The Words You Should Know to Sound Smart (18 page)

That writer’s work is suffering in quality, as we could hardly sit through the TREACLE of her recently opened opera.

tremulous
(TREHM-yuh-luss), adjective

Timid and fearful.

With TREMULOUS mien, Anthony asked Gwendolyn if she would consent to a joining of their families.

trenchant
(TREN-chunt), adjective

Sarcastic; direct and to the point; intelligently analytical and accurate.

Michael’s TRENCHANT commentary on American politics and society have made him a popular radio talk show host.

triptych
(TRIP-tick), noun

A picture or carving on three panels, or a set of three associated paintings or other works of art.

Scott wanted to buy just the center painting, but the gallery owner refused to break up the TRIPTYCH.

Triton
(TRY-ton), noun

A mythical creature, similar to a mermaid, with a human torso and arms, gills under the ears, and a tail like a dolphin.

TRITONS served Neptune as his attendants.

troglodyte
(TRAHG-lah-dyte), noun

A person considered to be primitive, out of date, coarse, uncouth, ill-mannered, or brutish.

Sick and tired of going out with TROGLODYTES, Janet told her friends she was through with blind dates.

tropism
(TRO-prizm), noun

The tendency of a plant or other organism to change direction in response to a stimulus; also used as a pejorative to describe reflexive or instinctual (i.e., mindless) human behavior.

The socialites demonstrate TROPISM as they flocked to the newly opened store of the newest high-fashion designer.

truckle
(TRUHK-uhl), verb

To submit obsequiously to a command.

We have trained our servants to TRUCKLE to our every whim.

truculent
(TRUK-you-lent), adjective

Belligerent; argumentative; always ready for a fight.

Short-tempered and TRUCULENT, Lucy could be set off by the slightest incident or comment.

trumpery
(TRUHM-puh-ree), noun

Something without value; a trifle.

The TRUMPERY that the Smythingtons collect and call “art” is, clearly, distasteful dreck.

truncate
(TRUN-kate), verb

To shorten something by cutting off the top or one of the ends.

Ellen looked ridiculous because she had chosen to TRUNCATE her floor-length party dress to tea-length hem.

tryst
(TRIST), noun

An appointment made by lovers to meet at a certain place and time.

Since their families are of equal station, no one worries much about the supposedly secret TRYSTS between Josephine and Brock.

tumescent
(too-MESS-ent), adjective

Becoming or already engorged, full, swollen, or rigid.

After the hurricane, our Florida compound was flooded by the TUMESCENT intra-coastal waterway.

tumid
(TOO-mid), adjective

Pompous and swollen with pride.

We cannot stand it when Katherine wins arguments about couture and art collecting because the TUMID expression that crosses her face after a conversational victory is so loathsome.

turgescent
(tur-JESS-ent), adjective

Becoming or appearing swollen or distended.

His abs were so neglected, his stomach became TURGESCENT after a big meal.

tyro
(TIE-roh), noun

A beginner or novice.

Though a TYRO, Madeline quickly mastered cross-country skiing during her jaunt to Switzerland.

ubiquitous
(you-BICK-wih-tuss), adjective

Something that is everywhere, all around you, constantly surrounding you, and you cannot escape from it.

Wireless communication in the United States became UBIQUITOUS toward the close of the twentieth century.

ulterior
(uhl-TEER-ee-er), adjective

Intentionally concealed, as motives.

umbra
(UM-brah), noun

A planet’s shadow, especially the shadow of the Earth upon the moon.

A solar eclipse is caused by the Earth passing through the moon’s UMBRA upon the sun.

umbrage
(UM-bridge), noun

To take exception to and be offended by a comment or action seen as a slight or insult.

“I take UMBRAGE with people who post comments on my blog that are patently false,” Bob said.

unassuming
(uhn-uh-SOOM-ing), adjective

Modest and unpretentious.

The Binghamton’s just bought a lovely, UNASSUMING 5,000 square-foot chalet in the Rockies.

unbridled
(un-BRY-duld), adjective

Without limitations or boundaries; uncontrolled and unrestrained.

The customer’s UNBRIDLED fury at being denied a refund was a sight to behold.

unceremonious
(un-sair-uh-MOAN-ee-us), adjective

Discourteously abrupt, hasty, rude.

