Substantiate

Substantiate

<sub-stan-she-ate>

prove; confirm; verify;

to validate that a statement is true.

The pictures in my wallet will substantiate that the dog belongs to me. He is my lost puppy.

Memory trick:
substantiate reminds of submit.
we submit something for proof.

At work:
The data did substantiate our claims. Our audit program found millions in savings.

New!
Get the College Vocabulary Cartoons e-book here: Free on Amazon


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Soporific

Soporific

<soh-for-rif-ick>

calming; hypnotic; sedative;

something that causes a person to get sleepy.

The lecture was soporific. I was glad to catch up on my sleep.

Memory trick:
soporific sounds like sofa.
we can fall asleep on a sofa or couch.

At work:
Our advertisements were soporific until we added talking monkeys. Now they are entertaining.

New! FREE - e-books today from New Word A Day
Written by Elliot Carruthers - on Amazon

If you love animals - Link on Amazon below:
Farm Animal Facts For Kids: Cartoons for Children

If you love New Word A Day - Link on Amazon below:
College Vocabulary Cartoons: Word Power Pictures


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Homogeneous

Homogeneous

<ho-mo-jeen-us>

alike; similar; equal;

being of the same kind.

He only wears homogeneous shirts. They are always white.

Memory trick:
homogeneous reminds of home.
things at home are alike.

At work:
We need to get away from homogeneous packaging. You can't tell one product from another.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Postulate

Postulate

<pahs-too-layte>

theorize; hypothesize; presume;

to suppose something to be true.

The secret to playing pool is to postulate where the ball will end up.

Memory trick:
postulate reminds of formulate.

At work:
We need to research and not just postulate. We should not guess at what the customers will like.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Largess

Largess

<lar-jess>

gift; generosity; donation;

generously giving money away.

He needed a bag to carry away the largess given by his relatives.

Memory trick:
largess reminds of large.
we give large amounts of money.

At work:
We will have a big largess for bonuses this year. It was a good year.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Talisman

Talisman

<tahl-lis-men>

totem; charm; mascot;

something believed to bring luck.

His purple hat is a Talisman. He thinks his team will win when he wears it.

Memory trick:
talisman reminds of tale man.
a good tale will be told when we have luck.

At work:
Our logo is a pony because it is our Talisman. Our founder thinks it brings in sales.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Vacuous

Vacuous

<vak-you-us>

silly; idiotic; empty;

being unintelligent in the mind.

He proved he was not vacuous when he wrote a best selling novel.

Memory trick:
vacuous reminds of vacuum.
nothing is in a vacuum.

At work:
The meeting was not vacuous. I was happy with the ideas put forth.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Orthodox

Orthodox

<awe-tho-doks>

conservative; conventional; accepted;

something traditional or the way it has always been done.

She wears orthodox clothes because she wants to be conservative and professional. She never wears wild outfits.

Memory trick:
orth is not north.
we stay in one place.

I no longer use orthodox sales techniques because the Internet has changed everything. Making a sales call in person is no longer efficient.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Peruse

Peruse

<per-rooz>

study; examine; analyze;

To read something with great attention.

The woman will peruse the menu because she is a picky eater.

Memory trick:
ruse.
we read carefully when we want to avoid a ruse.
a ruse it a trick or a cheat.

At work:
I will peruse the report tonight. I will tell you what I think in the morning.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Profligate

Profligate

praf-lah-gayte>

corrupt; extravagant; reckless;

being wasteful of money or materials.

I had profligate spending habits until I read a book about saving money.

Memory trick:
our profit goes out the gate.

At work:
We are profitable now that we stopped the profligate spending on office supplies.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Plaudits

Plaudits

<ploor-ditz>

acclaim; applause; cheers;

to get praise for doing something well.

He could not hear himself because of the plaudits of the crowd.

Memory trick:
plaudits reminds of applaud.

At work:
The workers got plaudits and gifts from the CEO. Everyone was happy.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Philanthropy

Philanthropy

<fil-lant-trow-pee>

charity; donation; generosity;

giving away money for a good cause.

Her philanthropy meant the animals would have a warm bed and good food.

Memory trick:
philanthropy reminds of fill atrophy.
atrophy means to get smaller.
we fill the atrophy and make it bigger when we donate.

At work:
Philanthropy is big in our company. We give free computers to the schools.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Cumbersome

Cumbersome

<kom-bur-sum>

bulky; awkward; heavy;

something that is clumsy to carry.

The boy carried the cumbersome bricks. He stumbled and kept dropping them.

Memory trick:
cumbersome reminds of cucumber.
cucumbers are big.
imagine carrying too many cucumbers.

At work:
The projector is too cumbersome to take on sales calls. We need to buy a smaller one.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Potable

Potable

<poh-tah-bul>

edible; safe; clean;

something untainted that is suitable for drinking.

The lake was a source of potable clear water. We did not need plumbing.

Memory trick:
potable reminds of pot-able.
It's good enough to put in a pot.

At work:
The water cooler is potable and the snacks are healthy. It is a great break room.



(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Impertinent

Impertinent

<iym-pert-tan-nent>

rude; arrogant; offensive;

acting in a disrespectful and brash way.

The impertinent bird stole the donut out of my hand. Its boldness was shocking.

Memory trick:
impertinent reminds of imperfect.
imperfect people are rude.

At work:
Do not be impertinent when on a sales call. Be nice and show respect.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Vim

Vim

<vym>

enthusiasm; strength; passion;

being alive with energy;

The child ran with vim and laughter. He eventually dropped and took a nap.

Memory trick:
vim reminds of vitality.

At work:
The CEO gave a speech with vim and vigor. Everyone cheered with excitement.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Gambit

Gambit

<gahm-bit>

ploy; trick; plot;

giving away something to get something better later.

Putting out tuna was a good gambit. She made friends with the cat.

Memory trick:
gambit reminds of gamble.
we gamble someone will fall for our offer.

At work:
The bank gave away free tablets. It was a clever gambit because people opened accounts.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Abeyance

Abeyance

<ah-bay-yense>

inactivity; discontinuation; recess;

something that is suspended or discontinued.

Buggy whip sales fell into abeyance because of the invention of the automobile.

Memory trick:
abeyance reminds of obey.
we obey the circumstance and stop doing something.

At work:
The use of the bug tracking system fell into abeyance because the software was so good.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

 

Deft

Deft

<deaft>

skillful; nimble; agile;

doing something fast and expertly.

The goat was a deft climber and balanced on the edge of the cliff.

Memory trick:
deft reminds of definitely.
when you are skilled you will definitely complete it.

At work:
The deft artist created beautiful artwork for our presentation.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Balmy

Balmy

<bom-mee>

tranquil; mild; tropical;

comfortable and pleasant weather.

A balmy breeze came in my window. I imagined I was on a tropical beach.

Memory trick:
balmy reminds of balanced.
balanced weather is not too hold or cold.

At work:
The balmy weather made our outdoor promotion a success. A lot of people came.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Latent

Latent

<lay-tent>

dormant; lurking; smoldering;

something hidden before making its appearance.

The detective would find the latent fingerprints. The mouse stole the cheese.

Memory trick:
latent reminds of late.
something late is hidden until we see it.

At work:
She had a latent talent for leadership. She surprised herself by managing the team well.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Travesty

Travesty

<trah-ves-tee>

farce; sham; satire;

an absurd and inferior imitation of something.

