words used in speech

60 Words To Describe Writing Or Speaking Styles

Writers Write creates and shares writing resources. In this post, we give you 60 words to describe writing or speaking styles .

What Is Your Writing Or Speaking Style?

“Style, in its broadest sense, is a specific way in which we create, perform, or do something. Style in literature is the way an author uses words to tell a story. It is a writer’s way of showing his or her personality on paper.

Just as a person putting together items of clothing and jewellery, and applying make-up creates a personal style, the way a person puts together word choice, sentence structure, and figurative language describes his or her literary style.

When combined, the choices they make work together to establish mood , images, and meaning. This has an effect on their audience.”

From  7 Choices That Affect A Writer’s Style

• articulate – able to express your thoughts, arguments, and ideas clearly and effectively; writing or speech is clear and easy to understand
• chatty – a chatty writing style is friendly and informal
• circuitous – taking a long time to say what you really mean when you are talking or writing about something
• clean – clean language or humour does not offend people, especially because it does not involve sex
• conversational – a conversational style of writing or speaking is informal, like a private conversation
• crisp – crisp speech or writing is clear and effective
• declamatory – expressing feelings or opinions with great force
• diffuse – using too many words and not easy to understand
• discursive – including information that is not relevant to the main subject
• economical – an economical way of speaking or writing does not use more words than are necessary
• elliptical – suggesting what you mean rather than saying or writing it clearly
• eloquent – expressing what you mean using clear and effective language
• emphatic – making your meaning very clear because you have very strong feelings about a situation or subject
• emphatically – very firmly and clearly
• epigrammatic – expressing something such as a feeling or idea in a short and clever or funny way
• epistolary – relating to the writing of letters
• euphemistic – euphemistic expressions are used for talking about unpleasant or embarrassing subjects without mentioning the things themselves
• flowery – flowery language or writing uses many complicated words that are intended to make it more attractive
• fluent – expressing yourself in a clear and confident way, without seeming to make an effort
• formal – correct or conservative in style, and suitable for official or serious situations or occasions
• gossipy – a gossipy letter is lively and full of news about the writer of the letter and about other people
• grandiloquent – expressed in extremely formal language in order to impress people, and often sounding silly because of this
• idiomatic – expressing things in a way that sounds natural
• inarticulate – not able to express clearly what you want to say; not spoken or pronounced clearly
• incoherent – unable to express yourself clearly
• informal – used about language or behaviour that is suitable for using with friends but not in formal situations
• journalistic – similar in style to journalism
• learned – a learned piece of writing shows great knowledge about a subject, especially an academic subject
• literary – involving books or the activity of writing, reading, or studying books; relating to the kind of words that are used only in stories or poems, and not in normal writing or speech
• lyric – using words to express feelings in the way that a song would
• lyrical – having the qualities of music
• ornate – using unusual words and complicated sentences
• orotund – containing extremely formal and complicated language intended to impress people
• parenthetical – not directly connected with what you are saying or writing
• pejorative – a pejorative word, phrase etc expresses criticism or a bad opinion of someone or something
• picturesque – picturesque language is unusual and interesting
• pithy – a pithy statement or piece of writing is short and very effective
• poetic – expressing ideas in a very sensitive way and with great beauty or imagination
• polemical – using or supported by strong arguments
• ponderous – ponderous writing or speech is serious and boring
• portentous – trying to seem very serious and important, in order to impress people
• prolix – using too many words and therefore boring
• punchy – a punchy piece of writing such as a speech, report, or slogan is one that has a strong effect because it uses clear simple language and not many words
• rambling – a rambling speech or piece of writing is long and confusing
• readable – writing that is readable is clear and able to be read
• rhetorical – relating to a style of speaking or writing that is effective or intended to influence people; written or spoken in a way that is impressive but is not honest
• rhetorically – in a way that expects or wants no answer; using or relating to rhetoric
• rough – a rough drawing or piece of writing is not completely finished
• roundly – in a strong and clear way
• sententious – expressing opinions about right and wrong behaviour in a way that is intended to impress people
• sesquipedalian – using a lot of long words that most people do not understand
• Shakespearean – using words in the way that is typical of Shakespeare’s writing
• stylistic – relating to ways of creating effects, especially in language and literature
• succinct – expressed in a very short but clear way
• turgid – using language in a way that is complicated and difficult to understand
• unprintable – used for describing writing or words that you think are offensive
• vague – someone who is vague does not clearly or fully explain something
• verbose – using more words than necessary, and therefore long and boring
• well-turned – a well-turned phrase is one that is expressed well
• wordy – using more words than are necessary, especially long or formal words

Source for Words:  Macmillan Dictionary

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy

• The 4 Main Characters As Literary Devices
• 7 Choices That Affect A Writer’s Style
• 5 Incredibly Simple Ways To Help Writers Show And Not Tell
• Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language
• Punctuation For Beginners
• If you want to learn how to write a book, sign up for our  online course .
• If you want to learn how to blog, sign up for the online course.
• Style , Writing Resource

4 thoughts on “60 Words To Describe Writing Or Speaking Styles”

useful thank you …

useful thank you.

Very informative. Taught me slot

Thanks a lot. Very useful.

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37 Words and Phrases That Immediately Increase Your Credibility

Want your writing or speech to be more persuasive these words will help..

If you think choosing precisely the right words doesn't matter much, you're wrong. A single word can have amazing power to change human behavior, usually without our being aware of it. Which means those who know how to use powerful words convincingly have an advantage over everyone else. 

Consider the following amazing experiment performed by social psychologist Ellen Langer , and recounted by Buffer's Kevan Lee as an intro to his Big List of 189 Words That Convert , which is very much worth a read.

Langer walked into a series of copy shops (this was before we all had printer/copiers on our desks) and asked the people waiting in line to make copies if she could cut ahead of them using three different specific phrases:

"Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?" When she asked it this way, 60 percent of the people in line agreed.

"Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I'm in a rush?" This time, 94 percent of the people she asked agreed. Makes sense--we've all been in a hurry one time or another and the people around us are often kind enough to accommodate us at those moments, so we tend to give back by doing the same for others.

But here's where it gets interesting. In some cases she said, "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?" That's completely meaningless--presumably every customer in a copy shop has to make copies. Nevertheless, 93 percent of those she asked agreed to let her go first. That's the power of a single word--the word "because." It's one of the most persuasive words you can use.

Here are 37 more.

The most powerful word you can use:

Like most humans, your readers and listeners are primarily focused on themselves. Yes, it's a good idea to speak or write about yourself and your experiences as a way to create a bond with your audience. But before you do that, you need to engage their attention, and the best way is to let them know right from the beginning how what you have to say will benefit them. That makes "you" the single most convincing word you can use when writing or speaking.

Words that convey urgency:

All of us are too busy, and constantly facing competing demands on our attention and time. Given this reality, why should anyone stop and read or listen to what you have to say? Because whatever it is is urgent, and requires their immediate action. These words to convey that notion.

5. Must not

6. Don't miss

9. Only (as in "only three days left" or "only five available")

11. Tomorrow

Words that create connection:

We spend more time connecting with others on social media than we ever have before and yet many of us are also lonely. The trend toward working at home--a wonderful thing in most ways--makes this problem even worse. Your readers and listeners are looking for a sense of connection and community; here are some words that will give it to them.

14. Discover

16. Come along

17. A good fit  (as in "our product may be a good fit for your needs")

Words that help people trust you:

"Because" fits into this category, along with many other words and phrases that imply cause and effect. The reason, according to Darlene Price, author of  Well Said! , is that cause-and-effect words and phrases make you seem objective and rational. This list of words includes some other good cause-and-effect words, as well as other words that imply you are both objective and trustworthy.

18. As a result

19. Consequently

20. Caused by

21. For this reason

23. Research

24. Results

Words that promise a reward for little effort:

In our busy lives we are constantly, often unconsciously, calculating how we can best spend our time to get the most useful result. That's why it's a powerful tactic to use words that suggest that a small amount of effort--such as the few minutes it will take someone to read your message or listen to what you have to say--will bring immediate benefits. One warning though: Do not use these words and then fail to deliver the goods, or you risk alienating your audience. And that's tough to recover from. 

29. Instantly

30. Immediately

Words that promise a surprise:

In modern times we've all become a little jaded, and we're all on the lookout for anything truly unexpected, especially so we can share it with our friends and on social media. These words tell readers or listeners that what's coming next will surprise them in some way. Here again, do not use these words unless whatever follows truly lives up to that promise:

31. Surprising

32. Remarkable

33. Amazing

34. Astonishing

35. Startling

36. You won't believe

37. Unbelievable

This should give you a good start, but there are a lot of other powerfully convincing words and phrases out there. Share your own favorites in the comments. (And see how many of these you can spot in Inc.com headlines.)

A refreshed look at leadership from the desk of CEO and chief content officer Stephanie Mehta

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Speech Transitions: Words And Phrases to Connect Your Ideas

Speech transitions are important as they connect ideas and maintain a smooth flow. These transitions help guide the audience through the speech effectively.

Effective communication is crucial in delivering a compelling speech. To engage and captivate an audience, it is essential to connect ideas seamlessly. Speech transitions serve as connectors between different thoughts and ensure a logical progression of ideas. By employing suitable words and phrases, a speaker can enhance the flow of their speech and maintain the audience’s attention.

We will explore various words and phrases that can be used to connect ideas in a speech. These transitions play a vital role in conveying the message effectively and leaving a lasting impact on the listeners.

Credit: www.spanish.academy

Table of Contents

Why Are Speech Transitions Important In Public Speaking?

Speech transitions play a crucial role in public speaking by connecting ideas seamlessly. These words and phrases help maintain the flow of the speech and captivate the audience, ensuring a clear and coherent delivery.

Speech transitions play a significant role in public speaking. They serve as vital connectors that link together various ideas and concepts in a seamless manner. By using appropriate words and phrases to transition between different points, speakers can maintain the flow and coherence of their speech.

Here’s why speech transitions are important:

Benefits Of Using Speech Transitions:

• Enhance clarity: Transitions help speakers to clearly communicate their ideas and thoughts to the audience. By using transition words and phrases, they can guide the listeners through the different sections of their speech, making it easier to follow.
• Improve understanding: Effective transitions ensure that the audience can easily grasp the connections between ideas and concepts. This helps to prevent any confusion or misinterpretation of the speaker’s message.
• Increase engagement: Speech transitions prevent a monotonous or disjointed delivery, making the speech more engaging for the audience. By smoothly moving from one idea to another, the speaker captures the listeners’ attention and keeps them actively involved throughout the presentation.
• Highlight key points: Transitions can be used strategically to emphasize important information or key points. By signaling the significance of certain ideas, speakers can ensure that these points are understood and remembered by the audience.

Impact On Audience Engagement:

• Retention of information: With the help of effective speech transitions, speakers can enhance the audience’s ability to retain and recall the information presented. Logical connections created through transitions make it easier for listeners to process and remember the content.
• Focused attention: Well-placed transitions help to maintain the audience’s focus and prevent their minds from wandering. By smoothly transitioning between ideas, speakers keep the listeners engaged and attentive.
• Active participation: Speech transitions encourage the audience to actively participate in the speech. Clear connections between ideas enable listeners to anticipate the direction of the speech, allowing them to make connections and draw conclusions alongside the speaker.
• Emotionally connect: Transitions can also have an emotional impact on the audience. By using appropriate words and phrases, speakers can evoke specific feelings, making the speech more memorable and impactful.

Creating a smooth and coherent flow:

• Logical progression: Transitions facilitate a logical progression of ideas, enabling the speaker to present their thoughts in a structured manner. This ensures that the audience can easily follow the speaker’s intended flow of information.
• Seamless connection: Speech transitions act as bridges between different ideas or sections, creating a seamless connection between them. This helps to establish a sense of continuity in the speech, preventing any abrupt shifts in topic or subject matter.
• Professional delivery: The use of speech transitions demonstrates a speaker’s professionalism and command over their subject. It showcases their ability to present complex ideas in a clear and organized manner.

By recognizing the importance of speech transitions and incorporating them into public speaking, speakers can enhance the effectiveness of their presentations, captivate their audience, and ensure that their message is delivered with impact.

Types Of Speech Transitions

Discover various types of speech transitions that effectively connect ideas and thoughts in your speech. These words and phrases seamlessly guide the flow of your presentation, keeping your audience engaged and interested. Improve your public speaking skills with these powerful speech transition techniques.

Transition words and phrases play a crucial role in connecting your ideas and making your speech or presentation flow smoothly. By using these linguistic tools, you can create a cohesive and engaging narrative that keeps your listeners hooked. In this section, we will explore the different types of speech transitions, including transition words and phrases, verbal transitions, and nonverbal transitions.

Transition Words And Phrases:

• First and foremost, transition words and phrases serve as the glue that holds your speech together. They facilitate the logical progression of your ideas and help your audience follow along effortlessly.
• Additionally, transition words and phrases add clarity and coherence to your speech, ensuring that your message is easily understood.
• Moreover, they signal shifts in topic, introduce examples, emphasize crucial points, and establish cause-and-effect relationships.
• Furthermore, transition words and phrases enable you to create smooth transitions between different sections of your speech, which is essential for maintaining audience engagement.

Verbal Transitions:

• Verbal transitions involve the use of spoken words or phrases to guide your audience from one idea to another seamlessly.
• For instance, you can use phrases like “now, let’s move on to…”, “in relation to…”, or “on the other hand…” to smoothly transition between topics.
• Likewise, starting a sentence with phrases such as “in the same vein…”, “to illustrate my point…”, or “another key aspect is…” can effectively connect your ideas and make your speech more coherent.
• Furthermore, verbally signaling your intention to transition, using phrases like “now, let’s shift gears and discuss…”, “next up, we’ll explore…”, or “in light of this information…” can help your audience anticipate and comprehend your transitions better.

Nonverbal Transitions:

• Nonverbal transitions involve actions, gestures, or visuals that complement your verbal transitions, reinforcing the connections between your ideas.
• Use physical cues, such as changing your stance, moving to a different part of the stage, or making eye contact with a specific audience member, to signify a transition.
• Similarly, employing visual aids like slides, charts, or props can also assist in smoothly guiding your audience from one idea to the next.
• Additionally, adjusting your tone of voice, pausing strategically, or utilizing facial expressions can effectively emphasize the shift in ideas and engage your listeners.

Incorporating a variety of transition words and phrases, implementing verbal transitions, and utilizing nonverbal cues can greatly enhance the flow and impact of your speech. Integrating these techniques will help you maintain your audience’s attention and ensure that your ideas are communicated effectively.

So, let’s dive in and explore the world of speech transitions further!

Using Transition Words And Phrases

Discover the power of using speech transitions to seamlessly connect your ideas. By employing a variety of transition words and phrases, you can create a cohesive flow in your speech while keeping your audience engaged and interested. Swap repetitive terms for different expressions to ensure your content remains fresh and captivating.

Importance Of Strategic Placement:

• Transition words and phrases are essential in speech writing as they help to connect and smoothly organize ideas and thoughts.
• Strategic placement of transition words and phrases allows for a coherent flow of information, making it easier for the audience to follow the speaker’s train of thought.
• Proper use of transition words and phrases can enhance the overall impact of a speech by creating a logical progression of ideas and reinforcing key points.
• By strategically incorporating transition words and phrases, speakers can maintain the audience’s attention and prevent confusion or disengagement.

Commonly Used Transition Words:

• “furthermore”: Used to add another supporting point or to provide additional information.
• Example: Furthermore, research has shown that regular exercise improves overall mental health.
• “however”: Introduces a contrasting idea or viewpoint.
• Example: The study found that the new drug is effective; however, more research is needed to determine long-term effects.
• “meanwhile”: Shows a simultaneous action or event occurring.
• Example: The company was experiencing financial difficulties; meanwhile, their competitors were thriving.
• “moreover”: Indicates the addition of more information or evidence.
• Example: The data collected from the survey revealed alarming statistics; moreover, it highlighted the need for immediate action.

Connecting Ideas Within A Sentence:

• “similarly”: Demonstrates a likeness or similarity between two ideas.
• Example: The baby elephant walked with a wobble, similarly to a toddler taking their first steps.
• “in addition”: Introduces an additional piece of information or evidence.
• Example: The market research indicated a growing demand for organic products; in addition, consumer preferences were shifting towards sustainable packaging.
• “likewise”: Expresses similarity or agreement with a previous statement.
• Example: The new policy aims to increase employee satisfaction; likewise, it strives to improve overall productivity.
• “on the other hand”: Indicates a contrasting viewpoint or perspective.
• Example: The group was divided on the issue; on the other hand, some argued for immediate action while others preferred a more cautious approach.

Transition Phrases For Introducing New Points:

• “first and foremost”: Emphasizes the primary or most important point to be made.
• Example: First and foremost, it is crucial for individuals to prioritize their mental health.
• “another key point”: Introduces an additional significant idea or argument.
• Example: Another key point to consider is the impact of social media on mental well-being.
• “lastly”: Signals the final point or argument in a series or sequence.
• Example: Lastly, it is essential to provide accessible and affordable mental health services for all individuals.

Transition Words For Emphasizing Or Contrasting Ideas:

• “indeed”: Emphasizes and reinforces a previous point or statement.
• Example: The results of the study indeed highlight the need for further investigation.
• “contrarily”: Shows a contrasting or opposite perspective.
• Example: While some argue for stricter regulations, contrarily, others believe in the importance of personal freedoms.
• “in summary”: Provides a concise overview or recap of the main points discussed.
• Example: The research demonstrates the significant impact of early childhood education on future academic success.

Remember, incorporating these transition words and phrases into your speech can greatly enhance its overall effectiveness, making it more engaging and easy to follow. Use them strategically to guide your listeners through your ideas and ensure they stay connected and engaged with your message.

Incorporating Verbal Transitions

Discover the power of incorporating verbal transitions in your speech to effortlessly connect your ideas. Enhance your communication skills with carefully chosen phrases and words that keep your audience engaged and interested. Unlock the potential of seamless transitions for impactful speeches.

Establishing A Connection Between Ideas

• Incorporating verbal transitions is essential in speech delivery as it helps maintain a smooth flow of ideas. These transitions act as bridges between different thoughts, guiding the audience through your speech. By using the right words and phrases, you can establish clear connections between ideas, leaving a lasting impact on your listeners. Let’s explore some effective techniques for incorporating verbal transitions.

Using Clear Language And Cues

• Clear language and cues allow your audience to follow along effortlessly, ensuring that your ideas are effectively communicated. Consider the following strategies to enhance clarity in your speech:
• Signposting: The use of signposting phrases, such as “firstly,” “next,” or “” helps guide your audience through the structure of your speech, making it easier for them to follow your thought process.
• Repetition: Repeating key phrases or concepts throughout your speech can reinforce your ideas, making them more memorable for your audience.
• Pronouns: Utilize pronouns like “they,” “we,” or “you” to create a sense of inclusivity and engagement. This fosters a connection between you and your audience, encouraging active participation.

Examples Of Verbal Transition Techniques

• Here are some effective examples of verbal transition techniques to incorporate in your speech:
• Cause and effect: Use phrases like “as a result,” “consequently,” or “therefore” to highlight the cause and effect relationship between different ideas.
• Comparison and contrast: Employ phrases such as “similarly,” “on the other hand,” or “in contrast” to draw comparisons or highlight differences between ideas, helping your audience understand distinct concepts better.
• Time sequence: Signal the passage of time or progression of ideas with phrases like “before,” “afterward,” or “meanwhile.” This helps your audience follow the chronological order of events or thoughts.

Practice And Delivery Tips

• To improve your use of verbal transitions, consider these practice and delivery tips:
• Rehearse your speech: Practice delivering your speech multiple times, focusing on incorporating verbal transitions smoothly. This will help you become more comfortable and confident in your delivery.
• Record and review: Record yourself delivering the speech and take note of areas where verbal transitions can be improved. Analyzing your performance will enable you to refine your delivery and strengthen your speech.
• Seek feedback: Request constructive feedback or have a trusted person observe your speech. They can provide valuable insights on how to enhance your verbal transitions and overall impact.

Remember, incorporating verbal transitions in your speech not only enhances its coherence but also ensures that your ideas are effectively communicated and understood by your audience. By practicing and mastering these techniques, you’ll become a more engaging and persuasive speaker.

Keep honing your skills, and watch your speech captivate and inspire your listeners.

Leveraging Nonverbal Transitions

Discover the power of nonverbal transitions in connecting your ideas during speeches. Utilize effective words and phrases that enhance the flow of your presentation and engage your audience. Say goodbye to common speech transition pitfalls and captivate your listeners with seamless transitions.

In the realm of public speaking, effective speech transitions are crucial for connecting ideas and maintaining the attention of your audience. While verbal transitions are commonly employed, nonverbal cues can be just as powerful in conveying a seamless flow of thoughts.

This section will explore the various ways to leverage nonverbal transitions, including visual cues, body language, gestures and facial expressions, the importance of eye contact, and how to convey confidence and professionalism.

Visual Cues And Body Language:

• Visual cues play a vital role in indicating transitions and maintaining engagement during a speech.
• Use confident and purposeful body language to signify a change in topic or shift in ideas.
• Positioning yourself differently on stage or adjusting your stance can visually communicate a transition to your audience.
• Maintain an open and relaxed posture, which indicates a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Gestures And Facial Expressions:

• Utilize gestures and facial expressions to enhance the impact of your nonverbal transitions.
• Gesture with your hands to emphasize key points or signal a transition to a new idea.
• Employ facial expressions to convey enthusiasm, surprise, or seriousness, making your transitions more engaging and memorable.

Importance Of Eye Contact:

• Eye contact is a powerful nonverbal tool that establishes a connection with your audience and aids in smooth transitions.
• Engage with individuals in different parts of the room, ensuring that your eye contact is inclusive and not only focused on a single person or section.
• During transitions, maintain eye contact to signal that you are moving on to a new topic or idea.
• The use of eye contact can also help you gauge the audience’s reaction and adjust your delivery accordingly.

Conveying Confidence And Professionalism:

• Nonverbal transitions are instrumental in conveying confidence and professionalism throughout your speech.
• Maintain a calm and composed demeanor, which instills confidence in your audience.
• Avoid fidgeting or excessive movements that may distract from your message.
• By utilizing nonverbal cues effectively, you can create a sense of professionalism and competence, enhancing your overall speaker presence.

Incorporating nonverbal transitions into your speech can significantly improve its flow, captivate your audience, and reinforce your message. Visual cues, body language, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and conveying confidence and professionalism are all essential elements in creating a seamless and engaging speaking experience.

Practice and master these nonverbal techniques to elevate your speech to new heights.

Transitioning Between Different Sections Of A Speech

Transitioning between different sections of a speech is crucial for maintaining a coherent flow and engaging the audience. By utilizing effective speech transitions, you can seamlessly connect your ideas, avoiding clichés and repetitive terms, to ensure a captivating and impactful delivery.

Transitioning between different sections of a speech is crucial to maintain the flow and coherence of your ideas. To ensure a smooth transition, consider using the following techniques:

Introducing A New Topic Or Main Idea

• Pose a question: Start a new section by asking a thought-provoking question that introduces your audience to the upcoming topic. For example, “have you ever wondered how technology has revolutionized the way we communicate?”
• Provide a brief anecdote or story: Capture your audience’s attention by sharing a relevant story or anecdote that sets the stage for the new topic. This personal touch will engage your listeners from the start.
• Use a powerful quote: Begin your section with an impactful quote that relates to the subject matter. This will immediately draw your audience’s attention and create curiosity about the upcoming discussion.

Summarizing Key Points

• Highlight the main ideas: Summarize the key points you have discussed so far in a concise and clear manner. This allows your audience to understand the progress of your speech and reinforces the central ideas you want them to remember.
• Use transition words: Employ transition words and phrases such as “” “to summarize,” or “in conclusion” to signal that you are summarizing the main points. This helps the audience mentally prepare for the upcoming summary.

Shifting Focus Or Transitioning To A Conclusion

• Preview the provide a glimpse of what your conclusion will entail without delving into the details. This primes your audience for the upcoming ending, creating anticipation and signaling the shift in focus.
• Ask for the audience’s attention: Use phrases like “now, let’s turn to the final part of our discussion” to redirect the attention back to the conclusion. This helps maintain engagement and refocuses the audience’s thoughts on the closing remarks.
• Reinforce the central theme: Remind your listeners of the central theme or main message of your speech. This will ensure that the concluding remarks connect back to the core ideas you have been discussing.

Remember, effective transitions are like signposts that guide your audience through your speech. By utilizing these techniques, you can navigate between different sections smoothly and keep your audience fully engaged.

Tips For Effective Transitioning

Discover practical tips for effective transitioning in your speech through the use of appropriate words and phrases. Enhance the flow of your ideas by avoiding overused terms and incorporating a variety of expressions at the beginning of paragraphs. Keep your sentences concise and engaging to maintain the reader’s interest.

Preparing And Rehearsing Transitions:

• Craft a list of transitional words and phrases: To ensure smooth and seamless transitions between your ideas, compile a list of words and phrases that can serve as connectors. Examples include “however,” “in addition,” and “on the other hand.”
• Identify logical connections: Assess the flow of your speech and identify the logical connections between each point. This will help you determine the appropriate transitional words or phrases to use.
• Practice aloud: Once you have selected your transition words and phrases, practice incorporating them into your speech. Rehearse it several times to ensure that the transitions feel natural and help maintain the overall coherence of your ideas.

Using A Variety Of Transition Methods:

• Implement signposts: Signposts are words or phrases that indicate where you are in your speech and where you are going next. Examples include “firstly,” “next,” and “finally.” By using these signposts, you guide your audience through your speech, making it easier for them to follow along.
• Utilize parallel structure: Parallel structure involves using the same grammatical structure for each point in your speech. This creates a rhythm and consistency that facilitates smooth transitions. For example, instead of saying “i like hiking and to swim,” you would say “i like hiking and swimming.”
• Incorporate rhetorical questions: Asking a rhetorical question can help transition from one idea to the next seamlessly. It engages your audience and prompts them to reflect on the previous point before moving on to the next one.
• Use visual aids: Visual aids such as slides or props can serve as effective transition tools. By visually emphasizing the connection between ideas, you can make the transition more apparent to your audience.
• Provide summaries: Summarizing the main points of each section can be a powerful transition technique. It allows you to recap what has been discussed and prepare your audience for the upcoming topic.

