NEW AND USEFUL OR PLEASING

Adduce - To offer [something] as reason, proof, or example in support

of an argument.

Sedulous - Involving or accomplished with careful perseverance;

diligent in application or pursuit; assiduous;
(n. sedulity - assiduity)
(et. Latin, from sedulo, sincerely, diligently, from se- + dolo, without
guile)

Stultify (adj. stultifying)- 1. To deprive of strength, energy, or

enthusiasm; to make useless or worthless (often as the result of a
tedious or restrictive routine) 2. to cause (s.t./s.o.) to appear foolish

Invidious – (Of an action or situation:) Likely to arouse or incur

resentment or anger in others; (Of a comparison or distinction:)
Unfairly discriminating, unjust. (et. re: envy)

Phlegmatic - Having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition ; not

easily upset, excited, or angered

Timorous - showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of

confidence (et. latin timere - to be afraid)

Adumbrate - 1. to describe or outline roughly

2. to insinuate, intimate, foreshadow vaguely, give to
understand
3. to overshadow, obscure
(et. Latin umbra, 'shadow')

Emulous – Eager or ambitious to equal or surpass another;

characterized by a spirit of rivalry

Stygian - Re: the river Styx, so generally: gloomy and dark, infernal
_______________________________

FAMILIAR WORDS TO USE BETTER, CORRECTLY, AND/OR

MORE PRECISELY
Recondite (reck'n-dite) - Difficult or impossible for one of ordinary
knowledge or understanding to comprehend; relating to something
little known or obscure.
(Et. Lat. reconditus, "concealed")
– Very similar to abstruse (Et. also Lat., "concealed"), which has
a narrower meaning of "difficult to comprehend." Also very similar to
esoteric, which is more narrowly focused on the fact that the
information is only known to a small inner circle (Et. Gr. eso- "within."
Aristotle's close circle of disciples were called his esoterics, whereas
the general leaners who attended his public lectures were his
exoterics. The rarer term exoteric is still used to refer to something
intended to be understood by the general public, generally from a field
that has rich esoteric knowledge).

Turbid -

Propitiate - To gain or regain the favor or goodwill of; to appease (a

person, god, etc.)
(Et. Lat. propitius "favorable", see propitious)

Sardonic - Humorous in a scornful, mocking, cynical, or derisive way

Stupefaction - the act of being stupefied

Obverse - 1. Literal: The side of a coin bearing the head or principal

design.
2. Figurative: The opposite or counterpart of a fact or truth.
(Et. Latin, ob + vertere, turned towards [the observer])

Promulgate - To make (an idea or belief) widely known, to promote it;

to put a law into effect by official proclamation

Anodyne – (adj.) Uncontentious or inoffensive, often deliberately so;

(n.) a painkiller; something that alleviates one's mental distress
(et. Greek an- odyne, 'painless')

Irrupt - 1. To make a sudden, violent, or forceful entrance; to burst in; 2.

(or a bird/animal) to migrate to an area in large numbers
(Et. Lat. in- + rumpere 'to break,' see rupture, disrupt, abrupt, erupt)
Discomfit - 1. to make (someone) feel uneasy or embarrassed
2. to thwart the plans of
(Et. Latin dis-conficere (to put together, see confection) to old french
desconfit. See also French déconfiture (a failure, falling apart, total
collapse) or déconfit (crestfallen, downcast). Second meaning related
to archaic use, to defeat in battle)

Restive – 1. Tense, on edge, impatient; 2. Stubbornly resisting control

(Et. from second def, in sense of a horse that refuses to obey
commands, by not moving)

Transmogrify - To change thoroughly/completely (et. an apparent

accident between transmigrate and modify)

Gelid - Extremely cold, icy

Perfidy - Treachery, deceitfulness, disloyalty, perfidiousness; an act of

such. (Et. Lat. perfidus, "faithless")

Exigent - Pressing, demanding, requiring immediate and/or precise

action.
(Et. from either exigency, "an urgent need or demand"; or separate Lat.
exigere, "to demand", see exact, exiguous)

Declaim - 1. To speak or recite in rhetorically; to recite (something) in

elocution 2. To speak bombastically or pompously; to inveigh
_______________________________

THE SPECIFIC, UNCOMMON, LITERARY, & ARCANE

Lapidary - Of or pertaining to precious stones or the art of cutting them

; Fig. (of language) having a concise elegance worthy of inscription on
stone
(Et. Latin lapis, 'stone', see 'lapis lazuli', or the rare 'lapidation' =
stoning, 'inlapidate' = turn to stone)

Ukase (pron. you-case -caze) - An arbitrary command. From original: A

decree issued by a Russian emperor.

Distaff – 1. The staff on which wool is wound before spinning; 2. the

domain of women's work; 3. of or concerning women; characteristic of
or peculiar to women

Limn - 1. To describe or depict by painting or drawing. 2. To suffuse or

highlight something with light or color; to illuminate. 3. To describe or
portray in words. 4. To trace the outline of, delineate
(Et. Latin luminen, "to illuminate manuscripts", from iluminare, "to
illuminate"; all meanings with a carried sense of portraying by
illuminating (e.g. the contours.))

