peccadilloes as these are put
in to swell the charge. --Bishop of Atterbury
penury [pen-yoo-ree]
n., abject poverty.
A quarter of Indian population still lives in penury, despite fifty-plus
years of freedom.
imbroglio [im-broh-lyo]
n., a complicated and embarrassing situation.
The discovery of his liaisons created an imbroglio for John.
braggadocio [-shee-o]
n., empty boasting.
Politicians are known for their braggadocio.
fiasco [fee-ass-ko]
n., a miserable and ridiculous failure.
Owing to the disunion of the Fenians themselves, the rigour of the
administration, and the treachery of informers, the (Irish) rebellion
was a fiasco. --Encyclopaedia Britannica
idiosyncrasy
n., a characteristic peculiarity.
Idiosyncrasies are, however, frequent; thus we find that one person has
an exceptional memory for sounds, another for colours, another for
forms. --Encyclopaedia Britannica
anomaly
n., something that is irregular or inconsistent.
As Professor Owen has remarked, there is no greater anomaly in nature
than a bird that cannot fly. --Charles Darwin
malinger
v., to feign sickness to shirk work or duty.
Lazy people often malinger.
lite
n., the best or most capable part of any group.
It is not easy to get into lite educational institutions, for the
entrance tests will be very demanding.
parvenu
n., one who flaunts, somewhat vulgarly, newly acquired wealth; nouveau
riche.
Parvenus hold an umbrella even at midnight. --Kannada proverb
intelligentsia
n., the intelligent and educated classes.
The intelligentsia are the true asset of a country.
chicanery [shuh-kay-nuh-ree]
n., mean, petty trickery.
Men who by legal chicanery cheat others out of their property. --Spencer
banal
adj., commonplace, without sparkle or originality.
It is a torture to sit through banal speeches.
WORDS ABOUT PERSONALITIES
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
introvert
n., one whose interest is turned inward and is much alone.
extrovert
n., one whose chief interests are outside himself and makes friends easily.
ambivert
n., one who has a balanced mixture of inward and outward interests.
egocentric
adj., looking at everything from a personal point of view.
inhibited
adj., held back by conscience, shyness, fear, etc.
exhibitionist
n., one who delights by putting on an act in front of others.
diffident
adj., possessed with self-distrust; shy; timid.
effervescent
adj., bubbly and sparkling in personality.
truculent [truk-yuh-lent]
adj., savage and pugnacious in character.
saturnine
adj., morose, gloomy, heavy, dull.
quixotic [kwik-so-tik]
adj., idealistic but impractical.
ADJECTIVES GIVE YOU POWER
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
plebeian [pluh-bee-yun]
adj., common, coarse, ordinary, commonplace.
A plebeian outlook on life will not result in anything meaningful.
perfunctory
adj., done mechanically and without interest.
He disliked his job, and no wonder he did the work perfunctorily.
abortive
adj., failing, coming to naught.
He made an abortive attempt at winning the election.
surreptitious
adj., by secret or stealthy means.
The thief moved surreptitiously in the dark house.
presumptuous [-choo-uhs]
adj., unduly confident or bold, arrogant, taking too much for granted.
Your question to the governor was too presumptuous.
sadistic
adj., inclined to cruelty, getting pleasure out of hurting others.
The ruthless guards sadistically tortured the prisoner.
flagrant [flay-gruhnt]
adj., openly, glaringly wrong or scandalous.
A flagrant misuse of company funds.
inane [-ayne]
adj., senseless, silly, empty.
An inane remark.
crass
adj., stupid in a grossly inconsiderate way.
Politicians often make crass and inane remarks on their opponents.
macabre
adj., eerie, related to death and horror.
Psycho by Hitchcock is a thrilling film of a macabre mystery.
dogmatic
adj., descriptive of an opinion stated in an overpositive and arrogant
manner.
That democracy is a fiasco is a dogmatic statement.
vitriolic
adj., extremely sarcastic or biting; figuratively caustic or bitter.
His vitriolic sarcasm of everybody has distanced all his friends.
intermittent
adj., ceasing and starting again.
Intermittent rain is forecast for this evening.
subversive
adj., tending to overthrow from the very foundations; aiming to destroy.
