Power Words Group Lessons PDF

Power Words Group Lessons
When you complete the Executive Vocabulary program you will be admired
for your superb communications skills. Accordingly, we thought it would be
fitting to start the Power Words group lessons program with words you can
use to describe a person’s communication skills and manner of speaking:
1. Four great words to use when describing and complimenting a person’s

communication skills are articulate, eloquent, coherent, and cogent.
Both articulate and eloquent are used to describe superb communication
skills. Eloquent is synonymous with articulate.
Use articulate to describe someone who is able to communicate clearly. Use
eloquent to describe someone who is articulate, and in addition, is also
moving and persuasive. Use the word coherent to describe logical and easily
understood communication. Finally, the word cogent is used to describe both
coherent and convincing communication. If you were to present your
position in a cogent manner, you would articulate your ideas in a coherent
and convincing manner; that is, your audience would understand you and
most likely agree with you when you were finished explaining your ideas.
Here are some examples to recap:
The actor gave an eloquent acceptance speech that was very moving. He is
an articulate speaker who seems to always find the right words to articulate
his ideas.
He spoke in a coherent manner, so that everyone in the audience could
clearly grasp his ideas and concepts.
The attorney presented a cogent closing argument that coherently and
convincingly supported his case.
2. What words can you think of that denote congratulation, praise, or honor?
This next word group has four such words:
Acclaim, accolade, kudos and commendation.
Acclaim refers to public and enthusiastic approval. When a play or novel
receives very good reviews from critics, it is said to have received “critical
acclaim.” Acclaim can be used as both a noun and a verb. A person can be
acclaimed (that is, publicly praised) for something, or be given acclaim.
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Accolade is a more formal way of saying award. An accolade is formal
praise or approval, and is often in the form of something tangible, like a
trophy or medal. Accolade can also be a more formal or sophisticated way of
saying “applause.” Kudos is also an expression of approval or praise, but it
doesn’t have to be public. In fact, it can be used rather informally: Let’s say
you want to congratulate someone for doing something well; rather than
simply saying, “Good job,” you could say, “Kudos [to you on a job well-
done!]” But kudos also refers to the public praise or glory that comes with
fame…”Celebrity carries with it a certain amount of kudos.” A
commendation is a statement of praise, or, like an accolade, a formal prize
or award received in recognition. All these words are very similar and the
use of one of these words over another depends largely on context. To recap
the nuances: Acclaim is mostly used in the context of “critical acclaim” or
“public acclaim,” such as is given in a public forum, like a newspaper.
Accolade is also public, but is given in front of a (usually large) public
audience, like an awards show. Kudos can refer to either of these, but is also
a great, quick way, to offer praise. To summarize: Let’s say an actor did a
great job in his most recent role. He received critical acclaim for his
performance, later receiving an accolade in the form of an Academy Award.
A friend later congratulated him, saying, “Kudos on your performance and
the award.” Later that year, the film’s director gave him the ultimate acting
commendation, a role in his next film.
3. What are some words you might use to convey that someone is good or
skilled at something? Five adjectives that do this well are adept, apt,
adroit, deft, and dexterous. Adept and apt both mean skillfull. When
deciding to use adept versus apt, use adept in sentences where something
or someone is adept (skilled) at doing something and use apt in sentences
where you are directly describing the person. For example: "He is an apt
(skilled, proficient) pupil who is adept (skilled) at learning new subject
matter." Deft means "skillful," but also denotes being quick and adept. To
do something deftly is "to do it skillfully." Deft is synonymous with adroit
and adept, and all three words mean "skillful." Adroit means mentally and
physically skillful (almost possessing natural skill), while adept means
skillful from experience. To be deft is to be skillful, as well as clever and

fast. The adverb form of deft, deftly, is used more commonly than the
adjective. To say that someone did something deftly is a high compliment,
as it denotes that the person used skill and intelligence, as well as
cleverness, speed, and control. So, to describe a soccer player’s skill, you
might say: “The soccer player deftly maneuvered the ball down the field,”
not, “He is a deft soccer player.” Adept would usually be a better option to
describe a person with skill. Remember that all these words would be great
to use during an interview to help you describe yourself and show yourself to
be a skilled and intelligent person. – “I am an apt employee, adept at
assimilating new information. I am confident that I will be able to deftly
handle our clients’ needs.”
Adroit, deft, and adept are synonymous with dexterous. These words,
however, do not have as strong of a noun form as dexterous has with
dexterity. Dexterity is a very powerful and sophisticated word for denoting
skill. For example: He showed great dexterity out on the court.
To recap: A tennis player who is naturally gifted in his sport, is an apt
player. He will certainly be adept (skilful) at serving and will deftly (skillfully
and cleverly) return great shots to his opponent. He should also be adroit
(mentally skilled) at reading the direction of the ball coming off his
opponent’s racket. And, of course, one cannot be a great tennis player
without having great dexterity (skill and agility).
4. Here are a couple great words to describe a clever person:

Astute and shrewd: Although these words both mean clever, they can be
used quite differently. Shrewd is derived from the word shrew, which
means "wicked man." Shrewd can be used to describe people and/or
business practices that are both smart and underhanded. Shrewd is similar
to astute, since both words are used to describe sound judgment and
practical intelligence, but, in contrast to the word astute, the word shrewd
can carry a negative connotation, because it's usually used to describe
someone who is sharp and intelligent, but potentially underhanded at the
same time. For example: The shrewd attorney always finds a way to win a
case, while an astute investor finds a way to make money through research
and intelligence.

5. Since we just discussed cleverness and intelligence, let’s look at several
great words to describe someone who is wise and intelligent and makes
intelligent choices in life: discerning, judicious, sagacious, astute, and
assiduous. Sagacious is a more formal and sophisticated way of saying
"wise." You may have heard the related adjective sage. Sage is also a more
sophisticated way of saying wise. You have probably heard the phrase “sage
advice,” meaning wise advice. Since sagacious is derived from a word that
means "prophetic," or able to predict the future, use sagacious to describe
someone who is wise and experienced enough to predict the future or
anticipate problems and plan accordingly. Therefore, someone who is
sagacious is insightful and observant. Someone who is discerning also
shows insight and good judgment, specifically when making decisions. A
discerning person is sensitive to the differences between two or more
choices and is able to use good judgment in making choices. You could also
describe this person as judicious--having good judgment. An astute
person also has intelligence and makes good decisions, usually based on
logic and pragmatism. One place you’ll often hear the word astute is in the
context of investing decisions—An astute investor makes investment
decisions based on sound research, not “hot stock tips.” An astute investor is
usually assiduous, meaning he or she performs extensive research before
making a decision. A person who is generally sagacious would likely also be
an astute investor. This person would be able to make discerning choices
(that is, the person would be able to discern) between good investments and
bad ones based on experience and wisdom.
To recap: If you wanted to comment on someone who makes smart
decisions based on carerful and assiduous research, you would say this
person is ------ astute. If you wanted to comment on someone who makes
smart decisions based on experience and wisdom you would say this person
is ----- sagacious. If you wanted to comment on someone who is able to
choose the best decision between different options you would say this
person is ----- discerning. Finally, if someone uses good judgment to make
decisions, you would say this person is ------ judicious.
6. In our last lesson, we took a closer look at the word judicious. Since
judicious refers to having good judgement and making sound decisions, we

can probably assume that a judicious person would be a careful person.
Now, what words can you think of that mean “careful,” but are a little more
sophisticated and specific to context? How about circumspect, prudent
and wary… Circumspect means “aware of potential consequences.”
Someone who is generally circumspect isn’t likely to take risks. Circumspect
comes from a Latin origin meaning “to look around.” If you are circumspect,
you’re careful to look around you, in a figurative sense, and be aware of
what’s going on and what could potentially happen. A circumspect person
doesn’t assume or take things for granted. Likewise, a person who is
prudent isn’t likely to act on impulse, but is careful, watchful, and shows
good judgment. A prudent person knows when to speak up and when to
keep silent. Prudent refers more to specific actions, while circumspect refers
more to a person’s general character. For example, “Being circumspect, he
was prudent to have the house thoroughly inspected before purchasing it.”
Someone who is wary is highly circumspect and always prudent. A wary
person is likely to be mistrustful and guarded in his or her actions. If you
were wary, you might say something like: “I was wary of sharing the details
of my plans with him because I wasn’t sure I could trust him.”
To recap: If someone is cautious and slightly mistrusting, you would say he

or she is ---- circumspect. If someone is cautious and does research before
making a decision, he or she is considered ---- prudent. Finally, a person
who is cautious and generally mistrusting of a situation, is ---- wary.
7. On the opposite spectrum of people who are cautious, judicious, and

prudent, are those who are impulsive, rash, impetuous and imprudent.
Someone who is described as impulsive acts on impulse (instinct or a sudden
desire to do something.) An impulsive person doesn’t think about
consequences before doing something. People who are impulsive often act
on emotion and often make spur-of-the-moment decisions. Rash means
thoughtless or rushed, without consideration of consequences. If something
is done in a rash manner, it usually implies haste, recklessness, and speed.
For instance, “She made a rash decision to purchase the property, sight
unseen.” Impetuous is very similar to impulsive and rash, and is also used to
describe hasty actions or impulsive people. People described as impetuous

often show a lot of enthusiasm and are driven by great energy when making
impulsive decisions. Finally, imprudent is a more formal way to say
“unwise.” An impulsive decision could prove to be imprudent in the long run.
Use impetuous to describe a person’s character. If someone is often
impulsive and prone to action without consideration, you would say that
person is impetuous. You can also use impulsive to describe a person’s
character, but impulsive is viewed as more negative than impetuous. Finally,
use rash and imprudent to describe actions that were done in haste and
without thinking of the consequences.
Let’s review with some examples:

The company lost money, because the V.P. of marketing made a ---- rash
decision and didn’t consult with us first.
Why did you sign the contract before meeting with our attorneys? That was
very ---- imprudent of you.
He never thinks before doing anything; he is so ----- impulsive.
That’s Jack for you; he likes to jump right into things without much
planning; he’s quite ---- impetuous.
8. In our previous lesson, we learned that people who are impulsive and
make rash decisions aren’t afraid to take risks, so now, let’s take a look at a
few words that describe people or behavior that can be both imprudent and
shocking or offensive. These next words are: audacious, brash, and
brazen. Someone who is audacious is not afraid to take risks and therefore
is not afraid of offending others. An audacious comment or statement is one
that is bold and possibly offensive, but also shows guts. The noun form of
audacious is audacity. For example, “She had the audacity (nerve) to take
credit for my work.” In a non-negative sense, audacious can be used to
simply mean “brave,” but you’ll mostly hear it used in the negative sense of
“overly bold and offensive.” Brash is synonymous with audacious in this
negative context. Brash is used to describe a person or action that is overly
assertive to the point of being offensive. Someone who is brash is generally
overly confident and maybe even disrespectful. Audacious is closer to "bold"
while brash is closer to "rude." Brash also refers to hasty or impulsive
behavior. When you say something rude, without thinking before speaking,
this would be considered brash. On the other hand, an audacious comment

could be one that was thought of ahead of time, and said to purposely shock
or offend. One other notable difference is that audacious is used more often
to describe behavior, while brash is used more to describe the manner of
someone’s communication. For example: “It was audacious of her to barge
into the CEO’s office knowing he was in the middle of a meeting. Her brash
comments surprised everyone in the room.” The word brazen is a
combination of both audacious (bold) and brash (rude). Brazen usually
describes a negative act or a person who is shameless and has no regard for
his or her rudeness or inappropriateness. In other words, someone who is
brazen is not afraid to be rude or shocking. A person who is brazen is both
audacious (overly bold) and brash (harsh and offensive). A brazen act would
be knowingly rude and offensive. Brazen arrogance refers to being aware of
your arrogance and using it boldly and rudely to offend people.
To review: If someone was particularly bold, and maybe even shocking, you
would describe this person or her behavior as ----audacious. If a person or
comment was harsh and rude it could be described as ---- brash. When
people are purposely rude and offensive, and make no apologies for their
actions they are ---- brazen.
9. Since we’re on the subject of being bold and rude, let’s look at some
words that describe rude and disrespectful behavior: Impudent, insolent,
impertinent and irreverent are four such words.
Impudent essentially means “rude,” and is especially used to describe a
person or behavior that is rude or disrespectful toward someone older or
worthy of respect. For example, a child who “mouths off” to his teacher
would be considered impudent. Both the child and his behavior can be
described as impudent.
Insolent is a very strong critique that is often used to describe children who
are rude, disrespectful, and "mouthy." Insolent is a particularly harsh
critique if you use it to describe an adult. The word impertinent is also used
to describe someone who is boldly rude and disrespectful, especially to those
in a superior position, but it’s a more formal word to use for this purpose.
Remember that impertinent also means “irrelevant,” not to be confused with

irreverent, which also means disrespectful and is used to describe people or
behavior disrespectful toward religion, tradition, or culture.
To recap: If someone was being extremely rude and disrespectful you could
describe the person and the behavior as ---- impudent. A child who is
disrespectful toward an adult would best be described by the word ----
insolent. An employee who is rude or disrespectful toward his boss could be
said to be ---- impertinent. And a tourist who didn’t seem to have much
respect or deference toward the traditions or culture of the country his was
visiting would be best described as ---- irreverent.
10. The previous lesson discussed words that mean “purposely rude,” but
there are also a few words, in the English language, that describe unwitting
rudeness: Uncouth, unseemly and boorish. All three words are more
sophisticated ways of describing inappropriate behavior. People who behave
in an uncouth, unseemly, or boorish manner generally don’t realize their
behavior is regarded as inappropriate or even rude. Uncouth means, “lacking
refinement, culture and taste.” If someone is uncouth, it means the person
behaves inappropriately because he or she does not understand proper
manners. Unseemly means, “not following rules for what is considered
proper and polite in today's society.” Unseemly is often used in the context
of an “unseemly remark.” This refers to a comment or remark that seems
out of place or inappropriate, given the circumstances. When a famous
actress recently used a curse word on national television, it was considered
unseemly. Boorish means, “rude and not considerate of others’ feelings.”
People who often act in a rude or vulgar manner, without regard for common
courtesy, are considred boorish. One more word to note in this lesson is
crass. Crass is another word that is usually used in reference to rude or
insensitive comments or remarks. It’s often used to describe jokes that are
in poor taste. A boorish person would likely tell a lot of crass jokes.
To recap with some examples: It would be uncouth (rude, ill-mannered) to

talk loudly during a wedding ceremony, especially if you were making
unseemly (rude) remarks about the bride.
In most cultures, it is considered unseemly (impolite, inappropriate) to start
eating before everyone at the table is served.

