A Living Language

[Jean Capel]

As I discussed in the Social Club, I recently was stricken with an idea. I personally keep a word document of interesting vocabulary that I use to spice up or complement my word choice and vocabulary. This idea has evolved into a living thesaurus for those who contribute here who aren't the most language-inclined. If you'd like to add something unique to this list, check and make sure it isn't already here, then post the word and definition and I'll set it up here. Thanks.

 

 

Consider this my contribution to WD, since I'm busy with TDM and have novel plans for that.

 

 

Words so far: Submitted by...yours truly!

 

 

 

Auspicious: promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable: an auspicious occasion

 

Archon: a higher magistrate in ancient Athens

 

Apotheosis: the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god.

 

Auditor: One who hears; a listener.

 

Abomination: intense aversion or loathing; detestation: He regarded lying with abomination.

 

Antipathy: a natural, basic, or habitual repugnance; aversion

 

Appellation: a name, title, or designation.

 

Amicable: characterized by or showing goodwill; friendly; peaceable: an amicable settlement.

 

Altercation: a heated or angry dispute; noisy argument or controversy.

 

Anonym: an assumed or false name.

 

Ambivalence: uncertainty or fluctuation, esp. when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things.

 

Atrophy: degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse: He argued that there was a progressive atrophy of freedom and independence of thought.

 

Adulator: to show excessive admiration or devotion to; flatter or admire servilely.

 

Apostasy: a total desertion of or departure from one's religion, principles, party, cause, etc.

 

Asperity: harshness or sharpness of tone, temper, or manner; severity; acrimony: The cause of her anger did not warrant such asperity.

 

Arbitrary: subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion: an arbitrary decision.

 

Abhorrence: a feeling of extreme repugnance or aversion; utter loathing; abomination.

 

Adamant: utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, urgings, etc.

 

Banter: an exchange of light, playful, teasing remarks; good-natured raillery.

 

Beguile: to influence by trickery, flattery, etc.; mislead; delude.

 

Bastion: anything seen as preserving or protecting some quality, condition, etc.: a bastion of solitude; a bastion of democracy.

 

Betide: to happen to; come to; befall: Woe betide the villain!

 

Bulwark: any protection against external danger, injury, or annoyance: The new dam was a bulwark against future floods.

 

Blasé: indifferent to or bored with life; unimpressed, as or as if from an excess of worldly pleasures.

 

Bellicose: inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious.

 

Creed: any system or codification of belief or of opinion.

 

Carouse: to engage in a drunken revel: They caroused all night.

 

Chaste: free from obscenity; decent

 

Consternation: a sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion; dismay.

 

Collateral: security pledged for the payment of a loan: He gave the bank some stocks and bonds as collateral for the money he borrowed.

 

Charlatan: a person who pretends to more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses; quack.

 

Cacophony: harsh discordance of sound; dissonance: a cacophony of hoots, cackles, and wails.

 

Copasetic: Fine, satisfactory, ok.

 

Cataclysm: any violent upheaval, esp. one of a social or political nature.

 

Catalyst: something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces without itself being affected.

 

Contagious: tending to spread from person to person: contagious laughter.

 

Conundrum: a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words, as What is black and white and read all over? A newspaper

 

Contrite: filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement; penitent.

 

Content: satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.

 

Condescending: showing or implying a usually patronizing descent from dignity or superiority: They resented the older neighbors' condescending cordiality.

 

Cordial: courteous and gracious; friendly; warm: a cordial reception.

 

Coherent: logically connected; consistent: a coherent argument.

 

Clarion: clear and shrill: the clarion call of a battle trumpet.

 

Contrived: obviously planned or forced; artificial; strained: a contrived story.

 

Clarity: clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding; freedom from indistinctness or ambiguity.

 

Catastrophe: a sudden and widespread disaster: the catastrophe of war.

 

Contempt: the feeling with which a person regards anything considered mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn.

 

Caricature: a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of persons or things: His caricature of the mayor in this morning's paper is the best he's ever drawn.

 

Congenial: agreeable, suitable, or pleasing in nature or character: congenial surroundings.

 

Convoluted: complicated; intricately involved: a convoluted way of describing a simple device.

 

Capricious: subject to, led by, or indicative of caprice or whim; erratic: He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react.

 

Depredation: the act of preying upon or plundering; robbery; ravage

 

Debauchery: excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures; intemperance.

 

Dilapidated: reduced to or fallen into partial ruin or decay, as from age, wear, or neglect.

