Insidious

Monday 31^st November 2016

Insidious - /ɪnˈsɪdɪəs/

Adjective

Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects.

Example sentence

Adjective

‘Sexual harassment is a serious and insidious problem’

Origin

Mid 16th century: from Latin insidiosus cunning, from insidiae an ambush or trick, from insidere lie in wait for, from in- on + sedere sit.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Tentative

Friday 28^th October 2016

Tentative - /ˈtɛntətɪv/

Adjective

1. Not certain or fixed; provisional.

2. Done without confidence; hesitant.

Example sentence

Adjective

‘A tentative conclusion’

‘He eventually tried a few tentative steps round his hospital room’

Origin

Late 16th century: from medieval Latin tentativus, from tentare, variant of temptare handle, try.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Poignant

Thursday 27^th October 2016

Poignant - /ˈpɔɪnjənt/

Adjective

1. Evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret. 

2. Archaic - Sharp or pungent in taste or smell.

Example sentence

Adjective

‘A poignant reminder of the passing of time’

Archaic ‘The poignant scent of her powder’

Origin

Late Middle English: from Old French, literally pricking, present participle of poindre, from Latin pungere to prick.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Expedite

Wednesday 26^th October 2016

Expedite - /ˈɛkspɪdʌɪt/

Verb

Make (an action or process) happen sooner or be accomplished more quickly.

Example sentence

Verb

‘He promised to expedite economic reforms’

Origin

Late 15th century (in the sense ‘perform quickly’): from Latin expedire extricate (originally by freeing the feet), put in order, from ex- out + pes, ped- foot.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Melancholy

Tuesday 25^th October 2016

Melancholy - /ˈmɛlənkəli/

Noun 

1. [mass noun] A feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause. 
2. another term for melancholia (as a mental condition) 
3. historical another term for black bile

Adjective

1. Having a feeling of melancholy; sad and pensive. 
2. Causing or expressing sadness; depressing.

Example sentences

Noun

‘An air of melancholy surrounded him’

‘He had an ability to convey a sense of deep melancholy and yearning through much of his work’

‘At the centre of his music lies a profound melancholy and nostalgia’

Adjective

‘She felt a little melancholy’

‘A dark, melancholy young man with deep-set eyes’

‘The melancholy tone of her writing’

Origin

Middle English: from Old French melancolie, via late Latin from Greek melankholia, from melas, melan- black + kholē bile, an excess of which was formerly believed to cause depression.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Despicable

Monday 24^th October 2016

Despicable - /dɪˈspɪkəb(ə)l/ /ˈdɛspɪkəb(ə)l/

Adjective

Deserving hatred and contempt.

Example sentence

Adjective

‘A despicable crime’

Origin

Mid 16th century: from late Latin despicabilis, from despicari look down on.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Ubiquitous

Friday 21^st October 2016

Ubiquitous - /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/

AdjectivePresent, appearing, or found everywhere.

Example sentences

Adjective

‘His ubiquitous influence was felt by all the family’

‘Cowboy hats are ubiquitous among the male singers’

Origin

Mid 19th century: from modern Latin ubiquitas (from Latin ubique everywhere, from ubi where) + -ous.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Nerd

Thursday 20^th October 2016

Nerd - /nəːd/

Noun

Informal 

1.    A foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious.

2.    A single-minded expert in a particular technical field.

Example sentences

Noun

‘I was a serious nerd until I discovered girls and cars’

‘A computer nerd’

Origin

1950’s (originally US): of unknown origin.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Bourgeois

Wednesday 19^th October 2016

Bourgeois - /ˈbʊəʒwɑː/

Adjective

1.    Belonging to or characteristic of the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes.

2.    (in Marxist contexts) upholding the interests of capitalism; not communist.

Noun
A bourgeois person.

Example sentences

Adjective

‘A rich, bored, bourgeois family’

‘These views will shock the bourgeois critics’

‘Bourgeois society took for granted the sanctity of property’

Noun

‘A self-confessed and proud bourgeois’

Origin

Mid 16th century: from French, from late Latin burgus castle (in medieval Latin fortified town), ultimately of Germanic origin and related to borough. Compare with burgess.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Satire

Tuesday 18^th October 2016

Satire - /ˈsatʌɪə/

Noun

1.    [mass noun] The use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticise people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

2.    [count noun]A play, novel, film, or other work which uses satire.

3.    A genre of literature characterised by the use of satire.

4.   [count noun](in Latin literature) a literary miscellany, especially a poem ridiculing prevalent vices or follies.

Example sentences

Noun

‘The crude satire seems to be directed at the fashionable protest singers of the time’

‘A stinging satire on American politics’

‘A number of articles on Elizabethan satire’

Origin

Early 16th century: from French, or from Latin satira, later form of satura poetic medley.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Bigot

Monday 17^th October 2016

Bigot - /ˈbɪɡət/

Noun

A person who is intolerant towards those holding different opinions.

Example sentences

Noun

‘Don’t let a few small-minded bigots destroy the good image of the city’

‘He was a fanatical bigot’

Origin

Late 16th century (denoting a superstitious religious hypocrite): from French, of unknown origin.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Paradox

Friday 14^th October 2016

Paradox - /ˈparədɒks/

Noun

1. A seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true.

2. A statement or proposition which, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems logically unacceptable or self-contradictory.

3. A person or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities.

Example sentences

Noun

‘The uncertainty principle leads to all sorts of paradoxes, like the particles being in two places at once’

‘The liar paradox’

‘Cathedrals face the paradox of having enormous wealth in treasures but huge annual expenses’

Origin

Mid 16th century (originally denoting a statement contrary to accepted opinion): via late Latin from Greek paradoxon contrary (opinion), neuter adjective used as a noun, from para- distinct from + doxa opinion.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Albeit

Thursday 13^th October 2016

Albeit - /ɔːlˈbiːɪt/

Conjunction

Though.

Example sentence

Conjunction

‘He was making progress, albeit rather slowly’

Origin

Late Middle English: from the phrase all be it ‘although it be (that’).

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com

Hegemony

Wednesday 12^th October 2016

Hegemony - /hɪˈɡɛməni//hɪˈdʒɛməni/

Noun

Leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others.

Example sentence

Noun

‘Germany was united under Prussian hegemony after 1871’

Origin

Mid 16th century: from Greek hēgemonia, from hēgemōn leader, from hēgeisthai to lead.

Thanks to: www.oxforddictionaries.com