If someone were to spend an entire dinner talking loudly about politics,
telling crass (vulgar) jokes, and interrupting others, the person could be
described as boorish (inappropriate, rude, inconsiderate).
11. Beyond words that describe rudeness, are adjectives that describe
something or someone stubborn or difficult. These words are: Intractable,
intransigent, obstinate, and obdurate. Intractable is synonymous with
obstinate and obdurate when used to describe someone who is stubborn or
resistant to change. Intransigent describes those refusing to change, without
exception. Intransigent should be used to describe someone who refuses to
change his or her mind and will never compromise. Intractable is best used
to describe someone or something wild and rebellious, someone who resists
change simply for rebellion. Intractable can also be used to describe a
difficult and/or impossible to handle situation. For example: "We have an
intractable problem on our hands." Obstinate and obdurate are best used in
the context of stubbornness. Obstinate more specifically describes refusing
to change or consider other people's recommendations, while obdurate
refers more to being stubborn and not moved by emotions. An obdurate
person would never bend the rules out of sympathy for some else’s
situation. Obstinate is used more commonly and is a great word to describe
someone who is generally stubborn or “stuck in his ways.”
Let’s review: Let’s say you asked your brother to quit smoking and he said,
“No way! I refuse to consider the idea.” You would say he is stubborn or ----
obstinate. Let’s say your brother was a wild partier and you asked him to
drink less, but he refused to reform his wild ways. You would describe him
as ---- intractable. Finally, if you begged your brother to quit smoking
because you feared for his health and the pain his death would cause the
family, yet he still refused, this would be considered ---- obdurate.
12. Can you think of words to use to describe a person’s mood or

appearance? How about demeanor (a word also mentioned in the previous
lesson) and temperament: Demeanor refers to a person's outward look and
behavior. This is different from temperament, which refers to the part of a
person's character that affects his or her general mood and behavior. A

person with a fun and lively temperament usually has a fun and lively
demeanor, but, if he or she is in a bad mood, the person may have an
agitated or unfriendly demeanor. So, temperament refers to general and
usual mood, while demeanor refers to someone’s mood at a specific, given
time. Temperament is also often used to describe the general personality of
an animal: My dog, Brandy, has a great temperament.
To recap with an example: Mary, who has a generally friendly and patient ---
- temperament, must have been in a bad mood today, because her ----
demeanor was quite abrupt and unfriendly when we spoke this afternoon.
13.1. Now let’s look at some words you could use to describe people who
have a nice, outgoing, and pleasant demeanor. Four such words are affable,
amiable, amicable and gregarious: People described with these words
are generally friendly, easy to get along with and well-liked. A person who is
affable, or has an affable manner, is warm and friendly as well as easy to
talk to and easy to get along with. Affable is a very close synonym of
amiable, which also means “warm and friendly.” An amiable person likes to
please. Note that amiable also contains the French word "ami," which means
"friend." Amiable can be used to describe both situations and people.
Amiable is similar to the word amicable, which means "exhibiting goodwill"
and "an absence of antagonism" especially in a difficult situation. Amicable is
used less to describe people and more to describe situations, while amiable,
like affable, is used more to describe a friendly personality. Here is an
example: "He is an amiable person, so I was not surprised to hear that he
and his wife had an amicable divorce." Another example: "They have an
amicable (friendly) relationship because they are both so amiable (friendly)
and affable (easy to get along with)." Another word that falls into the
category of friendliness is gregarious. A gregarious person is friendly
because he or she enjoys the company of others. Gregarious is derived from
the latin root grex-, which means heard or flock. A gregarious person likes to
be around others or part of a group. To recap: If someone is friendly, you
can describe that person as------ amiable. If someone is easy to get along
with and easy to talk to, you would say he or she is ----- affable. If someone
were really sociable and greatly enjoyed parties and being with groups of

people, you would say that person is ------ gregarious. To describe a friendly
situation, like a good relationship, you would use the word ---- amicable.
13.2. In our previous lesson, you learned about a few great words to
describe someone with a warm personality, including affable and amiable.
The word personable is also similar to these words. Persons who are
personable are easy to be around because they have good personalities. This
is a good way to compliment someone who has good "people skills."
Personable is synonymous with affable and amiable, but can be specifically
used to describe someone who has a pleasant appearance as well as a
pleasant personality. The difference between personable and affable and
amiable, is that personable refers to a person's appearance in addition to
personality and character. Use amiable and affable to describe someone who
is nice to be around because they are very friendly and easy to get along
with and use personable to describe someone with an attractive appearance
and personality. You can use personable and amiable or affable together to
be extra descriptive and complimentary of someone: "Everyone invites him
to parties because of his amiable (friendly) personality and personable
(attractive) demeanor."
14. Our next lesson will focus on words we can use to describe things that
are connected or side-by-side. These words are adjacent, juxtaposed and
contiguous. Adjacent and contiguous are used to describe any two things
next two each other or connected. Juxtaposed is used to describe two
things placed side-by-side, usually for viewing the similarity or differences of
the two juxtaposed objects. For example: “I couldn’t decide which painting I
liked better until I placed them adjacent (next) to each other. Once they
were juxtaposed (placed side-by-side), it became clear to me which one I
preferred.” The adjective contiguous is often used to describe bordering
states. For example: "Utah and the contiguous state of Idaho."
So now, lets review all three words with one final summary example: Our
office is comprised of contiguous (connected) rows of cubicles; my cubicle is
adjacent (next to, connected) to Fred’s cubicle. One day we looked at the

juxtaposed (side-by-side) cubicles and noticed that Fred’s is slightly larger
than mine.”
15. For this next group lesson, think of times when you thought something
was stupid, boring, or unoriginal. The positive news here is that there are
dozens of words in the English language that will help you describe your
dissatisfaction with situations or people.
We have segmented this lesson into four subgroups. The first group of words
should be used as a more sophisticated way of describing something that
you think is “dumb” or “stupid.” These words are vacuous and asinine.
15.1 Vacuous is derived from a Latin word meaning "empty, void, or free."
Think of a vacuum to help you remember the idea of emptiness. Vacuous is
a good adjective to describe something or someone lacking intelligence; in
other words, dumb. You might describe a dumb comment, question, or
expression as vacuous. You could also say that a person has a “vacuous
look,” or expression, in his or her eye if it appears that he or she is dumb or
isn’t paying attention.
Asinine is considered more harsh and should be used as a more
sophisticated way of commenting on ideas or actions that you think are
extremely stupid.
To recap: If you thought a comment or remark lacked intelligence, you could

say it was vacuous. If you thought someone did something that was
extremely stupid, you would say it was asinine.
15.2. The next group of critical words should be used to describe things that
lack originality and are commonplace due to overuse. The words in this
lesson are hackneyed, trite and contrived. These three words are
commonly used to describe a lack of originality in literature or the arts.
These words can also be used in business settings to describe ideas that lack
originality or were developed in haste.

The first word, hackneyed, is used to refer to anything dull and
unimaginative because of its overuse. You could describe a boring,
unoriginal movie plot, that seems like it’s been done a thousand times
before, as hackneyed.
The word trite is used primarily to describe something overused; something
that has been used and done so much that it is now uninteresting and
unoriginal. A comment, suggestion, even a joke you’ve heard too many
times, can be described as trite.
Contrived is used to describe an idea that was quickly put together without
much thought or originality. It can also describe a comment or idea that is
made to appear creative or genuinely spontaneous, but was really planned
and ends up seeming affected. If you asked someone for recommendations
or input on something and he or she quickly came back to you with a list of
unoriginal ideas, you would describe those ideas as contrived, meaning the
ideas were forced and lacked originality and true creative thinking.
As you see, these words are very similar, and in many instances, they can
be used interchangeably, but the best word to describe anything unoriginal
often depends on context.
To recap: If something is both dull and overdone, like a bad movie, you
should describe it as hackneyed. If something is primarily overdone, like the
same, old concept for a TV commercial, you would describe it as trite.
Finally, if an idea is unoriginal and was quickly created in haste, you could
describe it as contrived.
15.3 The next subgroup of words in this lesson is used to describe things
that are boring, silly, and a waste of time. These words are insipid, vapid,
inane, and banal. Use these words as a more sophisticated way of
describing something that you think is senseless, pointless, or unimportant.
Insipid is derived from a Latin word that means “flavorless,” so think of
anything lacking taste, both figuratively and literally. You can describe food
that lacks flavor as insipid or you can describe the behavior of a person who
is acting silly or stupid as insipid. Insipid can also mean “boring” since things
that lack flavor are considered boring or lackluster. A very dull and
uninteresting party, for instance, could be described as insipid, especially if
you thought going to the party was a waste of your time.

Vapid is close in meaning to insipid and vacuous in that it describes things
that are boring, dull and lacking substance or intelligence. Vapid originates
from a Latin word meaning “flat.” Vapid is used to describe flat or flavorless
foods and flat or unimaginative thoughts or people. To help you remember the
meaning of vapid, think of vapor (air) and people who seem to have nothing but
vapor in their heads. Vapid is a great word to comment on ideas that have no
substance. A wine without much flavor or character could be described as vapid.
Inane is used to describe anything that is silly or pointless. Inane is derived

from a Latin word meaning “empty,” so use inane to describe thoughts,
ideas, or actions that are pointless or empty of substance or importance. A
TV show or movie that is void of substance could be described as inane. A
boring and pointless conversation, where you essentially felt like you didn’t
talk about much of anything, could also be described as inane.
Banal is primarily used to describe something dull, boring and lacking

originality, but also overused. Something banal is quite ordinary. A boring
conversation or TV show could be described as banal. Banal and inane are
closely related and both can be used to describe anything that is boring and
ordinary. The key difference is that inane denotes that something is boring
due to a lack of meaning or substance, while something banal is boring
because it’s very ordinary.
Here’s a quick review of this subgroup: If you watched a movie that was not
only boring and stupid, but also and in bad taste, you could describe it as ---
- insipid. If you thought your coworker’s ideas were dull and void of
intelligence you might say his ideas were ---- vapid.
If you watched a TV show and thought it lacked meaning or substance and
was dull, you would say that the show was ---- inane. Finally, if you watched
a TV show that you thought was dull, ordinary and totally unoriginal, you
could describe it as ---- banal.

15.4 In our fourth and final group of critical words describing things that are
boring and commonplace, we will focus on the words mundane and
prosaic.
Prosaic and Mundane are both used as a more sophisticated way of describing
something that is commonplace. Mundane originates from the Latin word
meaning “world,” and so refers to that which is worldly and earthly to the
point that it is very commonplace. Although mundane is often considered
simply a synonym for words like boring, commonplace, banal, and prosaic, it
should technically refer more to worldly or earthly matters vs. spiritual or
emotional. That’s why we often refer to household chores like doing the
dishes as mundane. Prosaic is a more sophisticated (and often literary) word
used to describe something commonplace and boring. Prosaic is derived
from the word “prose,” which means “ordinary writing.” Accordingly, you
should use prosaic to describe writing or speech lacking imagination; for
example, you could say, “It was a prosaic poem that lacked imagination and
originality.” You can also use prosaic to describe mundane activities like cleaning
the house and paying bills, although, again, this is considered a bit more “high-
brow” and literary. “I wish I could say I did something fun today, but truth be told I
just did prosaic chores around the house.”
16. For our next couple lessons, let’s change gears and focus on groups of
two words that are often confused or misused. The words precursor and
predecessor are often used in business. Both of these words refer to
something or someone that came before something or someone else.
Precursor is often used to describe technology. Although the original use of
precursor was to describe people, in modern communication, precursor is
more often used to describe inanimate objects, while predecessor refers to
people who held a position prior to the current person in that position.
The following sentence example illustrates how to correctly use both words:
"My predecessor, the former IT director, installed the old networking
software, which was the precursor to our current networking software."
17. Now let’s take a look at the words transpire and elapse. Transpire and
elapse are used to describe events that have occurred, and their usage is

often confused. The verb transpire means “to happen” or “to come about.”
For example if you were to ask, “How did that event transpire?” it would be
a more sophisticated way of asking, “How did that event happen or come
about?”
The verb elapse means, “to pass by,” in reference to time. For example,
“Two years elapsed before I heard from her again.”
You may hear transpire used in a similar way as elapse, but this is not a
correct usage. So in reference to the previous example for elapse, it would
NOT be correct to say, “Two years transpired before I heard from her again.”
To recap: Make sure to use elapse when discussing the passing of time and
transpire when you want to say that something happened or came to be.
Here is a final example: “An important event transpired (took place,
happened) last week, but a whole week elapsed (passed by) before the story
appeared in the news.”
18. Our next group lesson reviews words that mean “to scold” or “to
criticize.” These words are: admonish, reprove, reprimand, rebuke,
censure, berate, and lambaste. All of these words are verbs, and we have
listed them in order of severity. These verbs are used as more sophisticated
and precise forms of the words “scold” and “criticize.” To admonish is to
scold and criticize, but not in a harsh manner. It's the most mild way to
scold or criticize and is used more to help the person being admonished
learn from a mistake so as not to make it again. That is, to warn somebody
of potential harm. For example, you might admonish a child for not looking
before he crosses the street.
To reprove someone is to tell the person that you do not approve of his or
her behavior. A teacher might reprove her students for whispering to each
other during class. Again, reproval is one of the relatively mild forms of
criticizm. Use censure, rebuke, or reprimand when you want to say, “to
criticize formally.” (All of these words can also be used as nouns.) Censure is
often used within the context of politics; congress may formally censure the
President or fellow representatives. Rebuke and reprimand can be used
interchangeably to describe "telling someone off" or sharply criticizing someone.
If you berate someone, you scold the person in a very sharp and lengthy manner.
To lambaste someone is to criticize severely, often at length.