Maintaining A Natural And Conversational Tone:

• Avoid using jargon: To keep your speech accessible and engaging, avoid using technical jargon or overly complicated language. Opt for words and phrases that your audience can easily understand.
• Vary sentence lengths: Using a mix of short and long sentences adds rhythm and variety to your speech. This prevents monotony and keeps your audience engaged.
• Practice active voice: Choosing active voice sentences instead of passive voice helps maintain a conversational tone. Active voice is more direct and engaging, making it easier for your audience to follow along.
• Engage with the audience: Encourage audience participation throughout your speech by asking for their thoughts or experiences related to your topic. This creates a more conversational and interactive atmosphere.
• Adjust your pace: Pay attention to your speaking pace and adjust it accordingly. Speaking too fast can make it difficult for your audience to process the information, while speaking too slowly can lead to disengagement. Aim for a rhythmic and natural pace.

Remember, effective transitioning is crucial for the cohesiveness and clarity of your speech. By preparing and rehearsing your transitions, utilizing a variety of transition methods, and maintaining a natural and conversational tone, you can ensure that your ideas flow smoothly and leave a lasting impact on your audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are speech transitions.

Speech transitions are words and phrases used to connect ideas and help the audience follow your presentation more smoothly. They create a logical flow and make it easier for listeners to understand and remember your key points.

Why Are Speech Transitions Important?

Speech transitions are important because they enhance the coherence and clarity of your speech. They help your audience navigate through your ideas and maintain their attention. Transitions also make your speech more engaging and polished, leaving a lasting impact on your listeners.

What Are Some Common Speech Transition Words And Phrases?

There are various speech transition words and phrases you can use, such as “in addition,” “however,” “on the other hand,” “moreover,” “as a result,” “to summarize,” and “finally. ” These transition words and phrases can help you transition between different ideas, compare and contrast points, and summarize information.

How Can Speech Transitions Improve My Public Speaking Skills?

Using speech transitions in your presentations enhances your public speaking skills by making your speech more organized, coherent, and impactful. With effective transitions, you can smoothly guide your audience through your ideas, keeping them engaged and helping them understand and remember your message.

To sum up, utilizing effective speech transitions is essential for seamless and coherent delivery. By incorporating appropriate words and phrases, you can effectively connect your ideas and guide your audience through your speech. Whether you are emphasizing a point, introducing a new topic, or providing examples, utilizing transitional words and phrases enhances the overall flow of your speech.

Moreover, these transitions help to maintain your audience’s engagement and comprehension. From using simple transitional words like “firstly” and “next,” to employing complex connectors such as “in contrast” and “similarly,” the right speech transitions can transform your speaking style. By following these guidelines and practicing your delivery, you can become a confident and compelling speaker.

Remember, speech transitions are powerful tools that can transform your speech from disjointed to cohesive, ensuring that your ideas are conveyed clearly and effectively. So, the next time you give a speech, make sure to incorporate these essential speech transitions and watch your message resonate with your audience.

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Words for Speaking: 30 Speech Verbs in English (With Audio)

Speaking is amazing, don’t you think?

Words and phrases come out of our mouths — they communicate meaning, and we humans understand each other (well, sometimes)!

But there are countless different ways of speaking.

Sometimes, we express ourselves by speaking quietly, loudly, angrily, unclearly or enthusiastically.

And sometimes, we can express ourselves really well without using any words at all — just sounds.

When we describe what someone said, of course we can say, “He said …” or “She said …”

But there are so many alternatives to “say” that describe the many different WAYS of speaking.

Here are some of the most common ones.

Words for talking loudly in English

Shout / yell / scream.

Sometimes you just need to say something LOUDLY!

Maybe you’re shouting at your kids to get off the climbing frame and come inside before the storm starts.

Or perhaps you’re just one of those people who just shout a lot of the time when you speak. And that’s fine. I’ve got a friend like that. He says it’s because he’s the youngest kid in a family full of brothers and sisters — he had to shout to make sure people heard him. And he still shouts.

Yelling is a bit different. When you yell, you’re probably angry or surprised or even in pain. Yelling is a bit shorter and more “in-the-moment.”

Screaming is similar but usually higher in pitch and full of fear or pain or total fury, like when you’ve just seen a ghost or when you’ve dropped a box of bricks on your foot.

“Stop yelling at me! I’m sorry! I made a mistake, but there’s no need to shout!”

Bark / Bellow / Roar

When I hear these words, I always imagine something like this:

These verbs all feel rather masculine, and you imagine them in a deep voice.

I always think of an army general walking around the room telling people what to do.

That’s probably why we have the phrase “to bark orders at someone,” which means to tell people what to do in an authoritative, loud and aggressive way.

“I can’t stand that William guy. He’s always barking orders at everyone!”

Shriek / Squeal / Screech

Ooooohhh …. These do not sound nice.

These are the sounds of a car stopping suddenly.

Or the sound a cat makes when you tread on her tail.

Or very overexcited kids at a birthday party after eating too much sugar.

These verbs are high pitched and sometimes painful to hear.

“When I heard her shriek , I ran to the kitchen to see what it was. Turned out it was just a mouse.”

“As soon as she opened the box and saw the present, she let out a squeal of delight!”

Wailing is also high pitched, but not so full of energy.

It’s usually full of sadness or even anger.

When I think of someone wailing, I imagine someone completely devastated — very sad — after losing someone they love.

You get a lot of wailing at funerals.

“It’s such a mess!” she wailed desperately. “It’ll take ages to clear up!”

Words for speaking quietly in English

When we talk about people speaking in quiet ways, for some reason, we often use words that we also use for animals.

In a way, this is useful, because we can immediately get a feel for the sound of the word.

This is the sound that snakes make.

Sometimes you want to be both quiet AND angry.

Maybe someone in the theatre is talking and you can’t hear what Hamlet’s saying, so you hiss at them to shut up.

Or maybe you’re hanging out with Barry and Naomi when Barry starts talking about Naomi’s husband, who she split up with last week.

Then you might want to hiss this information to Barry so that Naomi doesn’t hear.

But Naomi wasn’t listening anyway — she was miles away staring into the distance.

“You’ll regret this!” he hissed , pointing his finger in my face.

To be fair, this one’s a little complicated.

Whimpering is a kind of traumatised, uncomfortable sound.

If you think of a frightened animal, you might hear it make some kind of quiet, weak sound that shows it’s in pain or unhappy.

Or if you think of a kid who’s just been told she can’t have an ice cream.

Those sounds might be whimpers.

“Please! Don’t shoot me!” he whimpered , shielding his head with his arms.

Whispering is when you speak, but you bypass your vocal cords so that your words sound like wind.

In a way, it’s like you’re speaking air.

Which is a pretty cool way to look at it.

This is a really useful way of speaking if you’re into gossiping.

“Hey! What are you whispering about? Come on! Tell us! We’ll have no secrets here!”

Words for speaking negatively in English

Ranting means to speak at length about a particular topic.

However, there’s a bit more to it than that.

Ranting is lively, full of passion and usually about something important — at least important to the person speaking.

Sometimes it’s even quite angry.

We probably see rants most commonly on social media — especially by PEOPLE WHO LOVE USING CAPS LOCK AND LOTS OF EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!!!

Ranting always sounds a little mad, whether you’re ranting about something reasonable, like the fact that there’s too much traffic in the city, or whether you’re ranting about something weird, like why the world is going to hell and it’s all because of people who like owning small, brown dogs.

“I tried to talk to George, but he just started ranting about the tax hike.”

“Did you see Jemima’s most recent Facebook rant ? All about how squirrels are trying to influence the election results with memes about Macaulay Culkin.”

Babble / Blabber / Blather / Drone / Prattle / Ramble

These words all have very similar meanings.

First of all, when someone babbles (or blabbers or blathers or drones or prattles or rambles), it means they are talking for a long time.

And probably not letting other people speak.

And, importantly, about nothing particularly interesting or important.

You know the type of person, right?

You run into a friend or someone you know.

All you do is ask, “How’s life?” and five minutes later, you’re still listening to them talking about their dog’s toilet problems.

They just ramble on about it for ages.

These verbs are often used with the preposition “on.”

That’s because “on” often means “continuously” in phrasal verbs .

So when someone “drones on,” it means they just talk for ages about nothing in particular.

“You’re meeting Aunt Thelma this evening? Oh, good luck! Have fun listening to her drone on and on about her horses.”

Groan / Grumble / Moan

These words simply mean “complain.”

There are some small differences, though.

When you groan , you probably don’t even say any words. Instead, you just complain with a sound.

When you grumble , you complain in a sort of angry or impatient way. It’s not a good way to get people to like you.

Finally, moaning is complaining, but without much direction.

You know the feeling, right?

Things are unfair, and stuff isn’t working, and it’s all making life more difficult than it should be.

We might not plan to do anything about it, but it definitely does feel good to just … complain about it.

Just to express your frustration about how unfair it all is and how you’ve been victimised and how you should be CEO by now and how you don’t get the respect you deserve and …

Well, you get the idea.

If you’re frustrated with things, maybe you just need to find a sympathetic ear and have a good moan.

“Pietor? He’s nice, but he does tend to grumble about the local kids playing football on the street.”

Words for speaking unclearly in English

Mumble / murmur / mutter.

These verbs are all very similar and describe speaking in a low and unclear way, almost like you’re speaking to yourself.

Have you ever been on the metro or the bus and seen someone in the corner just sitting and talking quietly and a little madly to themselves?

That’s mumbling (or murmuring or muttering).

What’s the difference?

Good question!

The differences are just in what type of quiet and unclear speaking you’re doing.

When someone’s mumbling , it means they’re difficult to understand. You might want to ask them to speak more clearly.

Murmuring is more neutral. It might be someone praying quietly to themselves, or you might even hear the murmur of voices behind a closed door.

Finally, muttering is usually quite passive-aggressive and has a feeling of complaining to it.

“I could hear him muttering under his breath after his mum told him off.”

How can you tell if someone’s been drinking too much booze (alcohol)?

Well, apart from the fact that they’re in the middle of trying to climb the traffic lights holding a traffic cone and wearing grass on their head, they’re also slurring — their words are all sort of sliding into each other. Like this .

This can also happen if you’re super tired.

“Get some sleep! You’re slurring your words.”

Stammer / Stutter

Th-th-th-this is wh-wh-when you try to g-g-g-get the words ou-ou-out, but it’s dif-dif-dif-difficu-… hard.

For some people, this is a speech disorder, and the person who’s doing it can’t help it.

If you’ve seen the 2010 film The King’s Speech , you’ll know what I’m talking about.

(Also you can let me know, was it good? I didn’t see it.)

This can also happen when you’re frightened or angry or really, really excited — and especially when you’re nervous.

That’s when you stammer your words.

“No … I mean, yeah … I mean no…” Wendy stammered .

Other words for speaking in English

If you drawl (or if you have a drawl), you speak in a slow way, maaakiiing the voowweeel sounds loooongeer thaan noormaal.

Some people think this sounds lazy, but I think it sounds kind of nice and relaxed.

Some regional accents, like Texan and some Australian accents, have a drawl to them.

“He was the first US President who spoke with that Texan drawl .”

“Welcome to cowboy country,” he drawled .

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

That’s my impression of a dog there.

I was growling.

If you ever go cycling around remote Bulgarian villages, then you’re probably quite familiar with this sound.

There are dogs everywhere, and sometimes they just bark.

But sometimes, before barking, they growl — they make that low, threatening, throaty sound.

And it means “stay away.”

But people can growl, too, especially if they want to be threatening.

“‘Stay away from my family!’ he growled .”

Using speaking verbs as nouns

We can use these speaking verbs in the same way we use “say.”

For example, if someone says “Get out!” loudly, we can say:

“‘Get out!’ he shouted .”

However, most of the verbs we looked at today are also used as nouns. (You might have noticed in some of the examples.)

For example, if we want to focus on the fact that he was angry when he shouted, and not the words he used, we can say:

“He gave a shout of anger.”

We can use these nouns with various verbs, usually “ give ” or “ let out .”

“She gave a shout of surprise.”

“He let out a bellow of laughter.”

“I heard a faint murmur through the door.”

There you have it: 30 alternatives to “say.”

So next time you’re describing your favourite TV show or talking about the dramatic argument you saw the other day, you’ll be able to describe it more colourfully and expressively.

Did you like this post? Then be awesome and share by clicking the blue button below.

8 thoughts on “ Words for Speaking: 30 Speech Verbs in English (With Audio) ”

Always enlighten and fun.. thank you

Great job! Thank you so much for sharing with us. My students love your drawing and teaching very much. So do I of course.

Good news: I found more than 30 verbs for “speaking”. Bad news, only four of them were in your list. That is to say “Good news I’m only 50 I still have plenty of time to learn new things, bad news I’m already 50 and still have so much learn. Thanks for your posts, they’re so interesting and useful!

Excellent. Can I print it?

Thanks Iris.

And yes — Feel free to print it! :)

Thanks so much! It was very interesting and helpful❤

Great words, shouts and barks, Gabriel. I’m already writing them down, so I can practise with them bit by bit. Thanks for the lesson!

Thank you so much for sharing with us. .It is very useful

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The 108 Most Persuasive Words In The English Language

Home » Blog » The 108 Most Persuasive Words In The English Language

THE 108 MOST PERSUASIVE WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

It’s a long known fact that the secret to persuasive writing isn’t in the adjectives, it’s in the verbs.

Copywriters know power verbs sell and convince.

Internally, we have a list of 108 verbs that we’ve been using for a good decade, and we recently thought we should share it with proper credit to the original author.

We found that although the list is being recirculated (and in many cases claimed as original by several different authors!), the original author is, in fact, nowhere to be found.

So, if anyone knows who wrote this, we’d love to know!

With or without the original author, it’s still a great list…here it is!

According to legendary advertising man, Leo Burnet, “Dull and exaggerated ad copy is due to the excess use of adjectives.”

To prove it, he asked his staff to compare the number of adjectives in 62 ads that failed to the number of adjectives in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and other age-old classics.

Here’s what he discovered:

Of the 12,758 words in the 62 failed ads, 24.1% were adjectives.

By direct comparison, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address contains only 35 adjectives out of 268 immortal words – only 13.1% adjective-to-total-word ratio.

Winston Churchill’s famous “Blood, Sweat and Tears” speech rates even lower and has a 12.1% adjective ratio (81 adjectives from 667 words).

Burnett found that similar ratios applied to great works such as The Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Conclusion: Use more verbs, not adjectives.

Verbs increase the pulling-power and believability of ad copy.

That’s why it makes sense to keep this 108-VERB “CHEAT-SHEET” close-by whenever you begin to draft your next space ad, sales letter, Website, or email campaign.

Still unsure how to incorporate these verbs into your marketing campaign? Or, perhaps, you just don’t have the time?

Then consider hiring a team of professional copywriters to do it for you! Talented advertising and marketing writers can take mediocre content and use power verbs to turn it into engaging copy that meets goals and produces results.

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3 thoughts on “ The 108 Most Persuasive Words In The English Language ”

It is remarkable, very amusing piece

Hi there, love your website. I am a teacher and my kids love using your amazing verbs you have provided us with in their writing. Email me and I could send you some drafts of their writing – you’ll be blown away!

Catch up soon 🙂

Thanks, Hope Brown

Hi Hope! We are so happy to hear that our blog has helped you and your students. We would love to see some of their writing!

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Which of these “Power Verbs” do you find most persuasive?

20 Great Quotes To Help You Deliver A Killer Speech

Want to make your next speech more powerful ? Use superb quotations and use them well. In this article, I will share 20 of my favorite quotations for beginning and professional speakers. And I will tell you when and how to use them.

But before we get into these specific sayings, here are a few introductory suggestions for using quotations when you are a keynote speaker , giving an inspirational message, annual report, sales presentation, after-dinner talk, Sunday sermon, teaching lesson, or any speech you are preparing.

• Use no more than 3 to 5 quotations in your speech. Remember that a quotation is like seasoning on a fine meal. Don’t overuse quotations in your talk. That’s like dumping an entire saltshaker worth of salt on top of your meal. Think of quotes as delicious flavor additives, not the main dish.
• Avoid using quotes that are already well known to your audience. The real (secret) power of a great quotation is its ability to surprise your listeners.
• Take the time to find the ideal quotes for your talk. Go deeper than a google search. Read inspiring books, check out relevant articles, visit your local bookstore or library. Keep a journal and collect the sayings, proverbs, quotations, and bits of wisdom that move your heart and mind.
• Whenever possible, cite the source of your quotation. Give credit where credit is due. And be sure your source is accurate. You will lose credibility if you quote George Washington as an expert on social media! If you cannot track down the original source of your quote, you can simply say, “It has been said…”
• Make sure your quotations support your main message . Sometimes it’s tempting to sneak a great quip or quote into your talk because you love it. First decide if it’s apt for what you want to communicate.

Here Are 20 of the Best Quotations for Your Next Speech Use One of These Great Quotes When You Want to…

Create laughter.

Quoting a comedian, famous wit, ancient proverb, or even a child’s wisdom can generate an instant laugh during your presentation. And trust me, your audience wants to laugh! Here’s the key: Pause before and after you share the funny quotation or short joke. A humorous quotation will surprise, shock, exaggerate, and often convey a tough truth in a way that delights.

“If you’re looking for a helping hand, there’s one at the end of your arm.” ~Yiddish Proverb

Make them THINK

A powerful quotation will give your audience food for thought. First of course, you must determine what you want your audience to understand, believe, and embrace. Then, choose a quotation that packs a punch.

“He not busy being born, is busy dying.” ~Bob Dylan

Grab their ATTENTION

Usually the shorter the quotation, the more powerful the punch. Long quotes, like long speeches, will leave your audiences yawning. To open your speech, you may want to grab your listener’s attention with a short quotation or aphorism. If you are giving a talk about dream casting or goal-setting for example, here’s a fine quotation:

“If you know what you want, you can have it.” ~RH Jarrett

Prove your POINT

You don’t have to agree with every source you quote. Sometimes who you quote, is as important as what you quote. Here’s an example. Though I obviously detest this famous leader, this quotation makes a powerful point. When I am stressing the power of passion, I sometimes share this one. Note: After I give the source—which always shocks the audience—I remind them that he was evil and that we must use the power of passion for good.

“Only a storm of hot passion can turn the destinies of people. And he alone can arouse passion who bears it within himself.” ~Adolf Hitler

Illustrate an IDEA

A good quotation is like a good story. It’s a window in your house. Use it to let the light in. Help your audience see what you are saying. A good metaphor is one of the most helpful tools in a speaker’s toolbox. To get your idea across, use a strong word picture. Imagine giving a talk to a group of schoolteachers. Your goal is to affirm them for the great work they are doing. You want to remind them that what they do—educating children—matters forever.

“A school is a building with four walls, with tomorrow inside.” ~Lon Watters

INSPIRE your audience

The best speeches lift hearts! If your goal is to motivate your audience, insert a quotation designed to inspire the dreams of your audience members. Connect with their emotions. Choose a statement that is filled with hope and encouragement. Here’s one of my favorites, because it strikes such an emotional chord:

“If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme.” ~Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio

Issue a WARNING

You can use a quotation to sound an alarm. You may want to shake your hearers into stopping/starting a behavior. The key here is choosing a quotation that lights a fire under your people. What mindset do you want them to change? What do you want them to do?

“Unassertive salespeople have skinny kids!” ~Zig Ziglar

Make people CARE

Many speakers make the mistake of thinking that their talk is primarily about content. While content is important, the best speakers transfer their conviction to an audience. Your group doesn’t want more information. They are looking for takeaways and transformation.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~Maya Angelou

Capture an INSIGHT

Many times the quotes that will rock your speech are what I call “zingers.” What is a “zinger”? It’s a pithy statement that expresses a flash of insight. Zap your audience with a truth in capsule form. People love to read the fortune inside their fortune cookie—and often the words apply to their lives. When I am giving a speech that talks about how we learn, I love to share this one:

“I respect wisdom but I obey pain.” ~12 Step Recovery Saying

EDUCATE your attendees

Don’t make the mistake many speakers make. Never confuse a statistic with a quotation. Remember: facts tell, stories sell. Search out stories and quotations for your talk that provide “teaching moments.” Tip: Do an Amazon search for aphorism. You’ll discover some great gems and nuggets for your next speech. An aphorism, like a proverb, teaches a memorable lesson-in-a-few-words.

“Don’t expect your ship to come in—unless you’ve sent one out.” ~Belgian Proverb

STRENGTHEN your case

Know exactly what you want to say to an audience. Then you will be in a position to find the perfect quote(s) for your next keynote speech, workshop or seminar. If you are giving a talk on leadership, select a quotation from an inspiring leader. Are you motivating athletes? Choose a motivational saying from an accomplished football, basketball, or soccer player. Most importantly, know your audience. This will help you know which quotation will best support your speech.

“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” ~Anais Nin

Make your speech MATTER

A good question to ask yourself is: “Who cares about what I am saying?” By the way, this is the very question your audience is asking when you start your speech. How does this matter to me ? Reverse engineer your speech. Think about the big takeaway you want your group to get from your presentation. Then craft your message—and the quotes that will make it pop—based on the actions you want your audience to take.

“The meaning of communication is the response you get.” ~NLP maxim

Use the power of REPETITION

One of the great speeches in U.S. history is Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. And one of the factors that makes it so powerful? MLK’s repeated use of his awesome title: “I Have a Dream.” Consider repeating a strong quotation again and again during your talk. This can help you re-state your core message. You can also hammer home a big point with a quotation that repeats certain words to great effect. Notice how Winston Churchill did this often. (“Never, never, never give in…”), He and MLK are two of the greatest orators of the 20th century. Both leaders repeated words to maximize the impact of their language.

“We are all worms. But I do believe that I am a glow-worm.” ~Winston Churchill

Enhance a CELEBRATION

Maybe you will give your speech at a wedding, an anniversary party, or an awards program. You can pump up the proceedings with a special quote. Identify a sparkling statement that will raise spirits…and maybe wine glasses. Here’s the key to doing this well: Keep the focus on who/what is being celebrated. Your quotation should amplify the purpose of the event. Honor the bride, toast the award-winner, congratulate the champion. Get clear on the reason for festivities. Your quotation should put a spotlight on what your guests are celebrating together.

“Life is short, wear your party pants.” ~Loretta LaRoche

Want to make sport of a competitor? Handle a heckler? Or lampoon an idea you don’t like? A good quote can work wonders. Just be careful about coming across as mean-spirited. Humor helps.

“Lord, help me make my enemies look ridiculous.” ~Voltaire (French Philosopher)

Increase your AUTHORITY

Don’t get the wrong idea here. Quotations are not the source of your authority, you are. But a compelling quote can boost your credibility as a speaker. Select a quote that comes from a recognized name or organization that will resonate with your audience. Quote an expert. Better yet, become one.

“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” ~Muhammed Ali

Speak with CONFIDENCE

Want to know a speaking secret? Your listeners aren’t paying that much attention to what you say. But they are tuned in to how you say it. They are listening for your confidence. What do you do if you don’t feel confident? Act like you are. And to take it to the next level—instill confidence in your audience too. Model it.

“Feel the fear and do it anyway.” ~Susan Jeffers

Bring CLARITY

One of the gifts you can bring people via your message is clarity. Help your audience see the path, cut through the clutter, and take decisive action. Make a statement, or share a quotation, that simplifies things for people. Sometimes this can be phrased as a question like, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” Other times you will want to give them the answer straight up. A great quote can help you do just that. You want to communicate with great clarity. And show your audience the way forward.

“If you don’t have a plan for your life, somebody else does.” ~Michael Hyatt

Issue a call to ACTION!

You can wrap-up your speech with a mighty quotation to finish strong. Make sure that your final phrase captures the heart of your main message. Don’t end on something cliché like, “Thanks for listening” or “My name is Blah Blah.” Your end quote, if you use one, should empower your audience and echo the main thrust of your talk. And get this: You want to invite your audience to take action.

“The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.” ~Walt Disney

Create your own CATCH PHRASE

Few people remember speeches, but many people remember speakers. Can you create an original quotation that fits your personal brand? Tap into what makes you unique. What makes your message special? The final words of your speech can remind people about who you are and what you had to say. What is your signature “sign off” sentence? It might be a parting piece of advice. It could also be a statement you design to capture the way you want the group to remember the experience you created for them.

“The tribe has spoken.” ~Jeff Probst, “Survivor”

By finding and utilizing quotations that appeal to you, you will heighten the impact of your speech. Plug one or two of the above quotations into your next speech or special presentation. Better yet, discover the pitch-perfect quotes for your talk. Weave them into your speech and speak with gusto. You’ll be glad you did. And your audience will be pleased too. You can quote me on that.

Adam Christing is a professional keynote speaker, master of ceremonies , and author . He has written four humor and personal transformation books including: Comedy Comes Clean 1 & 2: A Hilarious Collection of Wholesome Jokes, Quotes, and One-liners, Your Life is a Joke: 12 Ways to Go from Ha Ha to AHA! and Bob Dylan Can Change Your Life: 61 Ways to Invent a Legendary You.  Adam has been studying and collecting quotations for more than 25 years.

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If You Want to Write a Great Speech, Here’s How to Do It

Writing a speech isn’t all that different than writing for other mediums. You need to know your audience, the required length, and the purpose or topic. This is true whether your speech is for a business conference, a wedding, a school project, or any other scenario.

But there’s something about speech writing that’s especially nerve-wracking .

If you write and deliver a speech that doesn’t go over well, you’ll get feedback in real time. The people sitting in front of you could lose interest, start talking, doze off, or even wander out of the room. (Don’t worry, only audiences in movies throw tomatoes).

Of course, a poor speech is not the end of the world. You can give plenty of crummy speeches and live to tell the tale.

But we also know that a great speech is capable of changing the world. Or at least sparking an audience’s imagination, catapulting your business into success, earning an A+ on your assignment, or ensuring that the bride and groom are still friends with you after the wedding.

