Connoisseur Connoisseur (noun) /ˌkɒn.əˈsɜːʳ/ an expert in a particular field, such as art, food, music, etc. – specialist – enthusiast – professional – authority: He’s a music connoisseur. To be more precise, he’s a violin virtuoso. Emily, a renowned connoisseur of classical music, was frequently invited to prestigious concerts and recitals around the world. Her…
Abjure Abjure (verb) /əbˈdʒʊəʳ/ to state publicly that you no longer hold a previous belief – renounce – give up a belief – shun – avoid – deny – repudiate – abstain from – reject – refrain: Abjure in context To everybody’s chagrin, he openly abjured any fraternity and affinity with his close friends. After…
Foment Foment (verb) /fəʊˈment/ to cause trouble or rebellion – stir up trouble – instigate – stimulate – incite – provoke – whip up: Foment in context The trial found him guilty of fomenting armed rebellion against the government. The charismatic leader’s passionate speeches began to foment a sense of rebellion among the citizens, who…
Facetious Facetious (adj) /fəˈsiː.ʃəs/ intended to be funny and humorous but in an awkward and inappropriate way – whimsical – flippant – silly – foolish – inane – frivolous – lighthearted – witty – amusing – comical: Facetious in context This must be just a facetious remark. He cannot be really serious about dropping out…
Rabid Rabid (adj) /ˈræb.ɪd/ having very strong opinions or intense feelings about something – biased – fanatical – extreme – radical – fervent – fervid – ardent – suffering from rabies – infected: Rabid in context A bunch of rabid fanatics have gone on strike to foment rebellion against the new policies of the enterprise.…
Extraneous Extraneous (adj) ɪkˈstreɪ.ni.əs/ irrelevant or impertinent – inessential – unrelated – inappropriate – unnecessary – coming from outside, irrelevant – peripheral: Extraneous in context In his presentation, he, for the most part, talked about extraneous points without actually centralizing the main issue. During the meeting, Lisa found herself sifting through a lot of extraneous information…
Usurp Usurp (verb) /juːˈzɜːp/ /-ˈsɜːp/ to seize or use something unacceptably – take control of something illegally – seize power – take over – arrogate: Usurp in context Many conscious attempts were made to push back the opportunistic people who intended to usurp authority and power after the monarch relinquished the throne. In a dramatic…
Profound Profound (adj) /prəˈfaʊnd/ showing a great perception and understanding of important issues – deep and thoughtful – perceptive – reflective – insightful – intense – acute: Profound in context Solving this difficult math problem requires a profound understanding of complicated equations. The discovery of the ancient manuscript had a profound impact on the field…
Alleviate Alleviate (verb) /əˈliː.vi.eɪt/ to make something, such as a pain or difficulty less intense and more tolerable – lessen – ease – assuage – soothe – lighten – pacify – mitigate – relieve: Alleviate in context A great number of charity concerts have been held with the purpose of alleviating the intense poverty of…
Use creativity to start up a business Use creativity to start up a business Creative thinking leads to success for most aspiring entrepreneurs. Firstly, the initial idea is shaped in your thoughts by “thinking outside the box”. Then, new ideas require analytical and logical thinking for implementation in action. The creative side of your abilities…