Here’s a review: If you wanted to scold your child for eating sweets before
dinner, you would ---- admonish your child. If a teacher wanted to criticize a
group of children for making noise during class, the teacher would ----
reprove the children. If congress didn’t approve of a politician’s actions and
wanted to publicly criticize that politician, congress would ---- censure him
or her. If you wanted to harshly, but quickly and openly “tell someone off,”
you would either ---- reprimand or ---- rebuke that person. If you wanted to
angrily criticize someone at length, you would ---- berate the person. Lastly,
if you were a shareholder in a company, and you were very angry at the
poor job the CEO was doing of running that company, you may want to send
the CEO a lengthy and angry letter ---- lambasting him or her.
19. We just discussed a few words that illustrate the different ways to say
scold or criticize. Now, can you think of words to describe when someone
has been talking behind your back and damaging your reputation? Here are
some good ones: defame, malign, besmirch, vilify, slander and libel.
Use the words defame or malign instead of "badmouth." Defame and malign
are much more powerful and sophisticated. Defame should be used when a
person's reputation has been damaged publicly, while malign should be used
if someone is saying disparaging things about another person, within smaller
circles. For example, “The newspaper article defamed (damaged) my public
reputation,” and, “I heard that my colleague had been maligning
(badmouthing) me to our coworkers.”
The noun form of defame is defamation; this is a legal term that refers to
damaging a person’s repution. Slander and libel are two forms of
defamation. Slander and libel are both nouns and verbs. While slander refers
to any malicious, intentional, and damaging attack on a person or his or her
reputation, libel refers specifically to slander in print. If someone slandered
(damaged by saying negative and untrue things) your reputation, you could
sue for slander and defamation. If someone wrote something untrue and
potentially damaging about you in a magazine article, you could sue for libel,
slander, and defamation. The adjective forms of these two words, which you
may often hear or read in the media, are slanderous and libelous.

Two more formal and politically oriented words to use to denote defamation
are besmirch and vilify. Besmirch is synonymous with malign, but is more
specific. Malign should be used to describe any instance where someone
talks ill of another. Besmirch should be used when someone says bad things
about someone else in order to influence other people's opinion of that
person. To vilify is to make someone look bad; if you vilify someone you are
essentially portraying that person as a villain. Vilify is often used in politics;
you will often hear candidates complain that they are being unjustly vilified
(made to look like a villain) by the media or their opponents.
20. In the previous lesson, we looked at verbs that denote speaking ill of
another person and hurting the person’s reputation. Now, let’s discuss some
verbs that mean, “to put down” or hurt someone’s feelings directly. These
words are: demean, degrade, belittle, disparage, debase, abase, and
denigrate.
The verbs demean, degrade, belittle and disparage are similar in that they
all have an adjective form that ends in -ing:
demeaning, degrading, belittling and disparaging.
Demean means to cause someone to be less respected. You have probably

heard the adjective demeaning, as in, “Please don’t yell at me in front of our
colleagues; it’s very demeaning. (hurtful, belittling)” The adjective form is
actually more commonly used than the verb.
You might describe a job that you consider to be “beneath you” as
demeaning. Degrade means to cause someone to feel worthless.
For example, “Pornography degrades women” or “Pornography is degrading
to women.” Belittle means “to make someone feel little or unimportant.” If
you belittle someone, you insult the person to the point that the person feels
“small.” If someone made fun of you and belittled you in front of other
people, you would say the experience was belittling. To disparage means to
make someone feel inferior or to criticize someone in a manner that shows
you do not respect him.
For example, “I felt disparaged when my boss openly laughed at my idea,”
or, “It is clear he does not respect the president, as he made several
disparaging remarks about him during the meeting.”

Debase means “to reduce the value or quality of something.”
For example, “Many people feel money has debased NBA basketball.” Abase
means “to make oneself seem to be less important or worthy of respect.”
Abasement is self-deprecation. The word abase is often followed by
“yourself;” for example, “Don’t abase yourself, be confident in who you are.”
Demean is often used in the same context, as in, “Don’t demean yourself.”
This means, “Don’t do or say something that is beneath you.”
To denigrate means to say that someone or something is not of value or

importance. When you denigrate someone or something, you are critical of
it, and want to “chip away” at its importance or good reputation. To
denigrate someone or something is almost worse than to demean, debase,
or degrade, because you try to take away all its value and importance. If
you denigrate someone, you are critical of the person and you are
suggesting his beliefs are wrong or incorrect, to the point that they don’t
matter at all. For example, “Don’t denigrate (criticize, devalue) people who
have a different political view than you; just because their beliefs are
different from yours, doesn’t mean they don’t matter.”
Let’s recap this lesson with an office scenario: Our interns often make
disparaging (critical) remarks about our human resources manager. I think
it’s because they don’t like the degrading (disrespectful) way she treats
them, and they consider the tasks they are given demeaning (beneath
them.) She, in turn, belittles (talks down to, insults) the interns because she
thinks they should have to “pay their dues,” before they can earn her
respect. I don’t think the interns should debase (lower, devalue) themselves
by allowing her to denigrate them (make them feel worthless) in this way.
After all, they work hard and should be valued for the assistance they
provide.
21. We just discussed a few words that illustrate the different ways to put
down or devalue people or ideas. Now, let’s look at some words you can use
to say support or strengthen. These words are:

bolster, buttress, fortify, or augment: Use the verb bolster to denote
supporting, encouraging, or propping someone or something up to make the
person, thing, or idea stronger. When you encourage a friend, you bolster
his or her confidence. It is slightly different than buttress, which means, "to
support or strengthen," as bolster is more specific to making something
stronger, often for defense. For example: You would bolster (lift up, prop up)
morale, while you would buttress (strengthen) your legal case or argument.
Buttress can be used in the literal sense of giving support to something like
a building, or it can also be used in the more figurative sense of giving
support to a cause or idea.
To fortify something is to strengthen it or make it stronger. If you fortify
something, you make it safer and stronger, like a fort. One can fortify an
argument for use in court, fortify resolve to accomplish a goal, or a system
can be fortified through reforms or guidelines. A fortified food is one that has
been nutritionally strengthened by the addition of extra vitamins. To fortify
something is to take action to strengthen it. During difficult times, family
may fortify us and provide a support system. Buttress is a better choice than
fortify in the context of strengthening a building or other structure, while
fortify or bolster are better in the context of morale or a person's physical
strength. Finally, to augment is to add to something in order to make
something stronger or bigger. A company may augment its sales force to
cover a wider territory or augment its marketing plan by adding new
advertising venues.
Here’s an example to recap this lesson: Fortified (strengthened) by a good
night’s sleep and a robust cup of coffee and bolstered (encouraged) by the
support of his colleagues, Greg buttressed (strengthened) his marketing
proposal by adding several tactics that would help augment (boost,
enhance) his recommended strategies.
22. In this next lesson, we’ll look at some words you can use to describe
something relevant or appropriate. The word relevant is often heard in
meetings or legal discussions. In the world of streamlined business, if a topic
is not relevant, it is usually frowned upon in meetings. Relevant is a broad
word that refers to anything that is related to or has bearing on a subject,
discussion, meeting, etc. Other words that are more descriptive include

germane, pertinent, apposite and apropos. Germane is used to describe
subjects that are closely related. Use germane to describe a point that is
related and important to a discussion. Pertinent refers to things that are
immediately relevant. In a discussion, if something is pertinent, it’s highly
relavant to the immediate topic at hand. Apposite is a synonym of pertinent
and refers to things that are particularly appropriate to a situation or
occasion. Apposite is not used as widely as the words germane or pertinent,
but it is a good word to know when something is relevant or closely related
to the circumstances. Apropos also means relevant, as well as “at an
opportune time.” For instance, “Her arrival at the meeting was apropos,
since we were just discussing her ideas.” It can also be used in a transitional
way to take the discussion in a new, but relevant direction. Apropos is used
to introduce something related to or connected with something that has just
been said. You can also use apropos at the end of a sentence, as in, “Her
comments were very apropos,” meaning, her comments were very relevant
and appropriate.
Let’s recap with some usage examples:

John made several great points that were germane to the meeting objective.
We don’t have much time with this client, so let’s keep all questions and
comments pertinent to the discussion.
The meeting was running into our lunch hour, so it was apposite when Shelly
came in with sandwiches.
Yes, we need to find ways to cut costs; apropos, have we received the cost
savings report from our consultants? Or: She felt it would be apropos to ask
for a raise shortly after the success of her latest project.
23. Since, in the previous lesson, we discussed some words that are often
used in meetings, it may be apropos to mention the words apprise and
appraise, two more words often used in the business world. Here’s a quick
tip regarding apprise and appraise, two words that may be confused: To
apprise means, “to inform.” To appraise is to estimate the value or worth of
something. Here’s a quick example: When selling our house, I asked that
our real estate agent keep me apprised (informed) of our scheduled

appraisal (estimate of the home’s value) and to let me know as soon as the
house had been appraised (estimated for its value.)
24. Our next lesson will also feature two great words to use in business
discussions: Versed and conversant. These are great words to use when
describing a person’s experience and knowledge.
The word conversant is usually followed by the word "with" and describes
knowledge gained through the study of a subject. To help remember the
meaning of the word conversant, think of the word “conversation.” Apply the
word conversant to people who are knowledgeable about a subject and are
able to have an articulate and intelligent conversation about that subject.
Conversant is related to the word versed, which is usually followed by "in"
and is usually used to describe knowledge from experience. If you are well
versed in something, you are familiar with and knowledgable about it. To
recap with some examples: If someone were very knowledgeable about a
subject from reading or studying, you would say this person is conversant
with the subject. If a person is knowledgeable about and experienced in
using a software program, you would say the person is well versed in using
the program. Remember: “conversant with” and “versed in.”
25. Continuing with the theme of words that are useful in business
discussions, this lesson will focus on words you would use to describe
communication that gets straight to the point.
These words are concise, succinct, and pithy. To be concise is to use as
few words as possible to convey your point. Concise is a great word to use
when offering an explanation that’s short, but completely clear. “She offered
a concise explanation; it was brief, but complete.” Succinct is used to
describe brief and to-the-point communication--in the fast-paced business
world it’s a good idea to be succinct when you communicate. A succinct
explanation might be more of a summary of the main points than a complete
review. To review the difference between concise and succinct let’s look at
an example: I wrote a concise report for my boss’ review, and included a
succinct summary of the main points of the report. Pithy means “concise,”
and also “full of meaning.” If one of your colleagues makes pithy comments

during a meeting, this is a compliment, as it means that he or she said a lot
using few words. Pithy speech is often witty or clever as well. Pithy is also
used in literary communication to describe creative and witty writing that
communicates a lot with few words. (Sententious is also a synonym of pithy,
but be careful, because pithy is almost always a compliment, while
sententious can be a criticism, meaning “pompous” and “trying to be
clever/pithy.”)
26. In this lesson, we’ll look at some words used to describe communication
that is brief, but not in a good way. These words are brusque, curt, terse,
abrupt and laconic. Brusque is similar to the word curt. Both words are
most often used to describe short and somewhat rude communication.
Brusque can be used to describe a person or manner of communicating that
is abrupt (sudden or unexpected), while curt refers specifically to being short
and terse (not saying much) and so, can be considered rude. If you ask
someone how he or she is doing and that person just replies "fine" and
walks away, that would be considered curt. If you ask someone, "What's
your problem?" in a rude manner, this would be considered brusque (abrupt,
unexpected and blunt). It’s important to remember that brusque, curt, or
terse communication isn’t necessarily meant to be rude; it can sometimes
just seem that way. Terse can be used to refer to language that is brief and
concise, but it is most often used to refer to speech that is curt. So, use curt
if you want to say “so brief as to be rude,” and use terse if you want to say,
"very brief and direct, bordering on rude.”
Abrupt has two meanings; one is synonymous with curt—short and
unfriendly. The other meaning is “sudden and unexpected, and usually,
unpleasant.” For example, someone may abruptly end a conversation by
walking away mid-sentence, or a meeting may come to an abrupt end
because of some unpleasant circumstance.
A statement that is laconic is brief and to the point. It is cut short so as not
to be verbose. Laconic falls somewhere in between curt (short and rude) and
succinct (short and to the point, pithy). When used as a critique, laconic
refers to being short in a rude and almost mysterious way. When used as a
compliment, laconic describes brevity for the sake of politeness and
avoidance of verbosity.