The painting became a travesty when she added clowns. It was no longer serious art.

Memory trick:
we traverse away when something is badly done.

At work:
We prevented the new product from becoming a travesty by doing research. The new version was better than the old.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Decamp

Decamp

<dee-kamp>

flee; run; escape;

to leave quickly or secretly.

We decided to decamp when it started raining. The picnic was over.

Memory trick.
decamp reminds of "un camp".
we pack up the camp and leave.

At work:
It was a good idea to decamp when the client agreed to the deal. We did not want to ruin it by talking more.


(c) 2015 E.  Carruthers
 

Disseminate

Disseminate

<dis-sem-min-nayte>

spread; circulate; publish;

to widely distribute something.

The seeds disseminate in the spring and become an endless bed of flowers.

Memory trick:
disseminate reminds of "distribute great".

At work:
We must disseminate the news of our discovery. Tell everyone far and wide.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers 

Adieu

Adieu

<ah-dew>

goodbye; farewell; ta-ta;

something said on parting.

I will say adieu and go on my way. See you again soon.

Memory trick:
adieu reminds of adios.

At work:
I will close the meeting and bid you adieu.  Thank you for coming.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Laconic

Laconic

<lah-kon-nik>

short; brief; snippy;

getting right to the point with few words.

The book was laconic and I read it in an hour. It was short and to the point.

Memory trick:
laconic reminds of "lac" or lack.
lacking words.

At work:
Please keep your reports laconic because my time is limited.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Ambivalent

Ambivalent

<ahm-biv-al-lent>

doubtful; unsure; iffy;

being conflicted about what to do.

The child was ambivalent. She could not decide between vanilla and chocolate.

Memory trick:
am bi.
bi means two or two choices.

At work:
We are ambivalent about the product colors. We want red and they want blue.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers 

Blather

Blather

<blah-thur>

chatter; yap; ramble;

to talk a lot without making sense.

The blather bored me to tears. I feel asleep not understanding a word they said.

Memory trick:
blather reminds of blab or blabber.

At work:
Our advertisement is blather. No one will watch it or understand our message:


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Arbitrator

Arbitrator

<arr-bih-tray-tor>

judge; referee; umpire;

someone who settles disagreements.

I will be the arbitrator. I will flip a coin to see who gets the last piece of cake.

Memory trick:
arbitrator reminds of traitor.
a traitor may not take our side.

At work:
An arbitrator will be brought in to settle disputes. There will be no favoritism.


(c)  2015 E. Carruthers
 

Sentient

Sentient

<sent-shint>

alive; alert; aware;

being responsive and able to understand things.

The robot became sentient when I put in new batteries. It greeted me.

Memory trick:
sentient reminds of sent.
messages are sent from something living.

At work:
The presentation had a sentient air because of the music and animation. It was lively.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Convoke

 Convoke

<kon-volk>

assemble; convene; call;

to summon someone to a gathering.

I use a dog whistle to convoke an excited group of happy dogs. They come from miles around.

Memory trick:
convoke reminds of convene.
we convene or call a meeting.

At work:
Let's convoke with the sales department and work out the details. We are ready to ship.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Raucous

Raucous

<rawk-kus>

loud; unruly; wild;

a noisy uncontrolled disturbance.

The children made a raucous in the house. You could not hear yourself think.

Memory trick:
raucous reminds of "rock us".
loud noise rocks us.

At work:
The raucous from the construction will make it impossible to work. It will be too noisy.

(c) 2015 E.  Carruthers
 

Perplex

Perplex

<per-pleks>

baffle; bewilder; puzzle

something that is confusing.

A mystery movie will perplex the audience. They don't know the answer until the end.

Memory trick:
remember perp.
a perp is an unknown person who committed a crime.
they are a mystery.

At work:
The complicated regulations perplex the accountants. They will spend days understanding them.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Unimpeachable

Unimpeachable

<uhn-imm-pee-cha-bul>

reliable; spotless; trustworthy;

someone or something that is dependable and uncorrupted.

The story was unimpeachable because there were many witnesses who saw the same thing.

Memory trick:
unimpeachable reminds of impeach.
we impeach someone when they are dishonest.
impeach means to remove someone from power.
they cannot be impeached because they are honest.
they are- un impeachable.

At work:
The results of the testing are unimpeachable. We get the same results each time.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Hoary

Hoary

<or-ree>

antiquated; old; grizzled;

something that is ancient.

The hoary recliner sat in the den for ages. Dad was not happy to find a new chair in its place.

Memory trick:
we say hooray when something exists a long time.
A hooray is a shout of cheer.

At work:
Our office felt hoary until we replaced everything. It was now bright and happy.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Fete

Fete

<fate>

gala; fiesta; party;

a gathering for a celebration.

We will plan a fete to celebrate your birthday. We will have cake and balloons.

Memory trick:
fete sounds like fate.
it is fate to meet at a party.

At work:
We will have a fete to announce our new product. Either that or it's Friday.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Jocund

Jocund

<jok-kund>

happy; joyful; gleeful;

feeling good and cheerful.

The jocund song made everyone feel great. We all had fun.

Memory trick:
Jocund reminds of joke.

At work:
The office party had a jocund feel because everyone was smiling and laughing.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Lucid

Lucid

<loo-sid>

simple; clear; plain;

something that is easy to understand.

I studied a lot and each question was lucid to me. I scored perfect.

Memory trick:
lucid reminds of lucky.
lucky it is simple.

At work:
I took a walk to think and the answer to the problem became lucid. It was solved.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

 

Opaque

Opaque

<oh-pake>

cloudy; unclear; blurred;

something that cannot be seen through.

The trees made an opaque barrier between the houses. They made the yard private.

Memory trick:
opaque reminds of oppose.

At work:
The prior results must be opaque to the people testing. This way they can't cheat.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Flippant

Flippant

<flip-pant>

playful; rude; impudent;

having a disrespectful attitude.

The student was flippant and the teacher asked her to leave the classroom.

Remember:
flippant reminds of "flip ant".
we flip something by turning it around.
an ant is small.
we make someone feel small when we turn around their words.

At work:
You will get better customer service if you are not flippant. Be nice and pleasant.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Involute

Involute

<in-vah-loot>

intricate; complicated; confused;

something that is complex and involved.

The map is an involute maze of twists and turns. I don't know how to get there.

Remember:
Involute reminds of convoluted.
convoluted means to make something confusing.

At work:
Our software has an involute feel and it is hard to use. We must make it simpler.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Vexation

Vexation

<veks-aay-shun>

anger; aggravation; irritation;

being annoyed or agitated.

The dripping water caused a constant vexation. I woke up and shut off the water.

Remember:
vexation reminds of aggravation.

Our vexation went away when the other company ended the lawsuit. It was a great day.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Extrinsic

Extrinsic

<egg-strinz-zik>

outside; external; imported;

something that is foreign.

The gift came from an extrinsic source. We never knew who gave it.

Memory trick:
extrinsic reminds of external.

At work:
We will be audited by an extrinsic auditor. They will come into the office next week.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Elucidate

Elucidate

<ee-loo-sah-dayte>

explain; clarify; decode;

to make something clear and simple.

A picture will elucidate a complicated story because a picture paints a thousand words.

Memory trick:
elucidate reminds of lucid.
lucid means to think clearly.

At work:
We need to elucidate the instructions. The text is too small and the words are unclear.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
   

Providential

Providential

<pra-vid-den-shul>

fortunate; lucky; opportune;

something happy that happens at a good time.