So if you’re feeling stressed over your impending speech writing duties, fret no more! Today we’re breaking down for you the step-by-step process of exactly how to write a great speech.

Here’s a tip: Want to make sure your writing shines? Grammarly can check your spelling and save you from grammar and punctuation mistakes. It even proofreads your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write.

Your writing, at its best Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly

1 Tips to write (and live) by

Let’s start with the 30,000 foot, big-picture view. These are the tenets that will guide you in your speech writing process (and pretty much anything else you want to write).

• Know the purpose: What are you trying to accomplish with your speech? Educate, inspire, entertain, argue a point? Your goals will dictate the tone and structure, and result in dramatically different speeches.
• Know your audience: Your speech should be tailored for your audience, both in terms of ideas and language. If you’re speaking at a sound healer convention, you won’t need to explain the concept of energetic blocks. And if you’re speaking to an octogenarians-only quilting circle, you probably shouldn’t drop as many F-bombs as you would with your local biker gang.
• Know the length: You don’t want to underwhelm or overwhelm your audience.Ten minutes may be too short for your keynote address, but it’s probably too long for your best man speech. Don’t leave things up to chance. Your writing process will be much easier if you keep your eye on your target length.
• Write, revise, practice, revise, practice…: MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech wasn’t written in a day. Give yourself the time you need to practice your material and work through multiple drafts. Don’t expect to nail everything on the first try.

2 The step-by-step process

Still feeling stressed over how to get started? Here’s how to write your speech from concept to completion.

Step 1: Outline your speech’s structure. What are the main ideas for each section?

Step 2: Flesh out the main ideas in your outline. Don’t worry about finding the perfect words. Just let your creativity flow and get it all out!

Step 3: Edit and polish what you’ve written until you have a cohesive first draft of your speech

Step 4: Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice your speech the more you’ll discover which sections need reworked, which transitions should be improved, and which sentences are hard to say. You’ll also find out how you’re doing on length.

Step 5: Update, practice, and revise your speech until it has a great flow and you feel it’s ready to accomplish its purpose.

3 The universal structure

Getting hung up on Step 1? Here’s a structure you can follow for any type of speech.

Introduction

Who are you, why are are you giving this speech, what is your main thesis?

The “who” and “why” can be longer or shorter depending on the context. For example, if you’re speaking at a wedding, you’ll want to explain your relationship to the bride and groom and why they mean so much to you. But if you’re presenting to your class at school, you may be able to head straight into your thesis.

If you’re presenting in a business or motivational setting, this is a crucial time to hook your audience’s attention and pique their curiosity. Typically someone else will have already introduced you and your accolades, so use this to your advantage and dive straight in.

“Hi everyone, it’s great to be here! As Kevin just said, I’ve been an urban beet farmer for 30 years, and a couple years back I got this absolutely crazy idea. What if…”

Main message

Idea 1, Idea 2, Idea 3…

The majority of your speech should be spent presenting your thesis and supporting material in a simple, organized way.

Whether you’re giving an inspirational talk or a business presentation, rambling is a sure-fire way to lose your audience’s attention. Don’t try to share absolutely everything you know on your topic, instead pick a few (two to five) key points to present to your audience.

Stick to one point at a time and finish the thought before you move on to the next. Build in clear, logical transitions from idea to idea.

Want to make your speech memorable? Studies have shown our brains are great at remember stories! As much as is appropriate, make your speech personal and include your own anecdotes and thoughts.

We’re also better at remembering big ideas if they’re condensed into a few memorable words, so do your best to sum up your thesis.

“I have a dream.”

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

“Make good art.”

What do you want your audience to walk out of the room remembering?

Wrap everything up and drive home your main idea, whether that’s through providing a few (one to three) key takeaways, or telling one last story that perfectly illustrates your point.

Here are some examples of how your outline might look

As a researcher presenting your findings…

Introduction: Explain the key problem or question of your research.

Main message: Describe the research process, then describe your three key findings.

Takeaway: Present your conclusions and their implications, then your next steps for moving forward.

As the maid of honor giving a speech at your best friend’s wedding…

Introduction: Explain who you are and how you met the bride.

Main message: Recount three funny and heartwarming stories about your decades-long friendship with her, plus your first impressions of the groom.

Takeaway: Wrap things up by expounding on how amazing the bride and groom’s love for each other is, how they’re meant to be together, and how you know their love will last a lifetime. …L’chaim!

What are your favorite tips for writing a great speech?

Here’s a tip: Grammarly’s  Citation Generator  ensures your essays have flawless citations and no plagiarism. Try it for citing speeches in Chicago , MLA , and APA styles.

• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument. Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of  summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine  and engineering .

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Speech transitions: words and phrases to connect your ideas

June 28, 2018 - Gini Beqiri

When delivering presentations it’s important for your words and ideas to flow so your audience can understand how everything links together and why it’s all relevant.

This can be done using speech transitions because these act as signposts to the audience – signalling the relationship between points and ideas. This article explores how to use speech transitions in presentations.

What are speech transitions?

Speech transitions are words and phrases that allow you to smoothly move from one point to another so that your speech flows and your presentation is unified.

This makes it easier for the audience to understand your argument and without transitions the  audience may be confused  as to how one point relates to another and they may think you’re randomly jumping between points.

Types of transitions

Transitions can be one word, a phrase or a full sentence – there are many different types, here are a few:

Introduction

Introduce your topic:

• We will be looking at/identifying/investigating the effects of…
• Today I will be discussing…

Presentation outline

Inform the audience of the structure of your presentation:

• There are three key points I’ll be discussing…
• I want to begin by…, and then I’ll move on to…
• We’ll be covering… from two points of view…
• This presentation is divided into four parts…

Move from the introduction to the first point

Signify to the audience that you will now begin discussing the first main point:

• Now that you’re aware of the overview, let’s begin with…
• First, let’s begin with…
• I will first cover…
• My first point covers…
• To get started, let’s look at…

Shift between similar points

Move from one point to a similar one:

• In the same way…
• Likewise…
• Equally…
• This is similar to…
• Similarly…

Shift between disagreeing points

You may have to introduce conflicting ideas – bridging words and phrases are especially good for this:

• Conversely…
• Despite this…
• However…
• On the contrary…
• Now let’s consider…
• Even so…
• Nonetheless…
• We can’t ignore…
• On the other hand…

Transition to a significant issue

• Fundamentally…
• A major issue is…
• The crux of the matter…
• A significant concern is…

Referring to previous points

You may have to refer to something that you’ve already spoken about because, for example, there may have been a break or a fire alarm etc:

• Let’s return to…
• We briefly spoke about X earlier; let’s look at it in more depth now…
• Let’s revisit…
• Let’s go back to…
• Do you recall when I mentioned…

This can be also be useful to introduce a new point because adults learn better when new information builds on previously learned information.

Introducing an aside note

You may want to introduce a digression:

• I’d just like to mention…
• That reminds me…
• Incidentally…

Physical movement

You can  move your body  and your standing location when you transition to another point. The audience find it easier to follow your presentation and movement will increase their interest.

A common technique for incorporating movement into your presentation is to:

• Start your introduction by standing in the centre of the stage.
• For your first point you stand on the left side of the stage.
• You discuss your second point from the centre again.
• You stand on the right side of the stage for your third point.
• The conclusion occurs in the centre.

Emphasising importance

You need to ensure that the audience get the message by informing them why something is important:

• More importantly…
• This is essential…
• Primarily…
• Mainly…

Internal summaries

Internal summarising consists of summarising before moving on to the next point. You must inform the audience:

• What part of the presentation you covered – “In the first part of this speech we’ve covered…”
• What the key points were – “Precisely how…”
• How this links in with the overall presentation – “So that’s the context…”
• What you’re moving on to – “Now I’d like to move on to the second part of presentation which looks at…”

Cause and effect

You will have to transition to show relationships between factors:

• Therefore…
• Thus…
• Consequently…
• As a result…
• This is significant because…
• Hence…

Elaboration

• Also…
• Besides…
• What’s more…
• In addition/additionally…
• Moreover…
• Furthermore…

Point-by-point or steps of a process

• First/firstly/The first one is…
• Second/Secondly/The second one is…
• Third/Thirdly/The third one is…
• Last/Lastly/Finally/The fourth one is…

Introduce an example

• This is demonstrated by…
• For instance…
• Take the case of…
• For example…
• You may be asking whether this happens in X? The answer is yes…
• To show/illustrate/highlight this…
• Let me illustrate this by…

Transition to a demonstration

• Now that we’ve covered the theory, let’s practically apply it…
• I’ll conduct an experiment to show you this in action…
• Let me demonstrate this…
• I’ll now show you this…

Introducing a quotation

• X was a supporter of this thinking because he said…
• There is a lot of support for this, for example, X said…

Transition to another speaker

In a  group presentation  you must transition to other speakers:

• Briefly recap on what you covered in your section: “So that was a brief introduction on what health anxiety is and how it can affect somebody”
• Introduce the next speaker in the team and explain what they will discuss: “Now Gayle will talk about the prevalence of health anxiety.”
• Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: “Gayle”.
• The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: “Thank you Simon.”

From these examples, you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.

You can  tell personal stories  or share the experiences of others to introduce a point. Anecdotes are especially valuable for your introduction and between different sections of the presentation because they engage the audience. Ensure that you plan the stories thoroughly beforehand and that they are not too long.

Using questions

You can transition through your speech by asking questions and these questions also have the benefit of engaging your audience more. There are three different types of questions:

Direct questions require an answer: “What is the capital of Italy?” These are mentally stimulating for the audience.

Rhetorical questions  do not require answers, they are often used to emphasises an idea or point: “Is the Pope catholic?

Loaded questions contain an unjustified assumption made to prompt the audience into providing a particular answer which you can then correct to support your point: You may ask “Why does your wonderful company have such a low incidence of mental health problems?”.

The audience will generally answer that they’re happy. After receiving the answers you could then say “Actually it’s because people are still unwilling and too embarrassed to seek help for mental health issues at work etc.”

Transition to a visual aid

If you are going to introduce a visual aid you must prepare the audience with what they’re going to see, for example, you might be leading into a diagram that supports your statement. Also, before you  show the visual aid , explain why you’re going to show it, for example, “This graph is a significant piece of evidence supporting X”.

When the graphic is on display get the audience to focus on it:

• The table indicates…
• As you can see…
• I’d like to direct your attention to…

Explain what the visual is showing:

• You can see that there has been a reduction in…
• The diagram is comparing the…

Using a visual aid to transition

Visual aids can also be used as transitions and they have the benefit of being stimulating and breaking-up vocal transitions.

You might have a slide with just a picture on it to signify to the audience that you’re moving on to a new point – ensure that this image is relevant to the point. Many speakers like to use cartoons for this purpose but ensure its suitable for your audience.

Always summarise your key points first in the conclusion:

• Let’s recap on what we’ve spoken about today…
• Let me briefly summarise the main points…

And then conclude:

If you have a shorter speech you may choose to  end your presentation  with one statement:

• In short…
• To sum up…
• In a nutshell…
• To summarise…
• In conclusion…

However, using statements such as “To conclude” may cause the audience to stop listening. It’s better to say:

• I’d like to leave you with this…
• What you should take away from this is…
• Finally, I want to say…

Call to action

Requesting the audience to do something at the end of the presentation:

• You may be thinking how can I help in this matter? Well…
• My aim is to encourage you to go further and…
• What I’m requesting of you is…

Common mistakes

When transitions are used poorly you can annoy and confuse the audience. Avoid:

• Using transitions that are too short – transitions are a key part of ensuring the audience understands your presentation so spend sufficient time linking to your next idea.
• Too many tangents – any digressions should still be relevant to the topic and help the audience with their understanding, otherwise cut them out.
• Incompatible transitions – for example, if you’re about to introduce an example that supports your statement you wouldn’t introduce this by saying “but”. Use transitions that signify the relationship between points.
• Over-using the same transition because this is boring for the audience to hear repeatedly. Ensure that there is variety with your transitions, consider including visual transitions.
• Miscounting your transitions – for example, don’t say “first point”, “second point”, “next point” – refer to your points consistently.

Speech transitions are useful for unifying and connecting your presentation. The audience are more likely to remain engaged since they’ll be able to follow your points. But remember that it’s important to practice your transitions beforehand and not just the content of your arguments because you risk looking unprofessional and confusing the audience if the presentation does not flow smoothly.

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• Knowledge Base
• Parts of speech

The 8 Parts of Speech | Chart, Definition & Examples

A part of speech (also called a word class ) is a category that describes the role a word plays in a sentence. Understanding the different parts of speech can help you analyze how words function in a sentence and improve your writing.

The parts of speech are classified differently in different grammars, but most traditional grammars list eight parts of speech in English: nouns , pronouns , verbs , adjectives , adverbs , prepositions , conjunctions , and interjections . Some modern grammars add others, such as determiners and articles .

Many words can function as different parts of speech depending on how they are used. For example, “laugh” can be a noun (e.g., “I like your laugh”) or a verb (e.g., “don’t laugh”).

Table of contents

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions
• Interjections

Other parts of speech

Interesting language articles, frequently asked questions.

A noun is a word that refers to a person, concept, place, or thing. Nouns can act as the subject of a sentence (i.e., the person or thing performing the action) or as the object of a verb (i.e., the person or thing affected by the action).

There are numerous types of nouns, including common nouns (used to refer to nonspecific people, concepts, places, or things), proper nouns (used to refer to specific people, concepts, places, or things), and collective nouns (used to refer to a group of people or things).

Ella lives in France .

Other types of nouns include countable and uncountable nouns , concrete nouns , abstract nouns , and gerunds .

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A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. Pronouns typically refer back to an antecedent (a previously mentioned noun) and must demonstrate correct pronoun-antecedent agreement . Like nouns, pronouns can refer to people, places, concepts, and things.

There are numerous types of pronouns, including personal pronouns (used in place of the proper name of a person), demonstrative pronouns (used to refer to specific things and indicate their relative position), and interrogative pronouns (used to introduce questions about things, people, and ownership).

That is a horrible painting!

A verb is a word that describes an action (e.g., “jump”), occurrence (e.g., “become”), or state of being (e.g., “exist”). Verbs indicate what the subject of a sentence is doing. Every complete sentence must contain at least one verb.

Verbs can change form depending on subject (e.g., first person singular), tense (e.g., simple past), mood (e.g., interrogative), and voice (e.g., passive voice ).

Regular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participle are formed by adding“-ed” to the end of the word (or “-d” if the word already ends in “e”). Irregular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participles are formed in some other way.

“I’ve already checked twice.”

“I heard that you used to sing .”

Other types of verbs include auxiliary verbs , linking verbs , modal verbs , and phrasal verbs .

An adjective is a word that describes a noun or pronoun. Adjectives can be attributive , appearing before a noun (e.g., “a red hat”), or predicative , appearing after a noun with the use of a linking verb like “to be” (e.g., “the hat is red ”).

Adjectives can also have a comparative function. Comparative adjectives compare two or more things. Superlative adjectives describe something as having the most or least of a specific characteristic.

Other types of adjectives include coordinate adjectives , participial adjectives , and denominal adjectives .

An adverb is a word that can modify a verb, adjective, adverb, or sentence. Adverbs are often formed by adding “-ly” to the end of an adjective (e.g., “slow” becomes “slowly”), although not all adverbs have this ending, and not all words with this ending are adverbs.

There are numerous types of adverbs, including adverbs of manner (used to describe how something occurs), adverbs of degree (used to indicate extent or degree), and adverbs of place (used to describe the location of an action or event).

Talia writes quite quickly.

Other types of adverbs include adverbs of frequency , adverbs of purpose , focusing adverbs , and adverbial phrases .

A preposition is a word (e.g., “at”) or phrase (e.g., “on top of”) used to show the relationship between the different parts of a sentence. Prepositions can be used to indicate aspects such as time , place , and direction .

I left the cup on the kitchen counter.

A conjunction is a word used to connect different parts of a sentence (e.g., words, phrases, or clauses).

The main types of conjunctions are coordinating conjunctions (used to connect items that are grammatically equal), subordinating conjunctions (used to introduce a dependent clause), and correlative conjunctions (used in pairs to join grammatically equal parts of a sentence).

You can choose what movie we watch because I chose the last time.

An interjection is a word or phrase used to express a feeling, give a command, or greet someone. Interjections are a grammatically independent part of speech, so they can often be excluded from a sentence without affecting the meaning.

Types of interjections include volitive interjections (used to make a demand or request), emotive interjections (used to express a feeling or reaction), cognitive interjections (used to indicate thoughts), and greetings and parting words (used at the beginning and end of a conversation).

Ouch ! I hurt my arm.

I’m, um , not sure.

The traditional classification of English words into eight parts of speech is by no means the only one or the objective truth. Grammarians have often divided them into more or fewer classes. Other commonly mentioned parts of speech include determiners and articles.

• Determiners

A determiner is a word that describes a noun by indicating quantity, possession, or relative position.

Common types of determiners include demonstrative determiners (used to indicate the relative position of a noun), possessive determiners (used to describe ownership), and quantifiers (used to indicate the quantity of a noun).

My brother is selling his old car.

Other types of determiners include distributive determiners , determiners of difference , and numbers .

An article is a word that modifies a noun by indicating whether it is specific or general.

• The definite article the is used to refer to a specific version of a noun. The can be used with all countable and uncountable nouns (e.g., “the door,” “the energy,” “the mountains”).
• The indefinite articles a and an refer to general or unspecific nouns. The indefinite articles can only be used with singular countable nouns (e.g., “a poster,” “an engine”).

There’s a concert this weekend.

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech, make sure to check out some of our language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

• Common nouns
• Proper nouns
• Collective nouns
• Personal pronouns
• Uncountable and countable nouns
• Verb tenses
• Phrasal verbs
• Types of verbs
• Active vs passive voice
• Subject-verb agreement

A is an indefinite article (along with an ). While articles can be classed as their own part of speech, they’re also considered a type of determiner .

The indefinite articles are used to introduce nonspecific countable nouns (e.g., “a dog,” “an island”).

In is primarily classed as a preposition, but it can be classed as various other parts of speech, depending on how it is used:

• Preposition (e.g., “ in the field”)
• Noun (e.g., “I have an in with that company”)
• Adjective (e.g., “Tim is part of the in crowd”)
• Adverb (e.g., “Will you be in this evening?”)

As a part of speech, and is classed as a conjunction . Specifically, it’s a coordinating conjunction .

And can be used to connect grammatically equal parts of a sentence, such as two nouns (e.g., “a cup and plate”), or two adjectives (e.g., “strong and smart”). And can also be used to connect phrases and clauses.

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15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

Opening: “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

• Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
• The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
• Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
• Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

• Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
• Not be something that is fairly obvious
• Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage. 

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. Little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wish no one would ever know but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

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Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking. 

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking. 

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

Enroll in our transformative 1:1 Coaching Program

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Why Filler Words Like “Um” and “Ah” Are Actually Useful

• Allison Shapira

They can serve three purposes.

Language matters, and the words you use have an impact on your effectiveness as a speaker and as a leader. Contrary to popular wisdom, sometimes it’s OK to use fillers or hedge words. There are three strategic reasons for when to use them. First, to be diplomatic. When you need to give delicate feedback or soften a message, consider using a hedge word like “just” or “simply” or a phrase such as “we may want to consider” in order to cushion how your message comes across. A second reason is to hold the floor. If you operate in an environment where people routinely interrupt you, the filler can serve as a strategic placeholder as you hold the floor. And lastly, a well-placed “so,” “well,” or “actually” can be an effective tool to break into a conversation (perhaps in the middle of a rambling colleague’s filler words). Simply make sure you are not cutting someone off mid-sentence.

When was the last time you heard someone start an important presentation or comment with something like this? So, um, I just think this is important. Vocal disfluencies, commonly described as filler words, are a common point of contention in public speaking. Some people disparage them as weak and hesitant, and others defend them as authentic and genuine.

• Allison Shapira teaches “The Arts of Communication” at the Harvard Kennedy School and is the Founder/CEO of Global Public Speaking, a training firm that helps emerging and established leaders to speak clearly, concisely, and confidently. She is the author of the new book, Speak with Impact: How to Command the Room and Influence Others (HarperCollins Leadership).

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100 Most Commonly Spoken Words in English

• DESCRIPTION example most Commonly Spoken Words in English
• SOURCE Malte Mueller / Getty Images
• PERMISSION Used under Getty Images license

Think of all the words we speak and texts we send in a day. Do you ever wonder what your most commonly used words are? In a world of blogs, articles, Netflix marathons, text messages, and DMs, you may or may not be surprised by the 100 most commonly spoken words in English.

Top 100 Words in English

Word Frequency publishes and updates the Corpus of Contemporary American English's list of the top 5,000 words in American English. Looking at 5,000 words might be a little much to take in. However, the top 100 is more doable. To get you started, dive into the top 10 most commonly used American English words.

Top Verbs Used in English

The top 10 common words probably didn’t come as any surprise. You use these all the time when speaking or writing. One of them was probably in a text you wrote today. Next on the list of the top 100 words are the verbs most frequently used. These are the words that show your action or thoughts in a sentence.

Most Common Nouns Used in English

While English speakers use a lot of different verbs throughout their day, they are a bit pickier about the nouns they choose. However, there are so many different proper nouns that you use; you only need a few to describe a person, place or thing.

Top Pronouns Used in English

More often than not, you might use a pronoun rather than a noun. Pronouns are those words that you use to replace nouns. And there are different types of pronouns out there. See a few of the most common ones.

Common English Adjectives

English speakers like to modify their nouns or describe them. You can create huge lists of adjectives . However, these common ones called out by Word Frequency can get you started.

Top Adverbs Used in Conversations

Not to be overshadowed by their adjective siblings, several common adverbs made the list as well. Some of these should definitely look familiar to you.

Common Prepositions Used in Daily Life

If you use a lot of nouns, pronouns and even verbs, you have to have a way to link them. This is where your prepositions come in. Many words in this list of prepositions you probably use on a daily basis.

Most Common Conjunctions

Rounding out the 100 most common English words, it’s time to look at the most common conjunctions . The list of these isn’t long, but they are powerful words.

British, American and Australian English

World English went ahead and ranked the top 500 words in British English, American English and Australian English by referencing contemporary newspapers, magazines, books, tv, radio, and conversations. Check out the words that landed in their top ten.

You'll notice "the" landed in the number one spot on both lists. However, there are some differences in the international list. For example, the words "sound," "hot" and "said" landed on the 100 most common English words on the international list but not the American list.

What Are Your Favorite Words?

It might not seem like it’s important to know the top 100 English words used in daily life, but it’s actually quite important. When you are learning English, knowing these words can help you navigate the language more quickly and effectively. Therefore, you’ll see a lot of these words on Dolch spelling lists for kids .

What's your most commonly spoken word? If you had to guess, how many times do you think you use the word "the" in a day? It would be a lot. So as you continue to craft careful prose and meaningful excerpts, remember to use common, relatable words while avoiding overused cliches .

100 Of The Most Common Words In English

The words we’ve compiled here probably look familiar: they are the 100 most frequently written words in the English language. Many of the most frequently used words in English are important, fundamental parts of speech like articles , conjunctions , and prepositions .

If those terms sound like gobbledygook to you, or you haven’t heard them since third grade English class, we understand. So we’re going to give you a rundown of these frequently-used words and break down their parts of speech along the way. As an added bonus, we have some helpful suggestions for more interesting synonyms (or words with similar meanings) that you might want to try instead.

Note: this list doesn’t include multiple forms of the same word. For example, we have only included do , not does , doing , and did . Also, each of these words may have multiple meanings. We have listed them here by their most common part of speech. For example, the word this can be a pronoun, adjective, or adverb, depending on the context, but we have it listed under pronoun because that’s one of its most common uses.

Ready? Let’s go!

Most-used articles

An article denotes whether a noun is specific or unspecific. There are three articles in English , and they are some of the most frequently used words:

Most-used verbs

A verb is a word that describes an action, state, or a relation between two things.

To be or not to be?

The verb to be and its various forms ( is , am , were , etc.) is used constantly in writing and speech. It’s an important verb, to be sure (we just used it again), but be mindful of how often it pops up in your writing. Try substituting one of these alternatives:

Helper (auxiliary) verbs

These overused verbs are used to create verb forms that indicate time or mood and are not usually found on their own.

Action verbs

These frequently used verbs describe movements and actions. And these verbs, like to be , have a tendency to get overused. When you’re writing, instead of repeating these same verbs, mix it up with some of the synonyms we have suggested after each below:

• do : accomplish, prepare, resolve, work out
• say : suggest, disclose, answer
• go : continue, move, lead
• get : bring, attain, catch, become
• make : create, cause, prepare, invest
• know : understand, appreciate, experience, identify
• think : contemplate, remember, judge, consider
• take : accept, steal, buy, endure
• see : detect, comprehend, scan
• come : happen, appear, extend, occur
• want : choose, prefer, require, wish
• look : glance, notice, peer, read
• use : accept, apply, handle, work
• find : detect, discover, notice, uncover
• give : grant, award, issue
• tell : confess, explain, inform, reveal

Most-used adverbs

An adverb is a word that modifies verbs, clauses, adjectives, and other adverbs. For example, in the sentence I drove quickly,  the word  quickly is an adverb modifying the verb drove . The most common adverbs are:

Instead of these typical adverbs, why not choose some of these more colorful alternatives?

• immediately
• additionally

Most-used nouns

A noun is a word that describes a person, place, or thing. There are surprisingly few nouns in the top 100 most frequently written words in the English language. However, the nouns we do use most describe things that are fundamental:

The thing about “thing”…

One of the most common nouns is  thing . When you’re writing, you should try to avoid this word as much as possible! Nine times out of 10,  thing  can be replaced with a more accurate and precise description. For instance, instead of writing “We weren’t able to find the  thing,”  write, “We weren’t able to find the million-dollar treasure. ” It is more clear, interesting, and compelling.

Most-used pronouns

A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun. We use pronouns to avoid repeating the same nouns.

Most-used adjectives

An adjective is a word that modifies, or describes, a noun or pronoun.

Is “good” really good enough ?