To recap with an example: People often reply to e-mails these days with
very brief responses--An overly brief response that seems a bit rude in tone
might be considered curt or terse (curt being considered more rude, terse
being just overly brief.) A brusque response to a friendly e-mail might be a
one-word response, typed in all caps, to imply anger or shouting. This is
considered brusque because it’s abrupt, blunt, and obviously rude. If
someone replies to your e-mail very briefly, but is to the point and polite,
that could be described as laconic.
27. On the opposite end of the communication spectrum, what are some
words to describe a person who talks too much or is “wordy?” Are you
familiar with verbose, loquacious, garrulous, and circuitous? If a speech
is described as garrulous, this is usually a criticism. Have you ever been on
an airplane, sitting next to someone who wanted to chat with you when all
you wanted to do was read your book? That person could be described as
garrulous. A garrulous person is talkative and usually talks too much about
things of little importance. Garrulous is synonymous with verbose and
loquacious. Loquacious is more similar in meaning to garrulous, as it means
“talkative.” Loquacious people tend to be pretty chatty because they enjoy
talking. Verbose denotes using too many words to convey a point. The Latin
origin of verbose literally means “full of words.” When someone is trying to
explain something to you, but goes about it in an overly wordy, roundabout
way, that’s considered verbose. To recap: If someone is very chatty, but
likes to talk about nothing in particular, you should describe him or her as --
-- garrulous. If someone uses too many words or long-winded explanations
to get to the point, that person is ---- verbose. A person who simply likes to
talk a lot is ---- loquacious.
One more word to note in this grouping is circuitous. Circuitous means

roundabout or indirect, so when used in the context of speech, it’s similar to
verbose in terms of not getting straight to the point, but doesn’t exactly
mean “wordy,” but more “roundabout.” So, if someone seems like they’re
“talking in circles,” you could describe the way they speak as circuitous.

28. What words can you think of that mean “to make smaller, shorter, or
reduce in size?” In this next lesson, we’ll focus on the words abbreviate,
abridge, condense, curtail, and truncate, all of which refer to making
something smaller, shorter, or reduced in size. To abbreviate is to make
something, like a name or title, shorter. It’s commonly used in the context
of shortening a single word to create an abbreviation, for example, the
abbreviation “V.P.,” short for Vice President. Abridge is usually, and most
correctly, used in the context of shortening an entire book or publication.
You’ve probably seen the adjective form of abridge, abridged, used in
reference to dictionaries or encyclopedias; these are usually available in both
abridged and full, unabridged, versions. Truncate can also be used in place
of abridge or abbreviate, but usually refers to cutting something off or
making it shorter in an abrupt way. When you abbreviate or abridge
something, the essential elements are left intact, whereas when something
is truncated it’s usually cut off abruptly. (Remember, also, that truncate can
be used as a verb or adjective.)
The word condense has the widest usage of these words. You might
condense (make shorter and more concise) an entire book into a summary,
or you may condense a long document into a few essential notes. (Don’t
forget that condense also has several other uses, such as “to change from a
gas into a liquid.”) When something is condensed it is shortened or made
smaller on purpose. Our final word in this lesson is the verb curtail, which,
unlike the other words, is not generally used to refer to writing that is
condensed or shortened. Curtail refers more to the stopping or shortening of
actions. When something is curtailed, it is stopped or shortened before the
intended end. It also refers to things being limited or restricted. When
businesses or governments limit or restrict spending, they curtail their
spending.
To recap: If you were giving a speech in front of an audience, but you

realized that the speech you had planned was too long for the allowed time
limit, you would ---- truncate (shorten) a portion of your speech in order to -
--- curtail (reduce) the length of time it took. You may even ---- condense
certain parts of the speech by leaving out some details, thereby forming an

abridged or abbreviated version. Finally, if you still went over your allotted
time the moderator could --- curtail your speech by forcing you to end.
29. We just discussed words that mean, “to shorten” or “reduce.” Now, let’s
look at some words you can use to describe anything added to something
else, but not essential. These words are adjunct, auxiliary, and ancillary.
Adjunct and auxiliary can be used to describe both things and people. Both
these words can also be used as nouns. Here’s an example: “I’m a recent
adjunct (addition) to the team, but I feel that my position is more auxiliary
(supporting, subsidiary) than essential.” Here’s another good example (and
great to use if you’re vying for a promotion): “I currently have an auxiliary
position, but I hope to increase my involvement in projects and prove myself
invaluable to the success of this company.” Ancillary means secondary or
supportive. Ancillary is a great word to use when describing additional
services that your company provides beyond your core services. For
example, “The car dealership provides financing as an ancillary service.”
30. If you wanted to express the idea of giving up or surrendering, what are
some words you might use? A few words to denote the idea of giving up are:
Accede, acquiesce, capitulate and succumb. These words are all used as
more sophisticated and specialized ways to say, “to give up” or “surrender.”
Acquiesce is the best word to use in a situation where someone originally
fought for an idea or resisted an idea, but then decided it wasn't worth
fighting for, so they acquiesced (quietly agreed) to the other party's
recommendation. Acquiesce is different from capitulate, where someone is
forced to surrender or grudgingly give up and comply with another person's
request. Acquiesce is more similar to accede. To accede is to agree and
usually refers to agreeing after careful deliberation. Accede does not imply
giving up or putting up resistance, but rather agreeing after consideration.
Capitulate is really a more sophisticated way of denoting surrender to
someone else's wishes. When you capitulate, you give up on your own plans
or ideas and reluctantly decide to go along with someone else's idea despite
not agreeing with it. Succumb means you have submitted to defeat. If you
capitulate to something, you surrender or completely cave in. If you

succumb to something, you give up or give in because you don't believe you
can win. If you acquiesce, you agree passively, because you don’t want to
put up a fight.
To recap: Let’s say you were meeting a friend for lunch, and you felt like
going to an Italian restaurant, but your friend was really in the mood for fish
tacos, you would probably ---- acquiesce to going to a Mexican restaurant
instead of Italian. But what if you were really, really in the mood for pizza,
but your friend insisted on Mexican food? The two of you might argue about
it for a few minutes, but if you eventually gave in to your friend’s wishes,
you would ---- capitulate to going to the Mexican restaurant. Now, what if
your friend suggested going to the Mexican place, and even though you
wanted Italian, you thought about it and realized the Mexican place would be
easier to get to from your house; you would consider the idea of Mexican
food, and ---- accede to your friend’s suggestion. OK, so what if you hated
Mexican food, but really wanted to meet your friend for lunch, and the only
place she would agree to meet you was at her favorite Mexican restaurant?
If you agreed to meet her there, despite your dislike of Mexican food, you
would ---- succumb to her wishes because you realized you had no choice if
you wanted to see your friend.
31. In the previous lesson, we learned the myriad and nuanced ways to say,
“surrender.” But what if you didn’t want to surrender to another person’s
wishes, and instead, wanted to persuade that person to see things your way
or to go along with your idea. Well, you could coax or cajole the person
into agreeing with you. Both coax and cajole denote persuading using some
sort of flattery or praise. Cajole is very similar to coax. Although coax
sounds more harsh than cajole, coax is actually used to denote a softer,
gentler persuasion, with no false promises. Cajoling someone involves
flattery, and even false promises, along with gentle persuasion to induce
action. For a memory trick, note how cajole sounds like "caged owl." Now,
imagine trying to talk the caged owl into coming out of the cage. You might
have to cajole the owl to come out of its cage by talking sweetly and offering
a treat. Also worth noting here is the word blandish. Although considered by
some to be archaic, and no longer widely used, the word blandish is also a

synonym of cajole, and also denotes persuading someone with the use of
praise of flattery.
Let’s recap the difference between cajole and coax with a couple examples:
If you were trying to teach your daughter to swim, but she was afraid to get
into the pool, you might coax (gently persuade) her to get in the water by
telling her how much fun she’ll have once she’s swimming. If a teenager
were trying to convince his mother to let him take out the car by flattering
her with praise, he would be cajoling her (persuading with flattery) into
allowing him to take out the car.
32. What words can you think of that might be used to denote avoiding
something? This lesson will focus on different ways to say “avoid,” or
“prevent,” namely: Avert, forestall, preempt, thwart, impede, hamper
and hinder: All of these verbs can be used, in different contexts, in place of
“prevent.” Avert is generally used in the context of avoiding something bad
or dangerous. If you heard about an accident that took place on the route
you usually take to get to work, you would probably try to avert traffic by
taking an alternate route. Also, when you look away from something to
prevent yourself from looking at it, you avert your eyes; you look away to
avoid seeing something.
The words forestall and preempt are often used in business: To forestall is
to slow down or hinder product sales by making the merchandise scarce or
by falsely inflating prices. Forestall is similar to preempt, but can have a
more negative sense. For example, if you preempt your competitors from
entering a market by entering it yourself, you have not done anything illegal
or questionable. But if you pay off customers to prevent your competitors
from entering a market, you forestall their efforts in a dubious or
questionable way. However, forestall can also be used simply as a synonym
for prevent or avert. The word thwart is another way to say “prevent,” and
we often hear the word thwart used in the context of law enforcement, as in,
“The drug deal was thwarted by undercover officers.” Impede is also a way
to say “prevent,” specifically “to prevent or block passage.” A tree that fell
across the road would impede your ability to continue driving down that
road.

Although the words hamper and hinder are also part of this word grouping,
they are not synonymous with the verb “prevent.” Think of hamper and
hinder more in the context of preventing progress. That is: while averting,
thwarting, or impeding something refers to preventing it completely,
hindering or hampering something is just preventing it temporarily or
slowing it down. [Imagine an overflowing hamper of clothes at the foot of
your door; now consider how that would hamper (impede, hinder) your
ability to get out of the room quickly in an emergency. You would not want
to have a hamper full of clothes hindering (delaying, blocking) your ability to
leave a room in a fire.]
A sprained ankle may hinder or hamper your ability to walk for a few weeks,
but once it heals, you will be able to walk again. Becoming paralyzed from
the waist down would impede your ability to walk forever.
To recap: If you had an important promotion interview at work, and you

wanted to be sure to get to the office on time, you would try to ---- avert
traffic by leaving for work a little earlier than usual. If you heard about a co-
worker’s planned efforts to ---- forestall your promotion and take it for
himself by maligning you to your boss, you would probably try to ----
preempt this co-worker’s plan by noting all your past success and
mentioning how unproductive it is to malign other employees. At the end of
the interview, you would be proud of yourself for having ---- thwarted your
co-worker’s plans. If your co-worker later does try to malign you to the
boss, your boss may ---- impede, or block, his ability to finish his thought
and may even realize that your co-worker is ---- hindering effective team
work, thereby ---- hampering office productivity. Amazing how may different
ways there are to say “prevent,” isn’t it!?
33. Things you would want to prevent or preempt from happening are things
that will happen in the near future. How would you describe something that
will soon happen? You could use the words imminent, impending, and
forthcoming. Imminent is used to describe something that is expected to
occur at anytime. Something that is imminent is likely to happen, but it is

not completely certain to happen. It often refers to something foreboding
(something bad that is about to happen), as in imminent danger. Impending
is used to describe something that is about to happen. Impending often, but
not always, refers to something negative that is expected, like an impending
lawsuit. Imminent, impending, and forthcoming are all synonymous. As was
just noted, imminent and impending often refer to negative and threatening
events. Forthcoming is used to describe something that is expected to
happen, without any negative connotation. Forthcoming is really just a more
sophisticated way of saying “about to happen.” For example, “I hope to do
well in my forthcoming tennis match.” Forthcoming can also refer to
something that is made available, as in, “The report will be forthcoming
shortly (available).” Note that forthcoming is also used to describe someone
who is willing to share information, and we will discuss this usage in a
forthcoming lesson.
Let’s recap with some examples: If a union were planning a strike, you
would say the strike is ---- imminent (likely to occur). If you were served a
subpeona to appear in court, you would say you have an ---- impending
court date. If you were planning an event, you could describe the event as
forthcoming (upcoming). You could also tell you friends that invitations to
the event would be ---- forthcoming.
34. If you child had an impending appointment at the dentist’s office, but
was afraid to go to the dentist, you would want to calm your child’s fears.
What are some words you would use to denote calming a person or
situation? In this lesson, you will learn the nuanced differences between the
words allay, alleviate, assuage, mitigate, mollify, pacify, placate,
ameliorate, and appease.
Allay means “to lesson intensity or to calm.” You wouldn’t use allay in the
context of calming down a person, but a common context is in easing or
lessening a person’s fears. For example, “She allayed her son’s fears,” or,
“My worries have been allayed.” The word alleviate can also be used in the
same way. Alleviate is commonly used in the context of lessening pain: “The

