Register & Style

vociferous C2

/voʊˈsɪfəɹəs/ conspicuously and offensively loud M S

vitriolic C2

/ˌvɪt.riˈɑ.lɪk/ of a substance, an especially strong acid M S

supplicant C2

/ˈsʌplɪkənt/ one who comes to humbly ask or petition M S

lubber C2

/ˈlʌb.ɚ/ dated or insulting: a large, clumsy, lazy, or foolish person M S

colloquially C2

/kəˈloʊ.kwi.əli/ In informal, everyday language. M S

inst C2

/ˈɪnstənt/ dated, in correspondence: of the present month, used after a stated date M S

importune C2

/ɪmpɔɹˈtuːn/ beg persistently and urgently M S

womanish C2

/ˈwʊmənɪʃ/ dated and derogatory, especially of a man: having traits stereotypically associated with women and judged weak or unsuitable M S

higgledy-piggledy C2

/ˌhɪɡəldiˈpɪɡəldi/ mixed together or arranged in a confused, disorderly way, with no clear plan or pattern M S

hardscrabble C2

/ˈhɑɹdˌskɹæbəl/ barely satisfying a lower standard M S

penumbra C2

/pəˈnʌm.bɹə/ A region around the edge of a sunspot, darker than the sun's surface but lighter than the middle of the sunspot. M S

cadge C2

/kæd͡ʒ/ To obtain something by wit or guile; to convince people to do something they might not normally do. M S

mordant C2

/ˈmoɹd(ə)nt/ Any substance used to facilitate the fixing of a dye to a fibre; usually a metallic compound which reacts with the dye using chelation. M S

melange C2

/məˈlɑnʒ/ A mixture of different things; a disordered mixture. M S

de rigueur C2

/də rɪˈɡɝː/ required by custom, etiquette, convention, or current fashion M S

gree C2

/ɡriː/ dialectal or archaic: one step in a flight of stairs M S

grizzle C2

/ˈɡrɪz.əl/ chiefly British, informal and disapproving: to cry fretfully or complain continually M S

peripatetic C2

/ˌpɛrəpəˈtɛtɪk/ traveling especially on foot M S

blackamoor C2

/ˈblæk.əˌmɔɹ/ historical and offensive: an obsolete racial label for a Black person, especially one perceived as African or North African; also formerly used for a Black servant M S

enthrall C2

/ɪnˈθɹɔːl/ To hold spellbound. M S

homogenous C2

/həˈmɑd͡ʒɪnəs/ Having the same genetic structure; exhibiting homogeny. M S

simper C2

/ˈsɪmpɚ/ To smile in a foolish, frivolous, self-conscious, coy, obsequious, or smug manner. M S

niggard C2

/ˈnɪɡɚd/ archaic: a person who is extremely unwilling to spend or give; a miser M S

amortize C2

/ˈæmɚtaɪz/ to liquidate gradually M S

demotic C2

/dɪˈmɑ.tɪk/ of or for the common people M S

obstreperous C2

/əbˈstɹɛpəɹəs/ boisterously and noisily aggressive M S

coterie C2

/ˈkoʊtəɹi/ A circle of individuals who associate with one another for a common purpose. M S

negroid C2

/ˈniːɡrɔɪd/ dated and offensive: relating to a discredited racial category formerly applied to people of sub-Saharan African ancestry on the basis of supposed physical traits M S

doggerel C2

/ˈdɑːgɝəl/ a comic verse of irregular measure M S

insouciance C2

/ɪnˈsuːsi.əns/ Carelessness, heedlessness, indifference, or casual unconcern. M S

bombast C2

/ˈbɑːmbæst/ pompous, inflated language with little real meaning M S

clew C2

/kluː/ an archaic or literary spelling of clue: a fact or sign that helps solve a problem or find something M S

empiricism C2

/ɛmˈpɪrəˌsɪzəm/ A pursuit of knowledge purely through experience, especially by means of observation and sometimes by experimentation. M S

explicable C2

/ɪkˈsplɪkəbəl/ capable of being explicated or accounted for M S

unprepossessing C2

Unimpressive or unremarkable; dull and ordinary; nondescript. M S

putrefy C2

/ˈpjutɹəfaɪ/ To reach an advanced stage of decomposition. M S

starveling C2

/ˈstɑɹvlɪŋ/ literary: a person, animal, or plant made thin and weak by lack of food M S

toilsome C2

/ˈtɔɪlsəm/ requiring prolonged, tiring effort; laborious M S

vertiginous C2

/vɜː(ɹ)ˈtɪd͡ʒɪnəs/ having or causing a whirling sensation M S

swart C2

/ˈswɔrt/ dark in color or complexion; now chiefly archaic or literary and potentially offensive when applied to a person M S

whoso C2

/ˈhuːˌsoʊ/ archaic: whoever; whatever person M S

snod C2

/snɑd/ neat, trim, smooth, or orderly; chiefly Scottish and northern English M S

winnow C2

/ˈwɪnoʊ/ the act of separating grain from chaff M S

mimetic C2

/mɪˈmɛtɪk/ exhibiting mimicry M S

inanity C2

/ɪˈnænɪti/ Something that is inane. M S

vacillate C2

/ˈvæ.sə.leɪt/ to move or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern M S