Irredentist – Advocating the restoration to one's country of territory

formerly belonging to it.
(et. Italian, 'unredeemed' from 19th/20th century Italian nationalist
movement)

Ecumenical – 1. Concerned with promoting unity among churches or

religions (typically Christian); relating to or representing the entire
body of (Christian) churches; 2. Worldwide or general in scope, extent,
influence, or application
(Et. Greek oikoumenikos 'from the whole world', from oikos 'house,
habitation', the same root of Economy and Ecology (management and
study of the home or habitation, respectively)

Parochial – 1. Having a limited or narrow outlook or scope (as if

confined to a local parish, area); 2. Re: a parish
(Et. of parish, Greek paroikos, 'neighbor, sojourner', from para 'near' +
oikos 'house')

Immanent – 1. Inherent, indwelling, internal 2. (immanence, re: God),

the belief that God encompasses or is manifested in the mundane,
material world (as opposed to 'transcendence', the belief that God is
beyond and apart from this world and its limits)
(Et. Lat. in- + manere, 'to dwell'; see 'manor', mansion')

Ataraxia - A state of serene, untroubled calmness (mental or

emotional). [Et. Gr. a + tarassein, "without disturbance"]

Littoral (pron: literally the same as… well)– Of, on, or pertaining to the
seashore
Piscine (pie-seen) – Of, relating to, or resembling fish

Ovine - Of, relating to, or resembling sheep

Exiguous - Extremely scanty or meager. (Et. Lat. exiguus, sense of

"small, scanty" via meaning of "measured, exact")

Quietus - 1. Death, seen as a release from life (a final discharge from

duty or debt); 2. something that serves to suppress, check, or
eliminate (to put a quietus on something)

Reprobate - (n.) An undisciplined or depraved person. (adj.) Lacking

moral scruples.
(Archaic Calvinist sense: (One) foreordained to damnation; Et. Lat. re-
+ probare, "prove worthy")

Confute - To overwhelm in argument, to refute conclusively, to prove

wrong

Immure - To confine within or as if within walls; to imprison (et. re:

mur; not to be confused with inure: 1. to accustom someone to
something, especially an unpleasant something. 2. of a law, to come
into operation (inure et. re: Fr. en + œuvre))

Gnosis - Intuitive knowledge of spiritual truths; spiritual goal of the

Gnostics ('no-sis, 'nah-sticks, etc.)

Numinous - Divine, suggesting the presence of a divine entity (from Lat

(and Eng) numen 'divine will, divinity, esp. one presiding over a certain
place', et from Lat nuere 'to nod', with the sense of divine intervention,
although it is also the root of innuendo)

Philology - The study of language

Bibulous – 1. Given to or marked by consumption of alcohol; 2. very

absorbent
(Et. L. bibere 'to drink', see imbibe)

Dysphemism - The opposite of euphemism: a disagreeable, offensive,

or disparaging expression substituted for an agreeable one
Occlude - To stop, close up, or obstruct (an opening, orifice, passage)
Often medical ; To shut (something) in.

Abstruse - Difficult to understand ; obscure

Monograph - A detailed written study on a single specialized subject

Compendious - Presenting the essential facts of something in a

comprehensive but concise way (n. compendium)

Hortatory / Hortative / Exhortatory - Tending or aiming to exhort or

encourage

Celerity – speed, swiftness (see accelerate)

Pulchritude - Great physical beauty or appeal

Lacuna - A gap; an empty space or missing part (Et. dim. of Latin lacus
"pond, lake, hollow, opening"; re: 'lake', 'lagoon')

Gloaming - Twilight; dusk

Dross - 1. Something worthless and unwanted, seen as rubbish. 2.

Literally, the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal.

Bailiwick – A person's specific area of interest, skill, or authority; one's

sphere of operations; originally: the jurisdiction of a bailiff

Hegira - 1. A journey undertaken by a large group, fleeing a hostile or

dangerous situation. An exodus. 2. Historically, Mohammad's flight
from Mecca to Medina in 622, marking the beginning of the Islamic era.

Quorum – 1. The minimum number of a group's members required to

make a decision or conduct business; 2. (from this) A select group (Et.
Lat, 'of whom')

Casuistry - 1. Clever but unsound reasoning; (orig., and still) 2. moral

philosophy of applying general ethical principles to particular moral
dilemmas.
Rhadamanthine – Showing stern and inflexible judgment;
uncompromisingly just (from Rhadamanthus, Greek judge of the
underworld)

Laodicean (pron. lay-'oughta-'seein) - Indifferent or lukewarm,

especially with respect to religion (or politics)
(Et. a land in Revelation whose church is described as "neither cold
nor hot,… but just lukewarm" in its devotion)

Pleonasm - The use of more words than necessary to convey meaning,

redundancy, either as a stylistic fault or a rhetorical tactic

Colloquy - A (formal, serious) conversation

(Et. Lat. colloquium, "conversation", from com- + loqui, "to speak." See
loquacious, eloquence, locution, ventriloquist (belly-speaker!). Also see
directly related but antonymous colloquial, "conversational, informal")