aspirin helped alleviate my headache.” Alleviate also means “to make
easier.” “The extra income I earned last month helped to alleviate some of
my financial burden.” Mitigate is a synonym of alleviate and refers to
making something less severe or serious. One might mitigate future
problems by taking steps to prevent them. For example: “We wanted to
mitigate our financial liability on this development project, so we looked to
outside investors to reduce our financial interest.” Ameliorate is related to
alleviate and mitigate, but is different in that it is specific to making
something better, while the other words connote easing or lessening
something. Ameliorate is used to describe improving a bad or unpleasant
situation.
Also belonging to this group, the synonyms pacify and mollify are used to
describe calming or soothing. For pacify, think of a pacifier, which is used to
calm or quiet a fussy baby. Mollify means “to smooth over.” If there was a
difficult or stressful situation at work, you would probably try to mollify the
situation or “smooth it out.” If you had an employee who was angry or upset
about something, you would try to pacify the employee, or find a way to
calm him.
To assuage is to provide relief from any kind of distress and to make

something bad less unpleasant. Just as you can allay a person’s fears, you
can also assuage worries or distress.
To appease means to "make peace." The word appease is different from

other similar words like pacify, assuage, alleviate, and mollify in that it's
final--you make peace and there is finality. Appease is often used in political
discussions, when one side of a dispute concedes to a demand in order to
appease, or make peace with, the other side. Appease can also be used in
the context of alleviating hunger or thirst. For a memory trick, note how
appease sounds like "Amy's peas." Now imagine a little girl named Amy who
loves peas, and when she gets hungry, she becomes grouchy. Now imagine
appeasing (calming, pacifying) Amy's hunger and bad mood by giving her a
bowl of peas.
In business, an important skill is the ability to placate, or calm, a
disgruntled client. To placate someone who is angry or upset usually

requires making a concession (giving something up) in order to pacify (calm)
the person. This context of making a concession is the difference between
the word placate and its synonyms allay, mollify, appease, and pacify. For
example, if you really don’t want to come in to work early, you might pacify
your boss by staying late instead. You would allay her fears that the project
won’t meet its deadline by creating a detailed timeline. You could mitigate
your own responsibility by asking one of your colleagues for help with the
project.
Let’s recap with several examples. In each of these examples you can
replace the Power Word with the verbs “reduce” or “lessen.”
If you had a client who was concerned that a project would fail to meet an
important deadline, you would ---- allay the client’s concern by noting that
the project is firmly on schedule.
If you had a headache, you would take an aspirin to ---- alleviate (reduce,
lessen) the pain.
If you lost your house in a fire, but you found out that all your photo albums
were saved, this would ---- assuage (reduce, relieve) some of your sadness
about losing your home.
If you wanted to reduce your financial risk of investing in a new business,

you could join with other investors to ---- mitigate (lessen, reduce) your
personal risk.
If you had a conflict with a client you would attempt to ---- mollify (lessen,
make less severe) the situation and ---- pacify (calm, soothe) the client.
If your friend was upset or angry, you would try to ---- pacify (calm, soothe)
her anger.
If a client was angry and asked for a discount on a project, you would likely
give him the discount to ---- placate his anger.

If a country experienced a national disaster, the international community
might send aid to ---- ameliorate the effects of the disaster.
If two countries had a border dispute and one country conceded land, it
would be to ---- appease (make peace with) the other country and lessen
tension.
35. Since we’re on the subject of calming or soothing, can you think of
words that you would use to describe something peaceful? How about
serene, placid, or tranquil?
Serene is derived from the Latin serenus, which means "peaceful or clear."
Serene describes things that are calm and peaceful, unclouded by troubles.
Therefore, it can be used in the literal sense of a clear sky or the more
figurative sense of calm and untroubled emotions. The related noun is
serenity, which means "tranquility, peacefulness, and calm."
Tranquil is derived from the Latin trans, "beyond" and quies, "rest." The root
word shares the same origin with the word "quiet." The related noun
tranquility is a state of calm and peace. Tranquil is a great word to describe
peaceful and quiet environments.
Placid means calm and completely free of interruption or disturbance. Placid
can refer either to nature or to a person's disposition. A placid lake would be
calm and without wind or waves. Use placid to describe calm waters and
calm and relaxed people. Someone who is placid will remain calm and
unexcited.
To recap the differences in usage: Use serene to describe anything peaceful
and clear, like a sky or a view. Use tranquil to describe something that is
peaceful, calm, and quiet. And finally, use placid to describe something that
is calm and devoid of interruption or disturbance.
Here’s a contextual example: I love going to our tranquil (quiet, peaceful)
lake cottage. I always feel serene (calm and clear minded) as I look out on
the calm and placid (flat and with out any wake or disturbance) lake.

36. Now, let’s change gear. How might you describe a person with passion
or enthusiasm for something? The words ardent, fervent, fervid,
vehement, and zealous all describe people who are passionate or
enthusiastic about something. Fervent literally means "very hot." Think of
being so “hot for” or passionate about something that it gives you a fever.
Fervent often precedes the word "desire" to indicate a deep or passionate
desire for something. Fervent is synonymous with fervid, vehement, ardent,
and zealous. Fervid is a direct synonym of fervent, and the two words can be
used interchangeably. All these words are used to describe deep, passionate
emotions and beliefs. The origins of these words come from root words that
meant to boil (fervid and fervent), fire (ardent), strong force (vehement)
and religious passion (zealous). Fervent and ardent are best used to
describe deep burning passion for a cause, a thing, or even a person.
Vehement is used to describe a person's deep convictions. Zealous is often
used to describe a person who is passionate about something like religion
and wants to "convert" others. All these words mean "deeply passionate,"
but vehement is unique, in that it is often used specifically to comment on a
person's conviction. The adverb form, vehemently, is often used when
someone strongly denies guilt or wrongdoing, as in, “He vehemently denied
any involvement in the case.”
This example will help illustrate the nuances of these words: He has become
a fervid and fervent (deeply passionate) activist and is an ardent (devoted)
supporter of the candidate running for office. Some think he may be overly
zealous (passionate almost to the point of being religious), as he vehemently
(intensely, vigorously) debates anyone who makes a negative comment
about his candidate.
37. An ardent supporter or zealous fan is probably not afraid to be honest

and straightforward about his opinions. What words would you use to
describe someone who is honest, straightforward and sincere? Candid,
forthright, frank, ingenuous, and unfeigned are great words to describe
open sincerity. Candid is related to forthright and ingenuous. If you are
candid, you speak openly, without reservation. If you are forthright, you
are direct and to the point, often in a blunt way. Finally, if you are

ingenuous, you are sincere and state only your genuine feelings. A
forthright character is a desirable trait in a leader or an employee. Forthright
is a more sophisticated way of saying "direct and honest." Forthright is
synonymous with candid and frank. If you are forthright, you are honest and
direct in a noble manner. If you are being candid, you are being honest and
open and sharing information that you might otherwise be reluctant to tell.
If you are being frank, you are being honest and direct, and you're not
worried about offending someone. “Can I be frank with you?” is a common
question to ask when you’re about to tell someone something he or she
might not want to hear. If you’re about to tell someone a secret that you
would like to keep private, you would probably say, “Can I be candid with
you?” With this question, you’re basically asking if you can be honest and
trust the person with your honesty. Forthright is a good word to use when
referring to someone else’s honesty: “She was very forthright in her
responses.” Ingenuous refers to open sincerity. Someone who is being
ingenuous doesn’t try to mask his or her true feelings. This is why ingenuous
can also imply naiveté. It’s more common to hear the word disingenuous,
which means “dishonest and purposely devious.” Another word that
describes sincerity and honesty is unfeigned. Unfeigned is commonly used
in the context of emotions, as in, “Her happiness was unfeigned; it was
sincere and genuine.”
Let’s recap with some examples:

I could not believe how open and honest the actress was during her
interview; she was so ---- candid.
When giving an employee a review, I like to be 100% upfront and ----frank
with them.
When evaluating politicians, I always vote for the candidate who gives the
most ---- forthright responses during a debate.
I wish I could say his apology and sorrow was ---- unfeigned (sincere,
genuine), but I felt he was disingenuous (insincere).
38. In this lesson, we’ll discuss adjectives used to describe something new,
developing, evolving, beginning, or budding. The words incipient, nascent,
and fledgling are all very useful when discussing new business ideas.

Incipient is most precise when you want to convey that something like an
idea or a business is new and just getting started. Nascent is synonymous
with incipient and means, “beginning to develop or just getting started.” The
key difference is that something nascent is likely to develop quickly, while
something incipient may take some time before it’s fully developed. For
instance, "Democracy is incipient in that part of the world." And, “The
country has a nascent democracy that is expected to quickly flourish.” The
word fledgling refers to people, organizations, or businesses that are not
only new, but also inexperienced. Think about a baby bird, a fledgling, just
learning how to fly. Think, “just taking flight” or “just getting started.”
Fledgling is most often used as an adjective to describe a rookie or a new,
usually small, enterprise. Fledgling is not necessarily a negative word. It is
simply a word used to describe someone or something new and
inexperienced. For example: Our fledgling (new) business is still in its
nascent (beginning) stages.
Let’s review. If you were thinking of a new business idea, but you knew it
would take some time to fully develop your idea, you would say you have an
---- incipient idea for a business. If you had just moved into a new office,
and you had just started unpacking, you would say the process of settling in
was in its ---- nascent stages. If you had just started a brand-new, small
business, you would describe your business as ---- fledgling.
39. To continue with the theme of newness, let’s take a look at some words
that are great for describing new or highly original ideas. You are probably
familiar with the word innovative, but novel, newfangled, and avant-
garde are three more great words to describe new or original things or
ideas. Something described as innovative is original or takes a new and
original approach on an old idea. Something novel is also new and original,
but can also be highly interesting. A novel approach to something is one that
hasn’t been thought of before. The word newfangled is similar to novel, but
describes something so new and original, as to be looked at with some
suspicion. Newfangled can often be a critique, used in a dismissive manner,
as in, “I don’t have any need for your newfangled ideas.” Older generations
may view new technology as newfangled. Finally, the term avant-garde
refers to something new or experimental, specifically in an artistic context.

Avant-garde comes from a French term, literally meaning, “before the
guard.” Innovators within the arts, who are avant-garde, are considered
“ahead of the times.” Avant-garde can be used as both an adjective and a
noun. A highly innovative and experimental fashion designer can be
considered avant-garde, or his entire collection, if it’s very original and
artistically innovative, can be described as avant-garde.”
Let’s review the nuances of these words with an example:
Mike and Jennifer wanted to take a novel (original) approach to their client’s
marketing needs by creating an innovative (new, original) advertising
campaign to get the attention of consumers. Unfortunately, their older client
thought their ideas were newfangled (suspiciously new), and he wanted to
continue running the same old ads from years ago. Mike and Jennifer were
disappointed because the client was stuck in the past, and their ideas were
new and innovative, but certainly not avant-garde (experimental, too
innovative).
40. In our next word group, we’ll discuss words used to convey the idea of
being an essential part of something. This group includes the words innate,
inherent and intrinsic. All three words describe something that is an
integral part of something else. Innate is used best to describe something
you are born with. For example, "Everyone in his family has an innate
understanding of mathematics." Inherent is used to describe the essential
characteristics of someone or something, as in, "Quality and reliability are
inherent in everything we do." Intrinsic describes any important,
fundamental or essential characteristic or element of someone or something.
If something is intrinsic to something else, the thing it is a part of cannot
function without it. The heart, for instance, is intrinsic to the human body.
Another example: “Vocabulary should be an intrinsic (fundamental,
essential) part of any English curriculum.” Intrinsic is often paired with the
word "value" (intrinsic value) in order to describe the inherent (underlying)
worth of something. For example, you may buy a stock because you think its
intrinsic (essential, underlying) value is greater than its current share price.

To recap: If your brother showed talent in sports from the time he could
walk, you would say his athletic skills are ---- innate (something he was
born with).
Investing in stocks is risky, so risk is an ---- inherent (essential, underlying)
part of investing in the stock market.
Finally, if you were running an online business, a computer with an Internet
connection would be ---- intrinsic to your operation.
41. Our next lesson will look at some words you can use to refer to a
tendency or strong like for something. These words are penchant,
proclivity and propensity. A penchant is similar to a habit. When you have
a penchant for something, you have a liking or taste for it. You can have a
penchant for drinking red wine, for example. When you have a proclivity for
doing something, you are inclined to do it, or you have a strong tendancy to
do it. A proclivity can be an inclination to do something considered negative,
like a proclivity for lying. Proclivity and penchant are very similar, but a
penchant can simply be a “strong liking” while a proclivity is usually an
inclination to do something, especially something considered objectionable.
Propensity is another synonym of penchant and proclivity. Propensity also
refers to a tendency toward a particular behavior, often a bad one. “He has
the propensity to exaggerate.” All three of these words generally have a
negative connotation, and which one you choose to denote a tendency or
habit depends largely on context.
To recap with some examples:

If a man was known for cheating on his wife, you could say he has a ----
proclivity for infidelity.
If someone was known for always being late, you would say that person has
a ---- penchant for showing up late.
Finally, if someone were known for talking too much in social situations, you
would say that person has a ---- propensity for talking too much.
42. If you wanted to comment on someone’s luck or good fortune, what

words would you use? Two great words are fortuitous and serendipitous.

