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WORD OF THE DAY DETAILS

# Title Description Date
1 Bloviate

Bloviate [blo·vi·ate] i.v. To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner.

03-Sep-2019
2 Temerity

Temerity n. Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity: “No one had the temerity to question her decision.”

02-Sep-2019
3 Ignominious

Ignominious adj. Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame; humiliating: “An ignominious defeat.”

31-Aug-2019
4 Diatribe

Diatribe n. 1. A bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: “Repeated diatribes against the candidates.”

30-Aug-2019
5 Clandestine

Clandestine [clan·des·tine] adj. 1. Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose. “The CIA maintains clandestine operations in many countries.”

29-Aug-2019
6 Eponym

Eponym n. A person whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something, such as a city or country. “George Washington is the eponym of Washington DC.”

28-Aug-2019
7 Rhetorical

Rhetorical [rhe·tor·i·cal] adj. Of or relating to rhetoric. Characterized by language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous.

27-Aug-2019
8 Eccentric

Eccentric adj. 1. Departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern. 2. n. One that deviates markedly from an established norm, especially a person of odd or unconventional behavior. “His eccentricities now extend to never leaving his home.”

26-Aug-2019
9 Impugn

Impugn tr.v. To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument: “To impugn a political opponent’s record.”

24-Aug-2019
10 Erudite

Erudite adj. Deep, extensive learning. “He has a reputation as an eruditeintellectual with a deep understanding of the issues.”

23-Aug-2019
11 Homogeneous

Homogeneous [ho·mo·ge·ne·ous] adj. 1. Uniform in structure or composition. 2. Of the same or similar nature or kind: “The corporation maintains tight-knit, homogeneous board members.”

22-Aug-2019
12 Nocturnal

Nocturnal adj. Occurring or coming out at night: “A nocturnal lifestyle.”

21-Aug-2019
13 Aesthetic

Aesthetic(s) [aes·thet·ic] adj. 1. Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste. 2. Characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty. “The aesthetic design of the building is amazing!”

20-Aug-2019
14 Enervate

Enervate tr.v. 1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality. 2. Lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor. “Prolonged exposure to the sun and dehydration enervated the desert racing team.”

19-Aug-2019
15 Attrition

Attrition n. 1. A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death. 2. A gradual diminution in number or strength. “The company’s attrition rate was quite high.”

17-Aug-2019
16 Axiom

Axiom n. 1. An established rule, principle, or law. 2. A self-evident or universally recognized truth; a maxim. 3. A self-evident principle or one that is accepted as true without proof as the basis for argument.

16-Aug-2019
17 Prognosticate

Prognosticate tr.v. To predict according to present indications or signs; foretell. “The armchair quarterback tried to prognosticate the play from his recliner.”

14-Aug-2019
18 Insidious

Insidious adj. 1. Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner: insidious rumors; an insidious disease. 2. Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures.

13-Aug-2019
19 Apathetic

Apathetic adj. 1. Feeling or showing little or no emotion; unresponsive. 2. Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent. “He seemed very apathetic about the company’s closure.”

12-Aug-2019
20 Cornucopia

Cornucopia n. A large amount of something; a great supply, an abundance: “A cornucopia of employment opportunities.”

10-Aug-2019
21 Solicitous

Solicitous [so·lic·i·tous] adj. 1. Marked by or given to anxious care and often hovering attentiveness. 2. Extremely careful; meticulous: “solicitous in matters of behavior.” 3. Anxious or concerned: “a solicitous parent.”

09-Aug-2019
22 Attenuate

Attenuate v. 1. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: “The layoffs attenuated the company’s sales forecast.”

08-Aug-2019
23 Caveat

Caveat n. 1. A warning or proviso: something said as a warning, caution, or qualification. “The agreement contains the usual caveats.”

07-Aug-2019
24 Intuitive

Intuitive [in·tu·i·tive] adj. Known automatically: known directly and instinctively, without being discovered or consciously perceived. “He intuitively knew that one day she would become a movie star.”