solipsistic C2

Of, relating to, or being disposed to solipsism. M S

puissance C2

/ˈpjuːɪ.s(ə)ns/ power to influence or coerce M S

bifurcate C2

/ˈbaɪfɚˌkeɪt/ to divide into two branches M S

juxtapose C2

/ˈd͡ʒʌkstəpoʊz/ to place side by side M S

descant C2

/ˈdɛskænt/ A lengthy discourse on a subject. M S

remonstrate C2

/ˈɹɛ.mən.stɹeɪt/ To protest or argue against something, expressing strong disapproval. M S

bastardization C2

declaring or rendering bastard M S

betake C2

/bɪˈteɪk/ to go or resort to a place or course of action, used chiefly in the reflexive phrase betake oneself M S

alliterative C2

/əˈlɪt.ə.rə.tɪv/ using or characterized by the repetition of the same initial sound in nearby words or stressed syllables M S

desiccate C2

/ˈdɛsɪkeɪt/ To preserve by drying. M S

behove C2

/bɪˈhoʊv/ formal: to be necessary, proper, or advantageous for someone M S

burgeon C2

/ˈbɝː.d͡ʒən/ to grow and flourish M S

bathos C2

/ˈbeɪθɑs/ an abrupt descent from an elevated or serious style to something trivial, ordinary, or ridiculous M S

unexperienced C2

/ˌʌn.ɪkˈspɪr.i.ənst/ not encountered, undergone, or known through experience M S

occlude C2

/əˈkluːd/ To obstruct, cover, or otherwise block (an opening, a portion of an image, etc.). M S

ribaldry C2

/ˈrɪbəldri/ coarse, vulgar, or sexually indecent humor, language, or behavior M S

effluvium C2

/ɪˈfluːvi.əm/ A gaseous or vaporous emission, especially a foul-smelling one. M S

wrongheaded C2

/ˈrɔŋˌhɛdɪd/ obstinately perverse in judgment or opinion M S

somnolent C2

/ˈsɑːmnələnt/ Causing literal or figurative sleepiness. M S

haint C2

/heɪnt/ an eye-dialect spelling of hain’t or ain’t, meaning has not, have not, am not, is not, or are not M S

cozen C2

/ˈkoʊzən/ to cheat or trick M S

antipode C2

/ˈæn.tɪ.poʊd/ direct opposite M S

rhapsodize C2

/ˈræpsəˌdaɪz/ To say (something) with exaggerated or rapturous enthusiasm. M S

epistolary C2

/ɪˈpɪstəˌlɛɹi/ written in the form of or carried on by letters or correspondence M S

querulous C2

/ˈkwɛɹ(j)ələs/ habitually complaining M S

sepulchral C2

/səˈpʌlkɹəl/ of or relating to a sepulchre M S

untempered C2

not moderated or controlled M S

synoptic C2

/sɪˈnɑːptɪk/ presenting a summary or general view of a whole M S

veracious C2

/vəˈɹeɪ.ʃəs/ precisely accurate M S

aspersion C2

/əˈspɝːʒən/ a disparaging remark M S

piffling C2

/ˈpɪflɪŋ/ (informal) small and of little importance M S

jings C2

/dʒɪŋz/ dated or dialectal: an exclamation of surprise or emphasis M S

argal C2

/ˈɑrɡəl/ archaic or humorous: therefore; thus M S

insouciant C2

/inˈsusiənt/ Casually unconcerned; carefree, indifferent, nonchalant. M S

quare C2

/kwɛr/ strange, unusual, or remarkable; dated and dialectal, especially in Ireland M S

parenthetical C2

/pɝɛnˈθɛtɪkəl/ an expression in parentheses, especially serving as an aside or supplementary piece of content M S

crants C2

/krænts/ obsolete: a garland or wreath, especially one carried before a maiden's bier and afterward hung over her grave M S

elegiac C2

/ˌɛləˈd͡ʒaɪək/ expressing sorrow often for something past M S

manful C2

/ˈmæn.fəl/ dated: showing courage, determination, or resolution M S

trull C2

/trʌl/ archaic and disparaging: a woman who sells sex, or a woman insultingly characterized as sexually immoral M S

meretricious C2

/ˌmɛɹɪˈtɹɪʃəs/ like or relating to a prostitute M S

outré C2

/uːˈtreɪ/ strikingly unconventional, bizarre, or beyond accepted limits of taste or behavior M S

irresolute C2

/ɪˈrɛz.əˌl(j)uːt/ uncertain how to act or proceed M S

redound C2

/rɪˈdaʊnd/ contribute M S

fustian C2

/ˈfʌs.t͡ʃən/ inflated, pompous, or pretentious speech or writing M S

improvident C2

/ɪmˈpɹɒvɪdənt/ failing to provide for the future; reckless M S

penurious C2

/pəˈnjʊə.ɹi.əs/ Miserly; excessively cheap. M S

unlooked-for C2

/ʌnˈlʊkt fɔr/ not expected or anticipated; unforeseen M S

imbrue C2

/ɪmˈbɹuː/ literary: to stain or soak something deeply, especially with blood M S

dey's C2

/deɪz/ eye dialect: there is, there are, or they are M S