Winning the lottery was providential after they bought a new house. They paid it off in full.

Remember:
providential reminds of provide.
provide means to give something needed.

At work:
It was providential that the market went up right after the stock went public. We made a lot of money.


(C) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Rigmarole

Rigmarole

<rig-mah-roll>

babble; tale; silliness;

a story that is nonsense.

The fist chapter was rigmarole but the rest of the book was good.

Memory trick:
rigmarole reminds of rig.
something rigged is fake.
example: The game is rigged and you cannot win.

At work:
We must remove the rigmarole from our ads. We should only talk about the product.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Ersatz

Ersatz

<air-zots>

fake; phony; false;

something that is artificial or counterfeit.

Never buy ersatz lemonade. Always make sure it has lemon juice. Some brands are all sugar.

Memory trick:
ersatz reminds of err.
an err is a mistake.
we mistake fake for real.

The bug problem went away when we got ersatz flowers. No one was happy because we missed the aroma the office.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

 
 

Poignant

Poignant

<poy-yant>

bitter; heartbreaking; sorrowful;

something that makes you sad or mournful.

Our poignant moment turned to joy when the lost puppy was found.

Memory trick:
poi reminds of poor.
poor us.

At work:
There were many poignant feelings at the retirement party. He was going to be missed.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Magnanimous

Magnanimous

<mag-nan-nah-mus>

charitable; generous; unselfish;

being forgiving and good to someone less fortunate than you.

The boy was kind and he let the fish go. He was always magnanimous to small animals.

Remember:
magnanimous reminds of generous.

At work:
We're lucky to have a magnanimous CEO. He always treats us well.

(c) 2015 E. Carrruthers
 

Indefatigable

Indefatigable

<inn-deh-fat-tig-gah-bul>

tireless; persistent; energetic;

being consistent and untiring.

The indefatigable dog chased the ball all day. He never got tired.

Memory trick:
indefatigable reminds of "not fatigue".
fatigue means to be tired.

At work:
We are successful because of your indefatigable hard work. You never quit.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Equivocal

Equivocal

<ear-kwiv-vah-kul>

unclear; vague; hazy;

something with many possible meanings or results.

The movie had an equivocal ending. We never learned the end of the story.

Remember:
equivocal reminds of "equal vocal".
it's equally vocal when there can be many answers.

At work:
She never gives us equivocal directions. We always know what to do.

P.S.
You are a neophyte. = You are a beginner who makes mistakes. (knee-oh-fight)

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers



 

Delectation

Delectation

<dee-lek-tay-shun>

joy; happiness; elation;

feeling pleasure or enjoyment.

Candy is my favorite delectation. It always makes me smile.

Remember:
delectation reminds of delectable.
something delectable is pleasant.

At work:
An air of delectation filled the room when we won the contract. A handshake sealed the deal.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Vagary

Vagary

<va-gair-ree>

erratic; change; oddity;

an unexplained and unexpected change.

His wearing a tie was a vagary to everyone. He always wore sweaters.

Remember:
vagary remind of vague.
changes are vague or unclear to us.

At work:
Never drink alcohol at the office party. Vagary behavior will occur and it's never good.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Lackadaisical

Lackadaisical

<lak-ah-days-zik-kal>

lazy; passive; relaxed;

lacking energy or having no interest.

I felt lackadaisical and had no desire to clean. I watch movies all day.

Remember:
lackadaisical reminds of lack.
we have a lack of enthusiasm.

At work:
We felt lackadaisical after the big meal. We got back to work after drinking coffee.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Vehement

Vehement

angry; furious; violent;

<vee-heh-meant>

showing strong and powerful emotions.

Her workouts are vehement. She always works up a sweat.

Remember:
vehement reminds of violent.

At work:
The stockholders showed their vehement opposition to the proposal. They became agreeable when they learned the details.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Ostentatious

Ostentatious

<ahs-sten-tay-shish>

gaudy; classy; showy;

something flashy meant to impress others.

Her ostentatious hat had flowers and diamonds on it. Everyone gasped when they saw it.

Memory trick:
ostentatious reminds of ostrich.
an ostrich is flashy.

At work:
Our presentation should be ostentatious. Let's add dancing clowns with banjos.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

  

Pell-mell

Pell-mell

<pel-mel>

chaotic; hastily; confused;

to do something hurriedly and disordered.

She ran around pell-mell. She packed so quickly she forgot the tickets.

Memory trick:
pell-mell-fell

At work:
We can't build software in a pell-mell way. We have to design it and be organized.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Exultant

Exultant

<ehk-zalt-tant>

elated; happy; joyous;

being gleeful and triumphant.

The exultant crowd roared with joy. The game was over and we won.

Memory trick:
exultant reminds of excitement.

At work:
We became exultant when we learned of winning the award. People danced in the halls.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Unsavory

Unsavory

<uhn-save-or-ree>

unattractive; nasty; shady;

anything unappealing in sight, smell or character.

The man looked unsavory but he looked great after the makeover.

Memory trick:
un reminds of not.
savor means to enjoy.
not enjoy.

At work:
Our menus are unsavory. We need to make them look better.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
  

Prodigious

Prodigious

<proh-dij-gish>

huge; immense; vast;

something  amazingly large.

I found a prodigious eye looking at me. It was time to start rowing the boat.

Memory trick:
prodigious reminds of prod.
I prod you with my finger to look at it- because it is amazing.

At work:
We won a prodigious client. It's going to be a great year because they have a lot of money.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Divergent

Divergent

<dye-ver-jent>

contrary; diverse; different;

being unalike and going in different directions.

His books took a divergent path. He was a novelist but now he draws cartoons.

Memory trick:
diver gent.
a diver swims away from the world.

At work:
The web product is divergent from the old desktop product. We will get a lot of new sales.



Free e-books from New Word A Day - on Amazon

New Word A Day - Vol 5: Cartoons and Riddles

New Word A Day - Japanese ESL: Vocabulary Cartoons



(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Rubicon

Rubicon

<roo-be-kon>

last chance; decisive moment; crossroads;

the point of no return.

Our boat crossed the Rubicon. We had enough gas to reach the island. We did not have enough gas to return to the mainland. We had to continue our journey.

Memory trick
rub icon
we rub the icon before we click.
once we click it... we cannot undo it.

At work:
We crossed the Rubicon a year ago. We cannot cancel the project because we have too much invested in it.

Free e-book from New Word A Day


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Discombobulate

Discombobulate

<dis-kom-bob-yew-layte>

confuse; bewilder; baffle;

to make someone unable to think clearly.

Math will not discombobulate you with study and hard work.

Remember:
discombobulate reminds of discomfort.
we feel discomfort when confused.

At work:
We don't want to discombobulate the client. We need to make the instructions clear.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Precocious

Precocious

<pre-koh-shish>

smart; gifted; bright;

being young and having the intelligence of someone who is mature.

The precocious child beat all the adults at chess.

Memory trick:
precocious reminds of precious.
someone who is young is precious.

At work:
You must have been a precocious child. Your programing skills are amazing for someone so young.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

 

Culpable

Culpable

<kul-pah-bul>

guilty; responsible; liable;

blame that is earned or deserved.

The dog is culpable in the disappearance of the cake.

Memory trick:
culpable reminds of gulp.
we gulp or swallow hard when we are guilty.