One of the most frequently used adjectives is good . We think good is, well, not that good of a word. It’s boring! Instead of this common word, try one of these more illustrative synonyms next time:

Other frequently used adjectives are not as easily replaced. Makes sense why they are used all the time then, right?

Most-used conjunctions

A conjunction is a word that links words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. These little words do important work, which helps explain why we rely on them so much.

Here are the most-used conjunctions:

Most-used prepositions

A preposition is a word that links one phrase to a phrase that is modifying or describing, it. Often it is used to describe the spatial or temporal relationships between things: in The book is on the table , the preposition on describes where the book is.

Here are some common prepositions:

There are around 150 prepositions or prepositional phrases in the English language. And many of them don’t get much use. Some prepositions you might want to try to spice up your writing are:

• notwithstanding
• pursuant to
• by virtue of

When writing, keep this list in mind. Some words you can’t necessarily avoid—like prepositions and conjunctions—but, when it comes to verbs or adjectives, try to think outside of the box and pick words that might not get their time in the spotlight.

It will make your work more interesting to read—and build your vocabulary, too!

Ways To Say

Synonym of the day

Speech Adjectives: Examples of Describing Words

Have you ever struggled to find the right words to describe someone’s speech? Whether you’re a writer, a public speaker, or just someone who appreciates the power of language, having a diverse vocabulary to describe speech can make all the difference. In this article, I’ll be sharing a comprehensive list of adjectives that you can use to describe different types of speech, along with examples to help you understand how to use them effectively.

So, if you’re ready to elevate your descriptive skills and bring your descriptions of speech to life, let’s dive into the world of adjectives for speech and explore the various ways we can capture the essence of communication.

Table of Contents

How to Describe speech? – Different Scenarios

Describing speech is an important skill that allows us to effectively convey the nuances and impact of someone’s words. By using descriptive adjectives, we can paint a vivid picture of how someone speaks in various scenarios. Let’s explore different scenarios and the adjectives that can be used to describe speech in each context:

Remember, the key to effectively describing speech is to choose adjectives that accurately capture the tone, mood, and impact of the words being spoken. By utilizing a diverse vocabulary, we can enhance our writing and communication skills, allowing us to paint a more vibrant picture for our readers or listeners.

Describing Words for speech in English

As a language expert, I believe that having a diverse vocabulary is crucial when it comes to describing speech. It enables us to capture the nuances, tone, and impact of the words being spoken. Whether it’s casual conversations, formal presentations, emotional discussions, intellectual debates, or inspirational speeches, using the right adjectives can enhance our ability to effectively convey someone’s speech.

Adjectives for speech

Positive adjectives for speech.

Negative Adjectives for Speech

In some situations, it may be necessary to describe speech in a negative light. These adjectives help to convey a sense of disappointment, lack of clarity, or even deception in someone’s speech. Here are some examples:

By using these descriptive adjectives, we can paint a more vivid and accurate picture of someone’s speech. Whether it is to highlight the effectiveness and impact of a positive speech or to highlight the weaknesses in a negative one, descriptive adjectives allow us to capture the nuances of communication more effectively.

Synonyms and Antonyms with Example Sentences

Synonyms for speech.

By using these synonyms, we can make our descriptions more interesting and engaging, capturing the different ways people communicate their ideas.

Antonyms for speech

In this article, we’ve explored the power of adjectives in describing speech and how they can enhance our language. By using synonyms and antonyms, we can bring variety and depth to our descriptions, making them more engaging and captivating for our readers.

Through the examples provided, we have seen how different adjectives can be used to portray speech in unique and nuanced ways. By incorporating these adjectives into our writing, we can effectively capture the different ways people communicate their ideas, adding realism and depth to our descriptions.

So, the next time you’re describing speech, remember to leverage the power of adjectives. Use them wisely to bring your descriptions to life and make your writing more dynamic and engaging. Let your words paint a vivid picture of the diverse ways people communicate their thoughts and ideas.

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1000 Most Common Words in English

Building your vocabulary with some of the most common words used in the English language is a great start for your journey in learning this beautiful language.

Not only do these common words expand the English terminology that you know, but they also help you with your English conversation skills since they are indeed words that you hear others use everyday.

If you know 1,000 words, you will be between a  functional beginner and  conversational  level in English.  In most of the world’s languages, 500 words will be more than enough to get you through any tourist situations and everyday introductions.

Start building your vocabulary with everyday common words

Using everyday common words are the most convenient way to learn English. The more you hear these words, the better it is for you to process and understand them.

And the more you use them, the stronger your English skills become. So it’s a great process of learning from others, and at the same time, learning from yourself, too!

Why do you need to build your vocabulary?

Before we check out the list of the most commonly used english words, let’s quickly go through the reasons why it’s important for you to build your vocabulary..

• While thoughts can shape our words, words can also definitely shape our thoughts. So building a good set of words inside your vocabulary allows you to enhance your thinking patterns. English is such a dynamic and wonderful language, you’ll never grow tired of all the wonderful things you can learn and re-learn from it, just by simply constantly supplementing the English words you know.
• And speaking of supplementing, think of your vocabulary as some sort of vitamin for your entire body of English knowledge. The more words you know, the healthier your English knowledge and skills are. 
• While learning common words in English is a great start, it will also definitely give you the push you need to level up on the words you know. Before you know it, you’ll be conversant and well-informed in more advanced types of the English terminology.

Here’s the List of the 1000 Most Common English Words

Okay, time to share the list! Remember that with these 1,000 words you’ll be able to ask people how they’re doing, tell them about your day and navigate everyday life situations like shopping and public transit. But also keep in mind that native-like fluency, among many other things, requires about 10,000 vocabulary words.

I also added some sentences as examples of how to use these English words. Check them out below.   the – “The sky is blue.” be  – “Will you be my friend?”

Be – “will you be my friend”, and – “you and i will always be friends.”, of – “today is the first of november.”, a – “i saw a bear today.”, in – “she is in her room.”, to – “let’s go to the park.”, have – “i have a few questions.”, too – “i like her too.”, it – “it is sunny outside.”, i – “i really like it here.”, that – “that door is open.”, for – “this letter is for you.”, you – “you are really nice.”, he – “he is my brother.”, with – “i want to go with you.”, on – “i watch movies on my ipad.”, do – “what will you do now”, say – “can i say something”, this – “this is my favorite cookie.”, they – “they are here”, at – “can you pick me up at the mall”, but – “i’m sorry but she’s away.”, we – “we are going to watch a movie.”, his – “this is his box.”, from – “this card came from my cousin.”, that – “that’s a really cool trick”, not – “that’s not what i want.”, can’t – “i can’t open it.”, won’t – “i won’t open it.”, by – “will you come by and see me”, she – “she is very happy.”, or – “do you like blue or yellow”, as – “her role as an english teacher is very important.”, what – “what are you thinking of”, go – “i want to go there.”, their – “this is their house.”, can – “what can i do for you”, who – “who can help me”, get – “can you get me my eyeglasses”, if – “what if i fail”, would – “would you help me out”, her – “i have her book.”, all – “all my favorite books are on this shelf.”, my – “my mom is coming to visit.”, make – “can we make our projects together”, about – “what is this movie about”, know – “do you know where this place is”, will – “i will help you find that place.”, as – “as soon as she’s here, i’ll talk to her.”, up – “i live up in the mountains.”, one – “she is one of my english teachers.”, time – “there was a time i liked to play golf.”, there – “there are so many things i want to learn.”, year – “this is the year i’m finally going to learn english.”, so – “i am so sorry.”, think – “i think i need to lie down.”, when – “when will i see you again”, which – “which of these slippers are yours”, them – “please give this to them.”, some – “please give them some of the apples i brought home.”, me – “can you give me some apples”, people – “there are so many people at the mall today.”, take – “please take home some of these apples”, out – “please throw the trash out.”, into – “my puppy ran into the woods.”, just – “just close your eyes.”, see – “did you see that”, him – “i heard him singing earlier.”, your – “your mom is here.”, come – “can your mom and dad come to the party”, could – “could you help me with my project”, now – “i want to watch this now.”, than – “i like this cake better than the other one you showed me.”, like – “i like this bag better than the other one you showed me.”, other – “i like these shoes better than the other ones you showed me.”, how – “how do i turn this on”, then – “we had breakfast and then we went to church.”, its – “i need to read its manual.”, our – “this is our home now.”, two – “two cheeseburgers, please.”, more – “can i have some more milk shake”, these – “do you like these ribbons”, want – “do you want these ribbons”, way – “can you look this way”, look – “please look this way.”, first – “she was my very first teacher.”, also – “she was also my best friend.”, new – “i have new shoes.”, because – “i am crying because i’m sad.”, day – “today is national friendship day.”, more – “i have more stickers at home.”, use – “how do i use this”, no – “there’s no electricity now.”, man – “there’s a man outside looking for you.”, find – “where can i find rare furniture”, here – “my mom is here.”, thing – “one thing led to another.”, give – “give her these pearls.”, many – “we shared many dreams together.”, well – “you know me so well.”, only – “you are my only friend here.”, those – “those boots belong to my friend.”, tell – “can you tell me which way to go”, one – “she’s the one he’s been waiting for.”, very – “i’m very upset right now.”, her – “her grandmother is sick.”, even – “she can’t even stand on her own.”, back – “i’ll be right back.”, any – “have you had any luck on your research”, good – “you’re a good person.”, woman – “that woman looks so polished.”, through – “your faith will see you through tough times.”, us – “do you want to go with us”, life – “this is the best day of my life.”, child – “i just saw a child cross the street by herself.”, there – “did you go there”, work – “i have to go to work.”, down – “let’s go down.”, may – “you may take your seats.”, after – “let’s have dinner after work.”, should – “should i buy this dress”, call – “call me when you get home, okay”, world – “i want to travel and see the world.”, over – “i can’t wait for this day to be over.”, school – “my cousin goes to school here.”, still – “i still think you should go.”, try – “can you try to be nicer to him”, in – “what’s in that box”, as – “as soon as i get home, i’m going to start watching that series.”, last – “this is my last slice of cake, i promise”, ask – “can you ask the waiter to bring us some wine”, need – “i need some wine tonight”, too – “i need some wine, too”, feel – “i feel so tired, i just need to relax and unwind.”, three – “i have three sisters.”, when – “when was the last time you saw them”, state – “check out the state of that shed, it’s falling apart.”, never – “i’m never going to drink wine again.”, become – “over the years we’ve become really close.”, between – “this is just between you and me.”, high – “give me a high five”, really – “i really like your painting”, something – “i have something for you.”, most – “she’s the most beautiful girl i’ve ever seen.”, another – “i’ll have another glass of wine, please.”, much – “i love you guys so much.”, family – “you are like family to me.”, own – “i want to get my own place.”, out  – “get out of my room.”, leave – “i want you to leave.”, put – “please put down that book and listen to me.”, old – “i feel so old”, while – “i can wait for you here while you shop.”, mean – “i didn’t mean to sound so angry.”, on – “can you turn on the lights”, keep – “can we keep the lights on tonight”, student – “i’ve always been a diligent student.”, why – “this is why i don’t go out anymore.”, let – “why won’t you let him know how you feel”, great – “this ice cream place is great for families with kids”, same – “hey, we’re wearing the same shirt”, big – “i have this big crush on brad pitt.”, group – “the group sitting across our table is so noisy.”, begin – “where do i begin with this huge project”, seem – “she may seem quiet, but she’s really outgoing once you get to know her.”, country – “japan is such a beautiful country”, help – “i need help with my math homework.”, talk – “can we talk in private”, where – “where were you last night”, turn – “if only i could turn back time.”, problem – “the problem is we think we have plenty of time.”, every – “every person has his own big goal to fulfill.”, start – “this is a great to start to learn the english language.”, hand – “don’t let go of my hand.”, might – “this might actually work.”, american – “the american culture is so dynamic.”, show – “can you show me how to use this vacuum cleaner”, part – “this is my favorite part of the movie”, about – “what is the story about”, against – “i am so against domestic abuse”, place – “this place is wonderful”, over – “she kept saying this over and over again.”, such – “he is such an annoying person.”, again – “can we play that game again”, few – “just a few more errands and i’m done”, case – “what an interesting case you are working on now”, most – “that’s the most interesting story i’ve ever heard.”, week – “i had a rough week.”, company – “will you keep me company”, where – “where are we going”, system – “what’s wrong with the airport’s system”, each – “can you give each of them an apple”, right – “i’m right this time.”, program – “this community program for teens is really helpful.”, hear – “did you hear that”, so – “i’m so sleepy.”, question – “i have a question for you.”, during – “during the session, i saw him fall asleep.”, work – “i have to work this weekend.”, play – “we can play soccer next weekend instead.”, government – “i hope the government does something about the poverty in this country.”, run – “if you see a bear here, run for your life.”, small – “i have a small favor to ask you.”, number – “i have a number of favors to ask you.”, off – “please turn off the television.”, always – “i always bring pepper spray with me.”, move – “let’s move on to the next tourist spot.”, like – “i really like you.”, night – “the night is young.”, live – “i’m going to live like there’s no tomorrow.”, mr. – “mr. morris is here.”, point – “you have a point.”, believe  – “i believe in you.”, hold – “just hold my hand.”, today – “i’m going to see you today.”, bring – “please bring a pen.”, happen  – “what will happen if you don’t submit your report on time”, next – “this is the next best thing.”, without – “i can’t live without my phone.”, before – “before i go to bed i always wash my face.”, large – “there’s a large amount of data online about that topic.”, all – “that’s all i know about dinosaurs.”, million – “i have a million questions about this book.”, must – “we must watch this movie together.”, home – “can we go home now”, under – “i hid it under my bed.”, water – “i filled the tub with water.”, room – “his room is at the end of the corridor.”, write – “can you write me a prescription for this”, mother – “his mother is a very lovely woman.”, area – “this area of this house needs to be fixed.”, national – “that virus has become a national concern.”, money – “she needs money to buy her medicine.”, story – “she shared her story to the media.”, young – “she is so young and so hopeful.”, fact – “it’s a fact: shopping can improve your mood.”, month – “it’s that time of the month”, different – “just because she’s different, it doesn’t mean she’s bad.”, lot – “you have a lot of explaining to do.”, right – “turn right when you reach the corner.”, study – “let’s study our english lessons together., book – “can i borrow your english book”, eye – “she has the pink eye.”, job – “i love my job.”, word – “describe yourself in one word.”, though – “though you are angry now, i’m sure you will forget about this later.”, business – “his business is thriving.”, issue – “this is not an issue for me.”, side – “whose side are you on, anyway”, kind – “always be kind, even to strangers.”, four – “there are four seasons in a year.”, head – “let’s head back, it’s freezing out here.”, far – “we’ve gone too far and now we’re lost.”, black – “she has long, black hair.”, long – “she has long, brown hair.”, both – “they both love chocolate ice cream.”, little – “i have two little boys with me now.”, house – “the house is so quiet without you.”, yes – “i hope you say yes.”, after – “after all this time, he has finally learned to love.”, since – “ever since his mom died, he has been cranky and angry at the world.”, long – “that was such a long time ago.”, provide – “please provide me with a list of your services.”, service – “do you have a specific dental service to treat this”, around – “we went around the block.”, friend – “you’re a good friend.”, important – “you’re important to me.”, father – “my father is so important to me.”, sit – “let’s sit outside together.”, away – “he’s away right now.”, until – “until when will you be away”, power – “with great power comes great responsibility.”, hour – “i’ve been checking his temperature every hour.”, game – “let’s play a game.”, often – “i buy from his bakery as often as i can.”, yet – “he’s not yet home.”, line – “there’s a long line at the grocery cashier.”, political – “i stay away from political discussions.”, end – “it’s the end of an era.”, among – “among all my pets, he’s my most favorite.”, ever – “have you ever tried this cake”, stand – “can you stand still for a minute”, bad – “what you did was so bad.”, lose – “i can’t lose you.”, however – “i want to buy this bag, however, i need to save up for it first.”, member – “she’s a member of the babysitter’s club.”, pay – “let’s pay for our groceries.”, law – “there’s a law against jay-walking.”, meet – “i want you to meet my aunt.”, car – “let’s go inside my car.”, city – “this is the city that never sleeps.”, almost – “i’m almost done with my report.”, include – “did you remember to include the summary in your report”, continue – “can we continue working tomorrow”, set – “great, let me set an appointment for you.”, later – “i’ll finish it later.”, community – “our community is very tight knit.”, much – “there’s so much to learn in the english language.”, name – “what’s your name”, five – “i can give you five reasons why you need to watch that video.”, once  – “i once had a puppy named bark.”, white – “i love my white sneakers.”, least – “she’s the least productive among all the employees.”, president  – “she was our class president back in high school.”, learn – “i’d love to learn more about the english language.”, real – “what is her real name”, change – “what can we change so that things will get better”, team – “they hired a team to do the design of their new office.”, minute – “she’s laughing every minute of every day.”, best – “this is the best potato salad i’ve ever tasted.”, several – “i have several old clothes i need to donate.”, idea – “it was your idea to go to the beach, remember”, kid – “i loved that toy when i was a kid.”, body – “she worked out hard to achieve a toned body.”, information – “this is the information i need.”, nothing – “there’s nothing we can do now. “, ago – “three years ago, i visited japan for the first time.”, right – “you’re right, i want to go back there.”, lead – “just lead the way and i’ll follow.”, social – “i feel awkward in these social gatherings.”, understand – “i understand how you feel.”, whether – “whether in big groups or small groups, i always feel a little shy at first.”, back – “looking back, i knew i was always an introvert.”, watch – “let’s watch the sun set on the horizon.”, together – “they’re together now.”, follow – “i’ll follow you home.”, around – “you’ll always have me around.”, parent – “every parent is trying hard and doing their best.”, only – “you are only allowed to go out today.”, stop – “please stop that.”, face – “why is your face so red”, anything – “you can ask me for anything.”, create – “did you create that presentation it was so good.”, public – “this is public property.”, already –  “i already asked him to resend his report.”, speak – “could you speak a little louder”, others – “the others haven’t arrived yet.”, read – “i read somewhere that this house is haunted.”, level – “what level are you in that game”, allow – “do you allow your kids to play outside the house”, add – “is it okay if we add a bit of sugar to the tea”, office – “welcome to my office.”, spend – “how much did you spend on your last shopping spree”, door – “you left the door open.”, health – “you must take good care of your health.”, person – “you are a good person.”, art – “this is my work of art.”, sure – “are you sure you want to do this alone”, such – “you are such a brave little boy.”, war – “the war has finally ended.”, history – “she is my history professor.”, party – “are you going to her party tonight”, within – “we support everyone within our small community.”, grow – “we want everyone to grow and thrive in their careers.”, result – “the result of this outreach program is amazing.”, open – “are you open to teaching on weekends”, change – “where can we change her diaper”, morning – “it’s such a beautiful morning”, walk – “come take a walk with me.”, reason – “you are the reason i came home.”, low – “her blood pressure has gotten really low.”, win – “we can win this match if we work together.”, research – “how is your research going”, girl  – “that girl is in my class.”, guy – “i’ve seen that guy in school before.”, early – “i come to work so early every day.”, food – “let’s buy some food, i’m hungry”, before – “can i talk to you before you go home”, moment – “the moment she walked in the room, her puppy started to jump and dance again.”, himself – “he cooked this turkey himself.”, air – “i am loving the cold night air here.”, teacher – “you are the best teacher ever.”, force – “don’t force him to play with other kids.”, offer – “can i offer you a ride home”, enough – “boys, that’s enough playing for today.”, both – “you both need to change into your sleep clothes now.”, education – “i just want you to get the best education.”, across – “your dog ran across the park.”, although – “although she felt tired, she still couldn’t sleep.”, remember  – “do you think she will still remember me after ten years”, foot – “her foot got caught in one of the ropes.”, second – “this is the second time she got late this month.”, boy – “there’s a boy in her class who keeps pulling her hair.”, maybe – “maybe we can have ice cream for dessert.”, toward – “he took a step toward her.”, able – “will you be able to send me your report today”, age – “what is the average marrying age these days”, off – “the cat ran off with the dog.”, policy – “they have a generous return policy.”, everything – “everything is on sale.”, love – “i love what you’re wearing”, process – “wait, give me time to process everything you’re telling me.”, music – “i love music.”, including – “around 20 people attended, including bob and beth.”, consider – “i hope you consider my project proposal.”, appear – “how did that appear out of nowhere”, actually – “i’m actually just heading out.”, buy – “i’m going to buy these shoes.”, probably – “he’s probably still asleep.”, human – “give him a break, he is only human.”, wait – “is it alright if you wait for a few minutes”, serve – “this blow dryer has served me well for years.”, market – “let’s visit the sunday market.”, die – “i don’t want my cat to die, let’s take him to the vet please.”, send – “please send the package to my address.”, expect – “you can’t expect much from their poor service.”, home – “i can’t wait to go home”, sense – “i did sense that something was not okay.”, build – “he is going to build his dream house.”, stay – “you can stay with me for a few weeks.”, fall – “be careful, you might fall.”, oh – “oh no, i left my phone at home”, nation – “we have to act as one nation.”, plan – “what’s your plan this time”, cut – “don’t cut your hair.”, college – “we met in college.”, interest – “music is an interest of mine.”, death – “death is such a heavy topic for me.”, course – “what course did you take up in college”, someone – “is there someone who can go with you”, experience – “what an exciting experience”, behind – “i’m scared to check what’s behind that door.”, reach – “i can’t reach him, he won’t answer his phone.”, local – “this is a local business.”, kill – “smoking can kill you.”, six – “i have six books about psychology.”, remain – “these remain on the top shelf.”, effect – “wow, the effect of that mascara is great”, use – “can i use your phone”, yeah – “yeah, he did call me earlier.”, suggest – “he did suggest that to me.”, class – “we were in the same english class.”, control – “where’s the remote control”, raise – “it’s so challenging to discipline kids these days.”, care – “i don’t care about what you think.”, perhaps – “perhaps we can arrive at a compromise.”, little – “there’s a little bird outside my window.”, late – “i am running late for my doctor’s appointment.”, hard – “that test was so hard.”, field – “he’s over there, by the soccer field.”, else – “is anyone else coming”, pass – “can we pass by the grocery store”, former – “she was my former housemate.”, sell – “we can sell your old couch online.”, major – “it’s a major issue for the project.”, sometimes – “sometimes i forget to turn off the porch lights.”, require – “they’ll require you to show your i.d.”, along – “can i tag along your road trip”, development – “this news development is really interesting.”, themselves – “they can take care of themselves.”, report – “i read her report and it was great”, role – “she’s going to play the role of elsa.”, better – “your singing has gotten so much better”, economic – “some countries are facing an economic crisis.”, effort – “the government must make an effort to solve this.”, up – “his grades have gone up.”, decide – “please decide where to eat.”, rate – “how would you rate the hotel’s service”, strong – “they have strong customer service here”, possible – “maybe it’s possible to change their bathroom amenities.”, heart – “my heart is so full.”, drug – “she got the patent for the drug she has created to cure cancer.”, show – “can you show me how to solve this puzzle”, leader – “you are a wonderful leader.”, light – “watch her face light up when you mention his name.”, voice – “hearing his mom’s voice is all he need right now.”, wife – “my wife is away for the weekend.”, whole – “i have the whole house to myself.”, police – “the police have questioned him about the incident.”, mind – “this relaxation technique really eases my mind.”, finally – “i can finally move out from my old apartment.”, pull – “my baby niece likes to pull my hair.”, return – “i give her tickles in return.”, free – “the best things in life are free.”, military – “his dad is in the military.”, price – “this is the price you pay for lying.”, report – “did you report this to the police”, less – “i am praying for less stress this coming new year.”, according – “according to the weather report, it’s going to rain today.”, decision – “this is a big decision for me.”, explain – “i’ll explain everything later, i promise.”, son – “his son is so cute”, hope – “i hope i’ll have a son one day.”, even – “even if they’ve broken up, they still remain friends.”, develop – “that rash could develop into something more serious.”, view – “this view is amazing”, relationship – “they’ve taken their relationship to the next level.”, carry – “can you carry my bag for me”, town – “this town is extremely quiet.”, road – “there’s a road that leads to the edge of the woods.”, drive – “you can’t drive there, you need to walk.”, arm – “he broke his arm during practice.”, true – “it’s true, i’m leaving the company.”, federal – “animal abuse is now a federal felony”, break – “don’t break the law.”, better – “you better learn how to follow rules.”, difference – “what’s the difference between happiness and contentment”, thank – “i forgot to thank her for the pie she sent us.”, receive – “did you receive the pie i sent you”, value – “i value our friendship so much.”, international  – “their brand has gone international”, building  – “this building is so tall”, action  – “you next action is going to be critical.”, full  – “my work load is so full now.”, model  – “a great leader is a great model of how to do things.”, join  – “he wants to join the soccer team.”, season  – “christmas is my favorite season”, society  – “their society is holding a fund raiser.”, because – “i’m going home because my mom needs me.”, tax  – “how much is the current income tax”, director  – “the director yelled ‘cut'”, early  – “i’m too early for my appointment.”, position  – “please position your hand properly when drawing.”, player  – “that basketball player is cute.”, agree  – “i agree he is cute”, especially  – “i especially like his blue eyes.”, record  – “can we record the minutes of this meeting, please”, pick – “did you pick a color theme already”, wear  – “is that what you’re going to wear for the party”, paper  – “you can use a special paper for your invitations.”, special  – “some special paper are even scented”, space – “please leave some space to write down your phone number.”, ground  – “the ground is shaking.”, form – “a new island was formed after that big earthquake.”, support  – “i need your support for this project.”, event – “we’re holding a big event tonight.”, official – “our official wedding photos are out”, whose  – “whose umbrella is this”, matter  – “what does it matter anyway”, everyone  – “everyone thinks i stole that file.”, center  – “i hate being the center of attention.”, couple  – “the couple is on their honeymoon now.”, site – “this site is so big”, project  – “this project file is due tomorrow.”, hit  – “he hit the burglar with a bat.”, base – “all moms are their child’s home base.”, activity  – “what musical activity can you suggest for my toddler”, star – “my son can draw a star”, table  – “i saw him draw it while he was writing on the table.”, need  – “i need to enroll him to a good preschool.”, court – “there’s a basketball court near our house.”, produce  – “fresh farm produce is the best.”, eat  – “i could eat that all day.”, american  – “my sister is dating an american.”, teach  – “i love to teach english lessons.”, oil  – “could you buy me some cooking oil at the store”, half  – “just half a liter please.”, situation – “the situation is getting out of hand.”, easy – “i thought you said this was going to be easy”, cost  – “the cost of fuel has increased”, industry – “the fuel industry is hiking prices.”, figure – “will our government figure out how to fix this problem”, face  – “i can’t bear to face this horrendous traffic again and again.”, street  – “let’s cross the street.”, image – “there’s an image of him stored inside my mind.”, itself  – “the bike itself is pretty awesome.”, phone  – “plus, it has a phone holder.”, either – “i either walk or commute to work.”, data  – “how can we simplify this data”, cover  – “could you cover for me during emergencies”, quite – “i’m quite satisfied with their work.”, picture  – “picture this: a lake, a cabin, and lots of peace and quiet., clear – “that picture is so clear inside my head.”, practice – “let’s practice our dance number.”, piece  – “that’s a piece of cake”, land – “their plane is going to land soon.”, recent – “this is her most recent social media post.”, describe – “describe yourself in one word.”, product – “this is my favorite product in their new line of cosmetics.”, doctor – “the doctor is in.”, wall – “can you post this up on the wall”, patient  – “the patient is in so much pain now.”, worker – “she’s a factory worker.”, news  – “i saw that on the news.”, test – “i have to pass this english test.”, movie – “let’s watch a movie later.”, certain  – “there’s a certain kind of magic in the air now.”, north – “santa lives up north.”, love – ” l love christmas”, personal  – “this letter is very personal.”, open – “why did you open and read it”, support  – “will you support him”, simply – “i simply won’t tolerate bad behavior.”, third – “this is the third time you’ve lied to me.”, technology – “write about the advantages of technology.”, catch – “let’s catch up soon, please”, step – “watch your step.”, baby – “her baby is so adorable.”, computer – “can you turn on the computer, please”, type  – “you need to type in your password.”, attention – “can i have your attention, please”, draw – “can you draw this for me”, film – “that film is absolutely mind-blowing.”, republican – “he is a republican candidate.”, tree – “that tree has been there for generations.”, source – “you are my source of strength.”, red – “i’ll wear a red dress tonight.”, nearly – “he nearly died in that accident”, organization – “their organization is doing great things for street kids.”, choose – “let me choose a color.”, cause – “we have to see the cause and effect of this experiment.”, hair  – “i’ll cut my hair short for a change.”, look –  “can you look at the items i bought”, point  “what is the point of all this, century  – “we’re living in the 21st century, mary.”, evidence – “the evidence clearly shows that he is guilty.”, window  – “i’ll buy window curtains next week.”, difficult  “sometimes, life can be difficult.”, listen – “you have to listen to your teacher.”, soon  – “i will launch my course soon.”, culture  – “i hope they understand our culture better.”, billion  – “my target is to have 1 billion dollars in my account by the end of the year.”, chance  – “is there any chance that you can do this for me”, brother  – “my brother always have my back.”, energy  –  “now put that energy into walking.”, period  – “they covered a period of twenty years.”, course  – “have seen my course already”, summer – “i’ll go to the beach in summer.”, less  – “sometimes, less is more.”, realize  – “i just realize that i have a meeting today.”, hundred  – “i have a hundred dollars that i can lend you.”, available  – “i am available to work on your project.”, plant  – “plant a seed.”, likely  – “it was likely a deer trail.”, opportunity  – “it was the perfect opportunity to test her theory.”, term  – “i’m sure there’s a latin term for it.”, short  – “it was just a short stay at the hotel.”, letter  – “i already passed my letter of intent.”, condition  – “do you know the condition i am in”, choice  – “i have no choice.”, place  – “let’s meet out at meeting place.”, single  – “i am a single parent.”, rule  – “it’s the rule of the law.”, daughter  – “my daughter knows how to read now.”, administration  – “i will take this up with the administration.”, south  – “i am headed south.”, husband  – “my husband just bought me a ring for my birthday.”, congress  – “it will be debated at the congress.”, floor  – “she is our floor manager.”, campaign  – “i handled their election campaign.”, material  – “she had nothing  material to report.”, population  – “the population of the nearest big city was growing.”, well  – “i wish you well.”, call  – ” i am going to call the bank.”, economy  – “the economy is booming.”, medical  -“she needs medical assistance.”, hospital  – “i’ll take her to the nearest hospital.”, church   – “i saw you in church last sunday.”, close  -“please close the door.”, thousand – “there are a thousand reasons to learn english”, risk – “taking a risk can be rewarding.”, current – “what is your current address”, fire – “make sure your smoke alarm works in case of fire.”, future   -“the future is full of hope.”, wrong  – “that is the wrong answer.”, involve  – “we need to involve the police.”, defense  – “what is your defense or reason you did this”, anyone  – “does anyone know the answer”, increase  – “let’s increase your test score.”, security  – “some apartment buildings have security.”, bank  – “i need to go to the bank to withdraw some money.”, myself  – “i can clean up by myself.”, certainly  – “i can certainly help clean up.”, west  – “if you drive west, you will arrive in california.”, sport  – “my favorite sport is soccer.”, board  – “can you see the board”, seek  – “seek and you will find.”, per  – “lobster is $20 per pound.”, subject  – “my favorite subject is english”, officer  – “where can i find a police officer”, private  – “this is a private party.”, rest  – “let’s take a 15 minute rest.”, behavior  – “this dog’s behavior is excellent.”, deal  – “a used car can be a good deal.”, performance  – “your performance can be affected by your sleep.”, fight  – “i don’t want to fight with you.”, throw  – “throw me the ball”, top  – “you are a top student.”, quickly – “let’s finish reading this quickly.”, past – “in the past, my english was not as good as it is today.”, goal  – “my goal is to speak english fluently.”, second  – “my second goal is to increase my confidence.”, bed  – “i go to bed around 10pm.”, order  – “i would like to order a book.”, author  – “the author of this series is world-famous.”, fill  – “i need to fill (up) my gas tank.”, represent  – “i represent my family.”, focus  – “turn off your phone and the tv and focus on your studies”, foreign  – “it’s great having foreign friends.”, drop  – “please don’t drop the eggs”, plan  – “let’s make a plan.”, blood  – “the hospital needs people to give blood.”, upon  – “once upon a time, a princess lived in a castle.”, agency  – “let’s contract an agency to help with marketing.”, push  – “the door says ‘push,’ not ‘pull.'”, nature  – “i love walking in nature”, color –  “my favorite color is blue.”, no  – “‘no’ is one of the shortest complete sentences.”, recently  – “i cleaned the bathroom most recently, so i think it’s your turn this time.”, store  – “i’m going to the store to buy some bread.”, reduce  – “reduce, reuse, and recycle are the ways to help the environment.”, sound  – “i like the sound of wind chimes.”, note  – “please take notes during the lesson.”, fine  – “i feel fine.”, before  – “before the movie, let’s buy popcorn”, near  – “near, far, wherever you are, i do believe that the heart goes on.”, movement  – “the environmental movement is an international movement.”, page  – “please turn to page 62.”, enter  – “you can enter the building on the left.”, share  – “let me share my idea.”, than  – “ice cream has more calories than water.”, common  – “most people can find something in common with each other.”, poor – “we had a poor harvest this year because it was so dry.”, other  – “this pen doesn’t work, try the other one.”, natural – “this cleaner is natural, there aren’t any chemicals in it.”, race – “we watched the car race on tv.”, concern – “thank you for your concern, but i’m fine.”, series – “what is your favorite tv series”, significant – “his job earns a significant amount of money.”, similar – “these earrings don’t match, but they are similar.”, hot – “don’t touch the stove, it’s still hot.”, language – “learning a new language is fun.”, each – “put a flower in each vase.”, usually – “i usually shop at the corner store.”, response – “i didn’t expect his response to come so soon.”, dead – “my phone is dead, let me charge it.”, rise – “the sun will rise at 7:00 a.m.”, animal – “what kind of animal is that”, factor – “heredity is a factor in your overall health.”, decade – “i’ve lived in this city for over a decade.”, article – “did you read that newspaper article”, shoot – “he wants to shoot arrows at the target.”, east – “drive east for three miles.”, save – “i save all my cans for recycling.”, seven – “there are seven slices of pie left.”, artist – “taylor swift is a recording artist.”, away – “i wish that mosquito would go away.”, scene – “he painted a colorful street scene.”, stock – “that shop has a good stock of postcards.”, career – “retail sales is a good career for some people.”, despite – “despite the rain, we will still have the picnic.”, central – “there is good shopping in central london.”, eight – “that recipe takes eight cups of flour.”, thus – “we haven’t had any problems thus far.”, treatment – “i will propose a treatment plan for your injury.”, beyond – “the town is just beyond those mountains.”, happy – “kittens make me happy.”, exactly – “use exactly one teaspoon of salt in that recipe.”, protect – “a coat will protect you from the cold weather.”, approach – “the cat slowly approached the bird.”, lie – “teach your children not to lie.”, size – “what size is that shirt, dog  – “do you think a dog is a good pet”, fund  – “i have a savings fund for college.”, serious – “she is so serious, she never laughs.”, occur – “strange things occur in that empty house.”, media – “that issue has been discussed in the media.”, ready – “are you ready to leave for work”, sign – “that store needs a bigger sign.”, thought – “i’ll have to give it some thought.”, list – “i made a list of things to do.”, individual – “you can buy an individual or group membership.”, simple – “the appliance comes with simple instructions.”, quality – “i paid a little more for quality shoes.”, pressure – “there is no pressure to finish right now.”, accept – “will you accept my credit card”, answer – “give me your answer by noon tomorrow.”, hard – “that test was very hard.”, resource – “the library has many online resources.”, identify – “i can’t identify that plant.”, left – “the door is on your left as you approach.”, meeting – “we’ll have a staff meeting after lunch.”, determine – “eye color is genetically determined.”, prepare – “i’ll prepare breakfast tomorrow.”, disease – “face masks help prevent disease.”, whatever – “choose whatever flavor you like the best.”, success – “failure is the back door to success.”, argue – “it’s not a good idea to argue with your boss.”, cup – “would you like a cup of coffee”, particularly – “it’s not particularly hot outside, just warm.”, amount – “it take a large amount of food to feed an elephant.”, ability – “he has the ability to explain things well.”, staff – “there are five people on staff here.”, recognize – “do you recognize the person in this photo”, indicate – “her reply indicated that she understood.”, character – “you can trust people of good character.”, growth – “the company has seen strong growth this quarter.”, loss – “the farmer suffered heavy losses after the storm.”, degree – “set the oven to 300 degrees.”, wonder – “i wonder if the bulls will win the game.”, attack – “the army will attack at dawn.”, herself – “she bought herself a new coat.”, region – “what internet services are in your region”, television – “i don’t watch much television.”, box – “i packed my dishes in a strong box.”, tv – “there is a good movie on tv tonight.”, training – “the company will pay for your training.”, pretty – “that is a pretty dress.”, trade – “the stock market traded lower today.”, deal – “i got a good deal at the store.”, election – “who do you think will win the election”, everybody – “everybody likes ice cream.”, physical – “keep a physical distance of six feet.”, lay – “lay the baby in her crib, please.”, general – “my general impression of the restaurant was good.”, feeling – “i have a good feeling about this.”, standard – “the standard fee is $10.00.”, bill – “the electrician will send me a bill.”, message – “you have a text message on your phone.”, fail – “i fail to see what is so funny about that.”, outside – “the cat goes outside sometimes.”, arrive – “when will your plane arrive”, analysis – “i’ll give you my analysis when i’ve seen everything.”, benefit – “there are many health benefits to quinoa.”, sex – “do you know the sex of your baby yet”, forward – “move the car forward a few feet.”, lawyer – “my lawyer helped me write a will.”, present – “if everyone is present, the meeting can begin.”, section – “what section of the stadium are you sitting in”, environmental – “environmental issues are in the news.”, glass – “glass is much heavier than plastic.”, answer – “could you answer a question for me”, skill – “his best skill is woodworking.”, sister – “my sister lives close to me.”, pm – “the movie starts at 7:30 pm.”, professor – “dr. smith is my favorite professor.”, operation – “the mining operation employs thousands of people.”, financial – “i keep my accounts at my financial institution.”, crime – “the police fight crime.”, stage – “a caterpillar is the larval stage of a butterfly.”, ok – “would it be ok to eat out tonight”, compare – “we should compare cars before we buy one.”, authority – “city authorities make the local laws.”, miss – “i miss you, when will i see you again”, design – “we need to design a new logo.”, sort – “let’s sort these beads according to color.”, one – “i only have one cat.”, act – “i’ll act on your information today.”, ten – “the baby counted her ten toes.”, knowledge – “do you have the knowledge to fix that”, gun – “gun ownership is a controversial topic.”, station – “there is a train station close to my house.”, blue – “my favorite color is blue.”, state – “after the accident i was in a state of shock.”, strategy – “our new corporate strategy is written here.”, little – “i prefer little cars.”, clearly – “the instructions were clearly written.”, discuss – “we’ll discuss that at the meeting.”, indeed – “your mother does indeed have hearing loss.”, force – “it takes a lot of force to open that door.”, truth – “please tell me the truth.”, song – “that’s a beautiful song.”, example – “i need an example of that grammar point, please.”, democratic – “does australia have a democratic government”, check – “please check my work to be sure it’s correct.”, environment – “we live in a healthy environment.”, leg – “the boy broke his leg.”, dark – “turn on the light, it’s dark in here.”, public – “masks must be worn in public places.”, various – “that rug comes in various shades of gray.”, rather – “would you rather have a hamburger than a hot dog”, laugh – “that movie always makes me laugh.”, guess – “if you don’t know, just guess.”, executive – “the company’s executives are paid well.”, set – “set the glass on the table, please.”, study – “he needs to study for the test.”, prove – “the employee proved his worth.”, hang – “please hang your coat on the hook.”, entire – “he ate the entire meal in 10 minutes.”, rock – “there are decorative rocks in the garden.”, design – “the windows don’t open by design.”, enough – “have you had enough coffee”, forget – “don’t forget to stop at the store.”, since – “she hasn’t eaten since yesterday.”, claim – “i made an insurance claim for my car accident.”, note – “leave me a note if you’re going to be late.”, remove – “remove the cookies from the oven.”, manager – “the manager will look at your application.”, help – “could you help me move this table”, close – “close the door, please.”, sound – “the dog did not make a sound.”, enjoy – “i enjoy soda.”, network – “band is the name of our internet network.”, legal – “the legal documents need to be signed.”, religious – “she is very religious, she attends church weekly.”, cold – “my feet are cold.”, form – “please fill out this application form.”, final – “the divorce was final last month.”, main – “the main problem is a lack of money.”, science – “he studies health science at the university.”, green – “the grass is green.”, memory – “he has a good memory.”, card – “they sent me a card for my birthday.”, above – “look on the shelf above the sink.”, seat – “that’s a comfortable seat.”, cell – “your body is made of millions of cells.”, establish – “they established their business in 1942.”, nice – “that’s a very nice car.”, trial – “they are employing her on a trial basis.”, expert – “matt is an it expert.”, that – “did you see that movie”, spring – “spring is the most beautiful season.”, firm – “her ‘no” was very firm, she won’t change her mind.”, democrat – “the democrats control the senate.”, radio – “i listen to the radio in the car.”, visit – “we visited the museum today.”, management – “that store has good management.”, care – “she cares for her mother at home.”, avoid – “you should avoid poison ivy.”, imagine – “can you imagine if pigs could fly”, tonight – “would you like to go out tonight”, huge – “that truck is huge”, ball – “he threw the ball to the dog.”, no – “i said ‘no,’ please don’t ask again.”, close – “close the window, please.”, finish – “did you finish your homework”, yourself – “you gave yourself a haircut”, talk – “he talks a lot.”, theory – “in theory, that’s a good plan.”, impact – “the drought had a big impact on the crops.”, respond – “he hasn’t responded to my text yet.”, statement – “the police chief gave a statement to the media.”, maintain – “exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight.”, charge – “i need to charge my phone.”, popular – “that’s a popular restaurant.”, traditional – “they serve traditional italian food there.”, onto – “jump onto the boat and we’ll go fishing.”, reveal – “washing off the dirt revealed the boy’s skinned knee.”, direction – “what direction is the city from here”, weapon – “no weapons are allowed in government buildings.”, employee – “that store only has three employees.”, cultural – “there is cultural significance to those old ruins.”, contain – “the carton contains a dozen egges.”, peace – “world leaders gathered for peace talks.”, head – “my head hurts.”, control – “keep control of the car.”, base – “the glass has a heavy base so it won’t fall over.”, pain – “i have chest pain.”, apply – “maria applied for the job.”, play – “the children play at the park.”, measure – “measure twice, cut once.”, wide – “the doorway was very wide.”, shake – “don’t shake the can of soda.”, fly – “we can fly to france next year.”, interview – “my job interview went well.”, manage – “did you manage to find the keys”, chair – “the table has six matching chairs.”, fish – “i don’t enjoy eating fish.”, particular – “that particular style looks good on you.”, camera – “i use the camera on my phone.”, structure – “the building’s structure is solid.”, politics – “mitch is very active in politics.”, perform – “the singer will perform tonight.”, bit – “it rained a little bit last night.”, weight – “keep track of your pet’s weight.”, suddenly – “the storm came up suddenly.”, discover – “you’ll discover treasures at that thrift store.”, candidate – “there are ten candidates for the position.”, top – “the flag flies on the top of that building.”, production – “factory production has improved over the summer.”, treat – “give yourself a treat for a job well done.”, trip – “we are taking a trip to florida in january.”, evening – “i’m staying home this evening.”, affect – “my bank account will affect how much i can buy.”, inside – “the cat stays inside.”, conference – “there will be expert presenters at the conference.”, unit – “a foot is a unit of measure.”, best – “those are the best glasses to buy.”, style – “my dress is out of style.”, adult – “adults pay full price, but children are free.”, worry – “don’t worry about tomorrow.”, range  – my doctor offered me a range of options., mention  – “can you mention me in your story”, rather  – “rather than focusing on the bad things, let’s be grateful for the good things.”, far  – “i don’t want to move far from my family.”, deep  – “that poem about life is deep.”, front –  “please face front.”, edge  – “please do not stand so close to the edge of the cliff.”, individual  – “these potato chips are in an individual serving size package.”, specific  – “could you be more specific”, writer  – “you are a good writer.”, trouble  – “stay out of trouble.”, necessary  – “it is necessary to sleep.”, throughout  – “throughout my life i have always enjoyed reading.”, challenge  – “i challenge you to do better.”, fear  – “do you have any fears”, shoulder  – “you do not have to shoulder all the work on your own.”, institution  – “have you attended any institution of higher learning”, middle  – “i am a middle child with one older brother and one younger sister.”, sea  – “i want to sail the seven seas.”, dream  – “i have a dream.”, bar – “a bar is a place where alcohol is served.”, beautiful  – “you are beautiful.”, property  – “do you own property, like a house”, instead  – “instead of eating cake i will have fruit.”, improve  – “i am always looking for ways to improve.”, stuff  – “when i moved, i realized i have a lot of stuff”, claim  – “i claim to be a fast reader, but actually i am average.”.

