The Vocabulary Blog

A word a day without the fuss for students, writers, language fans, and people who just want to sound a little smarter. All definitions are from Wikitionary or written in my own phrasing unless otherwise noted. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

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Ingratiating

Adj - Attempting to bring oneself into favor with another, often through insincere means such as flattery. He was constantly ingratiating himself to his boss.

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Pallid

Adj - Appearing pale or weak.

The pallid runner needed to stop and drink some water before getting back in the race.

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Anechoic

Adj -  lacking echos; that absorbs sound The bassoonist settled into the anechoic chamber and prepared for another grueling recording session.

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Hamartia

Noun - A fatal flaw that leads to a hero/heroine’s downfall.

Many mythical heroes have found their hamartia in an attractive woman.

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Guttural

Adj - Produced in the throat. Harsh sounding. Raspy.

The teacher had a guttural voice that intimidated his students. 

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Coterie

Noun - A small group with shared interests, especially an exclusive one.

The anime club was a tight-knit coterie. 

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Speleologist

Noun - A scientist who studies caves.

The speleologist was excited to find crystals deep in the caverns. 

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Stymie

Verb - To hinder the process of.

The mother did everything she could to stymie their relationship.

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Denature

Verb - To remove the natural qualities of.

The live action adaptation denatured what people had enjoyed about the animation to begin with.

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Menagerie

Noun - A strange, unique collection of people or things. 

Her high school housed a menagerie of students. 

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Timorous

Adj - Nervous, afraid, or lacking confidence. 

Her timorous hands shook as she started her presentation. 

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Meander

Noun - A curve or bend in a river or road.

The road followed meanders to preserve the beauty of the hills. 

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Atelier

Noun - A studio, especially one used by an artist. 

The young artist couldn’t afford a separate atelier, so their apartment slowly filled with paintings and paperwork. 

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Genteel

Adjective - Polite or refined.

The professor had a genteel nature about him, putting the freshmen at ease. 

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Schema

Noun - A representation of a plan or theory in the form of an outline or model.

He had trouble getting the others on board with his idea; it sounded good on paper, but the actual polished schema was a mess.  

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Waif/Waifish

Noun - A homeless person or animal, especially a young child.  The adjective, waifish, is more commonly used. 

He spotted the waifish feline in a box labeled “free cats”

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Piecemeal

Adjective - In small increments over time; piece by piece. 

She couldn’t focus on her homework for long, but decided her piecemeal reading habit was better than nothing.