At work:
We are not culpable for the loss of the money. We can prove it and we can get it back for you.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

  

Clandestine

Clandestine

<klahn-des-tin>

covert; hidden; stealthy;

something secretly done without others knowing.

She went on a clandestine trip to the store for chocolate. She was back before we knew she left.

Remember:
clandestine reminds of candle.
we do secret things in the dark.

At work:
The development of the new product is clandestine. No one is allowed to see the plans.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

 

Inveterate

Inveterate

<in-vet-er-rit>

addicted; lifelong; habitual

having a habit for a long time.

He is an inveterate runner. He will run every morning without fail.

Memory trick:
inveterate - vet.
A vet did something for a long time.

At work:
She is a good salesperson because she is an inveterate traveler.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Acquiesce

Acquiesce

<ah-qwe-ess>

give in; comply; conform;

to reluctantly agree to something.

The barking dog made the man acquiesce and let the dog in the warm house.

Memory trick:
acquiesce reminds of acquire.
we agree to let them acquire something.

At work:
Our product is good and the customers will always acquiesce and buy it.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Connote

Connote

<ka-noat>

signify; imply; suggest;

to hint at something or make you think of something.

The scent of pie will connote a good memory because it will remind me of home.

Remember:
con reminds of with.
note reminds of note.
with notes we remember.

At work:
A clean desk will connote a sense of order and your work will improve.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

 

Bellicose

Bellicose

<bel-lah-kose>

hostile; combative; threatening;

being quick to show a desire to fight.

The bellicose bird swooped down on everyone. She was defending her nest.

Remember:
bellicose reminds of "belly close".
Bellies come close when people want to fight.

At work:
The customer was upset and bellicose. He became happy because it was under warranty.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers
 

Leonine

Leonine

<lee-ah-nine>

famed; outstanding; esteemed;

someone who is powerful and fierce.

He reminded me of someone leonine. He displayed confidence and courage.

Remember:
leonine reminds of lion.
lions are brave.

At work:
He stood before the shareholders leonine and steadfast. He won them over with his display of leadership.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Actuate

Actuate

<akt-chu-ate>

motivate; activate; instigate;

to cause something to move to action.

Throw a stick to actuate a dog. He will chase it every time.

Remember:
actuate reminds of act.

At work:
I see your problem. You must plug your computer to actuate it. Glad I could help.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Ingenuous

Ingenuous

<in-gen-yew-iss>

trusting; naïve; innocent;

a person who has a childlike innocence.

I have to watch out for her. She is ingenuous and once bought the Brooklyn bridge.

Remember:
ingenuous reminds of generous.
generous with our trust.

At work.
We're not an ingenuous company. We make good deals and we are experienced.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Betide

Betide

<beh-tied>

become; occur; befall;

something that happens.

May happiness betide you wherever you go.

Remember:
The tide comes in and happens to us.

At work:
A gloom did betide us until we heard our stock price went up.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Becalm

Becalm

<be-kahm>

lull; still; unmoving;

motionless because of a lack of external power.

The leaves slept in an snug pile because of the quiet becalm. There was no wind.

Remember:
becalm reminds of "be calm"

At work:
The audience stayed becalm because the presentation was so impressive

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Defray

Defray

<deh-fray>

settle; compensate; grant;

to pay something or cover a cost.

This coupon will defray the price of your ticket. You will get in for free.

Memory trick:
fray reminds on something falling apart.
if we defray something... we put it back together.

At work:
We will defray the cost of training for you. It will cost you nothing.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Bloviate

Bloviate

<blow-vee-ate>

rant; babble; boast;

to speak pompously without saying anything important.

He will bloviate all day. He will waste your time with useless chatter.

Memory trick:
bloviate reminds of blow.
we blow hard when we talk too much.

At work:
Don't bloviate when you give your speech. Speak clearly and say something of value.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Puckish

Puckish

<puk-ish>

mischievous; impish; naughty;

playful in a teasing way.

The puckish look on his face made me realize I fell for his prank.

Memory trick:
we play games with a puck.

At work:
We have to stop the puckish antics and focus on the project. We must get serious.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Panoply

Panoply

<pan-ah-plee>

array; display; collection;

An impressive show of spectacular items.

The audience was impressed by the panoply of costumes. They were colorful and amazing.

Memory trick:
panoply reminds of pan
we pan around a room and see everything.

At work:
We offer a panoply of products. We will have what you need.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Apogee

Apogee

<ah-pah-jee>

peak; crest; summit;

The highest point of something.

The dog rescue was the apogee of the movie. It was the best part.

Memory trick:
A POint we say GEE

At work:
Winning this award is the apogee of my career. Nothing has been more rewarding.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Mobocracy

Mobocracy

<mob-bok-kras-see>

anarchy; disorder; lawlessness;

having the common people in charge of the political system.

A mobocracy ruled the island. Everyone wore a crown and gave orders.

Remember:
Mobocracy reminds of mob and democracy.

At work:
The department is run by a mobocracy. No one knows who is in charge.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Piteous

Piteous

<pit-tee-us>

miserable; sad; pathetic;

evoking a feeling of pity.

A piteous look came over his face after his balloon flew away.

Memory trick:
piteous sounds like pity us.

At work:
The piteous mood left the room when we found out about the bonus.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Altercate

Alternate
<allt-ter-kayte>

dispute; quarrel; contend;

to argue loudly in public.

He did not want to altercate with his friend. It was easier to agree.

Memory trick:
we want to alter their opinion

At work:
We will get more done if we don't altercate. Let's have a friendly meeting.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Concord

Concord

<kon-kord>

harmony; friendship; peace;

having an amicable agreement.

We reached a pleasant concord and stayed friends forever.

Remember:
concord reminds of
in accord

At work:
A concord existed between the two teams and the product came out great.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Efface

Efface

<eh-fase>

erase; remove; delete;

to eliminate marks or writing from a surface.

A good eraser will efface your pencil marks and you can rewrite it.

Memory trick:
efface reminds of erase

At work:
At this point the program will efface the report and a new report will appear.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Kismet

Kismet

<kiz-met>

destiny; luck; chance;

something fated to happen.

It was kismet we met because we got married.

Memory trick:
kiss when we met

At work:
It was not kismet we won the award. It was hard work and skill.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Purloin

Purloin

<per-loyn>

steal; loot; rob;

to take something that does not belong to you.

The seagull will purloin your fries if you don't watch him.

Memory trick:
purloin reminds of purr lion
The lion purrs after he takes your stuff.

At work:
They can't purloin our files because we use strong passwords.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Ardor

Ardor

<are-door>

enthusiasm; warmth; zeal;

having a strong passion for someone.

The ardor of the birds is apparent. They are always seen together.

Memory trick:
Our door
The person we like comes to our door.

At work:
He has an ardor for making sales. He is our best performer.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Proffer

Proffer

<prah-fur>

offer; propose; give;

to present something for consideration.

She will proffer her opinion without being asked.

Remember:
proffer reminds of offer

At work:
It's a generous monetary proffer. We should accept the deal.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Amity

Amity

<ahm-mit-tee>

friendship; harmony; goodwill;

a good and peaceful relationship.

It was a great vacation because of the amity of the people.

Memory trick:
amity reminds of amicable.

At work:
We're a good team and the amity of the group makes the work fun.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Indolent

Indolent

<in-da-lent>

lazy; idle; slow;

avoiding activity or work.

We will spend the weekend being indolent. We'll do nothing at all.