From  http://www.wordfrequency.info

Grow Your List!

These 1000 common words are just a speck of the many English terms you can learn! Aren’t you excited to learn more? For now, focus on familiarizing yourself with these words. And make a conscious effort to use them in your everyday conversations.

The power of everyday English conversations is truly remarkable. And it’s the best way to deepen your learning and love for the language.

If you want more lessons relating to English vocabulary, here’s a great lesson  that talks about the different ways you can improve your English vocabulary fast.

9 Kinds of Humor Explained in English

Gabby Wallace, M.Ed TESOL

About the Author Gabby Wallace is the Founder of Go Natural English, where you can quickly improve your confidence speaking English through advanced fluency practice. Even if you don't have much time, this is the best place for improving your English skills. Millions of global intermediate - advanced English students are learning with Gabby's inspiring, clear, and energetic English lessons. Gabby has a Masters Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Boston University and 20+ years experience helping students become fluent through her online courses and membership program.

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15 Common English Filler Words You Should Know

What are filler words? They're everywhere in spoken English. Learn not only what English filler words are but how to use them in English conversation.

Ariel Craine

Have you ever noticed someone saying So or You know? many times in one conversation? What about Um or Alright ? These phrases are everywhere in spoken English, but you probably won't find them in your textbook.

Fear not! After reading this article, you'll know not only what English filler words are but how (and why!) to use them.

Filler words are some of the most commonly spoken words in any language . Fluent English speakers say these sounds so often in casual conversation that most of the time we don't even realize we're using them!

Let me give you an example:

" Okay so have you, like , heard of the "Valley Girl" accent? Well , it's also known as Uptalk and basically , it's, um , this accent known for, uh , using tons of filler words. I mean, actually, um ...what are filler words?"

Alright, alright. I'll stop. A less extreme example would be something like:

" Oh ...I forgot where I was going. Um, I think I'll leave now!"

Do you see what I mean? Great! Let's learn about English filler words and how they function in a conversation.

What Are Filler Words?

As the name suggests, filler words are short sounds used when people need to "fill" in the gaps between thoughts or sentences. Sometimes, these words even add a little extra attitude or emphasis. They're also known as discourse markers .

There are pros and cons to using them—and we'll get to that in a second—but in informal situations, using common filler words can make you sound more natural. They keep up the pace of English conversation without being distracting.

You almost certainly have filler words in your own native tongue. What sort of filler words you use depends on the language and sometimes on your region or age.

Spanish speakers might say este or pues . Italians are infamous for their use of allora . Living in South Korea, you'd be hard-pressed to find a Korean speaker who doesn't use eum or keu .

Why Do We Use Fillers Words?

Most people don't realize this when they're using them, but filler words have different purposes. It's not only to fill up space!

We use filler words to:

• Hesitate or pause
• Indicate mood or tone
• Be indirect as a form of politeness
• Express doubt
• Emphasize ideas

That's a lot of potential meanings, right? With that, let's see some of the most popular English filler words!

Common Filler Words

"Oh" is one of the most common filler words in the English language. People of every age and dialect say it. Oh almost always begins a sentence and it might indicate subtle surprise or disappointment.

Example: "Oh...I didn't know."

Love it or hate it, like has become incredibly common with young English speakers. This filler word started in California and, despite being irritating to some, you should know people say like all the time in many different ways. People pause by saying like but we also use it to add emphasis. Another reason we say like is when we're quoting a conversation.

Examples: "It's, like , not a big deal." "He's never even, like , been to a concert." "I was like , why didn't you want to go?"

3. You know

Do you know how to use you know ? It can start, finish, or interject a sentence. Native speakers might start with you know while we collect our thoughts. We also say it to check for agreement. It's important to note fluent English speakers use this when we assume the other person shares the same knowledge or opinion as us.

Examples : " You know , I never thought this would happen." "The book was sort of boring, you know ?" "He was, you know , always late."

Sometimes English speakers might start sentences with I mean when we want to clarify our point. It also adds emphasis or functions as a pause while thinking of what to say next.

Example: " I mean , that would be amazing!" " I mean, don't you want to see her show?" " I mean ...you never know."

5. Or something

Want to express your doubt or hesitancy? English speakers add ...or something to the end of an idea when we're unsure. This has the added effect of "softening" up a sentence if we're worried about seeming too direct.

Example : "I heard it's about whales or something ."

Well, well, well...what have we here? Well in English can be an adverb ("It's going well!)" but it also functions as a filler word. Speakers add this to the beginning of a sentence to transition between ideas.

Example: "You're sure? Well , just let me know!"

Just is a great word to use to add emphasis or, somewhat contradictorily, hedge your argument. Just can also express hesitancy and make your point more indirect (which, in some situations, may be more polite!).

Examples : "Well, that's just great." "It's just a bird!" " Just ...I don't know what to say." "I just thought it would be fine."

8. Basically

It's basic! Speakers use basically when we're summarizing our ideas or emphasizing our most important point.

Examples : " Basically all I did was call her." "It's basically about this superhero."

9. Actually

Actually is great for when you're trying to emphasize the truth of something. Sometimes, we say it to contradict someone else.

Examples: "That actually happened to me!" " Actually , I'm not sure if that's true."

English learners probably know so because it's often an intensifying adverb ("That's so nice!"). However, so is also used as a coordinating conjunction at the beginning of a sentence. It's a filler word that, like basically , is meant to indicate consequence or to wrap-up an idea.

Examples: " So that's how I got here." " So what's next?"

Right means "correct" in English, but English speakers use it for more than just an adjective: it can start a sentence, change the topic or check for agreement.

Examples: " Right , I'll see you tomorrow." "You live next door, right ?"

Okay is an English loan word heard all over the world. It's an adjective and adverb ( "It's okay." or "It went okay." ) but we also use it as a filler word! Much like right , okay can start a sentence, change topics or be an affirmative. Native speakers also use it to check for understanding.

Examples: " Okay , are you here yet?" " Okay , let's talk about next week's class." "I know you're tired so let's leave, okay ?

13. Alright

Alright is the informal (and sometimes considered incorrect!) spelling of all right . Just as with right , fluent speakers use it to agree and to transition between ideas. It can also check if someone is safe or good. In spoken English, it's a bit more formal than okay but, again, this spelling shouldn't be used in formal writing.

Example: " Alright , that makes sense." "The kids are alright ."

Um is another incredibly common (if not the most common) English filler word. This is the kind of filler word that people say all the time but usually don't even realize we're using. You use um as a pause or hesitation in between ideas. English speakers also say it when we're expressing uncertainty.

Example: "That would go between the, um , couch and the TV."

Yeah is usually a term of agreement, but we also say it to confirm or check for understanding. Examples: " Yeah , I feel the same way." "You know where the burger place is, yeah ?"

When Should You Use Filler Words?

