Invidious is a formal word used to describe things that are unpleasant and likely to cause bad feelings in other people. Such bad feelings may include resentment, discontent, animosity, or envy.

// Psychologists caution against drawing invidious comparisons between other people’s lives as portrayed on social media and one’s own.

Torpor is a formal word for a state of inactivity and sluggishness. It can also be used, especially in the context of hibernating and estivating animals, to refer to a state of lowered physiological activity.

// The magazine offers lots of ideas for activities designed to shake off the torpor of a rainy day.

Colloquial is used with words like term and word and expression to describe language that is used in familiar and informal conversation.

// The author can switch from formal academic language to a charmingly colloquial style, depending on the audience and subject of her writing.

To mitigate something is to make it less severe, harmful, or painful.

// One way we can mitigate the impact the construction project will have on residents is to commit to completing it in the allotted time.

Spindrift refers to spray blown from waves during a gale or to fine wind-borne snow or sand.

// Our whale-watching cruise was a whirlwind of flukes, fins, and clinging to the handrails amid the waves and salty blasts of spindrift.

Comely is an adjective with an old-fashioned and literary feel that describes someone or something that has a pleasing appearance, or that is pretty or attractive.

// The newlyweds make quite a comely couple.

To inveigle someone is to persuade them in a clever or deceptive way to do something. Inveigle can also mean “to get something in a clever or deceptive way.”

// According to rumors, the company inveigled employees into signing the agreement.

// Their attempts to inveigle the information from her were, eventually, fruitful.

A kludge is a haphazard or makeshift solution to a problem and especially to a computer or programming problem. // Andy knocked out a hasty kludge to circumvent the glitch until a more robust solution could be developed.

Parochial is a formal word that is usually used in a disapproving way to describe something that is limited in range or scope, as to a narrow region or area.

// For some, college can be an expansive experience that lifts them out of a parochial mindset.

To vituperate someone is to criticize or censure them severely or abusively. Vituperate can also mean "to use harsh condemnatory language."

// They were vituperated for betraying their friends.

Itinerant describes someone who travels from place to place or only stays in a place for a short amount of time. It is used especially for people who travel in a circuit for their profession.

// Being an itinerant musician gave her the opportunity to see the wonders of the world with her own eyes.

Maverick refers to a person who refuses to follow the customs or rules of a group; in other words, a nonconformist.

// Ayo has always been a bit of a maverick in the fashion world, inventing new trends rather than following them.

Stalwart is a formal word used to describe someone or something that is very loyal and dedicated or that is physically or mentally strong.

// He was a stalwart civil rights supporter throughout his political career.

// The football team's stalwart defense only gave up a single field goal in the second half.

Dog days is a plural noun that refers to the hottest time of the year, which in the northern hemisphere is usually between early July and early September. Dog days can also refer to a period of stagnation or inactivity suggestive of hot, sultry weather when it can be difficult to summon the energy required for hard work.

// Spending the day at a swimming hole has always been the perfect relief for the dog days of summer.

Raffish describes people and things that show a careless but usually attractive unconventionality.

// She didn't expect to like him but his raffish charm quickly won her over.

(soccer) a center forward who drops into midfield to draw defenders out of position

Obdurate is a formal word that means "resistant to persuasion." It is usually used to describe someone who is not willing to change their methods or opinions, or something that is not easily altered.

// Though obdurate problems loom, the organization under its new leadership is poised to make real and effective changes.

A bibelot is a small household ornament or decorative object.

// His grandfather set up a table every week at the flea market where he sold all sorts of bibelots and bric-a-brac, from ceramic figurines to tiny blown glass sculptures.

Loquacious means “liking to talk and talking smoothly and easily.

” Someone described as loquacious might also be called wordy (prone to using more words than necessary) or garrulous (tending to talk a lot).

// We were entertained all afternoon by our host’s loquacious parrot and its nonstop script of favored phrases.

The verb yaw when used for the action of a ship, aircraft, spacecraft, or projectile means "to move to the left or right especially in an uncontrolled manner." More broadly, yaw is used as a synonym of alternate to mean "to change from one to another repeatedly."

 // The rogue wave hit the vessel, and the ship yawed hard to the right.

// The album yaws from soulful ballad to up-tempo pop hit and back again.

Someone or something described as implacable is not capable of being appeased or changed.

// The project faced implacable resistance from community members, and is now off the table.

Xeric means "characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture."

// She is a botanist who primarily studies xeric plants.

Effulgence means “radiant splendor” or “brilliance.”

// Guests oohed and aahed at the sudden effulgence of the pagoda, as the last of its hundreds of candles were finally lit.

Tacit is a formal adjective used to describe something that is expressed or understood without being directly stated.

// As roommates, we had a tacit agreement that we would never pry into each other’s affairs.