 

Disheveled: hanging loosely or in disorder; unkempt: disheveled hair.

 

Decrepit: worn out by long use; dilapidated: a decrepit stove.

 

Delirium: Pathology. a more or less temporary disorder of the mental faculties, as in fevers, disturbances of consciousness, or intoxication, characterized by restlessness, excitement, delusions, hallucinations, etc.

 

Desultory: Jumping or passing from one thing or subject to another without order or rational connection; disconnected; aimless.

 

Dalliance: a trifling away of time; dawdling.

 

Destitute: without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter.

 

Diatribe: a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: repeated diatribes against the senator.

 

Demagogy: is a strategy for gaining political power by appealing to the prejudices, emotions, fears and expectations of the public, typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda, and often using nationalist, populist or religious themes.

 

Enclave: any small, distinct area or group enclosed or isolated within a larger one: a Chinese-speaking enclave in London.

 

Enigma: a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation: His disappearance is an enigma that has given rise to much speculation.

 

Entropy: a doctrine of inevitable social decline and degeneration.

 

Epitaph: a commemorative inscription on a tomb or mortuary monument about the person buried at that site.

 

Emphatic: very impressive or significant; strongly marked; striking: the emphatic beauty of sunset.

 

Epiphany: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

 

Effigy: a representation or image, esp. sculptured, as on a monument.

 

Edify: to instruct or benefit, esp. morally or spiritually; uplift: religious paintings that edify the viewer.

 

Evoke: to call up or produce.

 

Ethos: Sociology. The fundamental character or spirit of a culture, community, or person; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period: In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued.

 

Excursus: a digression or incidental excursion, as in a narrative.

 

Erroneous: containing error; mistaken; incorrect; wrong: an erroneous answer.

 

Emancipate: to free from restraint, influence, or the like.

 

Fable: a short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects as characters.

 

Forlorn: desolate or dreary; unhappy or miserable, as in feeling, condition, or appearance.

 

Forsake: to give up or renounce (a habit, way of life, etc.).

 

Fabrication: something fabricated esp. an untruthful statement: His account of the robbery is a complete fabrication.

 

Façade: a superficial appearance or illusion of something: They managed somehow to maintain a facade of wealth.

 

Gallantry: dashing courage; heroic bravery; noble-minded behavior.

 

Gratuitous: being without apparent reason, cause, or justification: a gratuitous insult.

 

Gratulant: expressing gratification; congratulatory.

 

Humble: not proud or arrogant; modest: to be humble although successful.

 

Humility: the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc.

 

Indoctrinate: to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology, etc., esp. to imbue with a specific partisan or biased belief or point of view

 

Inevitable: unable to be avoided, evaded, or escaped; certain; necessary: an inevitable conclusion.

 

Indubitably: that cannot be doubted; patently evident or certain; unquestionable.

 

Innocuous: not harmful or injurious; harmless: an innocuous home remedy.

 

Insidious: intended to entrap or beguile: an insidious plan.

 

Insolent: boldly rude or disrespectful; contemptuously impertinent; insulting: an insolent reply.

 

Inebriated: to make drunk; intoxicate.

 

Invigorating: to give vigor to; fill with life and energy; energize.

 

Implore: to beg urgently or piteously, as for aid or mercy; beseech; entreat: They implored him to go.

 

Inundate: to overwhelm: inundated with letters of protest.

 

Imperative: absolutely necessary or required; unavoidable: It is imperative that we leave.

 

Intricate: having many interrelated parts or facets; entangled or involved: an intricate maze.

 

Impetuous: of, pertaining to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.; impulsive: an impetuous decision; an impetuous person.

 

Infuriate: to make furious; enrage.

 

Intransigence: refusing to agree or compromise; uncompromising; inflexible.

 

Impotence: the condition or quality of being impotent; weakness.

 

Inefficacy: lack of power or capacity to produce the desired effect.

 

Indulge: to yield to an inclination or desire; allow oneself to follow one's will.

 

Iniquity: gross injustice or wickedness.

 

Illustrious: highly distinguished; renowned; famous: an illustrious leader.

 

Idyllic: suitable for or suggestive of an idyll; charmingly simple or rustic: his idyllic life in Tahiti.

 

Indignation: strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base; righteous anger.

 

Inexorable: unyielding; unalterable: inexorable truth; inexorable justice.

 

Infinitesimal: indefinitely or exceedingly small; minute: infinitesimal vessels in the circulatory system.

 

Janus-Faced: having two faces, one looking forward, and one looking backward, as the Roman deity Janus.

