Superfluous:
Pronunciation: /so͞oˈpərfləwəs/
adjective
Definition: more than is wanted or is sufficient
Her writing counselor helped to clear her paper of all superfluous sentences and unnecessary details.
Tag Archive: vocab
Sojourn:
Pronunciation: /ˈsōjərn/
Noun
Definition: a temporary stay
This summer my family and I had a three week sojourn in the Rocky Mountains for our annual camping trip.
Sardonic:
Pronunciation: /särˈdänik/
Adjective
Definition: bitterly sarcastic
His sardonic comment made me feel so uncomfortable that I didn’t speak for the rest of the dinner party.
Pejorative:
Pronunciation: /pəˈjôrətiv, ˈpejəˌrātiv/
adjective
Definition: disparaging, belittling
My father’s pejorative tone demonstrated how disapproving he was of my poor decisions.
Pedantic:
Pronunciation: /pəˈdantik/
adjective
Definition: characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules
The professor’s pedantic answers to the simple questions made the beginners feel more intimidated.
Facetious
Pronunciation: /fəˈsēSHəs/
Adjective
Definition: treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant
The facetious journalist commented on the country’s overreaching budget by discussing the vast national debt.
Erudite
Pronunciation: /ˈer(y)əˌdīt/
Adjective
Definition: having or showing great knowledge or learning
She was intimidated by the room full of erudite people at the medical research conference.
Equivocate
Pronunciation: /iˈkwivəˌkāt/
verb
Definition: use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself
The applicant was equivocating during the interview when he was asked why he had left his last job.
Fish out of water:
Someone who is out of his or her normal environment or range of activities. A person who feels uncomfortable when doing something they are not used to doing or when trying something new.
Seeing is believing:
I’ll believe it when I see it with my own eyes. Some things can only be taken as truth when you experience them first hand.
Disingenuous:
Pronunciation: /ˌdisinˈjenyo͞oəs/
adjective
Definition: not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does.
He made countless disingenuous promises during the campaign that his constituents were sure he would not be able to keep.
ebullient: high-spirited.
nimiety: excess.
prescience: knowledge of events before they take place.
salutary: beneficial; also, healthful.
effulgence: the state of being bright and radiant.
aver: to assert as true.
redivivus: living again; revived; restored.
paragon: a model of excellence or perfection.