The al-Qaeda has subversive plans to shatter the US.
desultory
adj., passing irregularly from one thing to another; changeable; no
method or plan.
He works desultorily.
sardonic
adj., bitter, scornful and sneering.
What a sardonic smile she gave!
LEARNING WORDS THE MODERN WAY
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
acrimoniously
adv., with sharpness and bitterness of speech and temper.
They mocked each other acrimoniously.
adroitly
adv., expertly; dexterously; with skilful use of the hands or mind.
He drove adriotly through the maze of traffic.
circumspectly
adv., cautiously with watchfulness in all directions.
Fearing a trick, he answered all questions circumspectly.
concomitantly
adv., accompanying; occurring together.
Living and learning go on concomitantly.
cursorily
adv., hastily and superficially, without due care or attention.
He examined the plans cursorily.
didactically [dy-]
adv., in the fashion of a teacher; as if teaching a lesson.
Teachers are apt to talk didactically.
disparagingly [-pair-]
adv., speak slightly of, in a way to undervalue and discredit.
Extremely modest persons usually speak of their own accomplishments
disparagingly.
glibly
adv., in a manner of smooth ease and fluency; without hesitation.
He used to lie glibly and cheat people.
plaintively
adv., expressing sadness or melancholy.
The person who is looking for sympathy speaks plaintively.
ominously
adv., forebodingly; in a way portending evil.
Pessimists usually speak ominously of the future.
impunity
n., lacking fear of punishment.
Man cannot break the laws of nature with impunity.
inadvertently
adv., in a heedless manner; without care; inattentively.
He placed his hand on the hot radiator inadvertently.
irascibly [I-rass-uh-blee]
adv., angrily; irritably; in a hot-tempered fashion.
He was a disagreeable old man who answered every question irascibly.
sub rosa
adv., in strict confidence; privately.
The missile-tests were conducted sub rosa.
vociferously
adv., in a loud-voiced manner; noisily; vehemently.
He always complained vociferously if he thought he was ill-treated.
WORDS FROM LATIN
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
anima: mind, breath, soul, spirit;
magnus: large;
aequus: equal.
animalcule (small animal), animate, equanimity (placid, unruffled
temperament), magnanimous (large-minded, not petty), unanimous,
inanimate, animosity (strong hostility), pusillanimous (small-minded,
cowardly), animadvert (turn one's mind to), magnate (a V.I.P.), magnify,
magnificence, magniloquent (speaking big or in a pompous and flowery
style), magnitude, magnum (a large bottle for champagne or other wine),
magnum opus (a literary or artistic work of great importance).
unus: one.
unify, unite, unicorn, uniform, union, unity, unification,
unique, unison, unit.
bene: well;
volens: wishing.
benefit, beneficiary, benediction (a blessing), benefactor, benevolence,
volition (exercise of one's will), voluntary, volunteer.
dicere: to say.
dictate, dictaphone, diction (manner of uttering or pronouncing words),
malediction (a curse), induct, predict.
facere: to do, to make.
factor, factory, manufacture, fact, factotum (a general servant or
assistant), factual.
signum: sign.
insignia (the signs one wears), signal, signify, design, signature,
insignificant.
portare: to carry.
porter, portable, reporter, deport, import, export.
CAN YOU MEET THIS CHALLENGE?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
bte noire [bet-nwahr]
n., a particular object of hate or dread.
Lizards have always been my bte noire.
cadaverous
adj., pale, ghastly, corpse-like.
Do you have fever? You look so cadaverous!
carte blanche [kart-blahnsh]
n., unconditional permission or authority.
She gave her husband carte blanche to invite anyone to the party.
esoteric [ehs-uh-tair-ik]
adj., intended only for people with special knowledge or interest.
Knowledge of Oriental magic is highly esoteric.
forte [fort]
n., one's strong point.
An above-average vocabulary is anybody's special forte.
impasse [-pass]
n., a blind alley, an insurmountable obstacle.
Trying to sign an agreement, we came to an impasse.
incongruous [-roo-uhs]
adj., incompatible, out of place.