If you don't often practice conversations with a native English speaker, you might not realize how common these words are in spoken English. Because TV shows and movies are written and rehearsed, their dialogue will be stripped of most of these words--unless they're trying to mimic a certain accent. Likewise, podcasters and youtubers will often edit out these little noises to make their content sound smoother.

Filler words are often considered unprofessional because they can make you sound unsure or unprepared. Specific words, such as like are associated with teenage girls (need an example? See Cher from Clueless).

Just like with contractions , you want to avoid using them in formal situations.

A teacher at my high school would take off points from our grade every time we started our presentations with the word So . Maybe this goes without saying, but she took off a lot of points.

This isn't to say you should never use them. Filler words are actually very important because they can make a sentence more indirect, which can be more polite. They can also help you sound less robotic. As I said above, these words are so natural, it'll be difficult to find a native speaker who doesn't say Oh or Um sometimes.

Rather, it's important to know when and how to use these discourse markers. A casual dinner out with friends? Sure, say like as much as you like! A high-stakes board meeting with your boss's boss? Maybe stay away from the Ums and You know -s.

Understanding these words and what they usually mean can help you better read someone's mood or subtle meaning. Now you can tell when someone might be trying to check for agreement, hedge their opinion or express doubt!

Conclusion: What's Next?

We've learned some of the most popular English filler words. What do you think? Will you start using these in casual conversation? Even if you don't, the next time someone starts throwing out words like So or Actually , you can better guess their tone and intention.

Okay, so, it's basically that easy, right?

Right! So now that you know about filler words, you can keep learning about other ways English speakers speak informally . If you want to learn more ways to sound like a native speaker, you can read about the best techniques to improve your English communication skills !

Well, that's all. Oh, and good luck on your language learning journey!

Speechling is a nonprofit app and website that combines human coaching with technology to improve your foreign language speaking.

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FACT FOCUS: A look at claims made by Trump at news conference

Trump lashes out at Harris, recommits to a Sept. 10 debate at hourlong news conference

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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FILE - Crowds are shown in front of the Washington Monument during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Aug. 28, 1963, in Washington. (AP Photo, File)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump talks about his ear as he speaks to reporters during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

In his first news conference since Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee for president, former President Donald Trump said he would debate her on Sept. 10 and pushed for two more debates. The Republican presidential nominee spoke for more than an hour, discussing a number of issues facing the country and then taking questions from reporters. He made a number of false and misleading claims. Many of them have been made before.

Here’s a look at some of those claims.

CROWD SIZES

CLAIM: “The biggest crowd I’ve ever spoken — I’ve spoken to the biggest crowds. Nobody’s spoken to crowds bigger than me. If you look at Martin Luther King when he did his speech, his great speech, and you look at ours, same real estate, same everything, same number of people, if not we had more. And they said he had a million people, but I had 25,000 people.”

THE FACTS: Trump was comparing the crowd at his speech in front of the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, to the crowd that attended Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech on Aug. 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial.

But far more people are estimated to have been at the latter than the former.

Approximately 250,000 people attended the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at which King gave his speech, according to the National Park Service . The Associated Press reported in 2021 that there were at least 10,000 people at Trump’s address.

Moreover, Trump and King did not speak in the same location. King spoke from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial , which looks east toward the Washington Monument. Trump spoke at the Ellipse , a grassy area just south of the White House.

CLAIM: “Nobody was killed on Jan. 6.”

THE FACTS: That’s false. Five people died in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and its immediate aftermath. Pro-Trump rioters breached the U.S. Capitol that day amid Congress’ effort to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

Among the deceased are Ashli Babbitt, a Trump supporter shot and killed by police, and Brian Sicknick, a police officer who died the day after battling the mob. Four additional officers who responded to the riot killed themselves in the following weeks and months.

Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran from San Diego, was shot and killed by a police officer as she climbed through a broken part of a Capitol door during the violent riot. Trump has often cited Babbitt’s death while lamenting the treatment of those who attended a rally outside the White House that day and then marched to the Capitol, many of whom fought with police.

DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION

CLAIM: “The presidency was taken away from Joe Biden, and I’m no Biden fan, but I tell you what, from a constitutional standpoint, from any standpoint you look at, they took the presidency away.”

THE FACTS: There is nothing in the Constitution that prevents the Democratic Party from making Vice President Kamala Harris its nominee. That process is determined by the Democratic National Committee.

Harris officially claimed the nomination Monday following a five-day online voting process, receiving 4,563 delegate votes out of 4,615 cast, or about 99% of participating delegates. A total of 52 delegates in 18 states cast their votes for “present,” the only other option on the ballot.

The vice president was the only candidate eligible to receive votes after no other candidate qualified by the party’s deadline following President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the race on July 21.

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THE ECONOMY

CLAIM: Suggesting things would be different if he had been in office rather than Biden: “You wouldn’t have had inflation. You wouldn’t have had any inflation because inflation was caused by their bad energy problems. Now they’ve gone back to the Trump thing because they need the votes. They’re drilling now because they had to go back because gasoline was going up to 7, 8, 9 dollars a barrel.”

THE FACTS: There would have been at least some inflation if Trump had been reelected in 2020 because many of the factors causing inflation were outside a president’s control. Prices spiked in 2021 after cooped-up Americans ramped up their spending on goods such as exercise bikes and home office furniture, overwhelming disrupted supply chains. U.S. auto companies, for example, couldn’t get enough semiconductors and had to sharply reduce production, causing new and used car prices to shoot higher. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 also sent gas and food prices soaring around the world, as Ukraine’s wheat exports were disrupted and many nations boycotted Russian oil and gas.

Still, under Biden, U.S. oil production reached a worldwide record level earlier this year .

Many economists, including some Democrats, say Biden’s $1.9 trillion financial support package, approved in March 2021, which provided a $1,400 stimulus check to most Americans, helped fuel inflation by ramping up demand. But it didn’t cause inflation all by itself. And Trump supported $2,000 stimulus checks in December 2020, rather than the $600 checks included in a package he signed into law in December 2020.

Prices still spiked in countries with different policies than Biden’s, such as France , Germany and the U.K. , though mostly because of the sharp increase in energy costs stemming from Russia’s invasion.

IMMIGRATION

CLAIM: “Twenty million people came over the border during the Biden-Harris administration — 20 million people — and it could be very much higher than that. Nobody really knows.”

THE FACTS: Trump’s 20 million figure is unsubstantiated at best, and he didn’t provide sources.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports 7.1 million arrests for illegal crossings from Mexico from January 2021 through June 2024. That’s arrests, not people. Under pandemic-era asylum restrictions, many people crossed more than once until they succeeded because there were no legal consequences for getting turned back to Mexico. So the number of people is lower than the number of arrests.

In addition, CBP says it stopped migrants 1.1 million times at official land crossings with Mexico from January 2021 through June 2024, largely under an online appointment system to claim asylum called CBP One.

U.S. authorities also admitted nearly 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela under presidential authority if they had financial sponsors and arrived at an airport.

All told, that’s nearly 8.7 million encounters. Again, the number of people is lower due to multiple encounters for some.

There are an unknown number of people who eluded capture, known as “got-aways” in Border Patrol parlance. The Border Patrol estimates how many but doesn’t publish that number.

CLAIM: Vice President Kamala Harris “was the border czar 100% and all of a sudden for the last few weeks she’s not the border czar anymore.”

THE FACTS: Harris was appointed to address “root causes” of migration in Central America. That migration manifests itself in illegal crossings to the U.S., but she was not assigned to the border.

NEW YORK CASES

CLAIM: “The New York cases are totally controlled out of the Department of Justice.”

THE FACTS: Trump was referring to two cases brought against him in New York — one civil and the other criminal.

Neither has anything to do with the U.S. Department of Justice.

The civil case was initiated by a lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James. In that case, Trump was ordered in February to pay a $454 million penalty for lying about his wealth for years as he built the real estate empire that vaulted him to stardom and the White House.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a state-level prosecutor, brought the criminal case . In May, a jury found Trump guilty on 34 felony counts in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex.

___ Associated Press writers Melissa Goldin and Elliot Spagat and economics writer Christopher Rugaber contributed to this article. ___

Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck .

An earlier version of this story mixed up “latter” and “former” in the third paragraph. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech on Aug. 28, 1963, drew a far larger crowd than Donald Trump’s speech near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021.

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• Artificial intelligence

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally, Aug. 7, 2024, in Romulus, Michigan. (AP)

Donald Trump is wrong. These images of Kamala Harris’ Aug. 7 Detroit rally are corroborated, not AI

If your time is short.

Local news reports and dozens of photos and videos from local and national media outlets documented an Aug. 7 Kamala Harris-Tim Walz campaign rally at Michigan’s Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The photos and reports show that thousands of rallygoers attended the event.

An expert on detecting manipulated images analyzed the photo and found no evidence it was generated by artificial intelligence or manipulated.

Former President Donald Trump is keen to boast about his crowd sizes and attack his political rivals over theirs. But his Aug. 11 claim that 2024 opponent Vice President Kamala Harris used artificial intelligence to paint a picture of a nonexistent crowd at one of her events upped the ante on election year attacks. 

"Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport?" Trump wrote in an Aug. 11 Truth Social post . "There was nobody at the plane, and she ‘A.I.’d’ it, and showed a massive ‘crowd’ of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN’T EXIST!" 

Responding to a social media post he reshared that included a picture showing Harris’ plane surrounded by a large crowd of people — some with Harris-Walz campaign signs — Trump wrote that it amounted to a "fake crowd picture."

"She had NOBODY waiting, and the ‘crowd’ looked like 10,000 people!" he wrote . One minute later, Trump posted again: "Look, we caught her with a fake ‘crowd.’ There was nobody there!"

Trump’s claim is baseless. Thousands of people attended the Aug. 7 Harris campaign event in Romulus, Michigan, a southwest suburb of Detroit. 

Dozens of photos and videos of the event — including from journalists at Getty Images and The Associated Press — show that Harris-Walz supporters gathered at Michigan’s Detroit Metropolitan Airport for the rally .

Air Force Two with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz aboard arrives Aug. 7, 2024, for a campaign rally in Romulus, Michigan. (AP)

The Detroit News reported that Harris and allies "rallied thousands of supporters" Aug. 7 who were "packed inside and outside an airplane hangar." The Detroit Free Press reported that "several thousand supporters" lined up hours in advance to get inside the airport for the event. Similarly, WDIV, a local TV channel, reported that "thousands of people were there."

For those inquiring about Kamala Harris’ Michigan rally crowd size — here is the view of both inside and outside the hangar at DTW before, during and after the rally. 🎥: Kayman Whaley, TDN. Stay with us at https://t.co/SwQpP52S0b for live, accurate updates. pic.twitter.com/6K48qjKtfo — The Detroit News (@detroitnews) August 8, 2024

We contacted the Trump campaign for comment and received no response. 

A Harris campaign spokesperson told PolitiFact that a campaign staff member took the crowd photo that Trump reshared and it was not generated or modified by AI.

"This is an actual photo of a 15,000-person crowd for Harris-Walz in Michigan," the Harris campaign wrote in an Aug. 11 X post , sharing the contested photo. 

Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Information and an expert on digital forensics and image analysis, said he has "no doubt that the photo is real."

Farid said he analyzed the photo using two different computer models trained to detect patterns associated with generative AI images. Neither detected evidence of AI-generation or manipulation. 

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"The haloing effect around many of the heads/bodies is, I believe, due to the unusual lighting in the hangar," Farid said in an email. Also, he said, "many other" videos and photos of the rally show "the same basic scene."

Supporters listen Aug. 7, 2024, as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally in Romulus, Michigan. (AP)

"Comparing several versions of this photo, I think the only alteration was some simple brightness/contrast and perhaps sharpening," Farid said.

Lavora Barnes, Michigan’s Democratic Party chair , shared a photo on X of herself addressing the Aug. 7 crowd and joked about Trump’s AI-generated crowd claim. 

"I’m honored that whoever made the AI image of 15,000 excited Democrats welcoming @kamalaharris and @tim_walz to Detroit was kind enough to include me at the lectern," she wrote Aug. 11 on X . "That AI crowd was really loud, my ears just stopped ringing from their imaginary cheering." 

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrive for a campaign rally, Aug. 7, 2024, in Romulus, Michigan. (AP)

On Truth Social, Trump shared a screenshot of conservative commentator Chuck Callesto’s Aug. 10 X post . Callesto — whose Instagram profile picture is a 2022 image of himself and Trump — posted his false claim that the Harris campaign was using a "FAKE crowd photo" at 2:47 p.m. ET. His post had been viewed more than 14.4 million times as of the evening of Aug. 12.

(Screenshot from Truth Social)

Callesto was not the first person to use photos to sow doubt about the crowd size at Harris’ Michigan rally. Blog sites linked to Italy and India shared posts Aug. 8 and Aug. 9 that questioned the rally photos’ authenticity. 

Paid X subscribers also shared close-up photos of Air Force Two at the rally as early as 12:46 p.m. ET on Aug. 10, claiming that the reflections on the plane proved there was no crowd. 

Jake Shields, a mixed martial arts fighter with 735,000 followers on X, promoted this theory. "Harris is using AI to fake crowd size," he posted at 4:46 p.m. Aug. 10. Just after 6 p.m., conservative commentator and Trump supporter Dinesh D’Souza amplified the claim.

Trump said a photo of Harris’ Aug. 7 rally near Detroit was AI-generated, that "there was nobody there" and the attendees pictured "didn’t exist." 

Local news organizations reported that thousands of people attended the rally, and photos and videos show the same scene at the airplane hangar. An expert on detecting manipulated images analyzed the photo and found no evidence it was AI-generated or manipulated. 

We rate the claim Pants on Fire!

PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

RELATED: Trump’s False crowd comparison with his Jan. 6 speech and the crowd at MLK’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech

Read About Our Process

The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter

Our Sources

Donald Trump’s Truth Social post , Aug. 11, 2024

Email interview with Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Information, Aug. 12, 2024

Emailed statement a Harris campaign spokesperson, Aug. 12, 2024

Hany Farid’s LinkedIn post , Aug. 10, 2024

Lavora Barnes’ X post , Aug. 11, 2024

Kamala HQ’s X post , Aug. 11, 2024

Fox News, Trump claims 'nobody' cheered Harris outside Air Force Two despite video, images of crowds , Aug. 12, 2024

CNN, Trump spreads false conspiracy theory about Harris’ Detroit crowd size , Aug. 11, 2024

PolitiFact, Donald Trump swipe at Beto O'Rourke's crowd size is wrong , Feb. 12, 2019

The Detroit News’ X post , Aug. 7, 2024

Nnamdi Egwuonwu’s X post , Aug. 7, 2024

Nora Eckert’s X post , Aug. 7, 2024

Jordyn Hermani’s X post , Aug. 7, 2024

MLive, Kamala Harris rally at Detroit airport to include Whitmer, top Michigan Democrats , Aug. 7, 2024

Getty Images, US Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz presidential campaign rally in Michigan , Aug. 7, 2024

Getty Images, Kamala Harris Tim Walz US Presidential Campaign Rally in Michigan , Aug. 7, 2024

Associated Press Newsroom, Election 2024 Harris , Aug. 7, 2024

The Detroit News, Presidential campaigns zero in on Michigan with new intensity , Aug. 7, 2024

The Detroit News, Harris, Walz bring historic campaign to Michigan, rallying at Detroit Metro Airport , Aug. 7, 2024

WDIV Click on Detroit, Trump falsely claims Harris campaign ‘faked’ Detroit rally photos , Aug. 12, 2024 

Chuck Callesto’s X post , Aug. 10, 2024

Chuck Callesto’s X post , Nov. 15, 2023

Caclubindia.com, Fake AI Crowd at Kamala Harris Rally (5 Proofs) , Aug. 10, 2024

Decripto.org, US election, supporters of Kamala Harris added with artificial intelligence , Aug. 8, 2024

Jake Shields X post , Aug. 10, 2024

Dinesh D’Souza X post , Aug. 10, 2024

CNN, Donald Trump is (still) totally obsessed with crowd size , Oct. 27, 2020

PolitiFact, Donald Trump had biggest inaugural crowd ever? Metrics don't show it , Jan. 22, 2017

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A UC Berkeley linguist explores what Kamala Harris’s voice and speech reveal about her identity

"When we talk about Kamala Harris as a modern candidate, she is in some ways embodying all of the ways the country has moved on from the idea that you can only be one thing at once."

By Jason Pohl

Lawrence Cooper/Sipa USA via AP

August 6, 2024

Every now and then, a scholar’s niche expertise lines up with a cultural or political moment and finds an audience hungry for the details. Nicole Holliday is having one of those moments. 

Holliday is an acting associate professor of linguistics at UC Berkeley who studies what politicians say, how they speak and what their speech reveals about their identity. Perhaps more than any other scholar, Holliday has spent years examining the speaking style of a politician who is also having a moment: Kamala Harris.

What does Harris’s enunciation of vowels say about her California roots? How do a few choice words on the debate stage speak to her background as a Black woman? And how does that all change when she’s working a crowd in Georgia or delivering a policy statement in Washington? 

“I’m really interested in what happens with the voice, with the body, to inhabit these different parts of a person’s style,” said Holliday, who has also researched Barack Obama’s speaking style. “Politicians are the best people to study this on because you know what their motivations are — they’re all trying to get elected, or they’re trying to get money, or they’re trying to get voters.”

Journalists and the general public have become increasingly interested in Holliday’s work ever since President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid and Harris soared to the top of the ticket as the Democratic presidential nominee. Holliday’s TikTok videos describing the science of Harris’s tone, style and word choice have gone viral, as have her explanations on why linguistically it’s problematic when people intentionally mispronounce her name. (It’s “comma-la.”) 

Individuals shifting how they speak based on their goals isn’t reserved for politicians, and it shouldn’t be viewed as inauthentic, Holliday said. Regular people vary their tone and word choice from their workplaces to their homes. Those variations fascinate Holliday.

“Most of the stuff that I’m talking about happens way below the level of consciousness,” Holliday said, “It would be really hard to control, even if you were trying.”

Berkeley News asked her what her research on Harris says about Harris’s culture and identity, why it matters that some people — including Donald Trump — continue to mispronounce her name, and what language can teach us about the current political moment. 

Berkeley News : Can you give me the 30,000-foot assessment of what your research has found especially interesting or special about the way Kamala Harris speaks? 

Nicole Holliday: She has a really unique style that reflects her biography. She sounds like an African American woman. She sounds like she’s from Northern California. She sounds like a charismatic political figure. But these are different identities that one person would have to inhabit all at once, and they’re traditionally seen as in conflict.

Our stereotype of a persuasive politician is not a Black and Indian woman. If you ask somebody to draw a picture of an American politician, they’re not drawing Kamala Harris. So she’s got to be a politician and, at the same time, sound like herself: a woman and Black and Indian American. And rep her hometown because she is a hometown girl, which can be a little bit of a liability for her now on a national stage because of the way that California is painted. 

But damn, she is so California.

Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

Say more. As a linguist, what do you hear in her speech that signals her California roots? 

When people describe the features that are geographically unique to California in the linguistic literature, they focus on a few things. There is this thing called the California vowel shift , where the back vowels move forward, and this is something that we see Harris do. 

@mixedlinguist VP Harris is sociolinguistally awesome, and fortunately I already wrote a paper about that! #linguisttok My website with all my research: https://nicolerholliday.wordpress.com ♬ original sound – Nicole Holliday

She doesn’t say “cool.” She says “kewl.” She doesn’t say goat. She says “gewt,” with the tongue far forward in the mouth. This is also a change that’s been in progress across America, so a lot of young people, even in the Midwest, will pronounce their back vowels far forward like this. But it started in California. It would be very strange if she had those vowels and she was her age and she was from New York. This is not something that they do over there. 

Another example: She has this interesting thing going on with what we call the low back vowels. Her low back vowels are distinct, which is not the case for most Californians, but they’re both kind of shifted up.

What that means is that words that are like “cot” and “caught,” those for me, a person from Ohio, are the same. But for her, they’re slightly distinct, but higher than we would expect. That’s a really interesting interplay, because I think that has to do with her being a Black woman from California. 

If she were a white woman, or if she were a Black man, we might not see this exact pattern.

You also say she’s embodying what’s called African American English. What do you mean?

I looked at her debate speech from when she was running as a primary candidate for the 2020 nomination. And when she talks about things that have to do with her biography, specifically about race or about immigration — these things that she can speak on from personal experience —  she uses a set of tones that is more what we would characterize as an African American charismatic style. So she kinda sounds more like Obama. 

When she talks about things like the economy or gun control or the climate, she uses a more typical, average white politician style, in terms of her tone. It is very interesting. And in this situation, it’s not a function of talking to different audiences, because she’s just in the same debate. It’s really what she’s talking about.

Lastly, she has this very occasional strategic use of casual features that are, for white Americans, just seen as really casual, but can also be what we call “camouflaged features of African American English.” This is my favorite thing. African American English is stigmatized. People call it “bad English.” They say it’s “improper.” All of this kind of stuff. But as a result, middle class and upper middle class Black people have found a way to kind of index their Blackness — highlight this part of their identities — without getting chastised for using “bad grammar.” 

And she does this even in the super formal debate speech.

She uses “gotta” and “gonna” in these particular ways. And of course, yes, white people say “gotta” and “gonna.” Everybody in America says “gotta” and “gonna.” But in a debate context, that is a little bit surprising, given how formal the rest of her style is. 

Is there an example of her doing this that comes to mind?

My favorite quote from her is from Oct. 15th, 2019, in the fourth primary debate. She said, “This is a crisis of Donald Trump’s making, and it is on a long list of crises of Donald Trump’s making. And that’s why dude gotta go.” 

When she has these strong zingers, particularly against Trump, they tend to go viral. Nicole Holliday, UC Berkeley

“Dude. Gotta. Go.” Not “Dude’s gotta go.” No. For a while, her primary campaign was selling T-shirts that said, “Dude gotta go.” It became a catchphrase. When I say that she’s doing this as part of a stylistic performance, that’s what I mean. Maybe it wasn’t premeditated. She didn’t think about it ahead of time. But that became a zinger, a one-liner. And when she has these strong zingers, particularly against Trump, they tend to go viral.

The last one is with “I’ma,” which is actually the most distinctively African American of these features. She says, “Cause I’ma tell you as a prosecutor” and “I’ma tell you what I saw.” 

We hear her do it now, too, once in a while. This is her being able to be like, “Look, look, look. I have these fancy degrees and I’m a prosecutor. And yes, I’m the vice president of the United States. But don’t forget that I’m from Oakland, and I’m Black.”

How much of this is conscious? And how much of this is just the deeply ingrained way we speak that’s been honed from decades of talking? 

@mixedlinguist Is Kamala Harris code-switching? What do we even mean by that? #linguistTok #kamala My website: https://nicolerholliday.wordpress.com ♬ original sound – Nicole Holliday

Political figures have debate coaches, speech coaches, things like that. But my sense is that the stuff that she’s doing in this case would be really hard to control. Maybe you can make a little argument about the “I’ma” and the “gotta.”

But the vowels? I’m a professional linguist, and if someone was like, “Make your vowels more California,” I don’t think I could do that. Especially not when I’m trying to, like, deliver a policy position. The cognitive load is too high. 

That holds even more for what I’m saying about the stuff that she does with her tone. It’s not really possible to do this at the level of consciousness. We choose our words, for sure, but even those in a debate kind of context are a little bit difficult. Those are the things you prep. 

But your speech coach is never gonna be like, “All right, so you need to raise the pitch by exactly 50Hz on the first syllable of prosecutor.” It doesn’t happen. It may be that she has a style in mind, but controlling the specific features that are attached to it is not really possible, 

I could see some people with a cynical reading of all of this being like, “Nothing is real, everything is prepared, they’re all politicians, and they’re all trying to manipulate us.” It sounds like you’re saying, “Yeah, maybe.” But also that it’s unlikely because of the more technical parts of speech that linguists spend their careers studying.

I would actually maybe turn that on its head and say, “Yeah, that’s every human.” We notice them doing it because we know that they’re selling something to us.

And this isn’t just her. This is Trump. This is J.D. Vance. This is Pete Buttigieg. It’s everybody who has that job, because selling the brand is part of the job. That’s how they keep their jobs.

Do you think that highlighting your New York-ness if you call the New York DMV is going to get you further than if you sound like you’re from California? Sure it is. And nobody had to tell you that. It’s not a conscious process. But arguably, we all do it. 

It’s just that with the politicians, because we know what they want, it’s clearer that they’re doing it. And the line between a politician doing something as a cynical ploy and doing something that really is part of their biography that I actually connect with as a voter is very fine.

As a linguist, what do you make of the deliberate mispronunciations of “Kamala” that have continued, despite her being a prominent national politician for many years now?

The right way to say anyone’s name — anyone’s name — is how they tell you to say their name. Period. That’s the first point. 

@mixedlinguist What’s up with the differences in how people say “Kamala”? Her name has become a shibboleth that tells us about the speaker’s alignment! #linguistTok #kamala ♬ original sound – Nicole Holliday

I know a guy named Christopher. People call him Chris. He doesn’t want to go by Chris. It’s disrespectful. The third time that he tells you, “My name is not Chris,” and you keep doing it, unless you have some kind of really good excuse, it’s disrespectful. 

For years, Kamala Harris has been putting out videos saying, “My name is Kamala,” and the stress is on the first syllable.

Yes, there are many reasons that regular people can get it wrong in conversation, especially if you’re a person that hasn’t heard her name very much, you’ve only read it. Some people have trouble hearing stress differences. If English isn’t your first language, that might be interfering with your ability to hear the way that she’s pronouncing her name with the stress. I’m not at all saying that your pronunciation of her name as an everyday person is an indication of your politics. I’m not making that claim.  

What I am saying is, if you’re the former president of the United States, or a U.S. Senator, or a media personality with extensive training who’s had to say her name thousands of times in your life and you’ve never bothered to try to say it the way that she says it, that’s on purpose.

You’ve also studied Maya Rudolph’s portrayal of Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live. What makes that parody so good?