Memory trick:
indolent reminds of dole.
dole is getting free benefits when not working.

At work:
The hot temperature is making everyone indolent. We need the air conditioner fixed so we can get back to work.

Other stuff:
ARM - Adjustable Rate Mortgage
Means: You pay a small payment at first but then the payment is greatly raised later.
So: It's not a good deal and it's best avoided.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Beset

Beset

<beh-set>

invade; assail; overrun;

to surround and constantly hem in.

Our picnic was beset by ants and we had to leave.

Memory trick
be set upon.

At work:
We were beset by people demanding a demo of our product. It was a good problem to have.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Befog

Befog

<bee-fahg>

dim; muddy; obscure;

something confusing or unclear.

Math would always befog me. I found a tutor and now I understand it.

Memory trick:
fog is hard to see into.

At work:
Make the instructions clear and simple. We don't want to befog the users.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Teem

Teem

<team>

swell; overflow; brimming;

to be full or filled to the maximum.

Our glasses will teem with lemonade and we will drink all day.

Memory trick:
enough for a team.

At work:
Our ads teem with photos so customers can see from all angles.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Repartee

Repartee

<rep-pah-tee>

retort; sarcasm; banter;

giving quick witty replies.

The actors repartee made the movie entertaining. Their comebacks were fast and funny.

Memory trick:
repartee reminds of repeat parts.

At work:
We had a great repartee with the clients. We really enjoyed their clever wit.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Verisimilitude

Verisimilitude

<ver-rah-sah-mil-lit-tood>

plausibility; realism; authenticity;

something appearing to be real.

My dream was a colorful verisimilitude. I could smell the flowers.

Memory trick:
verisimilitude reminds of verify

At work:
The demonstration was a perfect verisimilitude. The client imagined the real thing and closed the deal.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Modish

Modish

trendy; fashionable; chic;

something current with the style of the time.

She wore a modish dress. All the young girls wore them.

Memory trick:
modish reminds of modern

At work:
We need our packaging to be more modish to appeal to more people.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Languid

Languid

<lang-gwid>

lazy; sluggish; relaxed;

being unhurried and leisurely.

We took a languid walk down the shady lane. We took our time.

Memory trick:
languid reminds of lounge

At work:
We felt a languid calm when the deadline was met.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Paucity

Paucity

<pah-sit-tee>

insufficiency; poverty; scarcity;

something in too small an amount.

I never have a paucity of money because I work hard.

Memory trick:
paucity reminds of pauper or poor

At work:
We don't have a paucity of computers because the company believes in technology.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Nullify

Nullify

<nole-la-feye>

Void; undo; invalidate;

to cancel something or make it worthless.

I will nullify the bill and you won't have to pay anything.

Memory trick:
Nullify reminds of null or nothing.

At work:
Making deadlines ensures they won't nullify the contract.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Sumptuous

Sumptuous

deluxe; elegant; grand;

<somp-chew-is>

something rich and splendid.

This cake is sumptuous. I will have another piece.

Memory trick:
sumptuous reminds of sum
It is worth a large sum

At work:
The hotel was sumptuous and the clients were impressed.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Parlance

Parlance

<par-lants>

talk; speech; lingo;

a way of speaking among people with the same interests.

The kids spoke in a parlance foreign to their parents.

Memory trick:
parlance reminds of freelance
a language understood only by freelancers

At work:
The computer programmers talked in a parlance we did not understand.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Pristine

Pristine

<priss-teen>

new; untouched; unused;

something in its original state.

The paper was pristine because she could not think of a thing to write.

Memory trick:
pristine reminds of pri or prior

At work:
I undid the changes and the program is pristine again. We can add the changes again until we find the problem.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Proscribe

Proscribe

<pro-skrybe>

forbid; outlaw; prohibit;

to make a law banning something.

We proscribe the throwing of food in this cafe. Please be polite.

Memory trick:
proscribe reminds of prohibit scribe
scribe reminds of- to write a law
we write a law to prohibit something

At work:
We proscribe the excessive use of exclamation points in our advertisements. Three is too many!!!

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Torpor

Torpor

<tore-per>

laziness; inactivity; idleness;

a lack of movement caused by weariness or fatigue.

I feel into a dreamy torpor after drinking the warm milk.

Memory trick:
torpor reminds of tour poor
we tour poorly when tired

At work:
We fell into a torpor after a big lunch. We all ran to the coffee machine.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Vie

Vie

<veye>

content; fight; compete;

to struggle against an opponent to win a victory.

They vie for the attention of the teacher because they are competitive.

Memory trick:
Vi reminds of victory

At work:
We vie with the other company for every contract and we usually win.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Transfigure

Transfigure

<tranz-fig-yer>

remodel; reorganize; alter;

to change something and make it more beautiful.

The flowers transfigured the lawn into a rainbow of colors.

Memory trick:
transfigure reminds of transfer figure
you transfer the figure into something pretty

At work:
The new pictures will transfigure the presentation into a work of art.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Spurious

Spurious

<spur-ree-us>

phony; fake; false;

something not authentic or not genuine.

Your diamond ring is not spurious. It is worth a fortune.

Memory trick:
it spurs your anger when you learn it is fake

At work:
Their claims were proven spurious and we won the lawsuit.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Rapt

Rapt

<wrapped>

enchanted; spellbound; captivated;

being fascinated in a hypnotic way.

His eyes grew large and his jaw dropped. He watch the movie with rapt attention.

Memory trick:
rapt reminds of rapture

At work:
All heads turned and the room fell silent. They sat in rapt admiration as the president spoke.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Rankle

Rankle

<ranc-kul>

annoy;  bother;  anger

to irritate someone.

We are going to rankle the guests by serving dinner late.

Memory trick:
rankle reminds of rank
something rank smells bad and annoys us

At work:
We have to get the bugs out of the program or we will rankle our users.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Ungainly

Ungainly

<uhn-gane-lee>

uncoordinated; clumsy; awkward;

moving in an ungraceful way.

The turtle was ungainly and I easily outran it.

Memory trick:
ungainly reminds of un gain
something clumsy does not gain

At work:
Your presentation is ungainly because of all the extra exclamation points.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Puerile

Puerile

<pur-ree-ill>

immature; trivial; foolish;

being childish and having bad judgment.

The puerile student frustrated the teacher and distracted the class.

Memory trick:
puerile reminds of pure rile
we are riled when someone acts silly

At work:
We need to be less puerile and get serious about this project.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Rancor

Rancor

<rank-ker>

hate; spite; grudge;

having a long-lasting bitterness for someone.

His rancor became friendship after he got to know her.

Memory trick:
rancor reminds of ran
we ran because we did not like them

At work:
I can work with him. I feel no rancor because I understand why he did those bad things

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Protract

Protract

<pro-trakt>

too long; prolong; lingering;

something that continues on for a long time beyond the normal length.

He did not protract the song. Everyone was relieved.

Memory trick:
protract reminds of prolong

At work:
Don't protract the sales pitch. Stop talking when they agree to buy.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Homage

Homage

<ah-midge>

respect; honor; acclaim;

to praise someone in public with admiration.

We gave him a great homage with cheers.

Memory trick:
homage reminds of home

At work:
We would like to pay you homage for a great job.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Prolix

Prolix

<proh-liks>

tedious; lengthy; rambling;

saying or writing something with too many words.

I find his writing to be prolix and boring.

