The editors of the American Heritage® Dictionaries have presented the newest title in the best-selling 100 Words series.
Whether you need to ace an interview, give a speech at a wedding, attend a dinner party, or impress a date, just a quick browse through this book and you'll be on your way to sounding articulate, educated, and literate.
99 Words to Make You Sound Smart is the perfect resource for anyone who wants to sound sharp, sophisticated, and in the know.
99 Words to Make You Sound Smart.
accolade - a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
acrimony - a rough and bitter manner
angst - an acute but unspecific feeling of anxiety
anomaly - deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule
antidote - a remedy that stops or controls the effects of a poison
avant-garde - radically new or original
baroque - relating to an elaborately ornamented style of art and music
bona fide - not counterfeit or copied
boondoggle - work of little or no value done merely to look busy
bourgeois - being of the property-owning class
bravado - a swaggering show of courage
brogue - a thick and heavy shoe
brusque - marked by rude or peremptory shortness
Byzantine - of or relating to or characteristic of the Byzantine Empire or the ancient city of Byzantium
cacophony - loud confusing disagreeable sounds
camaraderie - the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability
capricious - determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
carte blanche - complete freedom or authority to act
caustic - capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
charisma - personal attractiveness that enables you to influence others
cloying - overly sweet
deja vu - the experience of thinking a new situation already occurred
dichotomy - being twofold
dilettante - an amateur engaging in an activity without serious intention
disheveled - in disarray; extremely disorderly
elan - enthusiastic and assured vigor and liveliness
ennui - the feeling of being bored by something tedious
epitome - a standard or typical example
equanimity - steadiness of mind under stress
equivocate - be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
esoteric - understandable only by an enlightened inner circle
euphemism - an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one
fait accompli - an irreversible accomplishment
fastidious - giving careful attention to detail
faux pas - a socially awkward or tactless act
fiasco - a complete failure or collapse
finagle - achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods
Freudian slip - a slip-up that (according to Sigmund Freud) results from the operation of unconscious wishes or conflicts and can reveal unconscious processes in normal healthy individuals
glib - artfully persuasive in speech
gregarious - temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others
harbinger - something indicating the approach of something or someone
hedonist - someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures
heresy - a belief that rejects the orthodox tenets of a religion
idiosyncratic - peculiar to the individual
idyllic - charmingly simple and serene
indelicate - slightly indecent, offensive, or improper
infinitesimal - immeasurably small
insidious - working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
junket - dessert made of sweetened milk coagulated with rennet
kitsch - excessively garish or sentimental art
litany - any long and tedious address or recital
lurid - glaringly vivid and graphic; marked by sensationalism
Machiavellian - of or relating to amoral or conniving political principles
malaise - a general feeling of discomfort, uneasiness, or depression
malinger - avoid responsibilities and duties
mantra - literally a `sacred utterance' in Vedism
maudlin - effusively or insincerely emotional
mercenary - a person hired to fight for another country than their own
minimalist - a conservative advocating only minor reforms in government
misnomer - an incorrect or unsuitable name
narcissist - someone who is excessively self-centered
nirvana - the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation
non sequitur - a reply that has no relevance to what preceded it
nouveau-riche - characteristic of someone who has risen economically or socially but lacks the social skills appropriate for this new position
oblivion - the state of being disregarded or forgotten
ogle - look at with amorous intentions
ostentatious - intended to attract notice and impress others
ostracize - expel from a community or group
panacea - hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases
paradox - a statement that contradicts itself
peevish - easily irritated or annoyed
perfunctory - hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
philistine - a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
precocious - characterized by exceptionally early development
propriety - correct behavior
quid pro quo - something for something
quintessential - representing the perfect example of a class or quality
red herring - diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue
revel - take delight in
rhetoric - study of the technique for using language effectively
scintillating - having brief brilliant points or flashes of light
spartan - unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment
stigma - a symbol of disgrace or infamy
stoic - seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
suave - having a sophisticated charm
Svengali - someone (usually maleficent) who tries to persuade or force another person to do his bidding
sycophant - a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage
teetotaler - a total abstainer
tete-a-tete - a private conversation between two people
tirade - a speech of violent denunciation
tryst - a secret rendezvous, especially between lovers
ubiquitous - being present everywhere at once
unrequited - not returned in kind