Fortuitous is synonymous with serendipitous. Both words relate to
unforeseen luck or fortune that a person accidentally encounters. Fortuitous
is a better adjective to use to describe a lucky occurance. If you wanted to
comment on the fortune itself, you should use the noun form of
serendipitous, serendipity.
Fortuitous is a more sophisticated way of saying “lucky.” Think of stumbling
onto good fortune. For example, if you went out shopping for a new
refrigerator, and you took a wrong turn that lead you to a home
improvement store, where you found the perfect refrigerator for a steal of a
deal, you would say it was fortuitous that you took that wrong turn.
When things happen out of serendipity, it usually seems like they're meant
to be, although they happen through coincidence. A perfect use of
serendipity is to describe a situation where a person was pursuing something
and stumbles upon an even greater find or fortune, one that was completely
different from their original pursuit. For example, if you joined a club to
make new friends and you ended up meeting the love of your life, that
would be a perfect example of serendipity. Remember, fortuitous is the best
adjective for describing good fortune, while serendipity is the best noun
choice.
43. Some might say that serendipity is a mystery. Can you think of a few
words to describe something that is one of a kind, puzzling, or out of the
ordinary? Let’s discuss the words enigma, anomaly and paradox. Enigma
is a good word to use for things that are rare and puzzling. Enigma is similar
in meaning to paradox and anomaly. Enigma is best used to describe a
mystery--either a person or something that is not easily explained or
understood. A paradox is more of a puzzle or a contradiction. For example,
"The famous paradox of what came first, the chicken or the egg." Finally, an
anomaly is an irregularity that seems to differ from what is considered
normal.
You will often hear anomaly used in a statistical context: If statistically,
something is supposed to happen, but it doesn't, it's usually characterized as
an anomaly.

Here’s a recap: If drinking more water than usual actually makes you feel
thirsty, this is a ---- paradox (contradictory puzzle).
If a computer software program fails to work one time in a million
executions, that one instance would be considered an ---- anomaly.
Although there are various theories, nobody knows for sure who Mona Lisa
was; her identity will always be an ---- enigma (mystery).
44. Something unusual or mysterious would probably capture your attention,

right? What words would you use to describe something that captured your
attention? Here are some good ones: Enthralling, riveting, captivating
and engrossing.
Enthralling describes anything that’s so interesting or wonderful, it
completely holds your attention. If you were reading a book, and you found
the story to be so fascinating, you read it from beginning to end in one
sitting, you would say the book was enthralling. You could also use the verb
form and say, “I was enthralled by the book.”
Riveting is a synonym of enthralling, and also means extremely interesting,
but is somewhat less formal. A rivet is a metal pin used to fasten metal
pieces together, so think of something riveting as keeping your attention
locked. If someone were telling a story that you thought was extremely
interesting, you would say his story was riveting, because the story held
your attention like a rivet. Captivating describes something that captures
attention by being interesting, exciting, or extremely pleasing. If someone
gave a presentation that was highly interesting and held your attention, you
would say it captivated your attention or it was a captivating presentation.
Captivating is used to describe something charming or irresistible,
and is a great compliment to describe someone you really like, as in, “She
has a captivating smile.” Engrossing means interesting to the point that you
feel absorbed in it. Use engrossing to describe a book or a movie that was so
captivating or enthralling that you felt as if you were part of the story, and
you couldn’t pull yourself away.
All these words can, for the most part, be used interchangeably.
Let’s review: If you were watching a movie, and the plot was so intersting it
kept you on the edge of your seat, you would describe it as ---- riveting. If
there was a sporting event that was exciting from beginning to end you

could say the game was ---- enthralling. If you were reading a book and felt
absorbed by the story, you would say the book was ---- engrossing. Finally,
if you watched a presentation and the speaker was charming and held
everyone’s attention, you would say the speaker was ---- captivating.
45. Things that are riveting or enthralling are usually short-lived. Can you
think of words that mean “short lived?” In this lesson, we’ll discuss the
words transitory, fleeting, ephemeral, and evanescent. Transitory is
derived from the Late Latin transitorius, "passing through." Something
transitory lasts for only for a short time. Think of the related word transition,
which refers to a temporary time of change. Transitory and fleeting are
synonymous. Use fleeting to describe something that is fading or is expected
to fade away quickly, but was not necessarily intended to fade away. For
example, a fleeting fashion trend or a fleeting glance at something you were
hoping to observe longer. Use transitory to describe something that is
intended to last only a short time. Transitory is a more sophisticated way of
saying “temporary.” Two related words that are more formal and less
common are evanescent and ephemeral. Evanescent means lasting for only
a short time, then disappearing quickly and being forgotten. Ephemeral
simply means lasting for only a short period of time.
Let’s review: If you were in a bad mood, but you knew you would soon snap
out of it, you could say you were experiencing “transitory grouchiness,” if
you wanted to sound somewhat sophisticated.
If you saw a beautiful butterfly, but it quickly diappeared before you could
get a good look, you could say the butterfly was fleeting. Dreams are usually
evanescent; they’re short-lived and forgotten by the time you wake up.
It’s not worth doing drugs, because the high they give you is ephemeral
(short-lived), but the negative effects can last a long time.
46. Do you know someone with a fun and “bubbly” personality? How might
you describe that person? Here are some great words you could use:
Ebullient, exuberant, effervescent, and buoyant. A person described as
ebullient is usually quite cheerful and full of enthusiasm. Describing someone
as ebullient is a compliment, because it conveys that the person is happy

and energetic. The noun form, ebullience, refers to exuberance or animation
and energy in expression. Think of enthusiasm and excitement bubbling up.
Exuberant is another great word to describe someone with a happy and
vibrant personality. Someone with an exuberant personality is fully of energy
and is not afraid to express that energy. You have probably felt exuberant
and expressed your exuberance through cheers and happy shouting when
your favorite team was winning the game. Exuberant can also refer to
something that is growing rapidly and profusely. For example, “I have to
stop the exuberant weeds from taking over my garden.”
Effervescent is similar to ebullient, as both adjectives refer to bubbles, both
literally and figuratively. Effervescent is a better choice to describe
carbonated beverages, while ebullient or exuberant are better choices to
describe people with bubbly or lively personalities.
Effervescent refers to the state of having bubbles, while ebullient denotes an
overflow of bubbles. Use effervescent as a more sophisticated way of saying
"bubbly." For example, “Champagne is effervescent.” Another great
adjective to note in this group is buoyant. Something that is buoyant floats,
like a balloon or a boat. So, a person with a buoyant personality is one who
is cheerful and optomistic. Someone who is buoyant can easily recover from
a disappointment. You could even say that a person carries him or herself in
a buoyant manner. For example, “She walked into the meeting buoyantly
because she knew her presentation would be well-received.”
Let’s recap: If you know someone who is generally happy and enthusiastic,
you could describe this person as ---- ebullient.
If you were really excited and you were cheering loudly for your favorite
team, you would be ---- exuberant. If you wanted to describe champagne in
a more sophisticated manner than simply saying “bubbly,” you could say the
champagne is effervescent. You could also say that a person’s smile or
personality was effervescent if it “lit up a room.” Finally, if your friend was
so cheerful, it seemed that he was “walking on air,” you could say he was
taking ---- buoyant steps or walking buoyantly.
47. Continuing the theme of happiness, here are some more words to
describe happy, joyful people or situations: jocular, jocund, jovial and
jubilant.

Jocular is used to describe someone who is amusing and likes to be funny
and tell jokes. If you were teasing someone in a playful way, you could
describe this teasing as jocular. Jocund is mainly a literary term, used to
describe a cheerful person. Although it may seem pretentious to use the
word jocund in an everyday conversation, it’s a good word to know because
you may come across it when reading. It’s also a good word to use if you
want to come across as a little more formal or sophisticated. If one of your
friends seemed to be in a particularly good mood, you might describe her
disposition as jovial, which is also a more sophisticated way to say cheerful
or joyful. Jubilant is used to describe the expression of great joy or delight,
especially the joy that comes from an achievement or success. “When you
complete the Executive Vocabulary program, you will be jubilant at having
improved your communication skills.”
To recap, let’s assume you attended a party with several friendly and
spirited people. At this party, there was one person who was cracking jokes
the whole time, two people were particularly happy and spirited, and
another person was full of joy because he just received a promotion at work.
You could describe the person cracking jokes as ---- jocular, the two spirited
and cheerful people as ---- jovial
or even ----jocund, and the person who was celebrating his promotion as ---
-jubilant.
48. Now, let’s change gear. What are some words you could use to describe
sadness or seriousness? How about sober, somber, solemn and
melancholy? The adjective sober, in addition to meaning “not drunk,” or
“abstinent,” also means "very serious." This is not to be confused with the
word somber, which also means "serious," but with a sad or gloomy
connotation. Solemn is a word most people think of to express sadness or
seriousness, but it actually denotes more gravity and formality. Solemn
describes a deep and heavy reverence or seriousness, while somber is a
better choice to denote deep sadness. Somber means both sad and serious
with more emphasis on “sad,” while solemn means both sad and serious
with more emphasis on “serious.” Melancholy refers to thoughtful sadness. If

someone is sad and seems to be lost in thought, you would describe him or
her as melancholy.
Let’s recap with some examples:

It was a sober (serious, awakening) moment when the girl slipped and hit
her head at the party.
Whenever the military solutes fallen soldiers it is a somber (sad) ceremony.
The decision to go to war is the President’s most solemn (serious) order.
After Jake’s girlfriend broke up with him, he was melancholy (lost in sad
thoughts) for weeks.
49. One reason someone may feel sad or melencholy is due to rejection.
Can you think of words that denote rejection? Let’s look at the words
rebuff, spurn, scorn, repudiate, renounce, disavow, abjure, and
abdicate. (There are so many ways to say “reject” in the English language,
this will be one of our longer lessons.)
A rebuff is an unkind denial of a request or advance--it's basically a snub.
Use rebuff to denote an open rejection of a request or offer. To rebuff
someone is more than just to refuse an offer or request; it's to refuse in an
unfriendly manner. If a man asked a woman out on a date, and she replied,
“Not in a million years!” that would be considered a strong rebuff. Rebuff is
synonymous with spurn. If you spurn someone, you reject that person
because you are contemptuous of him or her and you feel the person is
beneath you and not worthy of your attention--you are rejecting the person
with disdain. If you rebuff someone, you openly reject the person in an
unfriendly manner, but it is not as harsh as spurn. The word spurn is much
stronger than the word reject and implies contempt toward the thing or
person being rejected. Spurn and scorn are similar in meaning. Scorn
denotes showing disdain or contempt for something or someone, while spurn
is to reject someone with disdain. Remember that spurn rhymes with burn,
and when you spurn someone, you metaphorically "burn" the person with
your disdain.
The three words we just discussed denote rejecting people. But what if you
wanted to say that you wanted to reject or deny an idea? A very strong

word used to convey rejection of an idea is repudiate. When you repudiate
something, or even someone, you reject and renounce it in a very strong
manner. If you were very much against something, you would likely
repudiate it. The word repudiate originates from the Latin repudium,
"divorce," which is, in its essence, a rejection of one's spouse, and in a very
formal sense, can be used this way. To refuse to accept something as valid
or true, or to refuse something being offered to you, is to repudiate it. If you
believe that something is completely unfounded or unjust, you can repudiate
it simply by disregarding it. It can also be used in a similar context as
renounce; a person could repudiate former beliefs. You can even repudiate a
debt by disregarding it and refusing to pay. Again, repudiate is a great word
because it can be used in so many ways, but it is a very formal one, as well.
An equally formal, yet more common word to denote rejection is renounce.
When you renounce something, you formally reject it. It’s most commonly
used in the context of someone rejecting a title or position. “I renounce my
right to the throne,” is a quote you may have heard in a film. The word
disavow is synonymous with renounce, and is best used in the context of
rejecting an idea or belief. “I disavow your crazy theory,” is a strong and
formal way to say “I reject and refuse to acknowledge your idea.”
We have also included the words abjure and abdicate in this lesson,
because they also mean “to reject,” but are primarily used in a very formal,
and often literary, context. Abjure refers mostly to giving up a previously
held belief. A Priest who decides he no longer believes in God, would abjure
his belief. Abdicate is used when someone gives up a position. If the
President were to step down from office, he would abdicate his position.
To recap: If you were to rudely and openly reject someone’s offer to take
you out to dinner, you would rebuff the person. You could also say that the
person would feel rebuffed. If you were to rebuff someone with contempt,
you would ---- spurn the person. If you wanted to formally reject an idea,
you would repudiate or renounce it. If you wanted to reject an idea because
you didn’t believe in it, you would ---- disavow the idea.