The maître d’s UNCEREMONIOUS manner only made us love the new French restaurant all the more.

unctuous
(UNK-chew-us), adjective

Possessing an untrustworthy or dubious nature; characterized by an insincere manner.

Local car dealers doing their own TV commercials often communicate in an UNCTUOUS, almost laughable manner.

undulate
(UN-jew-late), intransitive verb

To move back and forth or from side to side in a smooth, slow motion.

Barbara and Bentley UNDULATED gracefully at their family’s private ice rink.

unequivocal
(uhn-ih-KWIV-uh-kull), adjective

Possessing a clear meaning or answer.

“A gentleman doesn’t pounce … he glides. If a woman sits on a piece of furniture which permits your sitting beside her, you are free to regard this as an invitation, though not an UNEQUIVOCAL one.” – Quentin Crisp, British writer, actor, and model

ungainly
(un-GAIN-lee), adjective

Awkward and clumsy.

One of the hallmarks of this year’s fashionable shoes is that they make one seem UNGAINLY on anything other than marble flooring.

uniformitarianism
(you-ni-form-ih-TARE-ee-uhn-izm), noun

The belief that change on Earth takes place slowly, gradually, and at a uniform rate rather than through short, sudden, catastrophic events.

The fact that the families of our servants have been with us for many, many generations would seem to be proof of UNIFORMITARIANISM.

unilateral
(you-nhi-LAT-ur-uhl), adjective

A decision that affects many people or states, but that is made independently by a single authority, without consulting those whom it affects.

We made a UNILATERAL decision to exclude Edwin from our group of possible paramours due to his distasteful habit of kissing and telling.

unimpeachable
(un-ihm-PEE-chuh-bull), adjective

Above reproach; impossible to discredit or slander.

We promoted Carla to upstairs maid because her job performance has been UNIMPEACHABLE.

unitary
(YOU-ni-tare-ee), adjective

A thing that exists or occurs in discrete units, sections, parts, or steps.

“Today we can see life as a UNITARY process, made up of a number of smaller processes.” – Julian Huxley, English evolutionary biologist

unsavory
(un-SAYV-err-ee), adjective

Distasteful; unpleasant; disreputable; of dubious reputation.

“Our future is inextricably linked to what happens in Washington DC, and we know that is a very UNSAVORY reality.” – Don Libey, direct marketing advisor

unrenumerative
(un-re-NEW-mer-ah-tiv), adjective

A job, investment, business venture, or other activity that pays little or no financial return.

untenable
(uhn-TEN-uh-bull), adjective

Not possible to defend, as an argument or position.

“Are the legitimate compensation and honors that should come as the result of ability and merit to be denied on the UNTENABLE ground of sex aristocracy?” – Bertha Honore Potter Palmer, American socialite

unwieldy
(un-WEEL-dee), adjective

Not easy to handle or to manage.

upbraid
(up-BRAYD), verb

To censure or to find fault with.

We had to UPBRAID our butler severely when we learned he was gossiping to other members of our staff.

urbane
(err-BANE), adjective

Suave, sophisticated, refined, cosmopolitan, and well versed in the ways of high society.

Even in his knock-around tennis whites, Brett always manages to appear URBANE.

urbanization
(ur-ban-ih-ZAY-shun), noun

The growth of cities brought about by a population shift from rural areas and small communities to larger ones.

URBANIZATION, which began in the United States in the late 1800s, was in part triggered by the shift from an agricultural economy to an industrial one.

usurper
(you-SIR-per), noun

A person who seizes a position of power through illegal means, force, or deception.

“A USURPER in the guise of a benefactor is the enemy that we are now to encounter and overcome.” – William Leggett, American poet and fiction writer

usury
(USE-err-ee), noun

To charge illegally high or excessive interest rates on a loan.

Loan sharks lend money at USURIOUS rates, and break your legs if you don’t make back the principal with interest on time.

utilitarian
(you-till-ih-TAYR-ee-an), adjective

Showing preference for things and ideas that are practical and utterly pragmatic while eschewing the fanciful and useless.

Paul’s UTILITARIAN mindset makes him an ideal trader on Wall Street.

utopia
(you-TOE-pee-uh), noun

A perfect or ideal society.

