The Words You Should Know to Sound Smart (16 page)

retinue
(RET-n-oo), noun

A group of people who follow an important person either because they desire to do so or because it is their job to do so.

A Secret Service RETINUE follows the President wherever he goes, twenty-four hours a day.

retort
(rih-TORT), verb, noun

To reply in a sharp, retaliatory manner.

Carl had to bite back a sharp RETORT when Sallee criticized the couture gown his mother wore to the soiree.

retrograde
(REH-trow-grayed), adjective

Reverting to an earlier state, condition, or style; harkening to an earlier time and place.

My favorite diner is decorated in a RETROGRADE art deco style.

revelry
(REV-uhl-ree), noun

Boisterous festivity and merrymaking.

rhetoric
(REH-tore-ik), noun

Artful use of language to get other people to see your point of view; making a persuasive case more through persuasive speech or writing than with actual facts and evidence.

Plato called RHETORIC “the art of ruling the minds of men.”

ribald
(RIB-uld), adjective

Lewd; off-color; somewhat dirty and inappropriate.

“It is … useful to distinguish between the pornographic, condemned in every society, and the bawdy, the RIBALD, the shared vulgarities and jokes, which are the safety valves of most social systems.” – Margaret Mead, American cultural anthropologist

rife
(RIFE), adjective

Prevalent, abundant, abounding.

The hotel was RIFE with tourists, so we quickly went upstairs to the penthouse.

rigmarole
(RIG-muh-roll), noun

Absurdly complicated procedures and instructions; a bunch of unnecessary baloney.

The club had some value to him in business, but he quickly grew tired of all the RIGMAROLE at meetings.

riposte
(rih-POST), noun

A quick, often witty or cutting, response to a comment or question.

Eileen was unable to offer one of her usual RIPOSTES when we descried her decision to eschew the season’s fashion.

risible
(RIZZ-uh-bull), adjective

Capable of causing laughter due to its ludicrous nature.

Janine’s decision to summer in the Hamptons instead of on the French Riviera was deemed RISIBLE by the rest of us.

roisterers
(ROY-stir-ers), noun

Partiers, celebrators, or an individual or group having a good time in a loud and boisterous manner.

The ROISTERERS’ enjoyment of the party was so infectious, their neighbors joined them instead of complaining about the noise.

roué
(roo-AY), noun

A dissolute man in fashionable society; a rake.

“A pretty wife is something for the fastidious vanity of a ROUÉ to retire upon.” – Thomas Moore, Irish poet and songwriter

rubric
(ROO-brick), noun

A class, category, title, or heading.

We decided to place Natasha’s ball gown under the RUBRIC of “failed fashion choices.”

rue
(ROO), verb

To repent of and regret bitterly.

Elliott knew he would RUE the day that he decided to sell his Maserati, but he did so at his father’s urging.

rumination
(ROO-muh-nay-shun), noun

The act of thinking about something in great detail, weighing the pros and cons over and over in your mind.

For busy people under stress, RUMINATION after going to bed is a frequent contributor to insomnia.

ruritanian
(roor-ih-TAYNE-ee-in), adjective

Anything related to a romantic adventure or its environment.

The two lovers found Barbados to be a RURITANIAN paradise.

sacrilegious
(sack-reh-LIIH-juss), adjective

Openly insulting or disrespectful to the beliefs, religion, ideas, and practices of others—especially the ones they hold most sacred.

Bryson’s insistence that Miró is more collectible that Warhol is positively SACRILEGIOUS.

sacrosanct
(SACK-roh-sankt), adjective

Beyond criticism because it is considered sacred.

“If men could get pregnant, maternity benefits would be as SACROSANCT as the G.I. Bill.” – Letty Cottin Pogrebin. American editor and writer

sagacity
(suh-GASS-ih-tee), noun

Wisdom; soundness of judgment.

“Our minds are endowed by nature with such activity and SAGACITY that the soul is believed to be produced from heaven.” – Quintilian, Roman rhetorician

salacious
(suh-LAY-shuss), adjective

Having an unhealthy, obsessive, or addictive interest in sex.

For weeks, the society pages were rife with SALACIOUS gossip, which turned out to originate from Mallory, who had lost her beau to Jeannette.

salient
(SALE-yent), adjective

Relevant; germane; important; something that stands out and gets noticed.

The pond in the front yard is the most SALIENT feature of our new home.

salubrious
(suh-LOO-bree-us), adjective

Favorable to one’s health.