06-Aug-2019
25 Truncate

Truncate tr.v. 1. To shorten or cut off. 2. To shorten (a number) by dropping one or more digits after the decimal point.

05-Aug-2019
26 Cathartic

Cathartic adj. Producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic technique. “The strength of the movie had a cathartic effect on her.”

03-Aug-2019
27 Circuitous

Circuitous adj. Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course: “He took a circuitous route to avoid traffic.”

02-Aug-2019
28 Redact

Redact(ed) tr.v. Edit something: to edit, revise, or delete content in preparation for publication. “The documents were redacted so personal information wasn’t released to the public.”

01-Aug-2019
29 Eclectic

Eclectic adj. 1. Composed of elements drawn from various sources 2. Not following any one system, but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems. “An eclectic taste in decorating; an eclecticapproach to management.”

31-Jul-2019
30 Repugnant

Repugnant adj. Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive.

30-Jul-2019
31 Opine

Opine v.tr. To state as an opinion. Latin: opinari – to have an opinion.

29-Jul-2019
32 Effusive

Effusive [ef·fu·sive] adj. 1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: “An effusive manner.” 2. Profuse; overflowing: “effusive praise.”

27-Jul-2019
33 Epochal

Epochal adj. 1. Highly significant or important; momentous: “Epochaldecisions made by the president.” 2. Without parallel: “Epochal stupidity.”

26-Jul-2019
34 Voracity

Voracity; Voracious adj. Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous. 2. Having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy: “A voracious reader.”

25-Jul-2019
35 Venality

Venality [ve·nal·i·ty] n. 1. The condition of being susceptible to bribery or corruption. 2. The use of a position of trust for dishonest gain: “The venality of a corrupt judge.”

24-Jul-2019
36 Egregious

Egregious adj. Conspicuously bad or offensive. “The judge’s conduct was egregious.”

23-Jul-2019
37 Episodic

Episodic adj. Happening at irregular intervals. “He has episodicmigraines.”

22-Jul-2019
38 Auspices

Auspices [aus·pi·ces] n.pl. 1. With the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization: “Financial aid is being provided under the auspices of NATO.”

20-Jul-2019
39 Analogous

Analogous adj. 1. Similar or alike in such a way as to permit the drawing of an analogy. “The brain and the Acme 1000 supercomputer are analogous to each other.”

19-Jul-2019
40 Metaphor

Metaphor n. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate something else. Example: “She was drowning in money.”

18-Jul-2019
41 Indigenous

Indigenous [in·dig·e·nous] adj. Originating and living or occurring naturally in an area or environment. “The cactus is indigenous to Arizona.”

17-Jul-2019
42 Savant

Savant [sa·vant] n. A person of learning; wise or scholarly.

16-Jul-2019
43 Progeny

Progeny n.pl. 1. Something that originates or results from something else; outcome; issue. 2. A result of creative effort; a product.

15-Jul-2019
44 Causative

Causative [caus·a·tive] adj. 1. Indicative that the subject causes an act to be performed or a condition to come into being. “A causative factor of war.”

13-Jul-2019
45 Ambivalence

Ambivalence n. 1. Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow. 2. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea.

12-Jul-2019
46 Litigious

Litigious [li·ti·gious] adj. Of, relating to, or characterized by litigation.
Tending to engage in lawsuits. A litigious celebrity.

11-Jul-2019
47 Gratuitous

Gratuitous adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitousremark.

10-Jul-2019
48 Aplomb

Aplomb [a·plomb] n.  Self-confident assurance, skill, and poise – especially in difficult or challenging circumstances.

09-Jul-2019
49 Secular

Secular [sec·u·lar] adj. 1. Worldly rather than spiritual. 2. Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body. “A secular book.”

08-Jul-2019
50 Arduous

Arduous adj. 1. Demanding great effort or labor; difficult. “An arduousundertaking.” 2. Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous. “A long and arduous process.”

06-Jul-2019