My first published Kamala Harris paper was about Maya Rudolph. She takes literally the exact phrases and the tone of those phrases that Kamala Harris uses, and then she dials them up to 11. I’m sure that Maya Rudolph doesn’t actually know how to do this the way that I would coach her as a linguist. She’s not looking at the waveform and the pitch up and down and being like, “All right, well, I need to raise myself by 50Hz here.” We don’t do that. But it’s like she really hears what Kamala Harris is doing. She internalizes it. And then when she goes to put on the Kamala Harris costume, it’s like a caricature. 

This is why parody is funny. Everybody that plays a politician on SNL does this to varying levels of effectiveness. But I would argue that Maya Rudolph is just a really skilled comedian anyway. I’m so glad that they just announced that she’s going to play Kamala Harris for the next year. I was really worried that we wouldn’t get more Maya Rudolph. 

But now I have to write another paper.

There are going to be a lot of speeches in the months ahead. There are going to be a lot of campaign stops. What’s next on your list of things to study?

What I didn’t have in the earlier analysis was her in different situations. Now, I hear her being different in Atlanta than in Philadelphia than in Los Angeles. And I want to know: Where is the California-ness? Where is the Black woman-ness? Where is the politician? I think she’s doing all of these things all the time. But I’m also interested in how people respond to her.  

What’s your sense of that response, so far? 

Speaker Mike Johnson said to members of Congress that they should not leverage racist and sexist attacks against her, that it would not help their cause. And they cannot seem to stop doing it.  

I’m interested in how she responds… She’s got a really fine line to walk.  Nicole Holliday, UC Berkeley

So if she gets portrayed as inauthentic by her opponents, I’m interested in how she responds. Does she shift something about her language in that response, or does she not? Maybe she shouldn’t. Maybe the way is to just let this roll off. I’m not a political consultant. But I do think she’s got a really fine line to walk. 

And there’s something really challenging for her, too. With Barack Obama, he did get the criticism that he wasn’t really Black. But in his case, the only other option was that he was white, and that didn’t work. His opponents were not going to go around saying he was white.

For her, because she has all of these identities at the same time — she is Indian American, she is Black American, she’s Jamaican American — there can be a little bit of a whack-a-mole where everyone will always accuse her of not being X enough.

This is disconcerting because it comes from a cultural and linguistic assumption that people can only ever be one thing. But that’s not the world we live in. So when we talk about Kamala Harris as a modern candidate, she is in some ways — with her biography, her ethnicity, her gender — embodying all of the ways the country has moved on from the idea that you can only be one thing at once. 

So I’m very interested to see how she manages to stay true to herself to respond to those never-ending critiques, and what she does with different audiences. 

Advertisement

Fine-Tuning His Attacks on Harris, Trump Tries Using Her Words Against Her

Donald J. Trump broke from his routine at a rally in Montana to play videos designed to portray Kamala Harris as inept and dangerously liberal.

• Share full article

By Michael Gold and Simon J. Levien

Reporting from Bozeman, Mont.

• Aug. 10, 2024

As former President Donald J. Trump continues to reach for attacks on his new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, that might halt her political momentum, he unveiled a new tactic at a rally in Bozeman, Mont., on Friday night, aiming to use Ms. Harris’s own words against her.

Interrupting his typical pattern of a digressive and lengthy speech, Mr. Trump played two video compilations of past remarks by Ms. Harris that his campaign hopes will portray her as overly liberal and inept.

The first video drew on statements that Ms. Harris made during the 2020 presidential campaign, when she tacked to the left and backed progressive ideas on criminal justice reform. The second was a montage of interviews and speeches that Mr. Trump’s campaign used to mock her speaking style and insult her intelligence.

The videos did little to alter the message that the Trump campaign has deployed against Ms. Harris for weeks and that Mr. Trump summed up during his speech on Friday.

“America cannot survive for four more years of this bumbling communist lunatic,” Mr. Trump told thousands gathered in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse at Montana State University. “We cannot let her win this election.”

Mr. Trump and his allies have repeatedly tried to portray Ms. Harris as more liberal than President Biden in the three weeks since he ended his campaign and cleared the way for her to be the Democratic presidential nominee.

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The Vocabulary.com Top 1000 

The top 1,000 vocabulary words have been carefully chosen to represent difficult but common words that appear in everyday academic and business writing. These words are also the most likely to appear on the SAT, ACT, GRE, and ToEFL. To create this list, we started with the words that give our users the most trouble and then ranked them by how frequently they appear in our corpus of billions of words from edited sources. If you only have time to study one list of words, this is the list.