50. Now, let’s discuss a few words that denote polite behavior. These words
are civil, courteous, and cordial. Each of these words mean, “polite,” but
are used in more nuanced and specific ways than simply saying “polite.”
When you act civil toward another person, you are polite, but in a rather
cold and formal way. Two people who don’t like each other may act civil, but
not friendly, toward one another. If you want to say “genuinely polite and
considerate,” you should use the word courteous. When someone is
described as courteous, it implies that the person has good manners and
consideration for others. The word cordial goes beyond the word courteous
when speaking about politeness and good manners. Someone who is cordial
with others is polite, and also warm and friendly. Cordial can also be
somewhat formal, especially when used as an adverb. An invitation to a
party or event may say, “You are cordially invited,” which means, “You are
formally (and warmly) invited.”
So, if you were asked how you feel about your new coworker, and the two of
you were polite, but didn’t particularly like each other, you may reply,
“We’re civil to one another.”
If you were describing someone who is genuinely polite and considerate, you
would say the person is courteous. And if you were describing a warm,
though somewhat formal, relationship between two people, you would
describe it as cordial.
51. Do you know a more sophisticated way of saying 100% certain? Here
are two great words to know: Categorical and unequivocal.
If something is categorical, it is certain, absolute, and without possibility of
change. Often in the media, we hear of somebody categorically denying
something, which means denying it completely and unconditionally, without
any qualifications; it is a complete and total denial. Categorical is often used
to reject any suggestion of guilt or involvement in something nefarious
(bad), as in, “I categorically deny any involvement in these plans.”
Unequivocal means that something is completely clear, with no room for any
misunderstanding. If you give someone an unequivocal answer to a

question, your answer can’t possibly be misinterpreted. Unequivocally is best
used to describe how you will answer a question. If you answer a question
unequivocally, you are not trying to hide anything (or equivocate)--you are
being straight, clear and forthright.
To recap: Politicians are known for avoiding straight answers. If a politician

is asked a “yes-or-no” question, but he or she fails to provide a yes or no
answer, you could say, “Why can’t he just answer the question unequivocally
(without room for misinterpretation), with a yes or no answer?” If a
politician is asked if he had been involved in a scandal, he would probably
say,”No, I categorically (absolutely) deny any involvement.”
52. If, in a court of law, you were categorically and unequivocally denying
guilt, you would be attesting to your innocence. What are some other words
you might use to declare, state, or prove that something is true? The words
attest, assert, affirm, aver, avow and contend are used to formally state
that something is true, often in an official capacity. Attest can refer to giving
testimony in a court of law. Attest is also used to mean that something has
shown something else to be true, correct, or genuine. For example, “I can
attest to his talent,” or, “His career success attests to his talent.” Attest is
similar in meaning to assert, affirm, aver, and avow (all "a" words). To
assert means, "to declare boldly, forcefully, and categorically." Sometimes
you need to assert your point of view, so that people will respect you and
believe you. You can also assert yourself if you’re trying to gain respect and
recognition. For example, a new employee might assert him or herself in a
meeting, by confidently putting forth new ideas.
To affirm means confirm or corroborate that something is true.
“No one believed that there was an accident until I affirmed I saw it
happen.” Aver means "to state confidently." When you aver something you
have verified the truth and veracity of your statement, and you know it to be
100% certain. Avow is similar to aver because it also means “to state that
something is true,” but avow is best used to state, and often to admit, guilt
or culpability. Avow should be used to state an open declaration. Here’s an
example of correct usage for attest and avow: "I attest that he is innocent
and was with me last night." "I avow that I am guilty of the crime." Again,

avow tends to be used to state guilt or to acknowledge something bad.
Finally, contend means to maintain or assert you point of view. While the “a”
words we just discussed simply denote stating or declaring something, when
you contend something, you may have to argue in defense of your
statement. For instance, “I disagree with your view, and I contend that
democracy will spread around the`world.”
53. Can you think words to describe freeing someone of guilt? Exculpate,
exonerate, vindicate and absolve are words you can use in the context of
freeing or relieving someone. Exculpate means, “to free from guilt.” You may
have heard the Latin phrase mea culpa, which translates to "my guilt, my
fault," and you have most likely heard the word culprit, "someone who is
guilty." To exculpate is "to free from guilt." Exculpate and its synonym
absolve are formal terms. Exculpate is often used in legalese to discuss
release from blame, while absolve is often used in the religious setting to
forgive someone’s sins. Exonerate is similar to exculpate in its meaning, "to
absolve of guilt," but exonerate also means "to release from an obligatory
debt or duty." Exonerate essentially means “to clear.” For example, “The
judge exonerated (cleared) him of all charges and related punishment.” To
vindicate is to clear someone of guilt or suspicion. Vindication refers to the
evidence used to vindicate someone. For a memory trick, note how vindicate
sounds a little like "win the case." If you win your court case, you will be
vindicated and proven to be free from blame in a court of law. When a judge
exonerates (frees, clears) someone of all wrongdoing, he also vindicates that
person.
To recap: If you wanted to say “free from all blame,” in a very formal way,
you would use the word exculpate. In a trial court, a jury would exonerate
someone if they thought he or she was not guilty of committing a crime. The
evidence presented to the jury would vindicate the defendant. The person
would be freed and absolved of participation in the crime.
54. If a jury could not agree on a verdict, they would find themselves in a
quandary or predicament. In this lesson, we’ll focus on words used to

describe a difficult situation or problem. These words are: quandary,
predicament, dilemma and conundrum.
Quandary is a good word to use when faced with a problem that has no easy
solution. If you had a quandary on your hands, you would have a hard time
making a decision. Quandary is similar to predicament and dilemma, with
slightly different applications. Predicament is best used to denote a situation
that is difficult to get out of. Dilemma is best used to denote a situation
where you have to make a difficult decision between two alternatives.
Quandary is best used to describe a state of not being able to make a
decision.
A conundrum is an intricate and difficult problem with a seemingly
impossible solution. One more word to note here is qualm. A qualm is the
feeling of doubt or uneasiness that you feel when faced with a quandry,
predicament, dilemma or conundrum.
Let’s review: If you flew to Chicago to give an important presentation, but

you forgot your presentation slides back at your office, you would be in a ---
- predicament (difficult situation). If you were responsible for hiring a new
employee and you liked two candidates equally, this would be a ----
dilemma (difficult choice). If you received two great job offers and you could
not, for the life of you, decide which one to take, you would be in a real ----
quandary (state of not being able to make a decision). And finally, making
last minute travel plans during the holidays can prove to be a real ----
conundrum (difficult problem).
55. If you had a quandary or dilemma on your hands, you would want to
have as much information as possible in order to make a choice about what
to do. Two words you can use when discussing the gathering of information
are cull and glean. Cull is a phrasal verb, which means that it is always used
in the context of culling something from something else. When you cull
information, you collect and gather information from various places. Another
definition of cull is “to remove selected things,” so when culling information,
you could look at it as discarding worthless or unnecessary information, and
keeping only the important information about a particular thing. A systems
analyst, for example, may cull information from extensive data to form a

concise report. Glean is used in a similar way, but refers specifically to
obtaining small amounts of information about something, over some time.
When you glean information, you may have a hard time putting together the
whole story. For example, “From what I was able to glean, we may be firing
our ad agency, but I don’t have all the information yet, so I’m not sure.”
To recap: Use the verb cull when you are gathering information from various
sources to put together the full story. Use the verb glean when you have
only limited information, obtained over a period of time, and you don’t
necessarily know all the facts.
56. If you were trying to gather information, and you wanted someone to
clarify something for you, what words might you use? Elucidate and
illuminate are two great ones. Elucidate is related to the English word
lucid, meaning "clear and easy to understand." When you elucidate
something, you make it more clear and easy to understand. Elucidate is a
good word to use when you want to sound a little more formal or
sophisticated. For instance, “I didn’t quite get your point. Could you
elucidate?” Both lucid and elucidate are derived from the same Latin word
that means, "light." So, when you elucidate, you shine light on something
that was previously dark or unclear, so now it is clear and easily understood.
In the same vein, illuminate means “to shed light on something,” both in the
literal and figurative sense. The adjective illuminating is also great to use
when describing something that provides information to make something
easier to understand, as in, “That article provided some illuminating
information on the reasons for the recession.” So, use elucidate to say,
“clarify” and use illuminating to say, “clarifying.”
57. Do you know the difference between the words cerebral and cognitive?
The word cerebral relates to the brain, and can be used to describe
intellectual, as opposed to emotional, matters. For example, George is more
cerebral (intellectual, logical) while Regine is more emotional (driven more
by emotions than reason). The word cognitive also relates to the thought
process. The related word, cognizant, refers to being aware or having
knowledge about something. Cognizant is a more sophisticated way of

saying "aware.” For example, “I wasn’t cognizant of her actions until it was
too late.”
So here’s a quick recap of the difference between cerebral and cognitive:
Cerebral should be used to describe people who are driven by their
intelligence and their mind, while cognitive should be used to describe the
logic and reasoning of a person who is cerebral.
58. Do you know someone who is arrogant and maybe even considers
himself to be quite cerebral? What are some words you could use to describe
that person? This next lesson will focus on the words pretentious,
pompous, verbose, egotistical, ostentatious and bombastic.
All these words can be used to describe people who are “full of themselves,”
but there are some usage differences. People who are pretentious think they
are better than other people and act that way. If someone is pretentious he
or she will look down on others and act superior. A pompous person is a
person who is “puffed up” with vanity. A pompous person talks excessively
about his or her accomplishments. An egotistical (or egotistic) person
believes he or she is very important. Egotistical is a good description for
someone who is selfish and arrogant. For example, an egotistical athlete
would take all of the credit for his team’s win. An ostentatious person is one
who likes to flaunt wealth. Ostentatious people like to display their wealth
and think they are better than others because of their wealth. Physical
displays of wealth are very important to those who are ostentatious. Material
objects, like cars, jewelry, and large houses, can also be described as
ostentatious.
To learn the word bombastic, it may help you to think of a bomb, since
bombastic means "overblown.” Someone who is bombastic is so full of
himself, so pretentious, and so pompous that his or her ego seems like it
might “explode like a bomb.” A bombastic person will explode with verbose,
long-winded speech that is meant to impress, but usually lacks any interest
or substance. Bombastic is a rather strong adjective and should be reserved
for exceptionally egotistical people who are pretentious, pompous,
ostentatious, and verbose.

Here’s a review: People who look down on others and act snobby are ----
pretentious.
If someone is full of him or herself and self-absorbed, that person can be
described as ---- pompous.
A person who is conceited and selfish and believes she is more important
than others can be described as ---- egotistical.
Someone who likes to flaunt wealth is said to be ---- ostentatious and the
actual displays of wealth can also be described as ---- ostentatious.
Finally, someone who is pretentious, pompous, egotistical, and ostentatious
and is prone to talking about himself and his own importance would be
considered ---- bombastic.
59. We just looked at some words used to describe people who are “full of
themselves.” Now, let’s discuss a few words used to describe more general
fullness. Rife, fraught, replete, teeming, and abounding are adjectives
used to denote being full of something. Rife is generally used when
describing things that are negative and abundant. Rife is commonly used in
the phrase "rife with" to describe something that is full of something else.
For example, “The sorority house was rife with gossip.” Rife is similar to the
word fraught, which means, “marked by or full of.” Both words are usually
used to describe something negative. Rife is used to describe something that
is flowing and abundant, usually in the present tense, while fraught is used
to describe something that is full of or marked by problems, dangers, or
difficulties, and is usually used in the past tense. For example: "The project
was fraught with (full of, marked by) missed deadlines and internal
arguments. The office is rife (full of, overflowing) with rumors." Also, a
person can be rife (overflowing) with anger, but NOT fraught with anger.
Replete refers to having a full supply of something, as in “After my grocery
trip, the refrigerator was replete with delicious food.” Replete can also be
used to denote being full after eating, as in, “After a huge dinner, I was
replete.” Teeming is used in reference to large numbers of people or
animals. So, if you wanted to say that the park was full of people, you would
say, “The park was teeming with people.” Abounding is used in a very

similar way, but is not exclusive to people and animals. When something
abounds, it exists in large numbers. “During a few weeks in the spring,
Washington DC abounds with cherry blossoms.” “Flowers were abounding in
her garden.”
Let’s review the specialized and more sophisticated ways to say

“full of:”
If you wanted to say something was full of something else, especially if you
were speaking about something negative, you could use the words rife or
fraught. If you were full of anger about something, you could say, “I’m rife
with anger over this.” If a meeting were full of idle chatter or gossip, you
could say, “That meeting was unproductive and fraught with gossip.”
If you had a large meal, and were feeling quite full, it would be more
sophisticated to say, “I am replete.”
If you took your dog to the dog park, and there were lots of other dogs
there, you might say, “The park was teeming with dogs today.”
And, if your good friend was full of joy, you might say, “Wow, you’re really
abounding with joy today!”
60. Since we just reviewed the myriad adjectives that denote being full, let’s
look at some nouns that mean “a large number of something.” These words
are myriad, legion, cornucopia, plethora, and litany. A myriad is a very
large number of something. Legions (in plural), refers to a large number of
people. A cornucopia is a great supply or abundance of something. A litany
is a long list of unpleasant things, particularly things that are repeated. A
plethora is a very large amount of something and usually is a larger amount
than you need and/or want.
OK, so how do you use these words to describe large numbers of things or
people. First, if you are talking about a large number of people, you should
use the plural form of legion, legions. For example, “The rockstar has legions
(large numbers) of fans,” or, “There were legions of people in the streets.” If
you want to describe an abundance of good things, in particular food, you
should use the word cornucopia. A cornucopia is literally the horn of food
that is commonly displayed during Thanksgiving. Food usually pours from
the cornucopia in abundance. For example, “The buffet had a cornucopia