A fat and awkward girl would look incongruous in a ballet.
docile [doss-yl]
adj., easily managed.
Cow is a docile animal.
miscegenation [miss-uh-jen-ay-shun]
n., marriage of mixed races.
A White weds a Black: it is a miscegenation.
moribund [mawr-]
adj., in a dying state.
Some people think fidelity in marriage is moribund.
nebulous [neb-yuh-luhs]
adj., hazy, unclear.
The facts behind a politician's statements are often nebulous.
recrimination
n., charges retorted, abusive argument.
Political parties often resort to recrimination in Indian parliament.
repercussion [-kuhsh-]
n., reverberation, echo.
A slump in the US economy has repercussions worldwide.
scurrilous
adj., grossly offensive or vulgar.
Angry lorry-drivers often indulge in scurrilous language.
soporific
adj., inducing sleep.
The play was so soporific that I cannot remember the latter half.
WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
catholic
adj., universal, including many or most things.
My interest in books is catholic.
defeatist
n., one who pessimistically expects or accepts defeat.
dilettante [dili-tahn-ti]
n., a person who dabbles in a subject for pleasure.
parsimonious
adj., miserly, very sparing.
philistine [fill-uh-steen]
n., an uncultured person.
profligate
adj., wasteful, extravagant.
uxorious [uhk-sawr-ee-uhs]
adj., excessively fond of one's wife.
FRENCH PHRASES YOU CAN USE
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
coup de grce [koo-duh-grahs]
n., a finishing stroke; a blow of mercy.
As per the divorce settlement, the wife got the children, the dog, and
the house. Finally, as the coup de grce, she got 75% of her husband's
income.
de trop [duh-tro]
adj., not wanted.
If your brother insists that he should stay with you when your
girlfriend comes to meet you, he is a de trop.
double-entendre [doo-bl'en-ten-druh]
n., double meaning.
Witty men sometimes indulge in double-entendre in parties.
en rapport [ahn-rap-pahr]
adv. & adj., in harmonious relation.
A husband and wife should be en rapport.
esprit de corps [es-pree-duh-kawr]
n., spirit of the body
The Red Cross is famed for its esprit de corps.
par excellence [pahr-ek'suh-lahns]
adv., being a supreme example of its kind.
Napoleon proved himself to be a leader par excellence.
qui vive [kee-weev]
adj., on guard, on the alert.
A prize fighter must be on the qui vive when he is in the ring.
potpourri [poh-poo-ree]
n., an assorted and heterogenous mixture of great variety.
A book of famous quotations is a potpourri of literary gems.
faux pas [faw-pah]
n., an embarrassing mistake, a false step.
The organisers committed a faux pas by forgetting to garland the chief
guest.
savoir-faire [saw-wahr-fair]
n., knowledge of how to behave, social tact.
A finishing school claims to give young girls savoir-faire.
WORDS ABOUT WORDS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
anticlimax
n., a dull ending where a climax was expected.
After the great naval victory, the sinking of a single enemy trawler
turned out to be an anticlimax.
analogy
n., a partial likeness between things.
There exists an analogy between the human body and a machine.
ambiguity
n., an expression which has multiple meanings; vague.
Politicians' statements are always full of ambiguity.
clich [klee-shay]
n., an overused phrase or idea.
Terming someone's passing away as an 'irreparable loss' has become a
clich today.
epigram
n., a short witty saying.
'It's more blessed to give than to receive' forms an epigram on the
nobleness of charities.
euphemism
n., a mild expression substituted for an improper or a blunt one.
'Lady of the night' is a euphemism for prostitute.
redundancy
n., superfluousness, unnecessary repetition.
Many redundancies exist in the processing of government work.
non sequitur [sek-wuh-tur]
n., a conclusion that does not follow from the evidence given.
'The sun rises in the east; hence the earth rotates.'
persiflage [-flahj]
n., a light, flippant (=not serious) style of conversation or writing;
good-humoured joking.
'Man never knows precisely what is right
So, torn between a purpose and a doubt,
He first makes windows to let in the light,
And then hangs curtains up to shut it out.'
simile [si-mi-lee]
a figure of speech in which one thing is compared to another.
