Luddite refers to someone who is opposed to change, and especially to technological change.

// My friends call me a Luddite for refusing to use chat bots.

Regimen refers to a plan or set of rules about food, exercise, etc., designed to make someone become or stay healthy.

// Sherry’s personal trainer started her on a workout regimen of 30 minutes on the treadmill followed by 30 minutes of weight training.

To perseverate is to intently focus one's attention on a thought or thoughts. Perseverate can also mean "to recur or repeat continually."

// They teach that there is no use in perseverating about past regrets.

// Nervous thoughts perseverated in the back of her mind for weeks leading up to the event, but it was a complete success.

Used chiefly in British English, tittle refers to a very small part or amount; it is often paired with the word jot. In writing and printing on both sides of the pond, tittle also refers to a point or small sign used as a diacritical mark.

// There is not a jot or tittle of evidence to support their claims.

Like both unorthodox and unconventional, heterodox describes something, such an idea or belief, that is contrary to or different from an acknowledged standard, a traditional form, or an established religion. Heterodox can also describe a person or group that holds unorthodox opinions or doctrines.

// The two new faculty members' heterodox approach to teaching science initially met with some resistance from their peers.

Slew is an informal word for a large number of people or things.

// The pile of junk mail included a slew of catalogs.

Epistemic means "of or relating to knowledge or knowing."

// He's a brilliant teacher who has the epistemic humility to know that there is always more to learn.

Argot refers to the language or set of words used by a particular group of people.

// The novels were such a success that fans began communicating in the secret argot spoken by the series’ characters.

Fungible describes things, such as currency, goods, and commodities, that can be exchanged for something else of the same kind or value. In broader usage, fungible can also mean “interchangeable,” as well as “readily changeable to adapt to new situations.”

A nemesis is a formidable foe—an opponent or enemy who is very difficult to defeat. As a proper noun, Nemesis refers to the Greek goddess of vengeance.

// She will be playing against her old nemesis for the championship.

To aggrandize someone (or something) is to enhance their power, wealth, position, or reputation. Aggrandize can also mean "to increase or enlarge" or "to praise highly."

// Critics of the book argue that the author aggrandizes corrupt politicians.

Watershed, used figuratively, refers to a crucial dividing point, line, or factor. Used literally, the word may refer to a ridge from which rivers drain on either side, or to the area of land that includes a particular river or lake and all the rivers, streams, etc. that flow into it. : a crucial dividing point, line, or factor

// The protests marked a watershed in the nation’s history.

// The Continental Divide is the most well known watershed in the United States.

When we describe something, such as data, as empirical, we mean that it originated in, or was based on, observation or experience. Empirical can also be used to describe something that can be verified or disproved by observation or experiment, as in “empirical laws.”

// The team of conservation biologists has over the years collected reams of empirical data, from species inventories to soil analyses.

1. anything sunk in the sea, but attached to a buoy or the like so that it may be recovered.

A patina is a usually green film that forms on copper and bronze that is exposed to moist air for an extended time. The word patina can also refer to a shiny or dark surface that over time forms naturally on something (such as wood or leather), or to a literal or figurative thin layer.

// The town erected a statue in her honor, which over the years developed a seafoam green patina.

// Although the winery is brand-new, it has been constructed and decorated to give it a patina of old-world quaintness.

A person who is loath to do something is unwilling or reluctant to do that thing.

// Proud of the company he had built, Henry was loath to admit that it was time to think about retiring.

Stigma refers to a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something.

// The organization is animated by a commitment to challenging stigmas associated with the condition.

Magnanimous is a formal word that means “having or showing a generous and kind nature.”

// She was too magnanimous to resent the unkind words of those grousing about her winning the spelling bee.

Gist, which almost always appears in the phrase “the gist,” refers to the general or basic meaning of something written or said.

// I found the author’s grandiloquent style of writing intolerable, but I got the gist of the story.

To matriculate is to enroll or be enrolled as a student, especially at a college or university.

// She matriculated at the Rhode Island School of Design and began classes in the fall.

// A spokesperson for the college said the school is expected to matriculate approximately 1,000 students for the fall semester.