Sententious – 1. Given to moralizing in a pretentious or affected

manner; 2. (orig.) concise and full of meaning, pithy
(Et. Lat. sententia, 'thought, expression of a thought, opinion,
judgement', see 'sentence')

Styptic - Of a medical substance: causing body tissues or blood

vessels to contract, especially re: a drug intended to check bleeding.
See styptic pencils used for shaving.
(DFW uses it to describe wit, a rare use and evocative of the
related astringent, which has the same meaning of
1. causing organic tissues to contract, typically referring to skin
(re: perhaps lotion), but also for medical intent.
Commonly used figuratively to refer to something as:
2. sharp or bitter (a taste or smell)
3. sharp or severe, very critical in a sharp and often clever way
(of comments, wit))

Solecism - A grammatical mistake in speech or writing; a breach of

good manners of proper behavior.
(Et. From Greek soloikois, to speak incorrectly)

Suzerain – A nation that controls another nation in international affairs

but allows it domestic sovereignty; originally, a feudal lord

Chary (pron. as 'cherry') - 1. Cautious, wary; 2. Not giving freely,

sparing
(One is chary of something, either risks/risky behavior in the first
sense, or something given (e.g. compliments) in the second. Carries a
sense of discreet caution, compared to the similar wary)
____________________________

THE TECHNICAL, ARCHAIC, & PEDANTIC

Sesquipedalian - Having many syllables; Given to or characterized by

the use of long words (et. Latin "A foot and a half long")

Indurate - 1. Physically or morally hardened 2. v., to make hard, hardy,

unfeeling, stubborn

Euphuism - An artificial, highly elaborate way of writing or speaking (n.

euphuist / adj. euphuistic)

Peristyle - A row/formation of columns (a colonnade (pron. ~lemonade))

surrounding a building or court; an open space or court surrounded in
such a way. (Et. Gr. peri 'around' + stylos 'pillar')

Omphalos - 1. A central part or focal point; 2. the navel; 3. a sacred

stone, representing the center of the universe to the Ancient Greeks
(the stone was in Delphi).

Levirate (marriage) (pron. lever-it) - Institution of (often compulsory)

marriage of a widow to her deceased husband's brother. Required by
ancient Hebrew law. (Et. Lat. levir, "husband's brother")

Nosocomial - (of a disease) Acquired or occurring in a hospital.

Terpsichore – The Greek muse of the dance, from terpein 'enjoyment' +

khoros 'dance, chorus)

Indite - To write, to compose written work, to put down in (literary)

writing
Pourparler (pron. as French) - A discussion preliminary to negotiations

Sumptuary - (usually re: laws or regulations). Regulating or controlling

(generally extravagant) expenditure or personal behavior, especially on
moral or religious grounds.

Homiletic - relating to preaching, homilies

Suppurate - to form or discharge pus; to fester

Excrescence - 1. An abnormal outgrowth; 2. an unattractive or

superfluous addition
(Et. Lat ex- 'out' + crescere 'to grow', see 'crescent' for the waxing
moon, also 'create')

Cancrine - Rare. Of, or pertaining to crabs; archaically, reading the

same both forwards and backwards, palindromic, generally of Latin
verse. Related to the more (but not) common cancroid: resembling a
crab, or cancer, in structure

Coffle - A train of animals or prisoners chained in line; to fasten

together in such a way [et. Arabic qafila, 'caravan']

Mistral - A dry, cold wind in the south of France, blowing from the north
towards the Mediterranean

Williwaw - A violent gust of cold wind blowing seaward from a

mountainous coast; a sudden gust of wind, a squall

Compline (pron. 'comp-lin) - The last of the seven canonical hours

(Christian prayer times), sung or chanted before retiring (et. re:
complete)

Autotelic - Having an end (telos) in and of itself, often re: an activity or

creative work; can be applied to people with the sense of 'internally
driven' ; if you believe a piece art is autotelic, then it is a justification
for it's own existence

Anacoluthon - change of grammatical construction within a clause or

sentence, to the effect of inconsistency or incoherence (et. Gr. an-
'not', akolouthos 'following')

Belletrist (DFW: belletrism) – a writer of belles lettres

Concatenate – to connect or link in a chain or series (et. Lat. catena,

'chain' (also the et. of chain))

Thew - Literary: muscular strength; physical strength; thews: muscles,

tendons, sinews, seen as a source of physical strength; adj. thewy.

Burke - v. To suppress quietly or indirectly; to bypass or avoid (an

issue). Rare.
(et. perhaps from the name of an 1829 Irish criminal executed for
smothering victims and selling their bodies for dissection)

(In a) Swivet - a fluster or panic

Ex cathedra (pron. ~cathedral) - With the full authority of the office (Et.
Lat. cathedra, "seat/chair")

Sine die (pron. sigh-na die-ee) - (postponed or adjourned) indefinitely,

with no set date for resumption.
(Et. Lat. 'without day')

in camera - Legal. In private, particularly in the private chambers of a

judge