 

Kamikaze: a person or thing that behaves in a wildly reckless or destructive manner: We were nearly run down by a kamikaze on a motorcycle.

 

Ludicrous: causing laughter because of absurdity; provoking or deserving derision; ridiculous; laughable: a ludicrous lack of efficiency.

 

Lament: to feel or express sorrow or regret for: to lament his absence.

 

Liaison: a person who initiates and maintains such a contact or connection.

 

Lechery: unrestrained or excessive indulgence of sexual desire.

 

Lout: an awkward, stupid person; clumsy, ill-mannered boor; oaf.

 

Libation: an intoxicating beverage, as wine, esp. when drunk in ceremonial or celebratory situations, or the act of drinking such a beverage.

 

Moniker: a person's name, esp. a nickname or alias.

 

Maelstrom: a restless, disordered, or tumultuous state of affairs: the maelstrom of early morning traffic.

 

Myopia: lack of foresight or discernment; obtuseness.

 

Moxie: vigor; verve; pep.

 

Malevolent: wishing evil or harm to another or others; showing ill will; ill-disposed; malicious: His failures made him malevolent toward those who were successful.

 

Mirth: gaiety or jollity, esp. when accompanied by laughter: the excitement and mirth of the holiday season.

 

Modicum: a moderate or small amount of something. He hasn't even a modicum of common sense.

 

Mortified: to humiliate or shame, as by injury to one's pride or self-respect.

 

Mercurial: changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial nature.

 

Motif: a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., esp. in a literary, artistic, or musical work.

 

Myriad: a very great or indefinitely great number of persons or things.

 

Mosaic: a picture or decoration made of small, usually colored pieces of inlaid stone, glass, etc. Also, something resembling such a picture or decoration in composition, esp. in being made up of diverse elements: a mosaic of borrowed ideas.

 

Nemesis: an agent or act of retribution or punishment

 

Nonchalant: coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited; casual: His nonchalant manner infuriated me.

 

Nix: Nothing.

 

Opulent: wealthy, rich, or affluent.

 

Obscure: not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain: an obscure sentence in the contract.

 

Ornery: ugly and unpleasant in disposition or temper: No one can get along with my ornery cousin.

 

Ostracized: to exclude, by general consent, from society, friendship, conversation, privileges, etc.: His friends ostracized him after his father's arrest.

 

Ostentatious: characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others: an ostentatious dresser.

 

Patter: to make a rapid succession of light taps: Raindrops patter on the windowpane.

 

Peculiar: strange; queer; odd: peculiar happenings.

 

Pandemonium: wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos.

 

Perdition: a state of final spiritual ruin; loss of the soul; damnation.

 

Paramour: an illicit lover, esp. of a married person.

 

Pretentious: characterized by assumption of dignity or importance.

 

Pang: a sudden feeling of mental or emotional distress or longing: a pang of remorse; a pang of desire.

 

Picturesque: visually charming or quaint, as if resembling or suitable for a painting: a picturesque fishing village.

 

Pusillanimous: lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.

 

Pompous: having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude, the pompous waiter served us in the manner of a person doing some poor soul a great favor.

 

Palpable: readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived, etc.; obvious; evident: a palpable lie; palpable absurdity.

 

Poignant: keen or strong in mental appeal: a subject of poignant interest.

 

Panache: a grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair: The actor who would play Cyrano must have panache.

 

Perturbed: to disturb or disquiet greatly in mind; agitate.

 

Privy: participating in the knowledge of something private or secret (usually fol. by to): Many persons were privy to the plot.

 

Patronize: to behave in an offensively condescending manner toward: a professor who patronizes his students.

 

Pragmatic: of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations.

 

Proletariat: the lowest or poorest class of people, possessing no property, esp. in ancient Rome.

 

Privy: participating in the knowledge of something private or secret (usually fol. by to): Many persons were privy to the plot.

 

Petulant: moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, esp. over some trifling annoyance: a petulant toss of the head.

 

Pugnacious: inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent; combative.

 

Philistine: a person who is lacking in or hostile or smugly indifferent to cultural values, intellectual pursuits, aesthetic refinement, etc., or is contentedly commonplace in ideas and tastes.

 

Prosaic: commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative: a prosaic mind.

 

Qualm: an uneasy feeling or pang of conscience as to conduct; compunction: He has no qualms about lying.

 

Quantum: quantity or amount: the least quantum of evidence.