Memory trick:
prolix reminds of prose and licks
saying too much prose makes us lick our dry lips

At work:
Your presentation is too prolix. Redo it with less words.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Afoot

Afoot

<ah-foot>

going on; brewing; in progress;

something happening now.

Come Watson! The game is afoot and there is no time to waste.

Memory trick:
foot reminds of moving
it is moving now

At work:
The secret meeting is afoot. We need to interrupt it and stop the vote.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Propriety

Propriety

<pro-pry-it-tee>

decency; morality; correctness;

behaving in a moral and acceptable way.

She lived a life of propriety. She was well respected.

Memory trick:
propriety reminds of proper

At work:
Your hard work and propriety will be rewarded. You are a good decent person.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Tacit

Tacit

<tah-sit>

implied; understood; unspoken;

assumed without being talked about.

He gave his tacit approval when he winked and smiled.

Memory trick:
tacit reminds of take
we take it for granted it will be done

At work:
It is tacit we will give free technical support. It's always provided in these cases.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Truculent

Truculent

<truk-you-lent>

aggressive; brutal; combative;

quick to argue or fight.

The truculent dog became friendly after I gave him treats.

Memory trick:
truculent reminds of truck
a truck rolls over things

At work:
He was truculent until we made the deadline. He became happy and agreeable.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Coerce

Coerce

<ko-erse>

bully; intimidate; persuade;

to pressure someone to do something by using force or threats.

I used the broom to coerce the bug to fly out the window.

Memory trick:
coerce reminds of force

At work:
I don't need to coerce my employees because I pay them well.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Palatial

Palatial

<pah-lay-shul>

grand; lavish; deluxe;

something large and fancy.

The doghouse is palatial. Ten dogs can fit in there.

Memory trick:
palatial reminds of palace

At work:
The new conference room is palatial. The table is huge.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Salient

Salient

<say-lee-ent>

important; main; dominant;

the most prominent thing that stands out.

The big clock stands salient in the town.

Memory trick:
salient reminds of silent
big and silent

At work:
The sales numbers are salinent for this meeting.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Tortuous

Tortuous

<tor-chew-ess>

winding; twisting; crooked;

something that bends and turns.

The tortuous road turned into a long straight run.

Memory trick:
tortuous reminds of torture
it is torture to keep turning

At work:
The presentation was tortuous. It was confusing.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Juxtapose

Juxtapose

<jucks-tah-poze>

mix; connect; pair;

to put things close together to see the differences.

When you juxtapose the shirts I can see which is nicer.

Memory trick:
Just a pose

At work:
Juxtapose our report with theirs and they will see our report is better.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Risible

Risible

<riz-ah-bul>

absurd; funny; silly;

something that makes you laugh.

The boy wore a risible costume and everyone laughed.

Memory trick:
risible reminds of visible
imagine visible laughter

At work:
Your report cover is risible. Please make it more serious.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Sardonic

Sardonic

<sar-don-nik>

sarcastic; mocking; scathing;

being scornful in a funny but sneering way.

He was mean and insulting while he wore a sardonic smile.

Memory trick:
sardonic reminds of sadistic

At work:
Your report was too sardonic. Please rewrite it without the rude comments.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Reproof

Reproof

<ree-proof>

object; reprimand; criticize;

a statement that accuses someone.

The letter was a stern reproof of his bad deeds.

Memory trick:
reproof reminds of proof
we offer proof of their guilt

At work:
The bug report is a reproof the project was rushed. It's lucky we have time to fix it.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Potentate

Potentate

<poh-ten-tayte>

despot; ruler; monarch;

a person with great power and absolute authority.

He was a potentate but he soon became kind and generous.

Memory trick:
potentate reminds of potent

At work:
A good designer must be a potentate who eventually gives up control.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Finite

Finite

<feye-nyte>

fixed; definite; restricted;

something limited in number.

There is a finite number of answers. You might be able to guess.

Memory trick:
finite reminds of fin
fin reminds of finish
the number of possibilities finish

At work:
The Excel functions are finite. You can learn them all.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Impugn

Impugn

<iym-pewn>

question; challenge; dispute;

to verbally attack someone to prove dishonesty.

He will impugn your story because it is unbelievable.

Memory trick:
impugn reminds of "I'm pug"
imagine a pug dog barking at you

At work:
You can't impugn my skills because my projects are a success.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Callow

Callow

<kal-lo>

inexperienced; naive; immature;

being ignorant about the world because of youth.

The girl was callow when she started her business. She learned quickly and became a success.

Memory trick:
callow reminds of shallow
we are shallow when we are not informed

At work:
We are sending you for classes because you are callow. We know you are eager to learn.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Rectitude

Rectitude

goodness; honor; decency;

<rekt-it-tood>

thinking or being morally right.

Everyone liked him because of his rectitude and loyalty.

Memory trick:
rectitude reminds of attitude
a good attitude comes from good behavior

At work:
Your rectitude makes you a reliable team leader.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Comport

Comport

<come-port>

conform; act; conduct;

behave in a certain manner- especially a good manner.

Students who comport well will be rewarded.

Memory trick:
comport reminds of comfort
it comforts others when we behave well

At work:
We are happy with the way you comport yourself. We are giving you a raise.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

FREE KINDLE BOOK - by Elliot Carruthers

Wacky Words is a fun cartoon romp of interesting vocabulary words. Clever and funny cartoons makes learning new words fun and entertaining.

Free Ebook - by New Word A Day

Ambulate

Ambulate

<am-bew-layte>

walk; ramble; step;

to move about from place to place.

I will ambulate across the entire country.

Memory trick:
ambulate reminds of ambulance

At work:
I will go ambulate and think about the deal.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Advent

Advent

<add-vent>

coming; appearance; entrance;

the arrival of someone or something important.

The advent of the electric guitar in 1931 changed music forever.

Memory trick:
advent reminds of vent
a vent is an air tunnel into a building
something comes out of a vent

At work:
Our sales zoomed with the advent of our new product.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Fallacious

Fallacious

<fah-lay-shis>

wrong; mistaken; inaccurate;

incorrectly believing something to be true.

Linus had a fallacious belief the Great Pumpkin would appear.

Memory trick:
fallacious reminds of false

At work:
It was a fallacious to predict the program would fail. It worked great.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Inimical

Inimical

<in-nym-mik-kul>

hostile; harmful; unfriendly;

something hostile and obstructing.

Birds can be inimical when there is a nest around.

Memory trick:
in reminds of not
imical reminds of comical
not comical

At work:
We should have a meeting to end the inimical feelings.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Delineate

Delineate

<de-lin-nee-ayte>

describe; depict; define;

to describe or detail something using an outline.

The artist liked to delineate with pencil before painting.

Memory trick:
de line ate reminds of "the line"

At work:
Let's delineate the project before we work on it. Let's design it on paper first.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Peripatetic

Peripatetic

<per-rah-pah-tet-tik>

nomadic; roving; wandering;

travelling to work in different places.

He lives a peripatetic life. He works in a different city every week.

Memory trick:
Peri reminds of periscope
a periscope allows us to see things above us
we look to see where we are going

At work:
A saleperson is peripatetic because there is constant travel.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Belabor

Belabor

<bee-lay-bor>

rehash; repeat; over explain;

to say something in a long and boring way.

She will always belabor her story. She will not stop talking.

Memory trick:
belabor reminds of labor
labor means work
we work too hard to listen

At work:
I belabor this because it is not resolved. We need to talk more.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Verbose

Verbose

<ver-bowse>

wordy; talky; chatty;

using a lot of extra words to explain something.

