Vigil Vigil (noun) /ˈvɪdʒ.ɪl/ the act of staying awake at night to watch for danger, look after an ill person or pray – night watch – watch – wake – festival eve: Vigil in context Little Ben’s worried parents maintained a constant vigil by his bedside at the hospital, wishing for his health. After the …
Propensity Propensity (noun) /prəˈpen.sɪ.ti/ US /-sə.ţi/ a tendency to show a particular behavior or act in a special way – tendency – inclination – bent – predisposition – susceptibility – penchant: Propensity in context Although Rachel is incredibly intelligent and highbrow, she has a propensity to disagree with others pointlessly. As a seasoned psychologist, Dr. …
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 …