Many of us who are accustomed to wealth have learned to accept that we must make our own UTOPIAS, rather than to rely on the actions of outside forces or agencies.

uxorious
(uhk-SAWR-ee-us), adjective

Doting on one’s wife to an excessive degree.

vacillate
(VAH-sill-ate), verb

To swing back and forth between two points.

“But modern character is inconstant, divided, VACILLATING, lacking the stone-like certitude of archaic man….” – Saul Bellow, American author

vacuous
(VAK-yoo-us), adjective

Devoid of emotion, intelligence, or any normal human thought processes; stupid; moronic.

The VACUOUS stare from her two eyes, looking like raisins pushed into a lump of dough, made him shiver with loathing and contempt.

vagary
(VAY-guh-ree), noun

A random or unexpected occurrence.

One needs to accept the VAGARIES of life if one is to be happy or at least content.

vainglorious
(vayne-GLOR-ee-us), adjective

Conceited; boastful; prone to showing off and bragging.

Although the scion of a well-established family, Gordon is so VAINGLORIOUS that you’d think him a parvenu!

valuation
(val-you-AYE-shun), noun

The calculated worth or value of an asset, based on a rigorous appraisal.

One of the accounting firm’s services is business VALUATION, where you can pay to have an accurate appraisal of what your business would sell for if acquired.

vanguard
(VAN-gard), noun

That which is at the forefront or the leading edge; the most advanced group.

Robert is among the VANGUARD of area oenophiles.

vapid
(VAH-pid), adjective

Dull; void of intellectual curiosity or intelligence; lacking spirit and enthusiasm; dull, routine, unchallenging.

What irked him most about his sister-in-law was her VAPID stares in response to simple questions, conversation, and jokes.

variegated
(VAIR-ee-ih-gate-ed), adjective

That which changes color or contains different hues of the same color.

A lawn covered in VARIEGATED fallen leaves is the sign that autumn is finally here.

vehement
(VEE-heh-ment), adjective

Insistent; unyielding in one’s opinion or decision; intense inflexibility about matters.

Milly, a chronic worry wart, was VEHEMENT about her children calling her if they were going to be late getting home from school.

venal
(VEE-null), adjective

Refers to people who can be bought, bribed, or otherwise persuaded to deviate from their beliefs and purpose.

“Give me but the liberty of the press, and I will give to the minister a VENAL House of Commons.” – Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Irish playwright and statesman

venerable
(VEN-err-uh-bull), adjective

An individual or institution that is respected and revered, sometimes because of achievement, intelligence, or character; but just as often as a result of being around a long time.

venial
(VEE-nee-ul), adjective

A pardonable offense; a minor misdeed for which one is easily forgiven.

Cassidy was initially angry that Carley lied to her about where she bought her vintage handbag, but soon deemed the deed VENIAL.

veracity
(ver-ASS-ih-tea), noun

The characteristic or habit of being truthful and conforming to accepted standards of behavior.

verbiage
(VER-bee-ij), noun

Words; in particular, prose written to fill space and impress others rather than communicate ideas and information.

“There’s some white space on the back page of the sales brochure,” the marketing manager told his ad agency, “so let’s fill it with some VERBIAGE about service and quality.”

verbose
(ver-BOHS), adjective

Describes a person or composition using more words than are needed to get the point across.

Long-winded and VERBOSE, Mitch made his team members groan whenever he stood up to speak at a charity event.

verdant
(VUR-dant), adjective

Lush with trees, bushes, ferns, and other green foliage.

With its careful mix of plants, the Whittingtons’ formal garden remains VERDANT year-round.

veritable
(VER-ih-tah-bull), adjective

Genuine; the real thing; a perfect specimen or example.

“For me, the child is a VERITABLE image of becoming, of possibility, poised to reach towards what is not yet, towards a growing that cannot be predetermined or prescribed.” – Maxine Greene, American philosopher and educator

vernacular
(ver-NAK-you-lar), adjective, noun

The language of a particular region or specific group of people.

Communicating with stockbrokers is difficult for many investors because they do not speak the VERNACULAR of the financial world.

vernal
(VER-nul), adjective

Related to spring.

“One impulse from a VERNAL wood / May teach you more of man, / Of moral evil and of good, / Than all the sages can.” – William Wordsworth, British Romantic poet

vers libre
(VERSS-LEE-breh), noun

Free verse, a style of poetry requiring no rhyme or meter.