The boy told a verbose story and we were bored.

Memory trick:
verbose reminds of verb
a verb is a word describing an action

At work:
Your instructions are too simple. Please make them verbose.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Whimsical

Whimsical

<wim-sik-kal>

playful; funny; comical;

something appealing and amusing;

We laughed at the whimsical music and the funny costumes.

Remember:
whimsical reminds of whim
we do fun things on a whim

At work:
Your whimsical report cover had everyone laughing.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Gallivant

Gallivant

<gal-la-vant>

wander; roam; go about;

to go in search of something-  often pleasure.

You should buy a house and not gallivant around.

Memory trick:
gallivant reminds of gallant
gallant means brave

At work:
You're a good worker. You don't gallivant around.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Gambol

Gambol

<gam-bul>

frolic; prance; skip;

to jump in an excited manner;

The children will gambol after eating sweets.

Remember:
gambol reminds of game ball

At work:
Everyone began to gambol when they got the bonuses.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Unfettered

Unfettered

uhn-fet-terd>

<free; rampant; loose>

something uncontrolled with no sign of stopping.

The unfettered puppies ran all over the house.

Memory:
fetter reminds of tether
not tethered

At work:
Your ideas are unfettered. It's amazing how many you have.

Pronounced...


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Predatory

Predatory

<pred-ah-tore-ree>

greedy; exploiting; preying;

taking unfair advantage of others.

The loan was predatory so the judge declared it void.

Memory trick:
predatory reminds of predator

At work:
Their contract is predatory. We won't sign it.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Dilettante

Dilettante

<dil-leh-tont>

dabbler; rookie; amateur;

someone does an activity without becoming an expert.

I play the guitar but I am a dilettante. I can only play simple songs.

Memory trick:
dil reminds of dil
A dill pickle takes no expertise to serve

At work:
You would be a better salesperson if you were not a dilettante. You should learn about making sales.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Usurp

Usurp

<yew-serp>

wrest; commendeer; seize;

to take something by power or force.

The knight was able to usurp the king by rallying the people. He then became king.

Remember:
usurp reminds of You Slurp
you slurp someone elses drink

At work:
I don't want to usurp his authority. You need to ask him what to do..

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Circuitous

Circuitous

<sear-qew-it-tis>

meandering; tortuous; winding;

a road or route with many twists and turns.

The circuitous river made the journey take longer.

Remember:
circuitous reminds of circuit such as a race track

At work:
The instructions are circuitous. Please make them simple.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Arrogate

Arrogate

<ah-rah-gayte>

seize; take; claim;

to take something not belonging to you.

The cat will arrogate your fish given the chance.

Remember:
arrogate reminds of arrogant
it is arrogant to take something not given

At work:
You have no right to arrogate my stapler. Please give it back.

(c) 2015 Carruthers

Autonomous

Autonomous

<awe-tonn-no-mus>

independent; free; self-ruling;

being without control from someone or something else.

The writer enjoyed autonomous freedom and wrote what he desired.

Remember:
autonomous reminds of auto
we go where we want in an auto

At work:
You will be autonomous on this project and make all decisions.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Mercenary

Mercenary

<mer-sen-nair-ree>

greedy; selfish; materialistic;

being a person who wants money above all else.

The mercenary man sold all he owned because he loved money.

Memory trick:
Mercenary reminds of monetary

At work:
We should be less mercenay and lower our prices.

(c) E. Carruthers

Peccadillo

Peccadillo

<pek-kah-dil-low>

small offense; misdeed; indiscretion;

a small and unimportant misdeed;

Don't worry. Your traffic ticket is a pecadillo. It will be a tiny fine.

Memory trick:
Peccadillo reminds of armadillo
an armadillo is a small animal

At work:
Being late for the meeting is only a peccadillo because your presentation was awesome.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Contrition

Contrition

<kon-trich-shun>

guilt; remorse; sorrow;

feeling shame and sadness about something bad you did.

The contrition of the boy made everyone want to forgive him.

Memory trick
contrition reminds of condition
we are in a sad contrition when we feel guilt

At work:
He never showed contrition about accidently deleting the file.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Pilfer

Pilfer

<pil-fur>

steal; loot; swipe;

to take something that does not belong to you.

The dog will pilfer the steak if you leave it on the table.

Memory trick:
A pill hides something

At work:
You have to hide your stapler or someone will pilfer it.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Furtive

Furtive

<fur-tiv>

secret; hidden; covert;

doing something in a sneaky way so you don't get caught.

She gave him a furtive glance and he knew what she was thinking.

Remember:
Furtive reminds of secretive

At work:
He took furtive notes so I know he is interested in the deal.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Consummate

Consummate

<kon-soom-mayte>

gifted; talented; skilled;

having the ability of an expert or a master.

She was a consummate pianst and played each note perfectly.

Remember:
Consummate reminds of consume
We are consumed when we get good at something

At work:
Let's give the project to her. She is a consummate project manager.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Discern

Discern

<dis-sern>

observe; identify; detect;

too see something or someone standing out from others.

I was able to discern the gold coin among the pebbles.

Memory trick:
disc reminds of discriminate

At work:
We want them to discern the important points by making them yellow.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Genre

Genre

<jon-rah>

category; class; style;

a form of artistic work belonging to a classification.

I like the comedy genre because it's fun to laugh.

Remember:
genre reminds of gene
a gene is a building block of living things

At work:
Our product is in the wrong genre. We will sell more if we market it differently.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Venal

Venal

<vee-nal>

corrupt; crooked; dishonest;

being easy to bribe

The venal boy was bribed with candy and he mowed the lawn.

Remember:
venal reminds of vain
a vain person thinks they deserve money

At work:
The auditor was not venal and his honesty was well known.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Gibber

Gibber

<jib-bur>

blab; blurt; chatter;

to talk fast while saying nonsense.

My cats start to gibber when they see a bird.

Memory trick:
imaqgine saying "gib gib gib"

At Work:
He began to gibber when they asked him the price.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Commandeer

Commandeer

<kom-men-deer>

hijack; take; confiscate;

to use authority to take control of something.

The police needed to commandeer my car to get the lady to the hospital.

Remember:
commandeer reminds of command

At work:
I need to commandeer your stapler because I lost mine.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Engender

Engender

<enn-jen-der>

cause; generate; incite;

To cause a reaction in something or someone.

The flowers did engender her to him. Her feelings grew stronger.

Remember:
engineer a feeling in others

At work:
Good artwork will engender confidence in the product.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Circumlocution

Circumlocution

<sir-kom-low-qew-shun>

redundancy; verbage; wordiness;

saying many words to confuse the listener on purpose.

The boy used circumlocution to confuse his teacher.

Memory trick:
We get out of a circumstance with locomotion.

At work:
I used circumlocution because I did not remember my notes.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Flout

Flout

<rhymes with out>

defy; mock; disobey;

To break a law with disregard.

If you continue to flout the law you will get in trouble.

Remember:
You go OUT of bounds when you cheat.

At work:
You can't flout the rules. You have to fill out a request to get office supplies.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Vindicate

Vindicate

<vin-dee-kayte>

prove innocent; absolve from guilt; acquit;

to clear someone of an accusation.

The video did vindicate you. It proved you did not steal the money.

Remember:
The evidence indicates you are innocent.