After father’s asthma reasserted itself, the family began to spend more time at its Arizona compound due to the area’s dry weather, which is SALUBRIOUS toward asthmatics.

salutary
(SAL-you-tar-ee), adjective

To have a soothing or healing effect; an act that helps one recover or benefit from a situation.

Tuberculosis patients were often sent to the mountains, where the fresh air was thought to have a SALUTARY effect on their condition.

sanctimonious
(sank-tih-MOAN-ee-us), adjective

Overbearingly self-righteous and smug in the (perhaps mistaken) belief that one’s opinion is correct, and possessing an air of moral superiority about one’s opinion.

sangfroid
(san-FWAH), noun

The attitude or state of possessing a cool head and steadfast composure in the face of danger, adversity, or stressful situations.

The car crash shook him, but within seconds he recovered his SANGFROID and went to check on his driver.

sanguine
(SANG-gwihn), adjective

Accepting of circumstances with good cheer and a positive attitude.

“Many marketers were SANGUINE about the Do Not Call introduction, saying that it helped better focus their telephone communications.” – Eleanor Trickett,
DM News
editor

sapient
(SAY-pee-ent), adjective

Wise.

The judge made a SAPIENT ruling in splitting custody between the two parents.

sardonic
(sar-DON-ik), adjective

Mean-spirited sarcasm.

When I asked the bank for another home equity loan, the president, who was called out of his office by the teller, approached with a SARDONIC grin.

sartorial
(sar-TOR-ee-al), adjective

Anything related to the way a person dresses, typically used to describe a man who wears finely tailored clothing.

Jonathan’s personal tailor always makes sure that Jonathan radiates SARTORIAL splendor.

satiety
(suh-TIE-ih-tee), noun

The sensation or feeling of being full or having eaten too much.

Although we knew we would be struck by SATIETY, we could not resist the gustatory delights offered at the Whittington’s New Year’s gala.

saturnine
(SAT-ur-neen), adjective

Moody; morose; gloomy; unhappy; having a pessimistic outlook on life.

Ever since his father told him he could not have another Lotus Esprit, Williams has acted positively SATURNINE.

satyr
(SAY-ter), noun

A lascivious, lecherous man.

Harold’s graceful manners disappear once he has had a few glasses of champagne, and he becomes a veritable SATYR.

savant
(sah-VANT), noun

A person with a natural talent or genius in a particular field or skill.

With her family’s background in finance, it was a given that Francine would be a Wall Street SAVANT.

savoir faire
(SAV-wahr-FAIR), noun

An evident sense of confidence, optimism, and proficiency in the task at hand.

Eileen hosted a charity luncheon for forty people with her usual SAVOIR FAIRE.

scarify
(SKARE-ih-fie), verb

To wound with harsh criticism.

We deemed it necessary to SCARIFY Eileen for having the nerve to criticize our fashion sense.

scintilla
(SIN-tih-lah), noun

A spark; a tiny trace amount.

“The air twittered with bright SCINTILLAS of fading light.” – Harlan Ellison, American author

scion
(SIGH-uhn), noun

A descendant or heir.

sectarian
(sek-TAYR-ee-in), adjective

Relating to the practices, nature, or activities of a sect.

“In the early 1990s, as the insurgency took on a more unambiguously religious and SECTARIAN flavor, several Pandits were killed, and most of the rest fled for their lives.” – William Dalrymple, Scottish historian and author

secular
(SEK-yuh-lehr), adjective

Separate from or devoid of religious belief or connotation.

“The liberal humanist assumption that American society, like that of Europe, would become progressively SECULAR was always something of a delusion.” – Gordon Wood, History Professor at Brown University

sedentary
(SEHD-n-tare-ee), adjective

Resting a great deal and taking little exercise.

All we have to do is hire a personal trainer if our SEDENTARY habits begin to have negative effects on our well-being.

sedition
(sih-DISH-uhn), noun

An action that promotes discontent or rebellion.

In an act of childish SEDITION, Alex quit the club after we refused to play a round of golf with him.

sentient
(SEN-tea-ent), adjective

Possessing enough intelligence to be self aware.

“Many years ago, a particular creature was selected to develop into the dominant life form on this planet. It was given certain breaks and certain challenges, all of which, when utilized or overcome, marked it indelibly with particular traits as it moved along the road to a higher SENTIENCE.” – Roger Zelazny, American science fiction writer

separatists
(SEP-prah-tists), noun

Those who believe a particular region or group should be separated from a larger whole.

Some SEPARATIST Canadians want Quebec to be a separate nation from the rest of Canada.

sepulchral
(suh-PUHL-kruhl), adjective

Hollow and deep; characteristic of a tomb; often used to describe certain voices.