 

Reverence: a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration

 

Resignation: an accepting, unresisting attitude, state, etc.; submission; acquiescence: to meet one's fate with resignation.

 

Remiss: negligent, careless, or slow in performing one's duty, business, etc.: He's terribly remiss in his work.

 

Rationale: the fundamental reason or reasons serving to account for something.

 

Reconcile: to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent: to reconcile differing statements; to reconcile accounts.

 

Repose: the state of reposing or being at rest; rest; sleep.

 

Satire: the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.

 

Semantics: The study of science of meaning in language. Is commonly used to refer to a trivial point or distinction that revolves around mere words rather than significant issues: “To argue whether the medication killed the patient or contributed to her death is to argue over semantics

 

Schism: division or disunion, esp. into mutually opposed parties.

 

Strenuous: characterized by vigorous exertion, as action, efforts, life, etc.: a strenuous afternoon of hunting.

 

Sycophant: a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite.

 

Segue: any smooth, uninterrupted transition from one thing to another.

 

Salacious: obscene; grossly indecent.

 

Solace: comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble; alleviation of distress or discomfort.

 

Superfluous: being more than is sufficient or required; excessive.

 

Sibilant: Of, characterized by, or producing a hissing sound.

 

Trite: lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant use or excessive repetition; hackneyed; stale: the trite phrases in his letter.

 

Tenacious: holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often fol. by of): a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits.

 

Tranquil: free from commotion or tumult; peaceful; quiet; calm: a tranquil country place.

 

Testament: Something that serves as tangible proof or evidence: The spacious plan of the city is a testament to the foresight of its founders.

 

Uncouth: awkward, clumsy, or unmannerly: uncouth behavior; an uncouth relative who embarrasses the family.

 

Undulate: to move with a sinuous or wavelike motion; display a smooth rising-and-falling or side-to-side alternation of movement: The flag undulates in the breeze.

 

Vex: to irritate; annoy; provoke: His noisy neighbors often vexed him.

 

Visage: the face, usually with reference to shape, features, expression, etc.; countenance.

 

Vivified: to give life to; animate; quicken.

 

Venture: an undertaking involving uncertainty as to the outcome, esp. a risky or dangerous one: a mountain-climbing venture.

 

Vigor: energetic activity; energy; intensity: The economic recovery has given the country a new vigor.

 

Vicarious: performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another: vicarious punishment.

 

Vicissitude: a change or variation occurring in the course of something.

 

Vanity: excessive pride in one's appearance, qualities, abilities, achievements, etc.; character or quality of being vain; conceit: Failure to be elected was a great blow to his vanity.

 

Vanquish: to defeat in any contest or conflict; be victorious over: to vanquish one's opponent in an argument.

 

Venal: willing to sell one's influence, esp. in return for a bribe; open to bribery; mercenary: a venal judge.

 

Virulent: actively poisonous; intensely noxious: a virulent insect bite.

 

Vermin: noxious, objectionable, or disgusting animals collectively, esp. those of small size that appear commonly and are difficult to control, as flies, lice, bedbugs, cockroaches, mice, and rats.

 

Vanguard: the foremost division or the front part of an army; advance guard; van.

 

Vouchsafing: to grant or give, as by favor, graciousness, or condescension: to vouchsafe a reply to a question.

 

Voracious: craving or consuming large quantities of food: a voracious appetite.

 

Volition: the act of willing, choosing, or resolving; exercise of willing: She left of her own volition.

 

Verily: in truth; really; indeed.

 

Vindictive: disposed or inclined to revenge; vengeful: a vindictive person.

 

Vagabond: a person, usually without a permanent home, who wanders from place to place; nomad.

 

Verve: enthusiasm or vigor, as in literary or artistic work; spirit: Her latest novel lacks verve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 28, 2009 by Jean Capel

[Don Garcia]

I just assumed people could use the Thesaurus in Word, or some alternative.

 

Not pushing aside your efforts though chief.

[Jean Capel]

Well, it's less like a Thesaurus and is more of a collection of interesting words. Where as a Thesaurus usually is used for synonyms/antonyms of a word, I just use the term Thesaurus because it seems the most apt description. Also, I had no idea Word Processor had a Thesaurus, I always used dictionary.com.

 

Anyway, thanks for the input, feel free to add a word or two if you ever get bored.

[The Guru]

You must have put in a lot of effort into that I'm thinking of writing something soon so I might use this for help

[Jean Capel]

Just a heads up, I updated and organized the list semi-alphabetically.

 

 

(A-B-C-Etc...just not after the first letter.)