Apiary refers to a place where bees are kept, and especially a collection of hives or colonies of bees kept for their honey.

// One of the best parts of having a beekeeper for a sister-in-law is getting fresh jars of local honey from the family apiary.

Recalcitrant is a formal word typically used to describe someone who stubbornly refuses to obey rules or orders. Recalcitrant can also describe something that is difficult to manage or operate.

// The magazine, aimed at parents and caregivers of young children, will include the latest in child development science as well as practical information, like tricks for persuading even the most recalcitrant toddler to cooperate.

Dissonant typically describes music that is not in harmony, or sounds and notes that clash. In non-music contexts, dissonant describes things that clash by not being in agreement or by not fitting well together.

// The guitarist struck a dissonant chord.

// The retrospective provided a sometimes dissonant journey through the artist's decades of work.

Conscientious describes someone who is concerned with doing things correctly. It can be used as a synonym for both meticulous and careful.

// She has always been a conscientious worker committed to painstaking research.

Gumption refers to courage and confidence.

// It took a lot of gumption to speak up for yourself like that.

Kith is an old-fashioned term that refers to familiar friends, neighbors, or relatives. It is often used in the phrase “kith and kin,” which means “friends and relatives.”

// Spending time with kith and kin at the end of the summer is the highlight of our year.

Southpaw is an informal word for someone who is left-handed. It is especially used for a left-handed baseball pitcher or boxer.

// The team’s new pitcher is a southpaw with a wicked knuckleball.

To devolve is to gradually go from an advanced state to a less advanced state, or to pass something, such as responsibility or power, from one person or group to another at a lower level of authority.

// Somehow the debate devolved into a petty competition to see who could get more applause.

// Community leaders hope that the new government will devolve more power to the community itself.

Expeditious is a formal word that is used to describe someone acting in a quick and efficient way, or something done in such a manner.

// Both sides hoped for an expeditious resolution of the dispute.

Rigmarole refers to a long, complicated, and annoying process, description, etc.

// We went through the rigmarole of installing, registering, and activating the software before we found out it wouldn’t work.

To divulge something, especially secret or private information, is to make it known.

// Rather than divulge the baby name we’ve chosen, we’re waiting till the little one arrives to make introductions.

Balmy is an adjective that is often used to describe weather that is warm, calm, and pleasant. It can also be used to describe someone or something (such as an idea) that is foolish or irrational.

// After a long, eight-hour drive, we were rewarded with a mild, balmy evening at our vacation spot on the shores of Lake Erie.

// Despite being a devout Green Bay fan, she finds the idea of attending games in head-to-toe yellow and green body paint to be a bit balmy.

An oxymoron is a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings, such as "cruel kindness" or "open secret." In broader usage, oxymoron can also refer to something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements.

// Some of Shakespeare's most famous plays are filled with oxymorons such as "loving hate" and "tragical mirth."

Something or someone described as lackadaisical is lacking in interest, enthusiasm, or zest.

// Feeling particularly lackadaisical in the summer heat, they lazily tossed a ball back and forth.

To circumscribe something is to limit its range or activity.

// The president’s decision-making power was carefully circumscribed by the company’s board.

Vacuous is a formal word indicating a lack of thought, intelligence, or substance.

// Despite a lengthy advertising campaign pitching the film as a masterwork, critics ultimately assailed it as dull and filled with self-important characters spouting vacuous platitudes.

In military contexts, salvo refers to various actions involving discharge or release of bombs, rockets, artillery, etc., as well to the bombs or projectiles released in such an action. In general use, salvo is usually used to refer to a strong or sudden verbal attack, but it can also refer to a sudden occurrence of applause, laughter, etc., from many people.

// The troops were driven back by a salvo of cannon fire.

// The editorial's opening salvo was a list of grievances against the mayor's policies.

// The conclusion of her performance was answered with a salvo of cheers and applause.

Gnomic is a formal word that describes something cryptically said or written in few words.

// The painter is notorious for offering terse, gnomic responses to questions about her work that leave interviewers and critics scratching their heads.

Pedagogical is a formal word used to describe things that are of or related to teachers or education.

// The new professor is known for particularly engaging pedagogical methods.