(abundance) of food choices.” A myriad is also usually a large number of
good things. For example, if there were a part of town that had a large
number of good restaurants, you would say there is a myriad (large number)
of restaurant options in that part of town. A litany is a long list of things,
usually negative. If someone were on a rant, listing all of the things he or
she disliked about something, this person would be providing a litany (long
list) of complaints. Plethora is a semi-formal word that is overused and often
incorrectly used to simply describe an abundance of something. A plethora
is, by definition an abundance of something, and usually too much to handle,
so be sure to use it in the proper context. For example, if you are looking to
find a way to make money on the Internet, you will find a plethora (an
overwhelming amount) of websites that proclaim to know the secret to
striking it rich online.
61. Here are two words used to describe anything that is difficult for the
general populace to understand and limited to a select group of experts:
esoteric and arcane. Something that is esoteric is understood by only a
select group of people. For example: The esoteric language of professionals
like doctors, lawyers, and financial experts. Esoteric can also be used to
describe anything that’s kept secret or confidential, or something so unusual
as to not be widely understood. Esoteric is more commonly used than
arcane. Arcane is synonymous with esoteric when used to describe
something only understood by a select few. Arcane is often used to describe
something that is only known by a secret group or society, and only a few
people know about it because it has been kept secret. Arcane and esoteric
are synonymous, so it’s best to use esoteric, in most cases.
To recap: Use esoteric to describe something unusual or not widely
understood. Use arcane to describe something highly secretive or shrouded
in mystery. “The esoteric language used by the underground society was
just one of their many arcane traditions.”
62. Since we’re on the subject of things that are secretive, let’s discuss
some more commonly used words that offer a more sophisticated way to
say, “secretive:” This lesson will focus on the words surreptitious, furtive,

and clandestine: Surreptitious is used to refer to sneaky or secret actions.
The related adverb surreptitiously describes actions done in secret.
Surreptitious is synonymous with clandestine and furtive. Surreptitious and
furtive both have an element of stealth and secrecy. Furtive is usually used
to describe actions; a common usage is “a furtive glance.” When you throw
someone a furtive glance, you try to look at the person quickly, without
anyone else noticing. Clandestine is a fun adjective to use to describe
behavior that is "spy like" or involves espionage. A “clandestine meeting” is
a common term. Use the adverb surreptitiously to describe secretive
behavior--it is a better adverb than clandestinely or furtively.
Let’s recap with a quick example: “He shot a furtive glance in my direction,
and I surreptitiously snuck a note into his pocket, hoping to arrange a
clandestine meeting.”
63. Here are two words you may read or hear in the media, especially when
the subject is politics: acrimony and rancor. Both acrimony and rancor
denote bitteness and resentment in speech, tone, or attitude. The adjective
acrid describes a smell or taste that is harsh, sharp, or bitter. Acrimonious
describes sharp, angry, or bitter behavior or language. Acrimony should be
used to describe the bitterness expressed in language or attitude. Rancor
should be used more generally to describe deep-rooted bitterness and
resentment. So, rancor is more deeply held and longer-lasting than
acrimony.
Here’s an example: "The acrimony (bitterness) in the congressman's speech
illustrated the rancor (bitterness and resentment) in Washington D.C."
64. Since we’re on the subject of anger and bitterness, here are a few good
words to denote a verbal attack or harsh language:
diatribe, rant, and invective:
A diatribe is bitter or abusive speech or writing. A rant is a speech that is
long, angry, and often disorganized. An invective is abusive language used

to criticize. Use diatribe to describe an angry speech or letter that is critical
of something or someone. For example, “The politician launched into a long
diatribe about his opponent’s failures during his time in office.” Use rant to
describe a long, disorganized complaint. If someone starts to criticize
something, going on and on in an inarticulate manner, that is a rant. “He
went on a 10 minute rant about how he hates the governor, but after 2
minutes I tuned him out because he was too negative and he wasn’t making
much sense.” Use invective to describe criticism that is forceful, mean, and
rude. If you go into politics, you should expect to hear invectives directed at
you. Here’s an example: “It is clear that the politician is getting desperate as
he has thrown several invectives at his opponent this week.”
65. Do you know someone who is cranky and easily angered or annoyed?
Here are some great words to describe this person: Cantankerous,
irascible, petulant, belligerent, and virulent. If someone is cantankerous
it means the person has a bad temperament. A cantankerous person is
generally grouchy, unpleasant and complaintive. Irascible describes
someone who grows angry very easily. Think also of the related adjective
irate, which means "very angry." Someone petulant is insolent and irritated
easily, often in an immature or unreasonable way. The noun petulance refers
to crankiness. Petulant is a more sophisticated way of describing someone
who is cranky and irritable, especially without a real reason. A bratty
teenager could be described as petulant. Virulent describes someone who is
full of hate and spews acrimony and venom. If someone has extreme
political views, the person may become virulent toward others with opposing
views. Finally, belligerent is used to describe someone who is looking for a
fight. People sometimes think that belligerent means “extremely drunk”
because people who are very drunk often become belligerent, but please
remember that belligerent means “hostile” or “wanting to fight,” whether
drunk or sober.
Let’s recap: If someone has a grouchy temperament, you could describe this
person as ---- cantankerous. You could describe someone who is easily
angered as ---- irascible. Someone who is prone to getting upset and
complaining is ---- petulant. People who often say hateful and negative

things can be described as ---- virulent. And finally, if someone were trying
to start a fight, you could call that person ----belligerent.
66. Now, to change gear, here are two words to describe wealth, prosperity,
and a lavish lifestyle: Affluent and opulent: Affluent originates from the
Latin verb "to flow," so think of money flowing in (making and earning
money) and flowing out (spending money lavishly). An affluent
neighborhood is a wealthy and prosperous one. Use affluent as a more
sophisticated way of saying “wealthy and prosperous.” The related word
opulent is used more to describe money going out, as in “an opulent
lifestyle.” You could also use opulent to describe a lavish home or any
possession that looks and is expensive. Opulent is a more sophisticated way
of saying “luxurious” or “expensive.” To recap: If someone became wealthy
and prosperous, you would describe this person as ---- affluent. You would
describe a luxury car or an expensive home as ---- opulent.
67. Do you anyone with a lot of courage and determination? Here are a few
good words to use in the context of courage: pluck, mettle, moxie,
fortitude, and heart. Pluck is a rather informal word and refers to the
courage or determination shown by a person who is faced with a dangerous
or difficult situation. Someone who shows pluck has a desire to succeed,
even in the face of any obstacles. Pluck is usually used in the context of
“showing pluck,” as in, “He showed a lot of pluck when he stood up to the
bullies.” Mettle is similar to pluck, but refers to more general courage.
People with mettle have strong spirit and strength of character. For example,
“I believe that team has enough mettle to win the championship this
season.” Moxie is often looked upon as more of a slang term, but it’s a fun
word to describe someone who has courage, as well as creativity, when it
comes to accomplishing a goal. Here’s an example: “Although she grew up
poor, she showed great moxie in designing her own school clothes, and
thanks to her mettle, she eventually became a top fashion designer.”
Fortitude, like pluck, denotes strength during difficulty. Fortitude is a more
formal and serious word than pluck, and is a better choice when discussing
more serious circumstances. For instance, “It takes great fortitude to put

your life back together after a tremendous personal loss.” Our last word in
this lesson, heart, is a great word to use when you want to comment on
someone’s general capacity for courage, strength of character, and spirit, as
in “She’s got heart!” Heart is also commonly used in an expression of
encouragement: “Take heart; everything will work out,” or “Don’t lose heart;
we’re almost finished with this project.”
68. Here are a few good words you can use when discussing agreement:
accord, concord, conciliation, and compromise and concession.
Accord, concord and conciliation are formal words that mean “agreement.”
For example, you may hear of a peace accord between two countries. This is
a formal peace agreement. You may have also heard of the phrase "of your
own accord." If you do something of your own accord, you do it without
being asked to do it. The related noun accordance usually appears in the
phrase "in accordance with." For example, “We did everything you asked in
accordance with your contract.” Concord is agreement and peace between
people or countries. “After the peace accord, the two countries lived in
concord (agreement, peace).” The opposite of concord is discord, which
means disagreement and conflict. Conciliation is agreement that is achieved
when one party is friendly and tries to end discord by being friendly to the
other party. For example, “When the two leaders put their differences aside,
they were able to achieve conciliation (agreement), which ended hundreds of
years of discord between the two nations.” In order to achieve accord,
concord or conciliation, you usually need compromise and concessions.
Compromise is an agreement in a negotiation or argument in which the
people involved reduce their demands and meet in the middle. A concession
is something that is given up in order to reach a compromise or an accord.
To recap with an example: The peace accord (agreement) was achieved
through conciliation (action to reach agreement) and compromise that
included many concessions by both sides.
69. In an earlier lesson, we discussed ways to say “full” or “full of.” Here are
a few words that mean “full of liquid:” Steeped, sodden, and saturated all
mean “soaked in liquid.” All three of these words have figurative uses.

Sodden means extremely wet, usually because water was absorbed. For
example, your coat would be sodden if you were caught out in the rain.
Sodden is sometimes used figuratively to describe someone who is dull-
witted from drinking too much. You could say, “I don't like to drink with
clients because my mind becomes sodden and I lose my competitive edge,”
but note that this is not a very contemporary usage of sodden. Saturated is
synonymous with sodden and refers to something that is soaking wet.
Saturated is often used figuratively to describe heavy media coverage.
During election time the airwaves are saturated (soaked) with political ads.
Steeped literally means "soaked in liquid." You may hear the verb steep
used in the context of steeping a bag of tea in water. Figuratively, steeped is
often used in business to describe a person who is full of experience, as in
“He is steeped in marketing experience.”
70. Earlier, we discussed words that can describe a difficult situation,

especially where a choice must be made. Here are a few words you can use
if you find yourself in a real mess of a situation: Morass, mire, bog and
quagmire. Morass, mire and bog literally refer to wet, soft ground that is
difficult or impossible to walk through because you sink and get stuck. Those
are their literal meanings, but these are also great words to use figuratively
to describe a very difficult situation, as if you were stuck in the mud.
Mire and bog both have a verb form. The verb mire is almost always used in
the past tense "mired" and means to be soiled with mud, muck or mire. You
can mire (sully) someone's reputation. Mired can also mean “entangled” or
“slowed down,” as if stuck in the mud. For example, “The project has been
mired (slowed, entangled) with so many technical difficulties, I don't think
we will be able to finish it on time.” The verb bog has a very similar meaning
as mired, but it is often used in the context of “to bog down” or “bogged
down,” as in, “The project has been bogged down with so many technical
difficulties, I don't think we will be able to finish it on time.”
Both quagmire and morass are more commonly used nouns that denote a
difficult situation that seems impossible to resolve or progress through.

Quagmire is often used to describe a political situation where there appears
to be no good solution or way out. The definition of "difficult situation"
comes from the difficulty of walking around on sinkable ground. Remember
the related word mire, which also means "a damp, mushy area of land."
When you are mired in something, you are bogged down in it. Wars are
often characterized as quagmires when there is no immediate resolution to
the conflict.
Morass is synonymous with quagmire and has the same origin. You can refer
to a bureaucracy as a morass (complicated and difficult situation) of rules
and regulations that make progress difficult. Use quagmire to describe
difficult situations in a political setting. Use morass to describe difficult
situations in other settings.
71. Do you know the differences between the words metaphor, simile,
analogy, and allegory? Metaphor and simile are synonymous. Both are
used to show similarity between two things or to compare two different
things in a way that connects them. The main difference is that a simile
always includes the words "as" or "like." For example: "She is as pretty as a
picture" is a simile, while "she is a picture of beauty" is a metaphor. An
allegory is a story, play, poem, picture or other work in which the characters
and events represent or symbolize particular qualities or ideas, especially
those related to morality, religion, or politics. For example, the book "Animal
Farm" was an allegory that used farm animals to criticize communism.
Finally, an analogy is a comparison of two similar things, often used to make
something easier to understand. "The brain is analogous with the computer"
is an analogy that compares the human brain to a computer. “Rugby is
analogous with American football,” is an analogy that compares the
similarities of the two sports.

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Power Words Group Lessons

1. Four great words to use when describing and complimenting a person’s

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4. Here are a couple great words to describe a clever person:

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To recap: If someone is cautious and slightly mistrusting, you would say he

7. On the opposite spectrum of people who are cautious, judicious, and

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Let’s review with some examples:

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To recap with some examples: It would be uncouth (rude, ill-mannered) to

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12. Can you think of words to use to describe a person’s mood or

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To recap: If you thought a comment or remark lacked intelligence, you could

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Inane is used to describe anything that is silly or pointless. Inane is derived

Banal is primarily used to describe something dull, boring and lacking

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Demean means to cause someone to be less respected. You have probably

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To denigrate means to say that someone or something is not of value or

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Let’s recap with some usage examples:

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One more word to note in this grouping is circuitous. Circuitous means

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To recap: If you were giving a speech in front of an audience, but you

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To recap: If you had an important promotion interview at work, and you

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To assuage is to provide relief from any kind of distress and to make

To appease means to "make peace." The word appease is different from

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If you wanted to reduce your financial risk of investing in a new business,

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37. An ardent supporter or zealous fan is probably not afraid to be honest

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Let’s recap with some examples:

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To recap with some examples:

42. If you wanted to comment on someone’s luck or good fortune, what

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