H. L. Mencken observed that VERS LIBRE is “a device for making poetry easier to write and harder to read.”

vertiginous
(ver-TIJ-uh-nuss), adjective

Causing vertigo, imbalance, dizziness, or stumbling.

Mallory and Michael enjoyed their weekend getaway to Paris, spending many moments staring at the Parisian skyline from the VERTIGINOUS heights of the Eiffel Tower.

vestigial
(VESS-tih-jee-ul), adjective

Describes a remaining sample or trace of something that is disappearing or has already all but disappeared.

Some babies are born with a VESTIGIAL tail at the base of the spine.

vexation
(vek-SAY-shin), noun

Frustration, annoyance, or irritation resulting from some action, occurrence, or statement.

“There is not much less VEXATION in the government of a private family than in the managing of an entire state.” – Michel de Montaigne, Renaissance scholar

vicariously
(vye-KARE-ee-uss-lee), adverb

To enjoy imagined feelings and experiences largely by observing or hearing about another person’s life and adventures.

Married for over twenty-five years, Roger often told his single friends that he lived VICARIOUSLY through them.

vicissitudes
(vi-SIS-ih-toods), noun

The constant change of one’s situation or condition, common throughout life.

vignette
(vin-YET), noun

A brief story, incident, or episode, usually told to illustrate some point.

Adding a VIGNETTE or two to a speech can help make abstract ideas clearer.

vindicate
(VIN-dih-kate), verb

To prove your opinion is correct, or your action justified, or that you are innocent of a misdeed you stand accused of, despite opinions and evidence to the contrary.

We laughed at Paulette’s predictions about the imminent fall fashions, but, once the couture was unveiled, Paulette was VINDICATED.

visage
(VIZ-aj), noun

Face or overall appearance.

When the doctor entered the patient lounge, his grim VISAGE told the whole story before he could say a word.

visceral
(VIS-er-ul), adjective

An immediate and strong gut reaction; a quickly formed opinion, based mainly on instinct and usually negative in nature.

“[Multiculturalism’s] passions are political; its assumptions empirical; its conception of identities VISCERAL.” – Joyce Appleby, American historian

vitriol
(vih-tree-AWL), noun

An attitude of bitterness, hatred, or mean-spiritedness.

The school board reprimanded the coach with VITRIOL.

vituperative
(veye-TOO-pre-tiv), adjective

A person who is bitter and angry, and readily takes that anger out on those around them.

VITUPERATIVE to an unreasonable degree, George smashed one of Jessica’s prized dishes for every one of his old golf clubs she had given away when cleaning out the garage.

vivacious
(vy-VAY-shuss), adjective

Joyful; happy, spirited; possessing a positive attitude about and enthusiasm for life; a person who lives life to the fullest.

Even after her family maintained some steep revenue losses, Sandra retained her VIVACIOUS character.

vociferous
(vo-SIF-er-uss), adjective

Something said loudly so as to gain the listener’s attention; a person who speaks loudly so as to gain attention.

“Let the singing singers / With vocal voices, most VOCIFEROUS, / In sweet vociferation out-vociferize / Even sound itself.” – Henry Carey, English poet

volitional
(voe-LISH-uhn-uhl), adjective

Describes an action performed or thought achieved through deliberate and conscious effort.

Our servants’ persistent and VOLITIONAL attention to detail makes them absolutely indispensable to us.

voluptuous
(vuh-LUP-chew-us), adjective

Anything arising from or giving extreme sensory or sensual pleasure.

A VOLUPTUOUS banquet was the highlight of the Masterlys’ Thanksgiving gala.

voracious
(vo-RAY-shuss), adjective

Possessing a huge and insatiable appetite, whether for food, knowledge, amusement, or something else.

Her son always had a VORACIOUS desire for knowledge. He read anything he could get his hands on and was always willing to experience something new.

vortex
(VOR-teks), noun

Liquid or gas swirling in a spiral that sucks everything in or near it toward its center; a problem or situation that draws in everyone around it.

The permanent whirlpool where the river goes underground is a dark VORTEX sucking in everything in its current.

vox populi
(VOKS-pop-you-LYE), noun

Expression of the prevailing mood, concerns, and opinions in a country.

In response to an environmentally friendly VOX POPULI, more and more corporations are “going green.”