At work:
Your new program will vindicate the accusations you are not good.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Censure

Censure

<sen-shur>

condemnation;  criticize; disapprove;

To submit a formal complaint in response to an act.

The town decided to censure the building of a new store.

Memory trick:
censure sounds like censor
a censor blocks bad things in movies

At work:
The board decide to censure the CEO for selling his shares.

(c)  2015 E. Carruthers

Instigator

Instigator

<in-stee-gate-tor>

troublemaker; agitator; initiator;

a mastermind who motivates other people to do things.

Don't be an instigator and encourage them to break the windows.

Memory trick:
Instigator reminds of aligator
an aligator is aggressive animal

At work:
Don't invite him to the meeting. He is an instigator and he will make everyone argue.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Equitable

Equitable

<ek-qwit-ah-bul>

honest; fair; just;

an exchange where something given is equal to something gotten.

Take my vegetables and give me your shrimp. It's equitable because you are a vegetarian.

Memory trick:
Equitable reminds of equal

At work:
The deal is equitable. We can sign the contract.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Preclude

Preclude

<pre-clood>

stop; hinder; deter;

to prevent something from happening.

Wearing good shoes will preclude problems with your feet.

Memory trick:
preclude reminds of prevent

At work:
Good testing will preclude errors in our software.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Deleterious

Deleterious

<del-lah-teer-ree-us>

bad; harmful; unfortunate;

something causing damage or injury.

I avoid cookies because they are deleterious to my diet.

Memory trick:
deleterious reminds of delete
a delete is something we lose

At work:
The termination clause makes this a deleterious contract. We can't sign it.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Bilk

Bilk

<billk>

cheat; defraud; swindle;

to steal money from someone by using deceit.

He will bilk the woman out of money because he is dishonest.

Memory trick:
Bilk reminds of bill
We take their bills

At work:
We need to get a signed contract so they can't bilk us out of our deposit.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Perpetuate

Perpetuate

<per-pet-chew-ate>

maintain; continue; prolong

something unending that is usually considered bad.

The waves will perpetuate an assault on my sand castle until it is gone.

Memory trick:
Perpetuate reminds of perpetual as in perpetual motion

At work:
You must not perpetuate the pilfering of office supplies.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Pedant

Pedant

<ped-dent>

purist; perfectionist; stickler;

a person who is obsessed with small details or trivial rules.

His art is worthy of a true pedant.

Memory trick:
Just remember - a ped ant is small

At work:
He is a pedant and that's why his documentation is always so complete.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Artifice

Artifice

<art-tuh-fis>

gimmick; trickery; fraud;

an item for deceiving a person with deception.

The can of soda is an artifice because it is really a hidden safe.

Memory trick:
art is fake

At work:
Their software demo was an artifice because it secretly was a video.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Utilitarian

Utilitarian

<yoo-til-ah-tare-ree-an>

functional; useful; practical;

something made for use and not for show.

My car is utilitarian. It is not pretty but it is built for speed.

Memory trick:
utilitarian reminds of utility.

At work:
Our website is Utilitarian. It is simple but you can do a lot on it.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Marshal

Marshal

<mar-shall>

assemble; group; organize;

to gather a group of people for a purpose.

Let's marshal the players at the north field.

Memory trick:
marshal rhymes with march
we march together

At work:
We will marshal our teams together to get the job done.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Nonsensical

Nonsensical

<non-sense-sik-kal>

silly; foolish; stupid;

something ridiculous or senseless.

The nonsensical song did not have any meaning to us.

Memory trick:
Non reminds of not
Sensical reminds of sense
not sense

At work:
We have to work on these nonsensical numbers before we can do an audit.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Disingenuous

Disingenuous

<dis-in-gen-you-us>

dishonest; lying; false;

I find your story to be disingenuous so please tell me the truth.

Memory trick:
Remember dis or insult.
genuous reminds of generous.
A fake story disses us in a genrous way.

At work:
I think their positive presentation was disingenuous because their product has bad reviews.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Derogatory

Derogatory

<dee-rog-ah-tor-ree>

unfavorable; demeaning; degrading;

saying unflattering or slanderous things about someone.

Your derogatory comments are not true because I am a good person.

Memory trick:
Derogatory reminds of degrade.
We degrade someone when we say bad things.

At work:
Don't put derogatory comments in your report. Only say positive things.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Recapitulate

Recapitulate

<ree-kah-pit-chew-layt>

restate; summarize; review;

to go over and resay the main ideas.

The last page will recapitulate the lessons in the book.

Memory trick:
recapitulate reminds of recap

At work:
I'd like to recapitulate what we talked about before taking questions.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Mundane

Mundane

<mone-dain>

boring; dull; ordinary;

something uninteresting or unexciting.

The movie was so mundane I fell asleep.

Memory trick
Mundane reminds of Monday.
No one likes Monday because it is boring.

At work:
The ad was mundane until we added clowns.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Exemplify

Exemplify

<ee-zemp-pla-fye>

depict; mirror; symbolize;

an average example of something.

Your poems exemplify beauty because they are well written.
.
Memory trick:
Exemplify reminds of example.

At work:
Your presentation will exemplify the excellence of our services.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Epitome

Epitome

<ee--pit-tow-me>

model; symbol; essence;

something or someone who is a perfect example of another.

She was the epitome of beauty and she always turned heads.

Memory trick:
epic tome
An epic is a long poem.
A tome is a book.
An long poetic book shows an example.

At work:
Your reports are the epitome of quality because they are always good.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Minute

Minute

<my-noot>

small; tiny; minimal;

something so small it almost cannot be measured.

I added a minute pinch of sugar so it will not be too sweet.

Memory trick:
Minute reminds of the word minute <min-nut> or a small unit of time.

At work:
It is a minute change so I can have it ready for the meeting.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Foster

Foster

<for-ster>

nurture; promote; stimulate;

to help someone or something in a good way.

The teacher would foster his learning for years to come.

Memory trick:
foster reminds of faster.
we make success come faster.

At work:
I think the training program will foster good work habits.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Purport

Purport

<per-port>

imply; pretend; impersonate;

presenting something in a false or fake way.

The purport of rain turned out to be my brother using the hose on the window.

Memory trick:
Pretend report

At work:
You purport to be a computer expert but your program is not good.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Dubious

Dubious

<do-be-us>

unsure; uncertain; unclear;

something in doubt with no clear answer.

Math is a dubious subject because I don't understand it.

Memory trick:
We dub something when we don't understand it.
dub means to make up words.

At work:
The report is dubious because I don't trust the numbers.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Chasm

Chasm

<kah-zem>

crater; canyon; separation;

something dividing two things having a hole.

The horses jumped over the chasm and landed on the other side.

Memory trick:
chase down into

At work:
The is a chasm between our companies. We should meet to work together better.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Circumspect

Circumspect

<sir-kum-spekt>

wary; cautious; careful;

not willing to take chances or risks.

The circumspect rabbit stayed in the hole and never came out.

Memory trick:
circumstances we inspect before we go forward.

At work:
He is circumspect about the contract so we need to calm his fears.

(c) 2015 E. Carruthers

Animadversion

Animadversion

<ahn-nah-mad-vur-shun>

slur; criticism; accusation;

saying something negative about someone.

The animadversion of the crowd grew and they began throwing things.

Memory trick:
We are animated when we reject their version.

At work:
There was not an animadversion in the room because they loved the presentation.


(c) 2015 E. Carruthers