ɡōSH adj. lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; unsophisticated and socially awkward. Kevin’s tactless comments towards his crush revealed how incredibly gauche he could be. Advertisements Continue reading Daily Tidbit: gauche
seh-LARE-ih-tee n. swiftness of movement, speed. The news about their engagement spread with incredible celerity; by noon, everyone in the town was congratulating the couple with enthusiasm. Continue reading Daily Tidbit: celerity
Part of the beauty in any language is the slang used by native speakers. Slang typically arises from younger generations who come up with coded language to discuss sensitive matters without older generations understanding them. Today, I’d like to define the word extra, which is used by younger generations with an alternative connotation: extra (adj.) Pronunciation: /ˈekstrə/ Meaning: over the top or acting in a … Continue reading The Daily: American Slang “Extra”
Definitions for albatross al·ba·tross ˈalbəˌtrôs/ a seemingly inescapable moral or emotional burden, as of guilt or responsibility. something burdensome that impedes action or progress. The word albatross is sometimes used as a metaphor to mean a psychological burden that feels like a curse. It is also an allusion to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, written in 1798. In the poem, an albatross starts to follow a ship — being followed by … Continue reading Daily Tidbit: albatross (metaphor)
reductive (adj.) Pronunciation: [re-duhk-tiv] Meaning: presented in an overly simple or crude way Synonyms: crude, coarse, declining, simplified Examples: The way she presented the quantum entanglement theory was a bit reductive; it was way too simplified and lacking detail. “Umm… It feels reductive. Look it up.” – Madonna re: Lady Gaga’s song “Born This Way” Continue reading Daily Tidbit: Definition of Reductive
Want to know what the longest English language word is? Hint: it’s not supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Currently, the longest word in our dictionary is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis, created by Everett M. Smith in 1935, is a lung disease caused by inhalation of very fine sand and ash dust. Continue reading Daily Tidbit: Longest Word
abject (adj.) Pronounciation: AB-jekt Meaning: 1. In a low state or condition. 2. Showing hopelessness or resignation. Cast down in spirit. 3. Offered in an ingratiating spirit. Without pride or dignity. Synonyms: spiritless, servile, wretched, degrading, pitiful, base, miserable Example: The orphaned puppy gave an abject whimper as he struggled to find some remnant of warmth on the cold cement ground. Tears and snot streamed down his mother’s face as … Continue reading Daily Word: abject
litotes (n.) Pronounciation: lie-toe-tees Meaning: A figure of speech in which an affirmative understatement is expressed by negating its opposite. A litotes emphasizes or draws attention to an idea or situation through ironical understatement. Do you have an example? Kira’s lunch with her ex was not the most cordial affair. It is not uncommon for the average college student to sleep less than five hours on a … Continue reading Daily Word: litotes
zeugma (n.) Pronounciation: zoog-muh Meaning: a literary term for using one word, often a verb or adjective, to modify or govern two or more words such that it applies to each word in a different sense, or does not make grammatical or logical sense with all the words. Synonyms: None. Syllepsis is similar, but not a synonym. Do you have an example? I saw Niagara Falls … Continue reading Daily Word: zeugma
bamboozle (v.) Pronounciation: bam-boo-zul Meaning: to deceive or confuse by underhanded or unexpected methods. Synonyms: dupe, hoodwink, cheat, perplex, trick, fool Can you use it in a sentence? “In Catch Me If You Can (2002), Leonardo DiCaprio plays a hugely successful scammer who had bamboozled people of billions of dollars before he was even 19 years old.” Continue reading Daily Word: bamboozle
mimesis (n.) Pronounciation: my-mee-sis Meaning: imitation and representation, especially in regards to works of art and literature representing reality or the physical world. In biology, this refers to an organism mimicking another organism. Synonyms: Mimicry, copying, impersonation Can you use it in a sentence? “French artist Gustave Courbet rejected the Classical Western illusionistic tradition of mimesis, which sought to capture the reality in visual representation, and instead paved … Continue reading Daily Word: mimesis
panoply (n.) pronounciation: pan-oh-plee A panoply is a complete or impressive collection of things. Sample sentence: My mouth began to water as the baker laid a panoply of fresh steaming pastries before me. Continue reading Daily Word
Ride or Die A ride or die is a person you love so much you’d be willing to do anything for them, even if it kills you. This person can be a friend, family member, significant other, etc. I’m always going to be there for you because you’re my ride or die. Source: Urban Dictionary: ride or die Continue reading Daily Word
A little piece of Oscar Wilde’s “The Portrait of Mr. W. H.” Continue reading Daily Quote
perigee (n.) pronounciation: pear-ih-jee According to Merriam-Webster, perigee is “the point in the orbit of an object (as a satellite) orbiting the earth that is nearest to the center of the earth.” When the moon is at perigee, it appears 14% larger than normal and is colloquially known as a supermoon. sample sentence: Recently, a full moon and a lunar eclipse occurred at the same time … Continue reading Daily Word
Breaking down “amphigory.” Continue reading Daily Word
Atrophy Pronunciation: [\ˈa-trə-fē\] Noun; Verb Definition: 1) A wasting away of the body, or any part of it, through imperfect nourishment. 2) Gradually decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect. Example sentence: Without exercise, the muscles will atrophy. Continue reading Daily Word: Atrophy
Equanimity Pronunciation: [kwōˈtidēən/] Noun Definition: Mental calmness and composure, especially under stress. Example sentence: Nothing could disturb his equanimity. Continue reading Daily Word: Equanimity
Quotidian Pronunciation: [kwōˈtidēən/] Adjective Definition: Of or occurring every day; daily. Example sentence: The car sped noisily off through the quotidian traffic. Continue reading Daily Word: Quotidian
Cloying Pronunciation: [\ˈklȯi-iŋ, ˈklȯiŋ\] Adjective Definition: Too sweet, pleasant, or emotional. Disgusting or distasteful by reason of excess <cloying sweetness>; excessively sweet or sentimental <a cloying romantic comedy> Example sentence: After a while, the softness of his voice becomes cloying. Continue reading Daily Word: Cloying