untenable - incapable of being defended or justified
vicarious - experienced at secondhand
vile - morally reprehensible
waft - a long flag; often tapering
white elephant - accolade
a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
acrimony - a rough and bitter manner
angst - an acute but unspecific feeling of anxiety
anomaly - deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule
antidote - a remedy that stops or controls the effects of a poison
avant-garde - radically new or original
baroque - relating to an elaborately ornamented style of art and music
bona fide - not counterfeit or copied
boondoggle - work of little or no value done merely to look busy
bourgeois - being of the property-owning class
bravado - a swaggering show of courage
brogue - a thick and heavy shoe
brusque - marked by rude or peremptory shortness
Byzantine - of or relating to or characteristic of the Byzantine Empire or the ancient city of Byzantium
cacophony - loud confusing disagreeable sounds
camaraderie - the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability
capricious - determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
carte blanche - complete freedom or authority to act
caustic - capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
charisma - personal attractiveness that enables you to influence others
cloying - overly sweet
deja vu - the experience of thinking a new situation already occurred
dichotomy - being twofold
dilettante - an amateur engaging in an activity without serious intention
disheveled - in disarray; extremely disorderly
elan - enthusiastic and assured vigor and liveliness
ennui - the feeling of being bored by something tedious
epitome - a standard or typical example
equanimity - steadiness of mind under stress
equivocate - be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
esoteric - understandable only by an enlightened inner circle
euphemism - an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one
fait accompli-an irreversible accomplishment
fastidious - giving careful attention to detail
faux pas - a socially awkward or tactless act
fiasco - a complete failure or collapse
finagle - achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods
Freudian slip - a slip-up that (according to Sigmund Freud) results from the operation of unconscious wishes or conflicts and can reveal unconscious processes in normal healthy individuals
glib - artfully persuasive in speech
gregarious - temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others
harbinger - something indicating the approach of something or someone
hedonist - someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures
heresy - a belief that rejects the orthodox tenets of a religion
idiosyncratic - peculiar to the individual
idyllic - charmingly simple and serene
indelicate - slightly indecent, offensive, or improper
infinitesimal - immeasurably small
insidious - working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
junket - dessert made of sweetened milk coagulated with rennet
kitsch - excessively garish or sentimental art
litany - any long and tedious address or recital
lurid - glaringly vivid and graphic; marked by sensationalism
Machiavellian - of or relating to amoral or conniving political principles
malaise - a general feeling of discomfort, uneasiness, or depression
malinger - avoid responsibilities and duties
mantra - literally a `sacred utterance' in Vedism
maudlin - effusively or insincerely emotional
mercenary - a person hired to fight for another country than their own
minimalist - a conservative advocating only minor reforms in government
misnomer - an incorrect or unsuitable name
narcissist - someone who is excessively self-centered
nirvana - the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation
non sequitur - a reply that has no relevance to what preceded it
nouveau-riche - characteristic of someone who has risen economically or socially but lacks the social skills appropriate for this new position
oblivion - the state of being disregarded or forgotten
ogle - look at with amorous intentions
ostentatious - intended to attract notice and impress others
ostracize - expel from a community or group
panacea - hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases
paradox - a statement that contradicts itself
peevish - easily irritated or annoyed
perfunctory - hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
philistine - a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
precocious - characterized by exceptionally early development
propriety - correct behavior
quid pro quo - something for something
quintessential - representing the perfect example of a class or quality
red herring - diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue
revel - take delight in
rhetoric - study of the technique for using language effectively
scintillating - having brief brilliant points or flashes of light
spartan - unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment
stigma - a symbol of disgrace or infamy
stoic - seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
suave - having a sophisticated charm
Svengali - someone (usually maleficent) who tries to persuade or force another person to do his bidding
sycophant - a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage
teetotaler - a total abstainer
tete-a-tete - a private conversation between two people
tirade - a speech of violent denunciation
tryst - a secret rendezvous, especially between lovers
ubiquitous - being present everywhere at once
unrequited - not returned in kind
untenable - incapable of being defended or justified
vicarious - experienced at secondhand
vile - morally reprehensible
waft - a long flag; often tapering
white elephant - a valuable possession whose upkeep is excessively expensive
zealous - marked by active interest and enthusiasm
0 facebook:
Post a Comment