Gambol means "to run or jump in a lively way." It is used as a synonym of frolic.

// There are few sights more charming than that of lambs gamboling about in a meadow in full flower.

Perfunctory is a formal word used to describe something that is done without energy or enthusiasm because of habit or because it is expected.

// By the time my favorite band got to the last stop of the tour, their performance felt perfunctory.

truth in speech or statement; truthfulness 

Someone or something described as sagacious has or shows an ability to understand difficult ideas and situations and to make good decisions. Sagacious may be considered a formal synonym of wise and discerning.

// Student reviews paint the writing professor as a sagacious mentor and a compassionate teacher.

A nabob is a very rich or important person.

// The upscale hotel downtown is a popular meeting spot for the city’s corporate nabobs.

Umami refers to the taste sensation that is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides and that has a rich or meaty flavor characteristic of cheese, cooked meat, mushrooms, soy, and ripe tomatoes.

// The chef’s secret ingredient added the perfect burst of umami to the signature dish.

Oracular is a formal word that can describe something used to forecast or prophesize, or something that resembles or relates to something used for such purposes. Oracular can also describe something that resembles an oracle—a person (such as a priestess of ancient Greece) through whom a deity is believed to speak; in this sense, an oracular statement, voice, etc. conveys wisdom or solemnity.

// A few recordings of the famous speaker still exist, and though his language is formal to the point of sounding almost foreign to the modern listener, the oracular quality of his speech remains effective.

Symbiosis is a formal word that refers to a relationship between two people or groups that work with and depend on each other. In biology, symbiosis refers to the relationship between two different kinds of living things that live together and depend on each other.

// The new playground is the result of symbiosis between multiple stakeholders, including residents, donors, and town officials.

// The bacteria exist in symbiosis with the plant’s roots.

Jaundiced means “showing or influenced by feelings of distrust, distaste, or hostility.” Someone described as jaundiced, or as possessing jaundiced opinions or views, is typically understood to feel that way because of negative past experiences.

// She developed a jaundiced view of politics after years of chairing her local school board committee and witnessing all kinds of petty shenanigans.

Pantheon usually refers to a group of famous or notable people or things. It also refers to the officially recognized gods of a particular people, as well as to the Roman Pantheon, the domed temple begun in 27 B.C. and rebuilt circa 118-128 A.D.

// With her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the distinguished bassist and songwriter joined a pantheon of musical legends.

// His research is primarily dedicated to the Greek and Roman pantheons.

Pantheon usually refers to a group of famous or notable people or things. It also refers to the officially recognized gods of a particular people, as well as to the Roman Pantheon, the domed temple begun in 27 B.C. and rebuilt circa 118-128 A.D.

// With her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the distinguished bassist and songwriter joined a pantheon of musical legends.

// His research is primarily dedicated to the Greek and Roman pantheons.

To quail is to feel afraid and often to show your fear in a way that can be clearly seen.

// Although giving a 5-minute speech was a requirement for passing the class, a few students quailed at the thought of public speaking, seeming to shrink behind their desks.

Cavalcade most often refers to a series of related things. An older meaning, still in use, is “a procession of riders or carriages”; vehicles or ships in a procession can be referred to as a cavalcade too.

// Since the high-powered console’s debut late last year, video game companies have steadily unveiled a cavalcade of new games that showcase its groundbreaking graphics.

Longueur refers to a boring part of something (such as a book or play). It is usually used in the plural form.

// Though not without its longueurs, the opera came to life in the last act.

Indomitable is a formal word used to describe something that is impossible to defeat or discourage.

// Juneteenth celebrates the abolition of slavery in the United States, and honors the indomitable spirit of African Americans past and present fighting for justice, liberation, and the fulfillment of this nation’s ideals.

To acquiesce to something is to accept it, agree with it, or allow it to happen by staying silent or by not arguing. Acquiesce is somewhat formal, and is often used with in or to.

// Eventually, the professor acquiesced to the students’ request to have the seminar’s final class be a potluck lunch.

Wifty, a synonym of ditzy, describes something or someone eccentrically silly or scatterbrained.

// The play features a wifty character who starts out blissfully unaware of the conflict driving the plot but ultimately pulls it together to save the day.

A gamut is a range or series of related things. When we say that something “runs the gamut,” we are saying that it encompasses an entire range of related things.

// The flea market offerings run the gamut with a wide array of vendors each offering something unique.

Something described as tenuous is flimsy, weak, or uncertain.

// The theater had a tenuous existence for years, but today is on much more solid financial footing

Someone described as hale is in good and often exceptional health. Hale is commonly used in the phrase "hale and hearty."

// Their mother remains hale and hearty in her old age.

1. a back door or gate.

2. a private entrance or any entrance other than the main one.