Our butler’s SEPULCHRAL voice instantly impresses our social contacts when they come to visit.

sequester
(see-KWESS-ter), verb

To remove and isolate a portion from a larger whole.

“A great deal of genetic engineering must be done before we have carbon-eaters SEQUESTING carbon in sufficient quantity to counteract the burning of fossil fuels.” – Freeman Dyson, English-born American physicist and mathematician

serendipity
(ser-en-DIP-it-ee), noun

Attaining success, good fortune, or the object of your desire more through luck and random circumstance than deliberate effort.

What made him an Internet billionaire was SERENDIPITY more than brains or talent.

serpentine
(SUR-pen-teen), adjective

Snake-like in shape or movement.

sesquipedalian
(ses-kwi-pih-DAL-yin), adjective

A writer or speaker who prefers big, complex words and arcane jargon to plain, simple English, or a piece of writing containing such prose.

“Recently a strange whimsy has started to creep in among the SESQUIPEDALIAN prose of scientific journals.” – Stephen Hall, American architect

sidereal
(SIGH-der-eel), adjective

Determined by outside forces, particularly the positions of the stars and planets in the evening sky.

“Thoughts give birth to a creative force that is neither elemental nor SIDEREAL.” – Philippus Paracelsus, Swiss alchemist, astrologer, and physician

sinecure
(SIN-eh-KYOOR), noun

A job or office without regular duties but with regular pay; a position requiring minimal labor but conveying prestige or status to one who holds it.

Being elected as the new president of his trade association bestowed on Bill some much-needed SINECURE.

siren
(SY-ren), noun

A destructive, but seductively beautiful, beguiling woman; or, anything considered dangerously seductive.

“It is natural to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes to that SIREN until she ‘allures’ us to our death.” – Gertrude Stein, American author

soi-disant
(soy-dih-SAHNT), adjective

Self-styled.

A SOI-DISANT lady’s man, Gary’s focus was always on his next conquest.

sojourn
(SO-jern), noun

A temporary visit or stay.

The Israelites’ SOJOURN in the desert lasted for forty long years.

solidarity
(sol-ih-DARE-ih-tee), noun

Bonding of people to others because of shared interests, beliefs, goals, or attitudes.

“It was the middle-class female SOLIDARITY, defending a nice girl from charges of calculation and viciousness.” – Saul Bellow, American author

soliloquy
(suh-LIL-ih-kwee), noun

A dramatic or literary form of speaking in which a character reveals his innermost thoughts when he is alone or thinks he is alone.

The most famous SOLILOQUY in all of literature is the “To be or not to be” speech in
Hamlet
.

solipsism
(SAHL-ip-sihz-uhm), noun

The notion that one’s own experiences and thoughts are the only source of true knowledge.

The SOLIPSISM of some members of the leisure class is distasteful to those of us who, for example, know what our servants need even more than they do.

solstice
(SOUL-stis), noun

A day of the year during which the sun is at its highest or lowest point in the sky, causing the shortest day of the year on December 21 (winter
solstice
) and the longest day of the year on June 21 (summer
solstice
).

We open our lake house for the summer season every year at the SOLSTICE.

sonorous
(SON-er-russ), adjective

A deep, rich, resonant sound.

The b-flat bass saxophone is the most SONOROUS member of the saxophone family, with the baritone saxophone coming in a close second.

sophist
(SAHF-ist), adjective

Sounding reasonable, yet patently false.

One can argue that what is learned in law school is largely the skill of making SOPHIST arguments that a jury can believe.

soporific
(sop-uh-RIFF-ick), adjective

Something so boring, tedious, or exhausting that it makes one start to fall asleep.

If Cassandra weren’t such an important social contact, her SOPORIFIC speech would surely cause us to avoid her.

specious
(SPEE-shus), adjective

Something that appears correct on the surface, but is in fact wrong.

The judge summarily rejected the SPECIOUS arguments put forth by the defendant, which seemed to have no evidence to back them up.

spoonerism
(SPOON-er-iz-um), noun

A phrase in which the syllables of neighboring words are accidentally interchanged.

A popular SPOONERISM states: “Cook a grilled cheese sandwich in lots of butter, let it get cold, and you have a chilled grease sandwich.”

Sphinx
(SFINKS), noun

A mythical creature with the head of a woman, the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the tail of a serpent.

When Oedipus correctly answered the SPHINX’S riddle, the SPHINX leaped to its death in the valley below.

spurious
(SPYOOR-ee-us), adjective

False; inauthentic; not well thought out.

Every week I get SPURIOUS accusations of being a spammer even though my list is entirely double opt-in.