The Words You Should Know to Sound Smart (12 page)

obdurate
(OB-doo-rit), adjective

Stubborn and unyielding.

obeisance
(oh-BEE-sance), noun

Deferential respect or homage, or an act or gesture expressing the same.

Rachael practiced OBEISANCE by allowing the elderly woman to sit in her plush opera box, rather than in the mezzanine.

obfuscate
(OB-few-skate), verb

To talk or write about a subject in a way that deliberately makes it unclear, selectively omits certain facts, or communicates wrong ideas or impressions, so that the listener or reader does not grasp the whole truth of the situation.

Despite his Ivy League education, Alexander seems able only to OBFUSCATE any subject upon which he touches.

objurgatory
(AHB-jer-ga-tor-ee), adjective

A critical attitude voicing or implying an objection or complaint.

“I can to some extent sympathize with the OBJURGATORY tone of certain critics who feel that I write too much.” – Joyce Carol Oates, American author

oblique
(oh-BLEAK), adjective

Indirectly or deviously achieved.

If direct appeals do not work, Amanda is always quick to use OBLIQUE
methods in order to get her father to buy her whatever luxury item she wants.

obsequious
(uhb-SEE-kwi-us), adjective

Subservient; eager to listen and to please others to an excessive degree; behaving in the manner of a servant or slave.

obsolescence
(ob-suh-LESS-uhnts), noun

The state of being no longer useful.

Roderick found, to his dismay, that some of the new Maserati models had lapsed into OBSOLESCENCE almost as soon as they hit the showroom floor.

obstinate
(AHB-stih-nit), adjective

Inflexible in one’s opinions and attitudes; refusing to change or accede to the wishes of others.

“The male sex still constitutes in many ways the most OBSTINATE vested interest one can find.” – Francis Pakenham, British social reformer

obstreperous
(ob-STREP-er-us), adjective

Describes a trouble-maker who is noisy, unruly, or otherwise attracts attention in his endeavor to be difficult.

Two OBSTREPEROUS employees made the training class a nightmare for the instructor.

obtuse
(ahb-TOOS), adjective

Lacking understanding, intelligence, and perception; unable to comprehend; having a dense mind.

Thomas was so OBTUSE, he didn’t realize his inappropriate behavior was making his friends uncomfortable.

obviate
(OB-vee-ate), verb

To anticipate, and therefore prevent, difficulties or disadvantages.

We changed the location of our fall gala at the last minute, OBVIATING the need to cut anyone from our ever-expanding guest list.

occlude
(oh-KLOOD), verb

To block or obstruct; to close off a passage or entranceway.

Debris from the second-floor construction OCCLUDED the entryway to the laundry room in Linda’s beach house.

occultation
(ahk-uhl-TAY-shin), noun

The act of hiding or blocking from view.

With disguises offering a bit of needed OCCULTATION, we were able to hit Manhattan’s hot spots away from the glare of the dreaded paparazzi.

odal
(OH-dull), noun

Absolute ownership of a property that is beyond dispute and can never be revoked.

Among the Norse, land allotted to a warrior at the time of conquest became ODAL after his family had held it for three generations.

odious
(OH-dee-us), adjective

To be so offensive or disgusting that people are repulsed or experience revulsion.

“To depend upon a profession is a less ODIOUS form of slavery than to depend upon a father.” – Virginia Woolf, British essayist and novelist

odoriferous
(oh-der-ih-ferr-us), adjective

Bad smelling; foul.

Eleanor believed she would enjoy her weekend trek through the South American rainforest, but she found the animals too noisy, the constant rain unpleasant, and the forest’s ODORIFEROUS vegetation distasteful.

oeniphile
(EE-nuh-file), noun

A connoisseur of wines.

Despite his relatively young age, Brad’s family has brought him up to be a consummate OENIPHILE.

oeuvre
(OO-vruh), noun

An artist’s, writer’s, or composer’s body of work, treated as a whole.

Esmerelda is familiar with and adores all of Puccini’s OEUVRE, but many find his operas overly mawkish.

offal
(OH-full), noun

Rotting waste; decaying organic matter. In general, anything considered garbage or refuse.

“I have often told you that I am that little fish who swims about under a shark and, I believe, lives indelicately on its OFFAL.” – Zelda Fitzgerald, American author

officious
(oh-FISH-ee-us), adjective

Asserting authority or power in an obnoxious, overbearing, or pompous manner.

“There is immunity in reading, immunity in formal society, in office routine, in the company of old friends and in the giving of OFFICIOUS help to strangers, but there is no sanctuary in one bed from the memory of another.” – Cyril Connolly, British literary critic and writer

ogle
(OH-guhl), verb

To look at in an amorous or impertinent way.

No one would want to trade places with us if they only knew how tiresome it becomes to have the paparazzi constantly OGLING you.

olfactory
(ole-FAK-tore-ee), adjective

Related to the sense of smell.

Miranda and Jonathan savored the OLFACTORY pleasures wafting from early-opening bakeries on the Upper West Side.

oligarchy
(OH-lih-gar-kee), noun

A nation, state, or other place where the population is governed by a relatively small group of people, especially when all are members of the same family.

Most family owned businesses are OLIGARCHIES, not democracies.

oligopoly
(oh-lih-GAH-poll-lee), noun

Control of an industry, sector, or market by a small number of companies dominating that particular niche.