'Her fleece was white as snow' (in the rhyme 'Mary Had a Little Lamb')
is a simile.
WORD BUILDING BY THE 'UNFOLDING PROCESS'
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
abstemious
adj., eating and drinking sparingly; self-denying in the indulgence of
appetities.
Poor people, through lack of money, are forced to be abstemious.
chimerical [ky-mair-]
adj., merely imaginary; fanciful; fantastic.
That everybody hates you is only your chimerical belief.
facet [fah-set]
n., one of many sides of a jewel; an aspect.
Discipline is one of the many essential facets of student-life.
fetish
n., an object of devotion or blind affection.
Some housewives make an absolute fetish out of neatness.
Machiavellian [mak-ee-ah-vel-ee-uhn]
adj., pertaining to a system of political trickery.
Many countries saw Machiavellian rule by mad dictators in the 1930s and
40s.
ochlocracy [ok-lo-]
n., mob rule.
Lynching is an excellent example of ochlocracy.
omniscient [-shent]
adj., all-knowing, or all-wise.
Only God is truly omniscient.
pariah [pahr-y-ah]
n., a social outcast
When John's treachery was discovered, he truly became a pariah.
peremptory
adj., commanding, bossy, insisting on obedience.
Some mothers make their commands so peremptory that they antagonise
their children.
poignant [poy-nahnt]
adj., strongly affecting the emotions, touching.
The prisoner painted a poignant picture of his suffering.
querulous
adj., complaining irritably.
Socrates had a querulous wife.
specious
adj., seeming good or sound but lacking real merit.
He is winning you over to his side with specious arguments.
ubiquitous [yoo-]
adj., seeming to be everywhere at once, omnipresent.
Flies are ubiquitous in India in the summer.
unctuous [unk-choo-uhs]
adj., smooth and bland, but insincere, in pretence of feeling, piety,
spirituality, goodness, etc.
He is a glib, unctuous person; I don't trust him.
vainglorious
adj., having great pride in oneself, as shown in undue elation, boasting
or self-praise.
That vainglorious and pompous senator annoys all who know him.
WORDS FROM CLASSIC ROOTS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
graphein: to write.
graphic, graphite, autography, chirography (handwriting), telegram.
mania: derangement.
dipsomania, kleptomania, megalomania, pyromania, nymphomania (mad about
women).
kyklos: wheel, circle.
tricycle, cyclic, unicycle.
oculus: eye.
monocle, oculist (=ophthalmologist), ocular.
pedis: foot.
pedestrian, pedal, quadruped, impede, expedition.
sectus: cut.
section, sect, insect, intersect, trisect.
tri: three.
tricycle, trilateral, trilingual, trilogy, trimonthly, trio, trinity
(union of three persons, as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost),
triple, triplets, tripod (three-legged stand).
lateris: side.
bilateral, quadrilateral, unilateral, lateral.
podos: foot.
podium, chiropodist/podiatrist, monopode.
----------
DISCLAIMER
==========
This document only serves as a compendium of new words encountered in
the book 'Thirty Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary' by Wilfred Funk and
Norman Lewis, so as to be used as as a ready reference and/or review
material. It is illegal to reproduce the book or part thereof in any
form, and the copyright rests with the publishers of the book, namely
Bloomsbury Publishing.
This document does not intend to replace the book, and the reader is
advised to buy and read the book, and then use this document for
reference and/or review purposes only.
The example sentences are for instructional purposes only, and do not
reflect the opinions of the compiler or anyone else.
Though every effort has been made to provide correct information,
the compiler does not accept liability for any damages arising out of
the use of this document.
This document uses British English. Americans might need to make a few
changes in the spelling and pronunciation of certain words.
-------
LICENCE
=======
This file may be distributed free of cost and to as many people as one
wishes, provided every copy has the disclaimer and this licence text.
Modifications, if made, should be duly acknowledged with the name of
the modifier and his/her contact information, so as to facilitate
authenticity.
-------
CONTACT
=======
This word-list was compiled by N Deepak, Bangalore, India, in April
2002.
You can visit my home-page at:
http://symonds.net/~deep/
You can mail me at:
deepak@despammed.com.

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