One can argue that Intel and Microsoft collectively are an OLIGOPOLY in personal computing.

ombudsman
(ohm-BUDZ-min), noun

A person who is charged with mediating disputes between businesses and consumers, students and a university, etc.

All it took to get Brock off of academic probation at U Penn was to have his father remind the OMBUDSMAN of how much money the family had donated to the university over the years.

omnipotent
(ahm-NIP-uh-tuhnt), adjective

All powerful.

omniscient
(ahm-NIH-shent), adjective

Describes someone who knows everything.

“The god of love, if omnipotent and OMNISCIENT, must be the god of cancer and epilepsy as well.” – George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright

omnivore
(AHM-nih-vore), noun

An animal that eats both plants and other animals.

I ordered a delicious steak salad with crumbled blue cheese—an OMNIVORE’S delight.

onerous
(OH-nerr-us), adjective

Describes a difficult task or heavy responsibility that one does not desire.

Caring for his son’s large aquarium quickly went from an interesting hobby to an ONEROUS burden.

onomatopoeia
(on-uh-ma-tuh-PEE-uh), noun

Words that sound like, or suggest, their meaning.

The spring gala, with its popping corks, fizzing champagne glasses, and thumping music was a cornucopia of ONOMATOPOEIA.

onus
(OH-nuss), noun

Obligation, responsibility, duty, or burden.

The ONUS for choosing the color scheme for our new lacrosse uniforms fell ultimately to Tabitha, who had previously chosen the design for our polo uniforms.

opaque
(oh-PAYK), adjective

Hard to understand; obscure.

“The bottom of being is left logically OPAQUE to us, as something which we simply come upon and find, and about which (if we wish to act) we should pause and wonder as little as possible.” – William James, American psychologist and philosopher

operose
(OP-uh-roass), adjective

Hard-working and industrious.

What’s the point of being OPEROSE when our social connections help us to achieve success with little effort?

opprobrium
(uh-PRO-bree-uhm), noun

Disgrace incurred by outrageously shameful conduct.

Natasha incurred OPPROBRIUM when, in a fit of anger, she deliberately smashed her Waterford crystal wine glass at the Smythingtons’ annual Thanksgiving gala.

opine
(oh-PYNE), verb

To give your opinion.

The way that Charlotte OPINES about fashion, you’d think she created couture rather than just purchasing it.

opulent
(AHP-yoo-lent), adjective

Reflecting wealth and affluence.

Donald Trump showcases his OPULENT lifestyle by wearing designer suits, drinking Cristal champagne, and traveling in private airplanes.

opus
(OH-puss), noun

A major work of music written by a composer.

The Breckinridges commissioned the composer’s next OPUS, which will be debuted at the family’s fall ball.

orator
(OR-ray-ter), noun

A skilled and persuasive public speaker.

Tom over-estimated his abilities as an ORATOR and, consequently, stayed at the podium far longer than the audience wanted him to.

ordinance
(OR-dih-nance), noun

A specific law or regulation.

The lavish tree house Roger built for his kids was in clear violation of at least half a dozen local ORDINANCES.

orgiastic
(or-jee-AS-tick), adjective

Arousing unrestrained emotional release.

William becomes loathsomely ORGIASTIC when he attends and bids at art auctions.

orotund
(OR-uh-tund), adjective

Characterizes a voice distinguished by strength, fullness, and clearness.

In a beguilingly OROTUND voice, the conductor offered a synopsis of the evening’s opera.

orthodox
(OR-thuh-docks), adjective

Mainstream; conventional; adhering to the strictest interpretation of a law or religion.

ORTHODOX medicine has long ignored the obvious effect diet and nutrition have on health and illness.

oscillate
(AHSS-uh-layt), verb

To change one’s mind frequently about beliefs and opinions.

We can hardly keep up with Lydia’s choices regarding the quality of luxury jewelers because she OSCILLATES from week to week.

osculant
(OS-kyuh-lunt), adjective

Describes a passionate kiss.

“He planted a hell of a kiss on me: lips, tongue, the entire OSCULANT assemblage.” – Charlaine Harris,
New York Times
bestselling mystery writer

osmosis
(oz-MOW-sis), noun

A subtle and gradual assimilation of new knowledge based on one’s proximity to another with greater knowledge.

Just hanging out with Bob, who was an A student, seemed to help Vincent improve his grades, as if he was learning what Bob knew through OSMOSIS.

ostensibly
(ah-STEN-sih-blee), adverb

Something that exists or has been done for what would seem an obvious reason.

The nouveau riche always seek to spend time with us, OSTENSIBLY to be absorbed into our world, but they will never fully be a part of our community.

ostentatious
(ah-sten-TAY-shus), adjective

Pretentious; presented in a showy manner so as to impress others; visibly flaunting one’s wealth or success.

“The man who is OSTENTATIOUS of his modesty is twin to the statue that wears a fig-leaf.” – Mark Twain

ostracize
(OS-truh-size), verb

To exclude from society, friendship, community, etc.

Once we learned that Sasha had been planting stories about us in the society pages, we, of course, had to OSTRACIZE her permanently from our group.

outré
(oo-TRAY), adjective

Radically unconventional; outside the limits of expected conduct or behavior.

“One of life’s intriguing paradoxes is that hierarchical social order makes cheap rents and OUTRÉ artists’ colonies possible.” – Florence King, American author