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• consider deem to be At the moment, artemisinin-based therapies are considered the best treatment, but cost about $10 per dose - far too much for impoverished communities. Seattle Times (Feb 16, 2012)
• minute infinitely or immeasurably small The minute stain on the document was not visible to the naked eye.
• accord concurrence of opinion The committee worked in accord on the bill, and it eventually passed.
• evident clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment That confidence was certainly evident in the way Smith handled the winning play with 14 seconds left on the clock.
• practice a customary way of operation or behavior He directed and acted in plays every season and became known for exploring Elizabethan theatre practices .
• intend have in mind as a purpose “Lipstick, as a product intended for topical use with limited absorption, is ingested only in very small quantities,” the agency said on its website.
• concern something that interests you because it is important The scandal broke out in October after former chief executive Michael Woodford claimed he was fired for raising concerns about the company's accounting practices.
• commit perform an act, usually with a negative connotation In an unprecedented front page article in 2003 The Times reported that Mr. Blair, a young reporter on its staff, had committed journalistic fraud. New York Times (Feb 15, 2012)
• issue some situation or event that is thought about As a result, the privacy issues surrounding mobile computing are becoming ever-more complex.
• approach move towards Spain’s jobless rate for people ages 16 to 24 is approaching 50 percent. New York Times (Feb 15, 2012)
• establish set up or found A small French colony, Port Louis, was established on East Falkland in 1764 and handed to the Spanish three years later.
• utter without qualification No one can blame an honest mechanic for holding a wealthy snob in utter contempt. Ingersoll, Robert Green
• conduct direct the course of; manage or control Scientists have been conducting studies of individual genes for years.
• engage consume all of one's attention or time We had nearly two hundred passengers, who were seated about on the sofas, reading, or playing games, or engaged in conversation. Field, Henry M. (Henry Martyn)
• obtain come into possession of He delayed making the unclassified report public while awaiting an Army review, but Rolling Stone magazine obtained the report and posted it Friday night. New York Times (Feb 11, 2012)
• scarce deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand Meanwhile, heating oil could grow more scarce in the Northeast this winter, the Energy Department warned last month. New York Times (Jan 21, 2012)
• policy a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group Inflation has lagged behind the central bank’s 2 percent target, giving policy makers extra scope to cut rates.
• straight successive, without a break After three straight losing seasons, Hoosiers fans were just hoping for a winning record. Seattle Times (Feb 15, 2012)
• stock capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares In other words, Apple’s stock is cheap, and you should buy it. Forbes (Feb 16, 2012)
• apparent clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment But the elderly creak is beginning to become apparent in McCartney’s voice.
• property a basic or essential attribute shared by members of a class Owing to these magic properties , it was often planted near dwellings to keep away evil spirits. Parsons, Mary Elizabeth
• fancy imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind For a time, indeed, he had fancied that things were changed. Weyman, Stanley J.
• concept an abstract or general idea inferred from specific instances As a psychologist, I have always found the concept of speed dating fascinating. Scientific American (Feb 13, 2012)
• court an assembly to conduct judicial business When Brown pleaded not guilty to assaulting Rihanna, their violent past came out in court . Slate (Feb 16, 2012)
• appoint assign a duty, responsibility, or obligation to In 1863 he was appointed by the general assembly professor of oriental languages at New College. Various
• passage a section of text, particularly a section of medium length His interpretation of many obscure scriptural passages by means of native manners and customs and traditions is particularly helpful and informing. Sheets, Emily Churchill Thompson
• vain unproductive of success An attempt was made to ignore this brilliant and irregular book, but in vain ; it was read all over Europe. Various
• instance an occurrence of something In many instances large districts or towns would have fewer representatives than smaller ones, or perhaps none at all. Clarke, Helen Archibald
• coast the shore of a sea or ocean Martello towers must be built within short distances all round the coast . Wingfield, Lewis
• project a planned undertaking The funds are aimed at helping build public projects including mass transit, electricity networks, water utility and ports, it said.
• commission a special group delegated to consider some matter The developers are now seeking approval from the landmarks commission . New York Times (Feb 16, 2012)
• constant a quantity that does not vary In 1929, Hubble independently put forward and confirmed the same idea, and the parameter later became known as the Hubble constant . Nature (Nov 15, 2011)
• circumstances one's overall condition in life The circumstances leading up to the shootings was not immediately available.
• constitute compose or represent Oil and natural gas constituted almost 50 percent of Russian government revenue last year.
• level a relative position or degree of value in a graded group Only last month did the men’s and women’s unemployment rates reach the same level . New York Times (Feb 19, 2012)
• affect have an influence upon The central bank will start distributing low-interest loans in early March to individuals and small- and medium-sized companies affected by the flooding.
• institute set up or lay the groundwork for Corporations have to be more and more focused on instituting higher labor standards. Washington Post (Feb 7, 2012)
• render give an interpretation of But authorities had rendered the weapon and the explosive device inoperable, officials said. Chicago Tribune (Feb 17, 2012)
• appeal be attractive to To get traditional women’s accessories to appeal to men, some designers are giving them manly names and styles. New York Times (Feb 19, 2012)
• generate bring into existence Qualities such as these are not generated under bad working practices of any sort. Hungerford, Edward
• theory a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the world Testing that theory begins Saturday night, as the Capitals take on Tampa Bay in another important contest. Washington Post (Feb 18, 2012)
• range a variety of different things or activities Like American community colleges, admission at an open university is not competitive, but the schools offer a range of programs, including doctoral degrees.
• campaign a race between candidates for elective office At the same point in 2004 — as an incumbent facing re-election — Mr. Bush had taken in about $145.6 million for his campaign . New York Times (Feb 18, 2012)
• league an association of sports teams that organizes matches "When I broke into the big leagues until a month ago, Gary kept in touch," Mets third baseman David Wright said. Seattle Times (Feb 17, 2012)
• labor any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted More labor is entailed, more time is required, greater delay is occasioned in cleaning up, and the amount of water used is much greater. Hoskin, Arthur J.
• confer have a meeting in order to talk something over Ms. Stewart said Mrs. Bachmann conferred with her family and a few aides after her disappointing showing on Tuesday evening. New York Times (Jan 4, 2012)
• grant allow to have He had been granted entry into the White House only for the daily briefing, later that afternoon. New York Times (Feb 17, 2012)
• dwell think moodily or anxiously about something But it is hardly necessary to dwell on so normal an event. Vinogradoff, Paul
• entertain provide amusement for The first Super Bowl in 1967 featured college marching bands entertaining the crowds at halftime.
• contract a binding agreement that is enforceable by law Contracts with utilities will be signed starting next month, he said.
• earnest characterized by a firm, sincere belief in one's opinions Too much praise cannot be given to the earnest and efficient missionaries who founded and have maintained this mission. Miller, George A.
• yield give or supply It is a very important honey plant, as it yields an exceptionally pure nectar and remains in bloom a long time. Parsons, Mary Elizabeth
• wander move or cause to move in a sinuous or circular course While each animal wandered through the maze, its brain was working furiously. New York Times (Feb 16, 2012)
• insist be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge Interior Department officials insisted that they had conducted an extensive scientific inquiry before moving ahead with the spill response plan. New York Times (Feb 17, 2012)
• knight a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry The knight was gallant not only in war, but in love also. Crothers, Samuel McChord
• convince make realize the truth or validity of something But though he listened he was not convinced . Reade, Charles
• inspire serve as the inciting cause of His surprising performance inspired an outpouring of fan adoration that has been dubbed "Linsanity." Chicago Tribune (Feb 19, 2012)
• convention a large formal assembly Last year, the industry’s main trade convention , the Inside Self-Storage World Expo, organized workshops in Las Vegas focusing on lien laws and auction sales. New York Times (Feb 17, 2012)
• skill an ability that has been acquired by training He says many new drivers are terrified of motorway driving because they do not have the skills or confidence needed.
• harry annoy continually or chronically There’s something uplifting about hearing a string instrument when I’m feeling ragged or harried . New York Times (Feb 9, 2012)
• financial involving fiscal matters Meanwhile, universities have raised tuition every year, putting many students in a financial bind. New York Times (Feb 20, 2012)
• reflect show an image of Teens ranting over chores and whatnot can often reflect deeper feelings of alienation or perceived uncaring on the part of parents.
• novel an extended fictional work in prose Before Robert Barr publishes a novel he spends years in thinking the thing out. Anonymous
• furnish provide with objects or articles that make a room usable Instead, according to court documents, the money went toward furnishing mansions, flying in private jets, and retaining a $120,000-a-year personal hairstylist. BusinessWeek (Feb 1, 2012)
• compel force somebody to do something But the flames grew too large, compelling firefighters to call off the rescue. New York Times (Feb 18, 2012)
• venture proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers Clearly he would not venture to descend while his enemy moved. Strang, Herbert
• territory the geographical area under the jurisdiction of a state On Friday, West Africa regional group Ecowas condemned the rebels, urging them to end hostilities and surrender all occupied territory .
• temper a characteristic state of feeling Oscar Wilde, to do him justice, bore this sort of rebuff with astonishing good temper and sweetness. Anonymous
• bent fixed in your purpose The business-oriented constituency of the Republican Party, Jacobs said, has been weakened by a faction bent on lowering taxes and cutting spending.
• intimate marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity The female spider can choose when to cut off intimate relations by eating her partner, or kicking him out. Scientific American (Jan 31, 2012)
• undertake enter upon an activity or enterprise An autopsy has reportedly been undertaken but the results are not expected for several weeks.
• majority more than half of the votes in an election Republicans need just four seats in the Senate to take control as the majority party.
• assert declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true In your talk you asserted the pill's risks of blood clotting, lung artery blockage, heart attack and stroke are minimal.
• crew the people who work on a vehicle Several pilots and crew members would have to escape at once, while safety divers watched, ready to rescue anyone who became stuck. New York Times (Feb 6, 2012)
• chamber a natural or artificial enclosed space "Today," said the old man, "you must push through with me into my most solitary chamber , that we may not be disturbed." Carlyle, Thomas
• humble marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful “Challenging yourself, playing up against stronger, tougher, and overall better competition will keep you humble .” Washington Post (Jan 17, 2012)
• scheme an elaborate and systematic plan of action Some companies in the Globe District of Arizona have started extensive underground schemes for mining large tonnages very cheaply by "caving" methods. Hoskin, Arthur J.
• keen demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions Not one of his movements escaped her keen observation; she drank in every shiver. Wingfield, Lewis
• liberal having political views favoring reform and progress Romney’s actually done well in open primaries where fiscally conservative yet socially liberal independents have backed him over his opponents.
• despair a state in which all hope is lost or absent There were wounded love, and wounded pride, and despair , and coming madness, all in that piteous cry. Reade, Charles
• tide the periodic rise and fall of the sea level In the case of mobile connectivity, a rising tide does not lift all boats. Slate (Feb 9, 2012)
• attitude a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings "Behaviours have changed and attitudes have changed," Mr Taylor said.
• justify show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for He felt sure that if the circumstances justified it, the necessary proceedings could be taken.” Anonymous
• flag a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared three days of mourning and ordered flags flown at half staff. New York Times (Feb 16, 2012)
• merit any admirable or beneficial attribute Thus far in our inquiry extraordinary merits have been offset by extraordinary defects. Ayres, Harry Morgan
• manifest reveal its presence or make an appearance A too rapid transformation of existing conditions might very easily lead to an economic crisis, symptoms of which are already beginning to manifest themselves. Vay, P?ter
• notion a general inclusive concept Does that old notion that defense wins championships still hold up these days? Seattle Times (Jan 13, 2012)
• scale relative magnitude And there might not be much money, so fashion shows are done on a much smaller scale . Seattle Times (Feb 17, 2012)
• formal characteristic of or befitting a person in authority A formal decision to call off the search is likely on Wednesday, rescue officials said. New York Times (Jan 31, 2012)
• resource a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed “Economists assume that, under normal conditions, markets will allocate resources efficiently,” he added.
• persist continue to exist Old ideas, long after the conditions under which they were produced have passed away, often persist in surviving. Ingersoll, Robert Green
• contempt lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike And with his backhanded contempt for all things ordinary, Blake is making some of the catchiest, most difficult music in recent memory.
• tour a route all the way around a particular place or area He typed in “South Park” and took senior executives on a tour of Web sites offering pirated episodes. New York Times (Feb 8, 2012)
• plead enter a defendant's answer Aria pleaded not guilty, but he acknowledged that he had violated some laws. New York Times (Feb 18, 2012)
• weigh be oppressive or burdensome So far, the political turmoil has not appeared to have discouraged visitors, but prolonged strife could weigh on tourism. New York Times (Feb 11, 2012)
• mode how something is done or how it happens Speaking of science, he says, in language far in advance of his times: ‘There are two modes of knowing—by argument and by experiment. Adams, W. H. Davenport (William Henry Davenport)
• distinction a discrimination between things as different But such a distinction is quite external; at heart the men may be very much alike. Anonymous
• inclined at an angle to the horizontal or vertical position Such an inclined passage following a seam of coal is known as a slope. Hoskin, Arthur J.
• attribute a quality belonging to or characteristic of an entity The authors found that when the available prospects varied more in attributes such as age, height, occupation and educational background, people made fewer dating proposals. Scientific American (Feb 13, 2012)
• exert make a great effort at a mental or physical task School boards may come to exert even greater influence over what students read. Forbes (Jan 23, 2012)
• oppress come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority Those who managed to survive were later oppressed by Poland's post-war communist authorities.
• contend compete for something But eight men, however bold and stout-hearted, could not long contend with an enemy at least four times their number. Strang, Herbert
• stake a strong wooden or metal post driven into the ground His remains were buried in Cannon Street, and a stake was driven through the body. Andrews, William
• toil work hard He toiled in the sweat of his brow, tilling the stubborn ground, taking out stones, building fences. Adler, Felix
• perish pass from physical life Simon Wiesenthal's parents are long since deceased, with his father dying in World War I and his mother perishing in the Holocaust.
• disposition your usual mood Melancholia — the state of mind — can hide behind seemingly sunny dispositions . Seattle Times (Dec 28, 2011)
• rail complain bitterly Mr. Gray railed against lengthy stage directions, saying he crossed them out in scripts before he would begin rehearsals with his actors. New York Times (Feb 7, 2012)
• cardinal one of a group of prominent bishops in the Sacred College Each time he names cardinals he puts his stamp on Roman Catholicism's future by choosing men who share his views. Chicago Tribune (Feb 18, 2012)
• boast talk about oneself with excessive pride or self-regard Mr. Estes was also well connected politically, boasting that the president of the United States took his calls. New York Times (Dec 10, 2011)
• advocate a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea Well, safety advocates , consumers and the government dragged the automobile industry toward including seat belts, air bags, more visible taillights and other safety features. New York Times (Feb 19, 2012)
• bestow present He bestowed public buildings and river improvements in return for votes. Gilbert, Clinton W. (Clinton Wallace)
• allege report or maintain It is being fired into enclosed areas and homes, the human rights group alleges .
• notwithstanding despite anything to the contrary He seems to have taken things easily enough, notwithstanding the sorrow and suffering that surrounded him on every side. Adams, W. H. Davenport (William Henry Davenport)
• lofty of imposing height; especially standing out above others He found himself in an enormous hall with a lofty ceiling. Blasco Ib??ez, Vicente
• multitude a large indefinite number Department store chains in general have been strained in recent years as a " multitude " of alternatives has emerged, all competing for customers. Chicago Tribune (Dec 28, 2011)
• steep having a sharp inclination It was narrow and very steep , and had precipices in all parts, so that they could not mount upward except one at a time. Various
• heed pay close attention to But Cain was already too far gone to heed the warning voice. Adler, Felix
• modest not large but sufficient in size or amount A healthy person living in an unfashionable city with no student loans to pay off can get by on a fairly modest income. Slate (Feb 17, 2012)
• partial being or affecting only a segment Generalizations of this sweeping order are apt to contain only partial truth. Clarke, Helen Archibald
• apt naturally disposed toward Another reason to display beds at an electronics show: consumers are apt to use high-tech devices while tucked in. New York Times (Jan 9, 2012)
• esteem the condition of being honored Despite being held in the highest esteem by his fellow poets, Redgrove never quite achieved the critical reception or readership he deserved.
• credible appearing to merit belief or acceptance Mike Mullen, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has acknowledged receiving the memo but said he ignored it as not credible . New York Times (Dec 19, 2011)
• provoke provide the needed stimulus for It provoked a bigger reaction than we could ever have anticipated.
• tread a step in walking or running The farmer went down, his clumsy boots making no sound on the uncarpeted stairway, so careful was his tread . Woolson, Constance Fenimore
• ascertain learn or discover with confidence Health care providers and manufacturers can ascertain alternative treatment more effectively by tackling predicted drug shortage incidences early in the process. Forbes (Feb 13, 2012)
• fare proceed, get along, or succeed A recent study breaks down how graduates with various college degrees are faring in today’s difficult job market. Washington Post (Feb 17, 2012)
• cede relinquish possession or control over Some militia chiefs say they will only cede command of their fighters once an organized military and security apparatus is in place.
• perpetual continuing forever or indefinitely The river is a perpetual enjoyment, always something going on. Waddington, Mary King
• decree a legally binding command or decision While the decree takes effect immediately, it requires Parliament’s approval within 60 days to remain in force.
• contrive make or work out a plan for; devise The wily Roc, never taken much by surprise, contrived to escape, but old Tributor and his men were all captured. Thornbury, Walter
• derived formed or developed from something else; not original Modern kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi are all members of the same species, derived from a single prehistoric plant variety. Slate (Feb 21, 2012)
• elaborate marked by complexity and richness of detail But the tobacco industry and owners of other convenience stores say tribal cigarette manufacturing is just an elaborate form of tax evasion. New York Times (Feb 22, 2012)
• substantial real; having a material or factual existence Defence lawyers said the large number of forensic tests which had been carried out had failed to find any substantial evidence linked to the accused.
• frontier a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country Adding to the precarious security situation, tribesmen kidnapped 18 Egyptian border guards along the frontier with Israel in Sinai Peninsula. New York Times (Feb 9, 2012)
• facile arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth As one teacher remarks about a troubled student, “There is no facile solution.” New York Times (Oct 11, 2011)
• cite make reference to The Federal Reserve has pledged low interest rates until late 2014, citing in part the weakness of the job market.
• warrant show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for In the United Kingdom and Europe the devices are not used unless the need is warranted by the patient's medical condition.
• sob weep convulsively He cried and trembled, sobbing , while they spoke, like the child he was. Weyman, Stanley J.
• rider a traveler who actively sits and travels on an animal In horseback riding, a rider will give commands by squeezing or lengthening the reins and altering the position of his legs.
• dense permitting little if any light to pass through Dense black smoke rose in the distance as demonstrators burned tires in Shiite villages.
• afflict cause physical pain or suffering in Melanoma globally afflicts nearly 160,000 new people each year.
• flourish grow vigorously His business had been all along steadily flourishing , his patrons had been of high social position, some most illustrious, others actually royal. Petherick, Horace William
• ordain invest with ministerial or priestly authority One of the present bishops was consecrated when quite a young boy, and deacons are often ordained at sixteen, and even much earlier. Bird, Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy)
• pious having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity Mother, you see, is a very pious woman, and she attributes it all to Providence, saying that it was the Divine interference in her behalf. Various
• vex disturb, especially by minor irritations There are vexing problems slowing the growth and the practical implementation of big data technologies. Forbes (Oct 21, 2011)
• gravity the force of attraction between all masses in the universe Once captured, the combined object will have a new center of gravity and may be spinning in an uncontrolled way.
• suspended supported or kept from sinking or falling by buoyancy Frustrating enough at ground level, but can you imagine the agony about a stranded, ever-soggier Oreo being suspended 11 feet above the ground? Washington Post (Feb 21, 2012)
• conspicuous obvious to the eye or mind Its bright scarlet fruits are conspicuous in late autumn. Anonymous
• retort a quick reply to a question or remark Having put him in ill humour with this retort , she fled away rejoicing. Coster, Charles Th?odore Henri de
• jet an airplane powered by gas turbines Typhoon fighter jets , helicopters, two warships and bomb disposal experts will also be on duty to guard against security threats. Seattle Times (Feb 20, 2012)
• bolt run away The blare of bugles was heard, and a few seconds afterwards Jackson, still facing the enemy, shouted: "By Jupiter, they're bolting , sir." Strang, Herbert
• assent agree or express agreement His two companions readily assented , and the promise was mutually given and received. Keightley, Thomas
• purse a sum spoken of as the contents of a money container She watched over her husband, kept his accounts, held the family purse , managed all his affairs.  Shorter, Clement K.
• plus the arithmetic operation of summing The survey’s margin of error was plus or minus four percentage points.
• sanction give authority or permission to The Securities and Exchange Commission said last year it had sanctioned 39 senior officers for conduct related to the housing market meltdown.
• proceeding a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked Chu attended the special court-martial proceeding on Monday in Hawaii, Hill said.
• exalt praise, glorify, or honor Some exalt themselves by anonymously posting their own laudatory reviews. New York Times (Jan 26, 2012)
• siege an action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place Rebellion broke out, and finally the aged Caliph, after enduring a siege of several weeks, was murdered in his own house. Nicholson, Reynold
• malice the desire to see others suffer He viewed the moths with malice , their fluttering wings fanning his resentment. Lyman, Olin L.
• extravagant recklessly wasteful Advisers say new millionaires are prone to mistakes, like making extravagant purchases or risky deals with friends.
• wax increase in phase Carols had existed for centuries, though their popularity waxed and waned as different governments and religious movements periodically declared them sinful.
• throng press tightly together or cram Deafening cheers rent the air as he landed; hundreds thronged around him to clasp his hand. Strang, Herbert
• venerate regard with feelings of respect and reverence He venerated me like a being descended from an upper world. Blasco Ib??ez, Vicente
• assail attack someone physically or emotionally His campaign even issued a press release assailing other rivals for, in Mr. Paul’s view, taking Mr. Romney’s quote about firing people out of context. New York Times (Feb 16, 2012)
• sublime of high moral or intellectual value He was uneven, disproportioned, saying ordinary things on great occasions, and now and then, without the slightest provocation, uttering the sublimest and most beautiful thoughts. Ingersoll, Robert Green
• exploit draw from; make good use of As humans increasingly exploit the deep seas for fish, oil and mining, understanding how species are dispersed is crucial, Copley said. Scientific American (Jan 3, 2012)
• exertion use of physical or mental energy; hard work One day overcome by exertion , she fainted in the street. Ingersoll, Robert Green
• kindle catch fire Then a match was kindled and fire applied. Warner, Susan
• endow furnish with a capital fund The grammar school here, founded in 1533, is liberally endowed , with scholarships and exhibitions. Various
• imposed set forth authoritatively as obligatory The Arab League has already suspended Syria and imposed economic sanctions.
• humiliate cause to feel shame The letter claims pensioners are too often patronised, humiliated , denied privacy or even medical treatment.
• suffrage a legal right to vote There has been a great deal said in this country of late in regard to giving the right of suffrage to women. Ingersoll, Robert Green
• ensue take place or happen afterward or as a result An uproar ensued months after the approval, when opponents realized the online gambling measure had been slipped in. New York Times (Feb 16, 2012)
• brook a natural stream of water smaller than a river He walked across the little bridge over the brook and at once his mood changed. Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley)
• gale a strong wind moving 34–40 knots The gale was accompanied, as usual, by incessant rain and thick weather, and a heavy confused sea kept our decks always flooded. Fitzroy, Robert
• muse reflect deeply on a subject Musing about the Big Picture may be a lot more gratifying than focusing on the details of the specific policies that aren’t working.
• satire witty language used to convey insults or scorn There’s plenty of humor on Russian television, though not much political satire ; Mr. Putin put a stop to that long ago. New York Times (Feb 13, 2012)
• intrigue cause to be interested or curious Designing and building models that intrigue and educate without overwhelming has been challenging. Science Magazine (Nov 24, 2011)
• indication something that serves to suggest Authorities said an autopsy found no indications of foul play or obvious signs of trauma on Houston. Seattle Times (Feb 15, 2012)
• dispatch send away towards a designated goal More than one assassin was dispatched by the Turkish authorities to murder Napoleon. Various
• cower crouch or curl up The knaves lowered their weapons and shrank back cowering before him. Weyman, Stanley J.
• wont an established custom He made his customary slick feeds to open teammates, but as is their wont , the Nets struggled at times to convert points on his passes. New York Times (Feb 20, 2012)
• tract a system of body parts that serves some specialized purpose When probiotics flourish in the digestive tract , nutrients are better absorbed and bad bugs are held at bay, research suggests. Seattle Times (Jan 10, 2012)
• canon a collection of books accepted as holy scripture For me, all novels of any consequence are literary, and they take their place, high and low, in the canon of English literature.
• impel cause to move forward with force Some power beyond his comprehension was impelling him toward the neighboring city. Blasco Ib??ez, Vicente
• latitude freedom from normal restraints in conduct Great employees often get more latitude to bring up controversial subjects in a group setting because their performance allows greater freedom.
• vacate leave behind empty; move out of Their number diminished sharply after Villaraigosa announced last week that he wanted protesters to vacate the grounds by Monday or be forcibly removed. Chicago Tribune (Nov 30, 2011)
• undertaking any piece of work that is attempted "Let my epitaph be, Here lies Joseph, who was unsuccessful in all his undertakings ." Marvin, Frederic Rowland
• slay kill intentionally and with premeditation "It were shame," said Lancelot, "for an armed to slay an unarmed man." Unknown
• predecessor one who goes before you in time Heller fills in the blanks about Taft, overshadowed by colorful predecessor Teddy Roosevelt. Seattle Times (Feb 22, 2012)
• delicacy the quality of being exquisitely fine in appearance This refinement appears in his works, which are full of artistic grace and dainty delicacy . Drake, Samuel Adams
• forsake leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch "I'm surprised," said Philip, cautiously opening fire, "that you were ever allowed to forsake your native land." Hay, Ian
• beseech ask for or request earnestly Utterly distraught, he ran up and down the bank, hunting for his clothes, calling, crying out, imploring, beseeching help from somewhere. Frank, Ulrich
• philosophical relating to the investigation of existence and knowledge His arguments, like Einstein’s, were qualitative, verging on highly philosophical . Scientific American (Jan 30, 2012)
• grove a small growth of trees without underbrush Soon after we came to Pasadena, father bought an orange grove of twenty-five acres. Chamberlain, James Franklin
• frustrate hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire Frustrated after two years of missed budget targets, finance chiefs demanded Greek officials put their verbal commitments into law.
• illustrious widely known and esteemed She will be joining an illustrious list of recipients that include Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Pope John Paul II and Princess Diana.
• device an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose You’ve probably also noticed that the telephone and computer are no longer the only devices on your employees’ desks. Forbes (Feb 26, 2012)
• pomp cheap or pretentious or vain display Throughout U.S. history, Americans have been fascinated by royal pomp -- even on a movie screen.
• entreat ask for or request earnestly "Let me go now, please," she entreated , her eyes unable to meet his any longer. Hope, Anthony
• impart transmit, as knowledge or a skill Long before writing and books were in common use, proverbs were the principal means of imparting instruction. Preston, Thomas
• propriety correct behavior I felt a trifle doubtful about the propriety of taking a short cut across private grounds, and said as much. Sutphen, Van Tassel
• consecrate render holy by means of religious rites The building was consecrated as a Protestant Episcopal church in May, 1814. Faris, John T. (John Thomson)
• proceeds the income or profit arising from a transaction His own share in the proceeds was about a hundred thousand dollars. Stark, James H.
• fathom come to understand But after flying for so many years, the idea of hanging up his sparkling wings is hard for him to fathom . New York Times (Mar 17, 2012)
• objective the goal intended to be attained The objective was to mobilize students from 18 high schools across the city to provide community services and inspire others. New York Times (Feb 5, 2012)
• clad wearing or provided with clothing A few of the villagers came behind, clad in mourning robes, and bearing lighted tapers. Various
• partisan devoted to a cause or political group But given the bitter partisan divide in an election year, Democrats said they would never be able to get such legislation passed. Chicago Tribune (Mar 30, 2012)
• faction a dissenting clique One faction declared it would begin an armed struggle against the government of the United States. Slate (Feb 29, 2012)
• contrived artificially formal In lesser hands the story about a young man who discovers life among the dead could be impossibly cute and contrived . New York Times (Mar 25, 2012)
• venerable impressive by reason of age Thus, after much more than two hundred years, the venerable building looks almost as it did when the first students entered its doors. Faris, John T. (John Thomson)
• restrained not showy or obtrusive By contrast, Mr. Pei’s restrained design took time to claim my attention, particularly since it sat quietly next door to Saarinen’s concrete gull wings. New York Times (Oct 6, 2011)
• besiege harass, as with questions or requests He can’t trot down the street without being besieged by paparazzi. New York Times (Mar 18, 2012)
• manifestation a clear appearance Singing and dancing are manifestations of what many Syrians describe as a much broader cultural flowering. New York Times (Dec 19, 2011)
• rebuke an act or expression of criticism and censure Afterward, the leaders fought court orders to release records showing what they had done, drawing an uncommonly sharp rebuke from a federal judge. Washington Post (Mar 14, 2012)
• insurgent in opposition to a civil authority or government The Free Syrian Army, an insurgent group made of defecting soldiers and based in southern Turkey, claimed responsibility for both attacks. New York Times (Nov 20, 2011)
• rhetoric using language effectively to please or persuade His fiery rhetoric in support of limiting cuts to projected defense spending has surprised and impressed some of Obama's toughest Republican critics.
• scrupulous having ethical or moral principles The reason is that the vast majority of businesses are scrupulous and treat their employees well.
• ratify approve and express assent, responsibility, or obligation Company officials at Safeway said those replacement workers will remain on standby until the agreement is ratified by union members. Washington Post (Mar 29, 2012)
• stump cause to be perplexed or confounded Though family members long suspected Evans, a local handyman who frequently hired local youths, the case stumped investigators for years. Washington Post (Aug 30, 2011)
• discreet marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint Sarkozy has attempted to tone down his image, becoming more discreet about his private life.
• imposing impressive in appearance These buildings were grand and stylized with intricate details and a bit of an imposing presence. Scientific American (Mar 5, 2012)
• wistful showing pensive sadness She turned toward him, her face troubled, her eyes most wistful . Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley)
• mortify cause to feel shame Intensely mortified at this humiliation, the king fell sick, and henceforth his health failed rapidly. Various
• ripple stir up so as to form small waves That could precipitate higher interest rates that would ripple across the economy. Washington Post (Jul 27, 2011)
• premise a statement that is held to be true Success, real success, comes to the jack of all trades, a major premise handed down from pioneer days. Gilbert, Clinton W. (Clinton Wallace)
• subside wear off or die down Affliction is allayed, grief subsides , sorrow is soothed, distress is mitigated. Webster, Noah
• adverse contrary to your interests or welfare High doses can have adverse effects and even cause death. Seattle Times (Mar 26, 2012)
• caprice a sudden desire Nobody is really in charge, and decisions are made on whim and caprice .” New York Times (Apr 10, 2011)
• muster summon up, call forth, or bring together Yet Fox needed all the strength that he could muster . Rosebery, Archibald Phillip Primrose
• comprehensive broad in scope The United States Army developed a comprehensive plan to address problematic race relations in the 1970s, recognizing that they were hampering military effectiveness. New York Times (Feb 6, 2012)
• accede yield to another's wish or opinion Therefore he made up his mind to accede to his uncle's desire. Streckfuss, Adolph
• fervent characterized by intense emotion But, to fervent applause and scattered fist pumps from two sets of worshipers, he pledged to legally challenge the claims against him. New York Times (Sep 26, 2010)
• cohere cause to form a united, orderly, and consistent whole Two antagonistic values may cohere in the same object. Anderson, Benjamin M. (Benjamin McAlester)
• tribunal an assembly to conduct judicial business The military has historically been protected from civilian courts, with any crimes committed by soldiers being decided in closed military tribunals .
• austere severely simple A certain austere simplicity was noticeable all over Longfellow's house. Anonymous
• recovering returning to health after illness or debility “The recovering economy is bringing more people back into the market. Washington Post (Mar 22, 2012)
• stratum a group of people sharing similar wealth and status She belonged to the upper stratum of the profession, and, knowing it, could not sink. George, Walter Lionel
• conscientious characterized by extreme care and great effort A conscientious hostess would be very much mortified if she served chicken out of its proper course. Reed, Myrtle
• arbitrary based on or subject to individual discretion or preference Sandra Nurse, a member of Occupy's direct action working group, said police treated demonstrators roughly and made arbitrary arrests. Time (Mar 18, 2012)
• exasperate irritate Shopkeepers, exasperated at the impact of higher taxes and reduced consumer spending, are planning to close down for the day. New York Times (Feb 7, 2012)
• conjure summon into action or bring into existence Vacation homes typically conjure up dreams of blue skies, pristine sand and crystalline waters. Wall Street Journal (Feb 28, 2012)
• ominous threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments The Count's words were so ominous , so full of sinister meaning that for the moment he felt like crying out with fear. Hocking, Joseph
• edifice a structure that has a roof and walls They are here erecting a fine stone edifice for an Episcopal Church. Clark, John A.
• elude escape, either physically or mentally But despite racking up world titles, Olympic gold was eluding him.
• pervade spread or diffuse through An air of intense anticipation pervaded the General’s dining room. Burnett, Carolyn Judson
• foster promote the growth of Mr. Horne accused the district’s Mexican-American studies program of using an antiwhite curriculum to foster social activism. New York Times (Mar 19, 2012)
• admonish scold or reprimand; take to task "Children, children, stop quarrelling, right here in public!" admonished Mrs. Dering, in a low, shocked tone. Perry, Nora
• repeal cancel officially If Republicans repeal the law, Ms. Schakowsky said, they would be “taking away benefits that seniors are already getting.” New York Times (Mar 19, 2012)
• retiring not arrogant or presuming Foster was an extremely modest, unworldly, retiring gentleman. Rosenbach, A. S. W.
• incidental not of prime or central importance The models themselves are incidental on “Scouted,” merely empty planets around which revolve some fascinating characters and plenty more dull ones. New York Times (Nov 27, 2011)
• acquiesce agree or express agreement American officials initially tried to resist President Karzai’s moves but eventually acquiesced . New York Times (Mar 9, 2012)
• slew a large number or amount or extent In fact, intense focus may be one reason why so-called savants become so extraordinary at performing extensive calculations or remembering a slew of facts. Scientific American (Mar 3, 2012)
• usurp seize and take control without authority More than anything, though, officials expressed concern about reigniting longstanding Mexican concerns about the United States’ usurping Mexico’s authority. New York Times (Mar 15, 2011)
• sentinel a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event The prisoners undressed themselves as usual, and went to bed, observed by the sentinel . Drake, Samuel Adams
• precision the quality of being exact At this time, home ranges of small rodents can not be measured with great precision , therefore any such calculations are, at best, only approximations. Douglas, Charles L.
• depose force to leave an office Late Wednesday, Mr. Touré, the deposed president, spoke out from hiding for the first time. New York Times (Mar 30, 2012)
• wanton unprovoked or without motive or justification I am not a sentimentalist by any means, yet I abominate wanton cruelty. Stables, Gordon
• odium state of disgrace resulting from detestable behavior This was one of the men who bring odium on the whole class of prisoners, and prejudice society against them. Henderson, Frank
• precept a rule of personal conduct The law of nature has but one precept , "Be strong." Williams, C. M.
• deference a courteous expression of esteem or regard Other rules, as indicated in Mr. Collins' book, concerned deportment, and demanded constant deference to superiors. Faris, John T. (John Thomson)
• fray a noisy fight Armed rebels have joined the fray in recent months.
• candid openly straightforward and direct without secretiveness The actor was candid about his own difficult childhood growing up with alcoholic parents. Seattle Times (Feb 17, 2012)
• enduring unceasing What makes the galumphing hubby such an enduring stock character? Slate (Mar 26, 2012)
• impertinent improperly forward or bold Imagine calling a famous writer by his first name—it seemed impertinent , to say the least. Watkins, Shirley
• bland lacking stimulating characteristics; uninteresting Many critics were less than enamored with the kind of “easy listening” Mr. Williams embodied, deriding his approach as bland and unchallenging. New York Times (Oct 9, 2011)
• insinuate suggest in an indirect or covert way; give to understand "Good heavens, do you mean to insinuate that I did anything crooked?" said Bojo loudly, yet at the bottom ill at ease. Johnson, Owen
• nominal insignificantly small; a matter of form only He sought nominal damages of one dollar from each defendant.
• suppliant humbly entreating The colonists asked for nothing but what was clearly right and asked in the most respectful and even suppliant manner. Judson, L. Carroll
• languid lacking spirit or liveliness Many viewers, bored by the languid pace of the show, tuned out early. New York Times (Dec 30, 2011)
• rave praise enthusiastically I have heard lots of women simply rave about him. Kauffman, Reginald Wright
• monetary relating to or involving money A hundred years ago, monetary policy – control over interest rates and the availability of credit – was viewed as a highly contentious political issue. New York Times (Mar 29, 2012)
• headlong in a hasty and foolhardy manner “They may not be wishing to rush headlong back into the same sort of risks just yet.”
• infallible incapable of failure or error But conductors are no more infallible than other people, and once in a blue moon in going through a train they miss a passenger. Lynde, Francis
• coax influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging He used his most enticing manner and did his best to coax the little animal out again. Kay, Ross
• explicate elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses He urged judges to resist the rigid guidelines and to write opinions explicating their reasons for doing so. New York Times (Jan 22, 2010)
• gaunt very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold Gaunt , starved, and ragged, the men marched northwards, leaving the Touat country upon their left hand. Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley)
• morbid suggesting the horror of death and decay Earlier in the day, however, his demise was watched by spectators with a morbid fascination. New York Times (Aug 16, 2010)
• ranging wandering freely His detective work is fascinating and wide ranging . Seattle Times (Feb 1, 2012)
• pacify ease the anger, agitation, or strong emotion of How they pacified him I don’t know, but at the end of two hours he had cooled off enough to let us go aboard. Quincy, Samuel M.
• pastoral idyllically rustic He made a considerable reputation as an accomplished painter of quiet pastoral subjects and carefully elaborated landscapes with cattle. Various
• dogged stubbornly unyielding Some analysts expect Mr. Falcone, who is known for his dogged determination, to just continue to limp along while slashing costs. New York Times (Feb 15, 2012)
• ebb fall away or decline Although Gardner’s competitive appetite ebbed after 2004, other cravings did not. New York Times (Jan 28, 2012)
• aide someone who acts as an assistant She later found work as a teacher’s aide in a Head Start program in Harlem. New York Times (Jan 12, 2012)
• appease cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of The king also has tried to appease public anger over corruption. New York Times (Feb 9, 2012)
• stipulate make an express demand or provision in an agreement The mayor has an executive order in place stipulating that all top officials, except those granted a waiver, live in the city. New York Times (Sep 22, 2011)
• recourse something or someone turned to for assistance or security Bargain hunters and holiday shoppers are bad guys’ favorite targets and have little or no recourse when shoddy or fake merchandise arrives. Forbes (Nov 22, 2011)
• constrained lacking spontaneity; not natural All his goodness, however, will be of a forced, constrained , artificial, and at bottom unreal character. Hyde, William De Witt
• bate moderate or restrain; lessen the force of “You called her ‘an interfering, disagreeable old woman’!” whispered Bertha with bated breath, glancing half fearfully at the door as she spoke. Vaizey, George de Horne, Mrs.
• aversion a feeling of intense dislike Already my passive dislike had grown into an active aversion . Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips)
• conceit an artistic device or effect An urban panorama is viewed from a high vantage point, a conceit used in topographic art to render vast perspectives. New York Times (Sep 30, 2011)
• loath strongly opposed Friends and political allies are loath to talk about her, knowing the family’s intense obsession with privacy. New York Times (Aug 14, 2011)
• rampart an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes The night was gloomy, dark, and wet; the soldiers, wearied with watching at the ramparts , dozed, leaning on their weapons. Sienkiewicz, Henryk
• extort obtain by coercion or intimidation The owners, in turn, have called the lawyers shakedown artists bent on ruining their good reputations to extort money. New York Times (Jan 27, 2012)
• tarry leave slowly and hesitantly For two days I tarried in Paris, settling my little property. Ford, Paul Leicester
• perpetrate perform an act, usually with a negative connotation Come on it’s just a cruel joke perpetrated by the airline industry.” Forbes (Dec 11, 2011)
• decorum propriety in manners and conduct Wishing to observe the rules of decorum she invited him to stay for supper, though absolutely nothing had been prepared for a guest. Sudermann, Hermann
• luxuriant produced or growing in extreme abundance Her luxuriant curly hair, restrained by no net, but held together simply by a flowering spray, waved over her shoulders in all its rich abundance. Elisabeth Burstenbinder (AKA E. Werner)
• cant insincere talk about religion or morals It was the familiar cant of the man rich enough to affect disdain for money, and Wade was not impressed. Day, Holman
• enjoin give instructions to or direct somebody to do something He turned to beckon the others forward with one hand, while laying the other over his mouth in a gesture enjoining silence. Breckenridge, Gerald
• avarice extreme greed for material wealth The old man's fears were assailed with threats, and his avarice was approached by bribes, and he very soon capitulated. Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
• edict a formal or authoritative proclamation An edict was issued by him forbidding any Christian to give instruction in Greek literature under any circumstances. Lightfoot, J. B.
• disconcert cause to lose one's composure Perplexed and disconcerted , I found no words to answer such an amazing sally. Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William)
• symmetry balance among the parts of something Even the staging displays symmetry , with actors lined up on either side in formal precision. New York Times (Jan 24, 2011)
• capitulate surrender under agreed conditions "Alas, no," said Bergfeld, mournfully, "the day after the battle our brave soldiers were surrounded by overwhelming forces and obliged to capitulate ." Meding, Johann Ferdinand Martin Oskar
• arbitrate act between parties with a view to reconciling differences The Scottish throne was now disputed by many claimants, and the Scots asked Edward to arbitrate between them. Various
• cleave separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument Instead someone shouts "Go" and he is bearing down on me and almost cleaves my shield in two with his first blow.
• append add to the very end Some specimens will appear in the papers appended to this report. Various
• visage the human face An honest, quiet laugh often mantled his pale earnest visage . Turnbull, Robert
• horde a moving crowd Hordes of puzzled tourists, many with rolling suitcases attached, poured down the staircases. New York Times (Jan 1, 2012)
• parable a short moral story In most instances, I have closed my visits by reading some interesting story or parable . Frothingham, Octavius Brooks
• chastise scold or criticize severely She remembers an upsetting incident when a headmistress chastised her for working too much.
• foil hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire On March 1st, a Turkish newspaper reported that the country's intelligence service had foiled an attempt by Syrian agents to kidnap the colonel.
• veritable being truly so called; real or genuine The heavy rain had reduced this low-lying ground to a veritable quagmire, making progress very difficult even for one as unburdened as he was. Putnam Weale, B. L. (Bertram Lenox)
• grapple work hard to come to terms with or deal with something But, he said, all coastal communities will have to grapple with rising seas. New York Times (Mar 24, 2012)
• gentry the most powerful members of a society The mode of travel of the gentry was riding horses, but most people traveled by walking. Reilly, S. A.
• pall a sudden feeling of dread or gloominess Residents who fled in recent days spoke of the smell of death and piles of garbage drifting like snowbanks, casting a pall over the city. New York Times (Mar 7, 2012)
• maxim a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits The maxim "All is fair in love and war" was applied literally. Thomson, Basil
• projection a prediction made by extrapolating from past observations Volume is down 25 percent from five years ago, and projections show even further declines, said Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe. New York Times (Mar 22, 2012)
• prowess a superior skill learned by study and practice While our engineering prowess has advanced a great deal over the past sixty years, the principles of innovation largely have not.
• dingy thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot Though composed amid the unromantic surroundings of a dingy , dusty, and neglected back room, the speech has become a memorable document. Herndon, William H.
• semblance the outward or apparent appearance or form of something He was perceptibly older, in the way in which people look older all at once after having long kept the semblance of youth. King, Basil
• tout advertise in strongly positive terms Testing is being touted as the means of making the U.S. education system competitive, even world-class. Washington Post (Mar 23, 2012)
• fortitude strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity Leigh Hunt bore himself in his captivity with cheerful fortitude , suffering severely in health but flagging little in spirits or industry. Colvin, Sidney
• asunder into parts or pieces In 1854, as I have already remarked, Nicaragua was split asunder by civil war. Powell, E. Alexander (Edward Alexander)
• rout an overwhelming defeat It's how Seattle won Sunday's game in Chicago, scoring 31 consecutive second-half points as an impressive comeback became an overwhelming rout . Seattle Times (Dec 19, 2011)
• staid characterized by dignity and propriety He was prim and staid and liked to do things in an orderly fashion. Doyle, A. Conan
• beguile influence by slyness I can no longer remain silent in the presence of the schemers who seek to beguile you. Bolanden, Conrad von
• purport have the often misleading appearance of being or intending Of course, none of these purported medical benefits have any grounding in science. Scientific American (Jan 28, 2012)
• deprave corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality The people who make up this typical Gorky offering are drunkards, thieves, depraved creatures of every kind. Kilmer, Joyce
• bequeath leave or give, especially by will after one's death No matter how often she changed her will, she told me, that diamond pin was always bequeathed to me. Wells, Carolyn
• enigma something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained Tails are often an enigma ; many creatures have them, but scientists know little about their function, particularly for extinct species.
• assiduous marked by care and persistent effort He's an assiduous diary-keeper and regularly rereads ancient entries to check up on himself.
• vassal a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord And what was of still greater importance, he could only obtain taxes and soldiers from among the vassals , by the consent of their feudal lords. Freytag, Gustav
• quail draw back, as with fear or pain He quailed before me, and forgetting his new part in old habits, muttered an apology. Weyman, Stanley John
• outskirts area relatively far from the center, as of a city or town Ms. Waters talked about how she had spent the day at an organic farm on the outskirts of Beijing looking at vegetables for the dinner. New York Times (Nov 14, 2011)
• bulwark a protective structure of stone or concrete The cliffs are of imposing height, nearly three hundred feet: a formidable bulwark . White, Walter
• swerve an erratic turn from an intended course However, I was not going to swerve from my word. Johnstone, James Johnstone, chevalier de
• gird prepare oneself for action or a confrontation Protesters are girding for another police raid as several City Council members have called on protesters to leave. Washington Post (Nov 11, 2011)
• betrothed pledged to be married We are not betrothed '—her eyes filled with tears,—'he can never marry me; and he and my father have quarrelled. Fleming, George
• prospective of or concerned with or related to the future Most prospective homesteaders make the same mistake I did in buying horses, unless they are experienced. Micheaux, Oscar
• advert make reference to In the family circle it was rarely adverted to, and never except when some allusion to the approaching separation had to be made. Werner, E. T. C. (Edward Theodore Chalmers)
• peremptory not allowing contradiction or refusal This time it was not a request but a peremptory order to go at once to Cuba and undertake the work. Johnson, Willis Fletcher
• rudiment the elementary stage of any subject He retraced his steps, and came to Cape Girardeau, in Missouri, where he remained some time, acquiring the rudiments of the English language. Anonymous
• deduce reason from the general to the particular They then used models of global wind circulation to deduce which dust sources have become stronger and which weaker.
• halting proceeding in a fragmentary, hesitant, or ineffective way “I so much love cricket,” he said, shyly, in halting English. New York Times (Feb 22, 2012)
• ignominy a state of dishonor After all, we love nothing better than seeing the powerful and formerly smug dragged across the front pages in ignominy .
• ideology an orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group Bill O’Reilly and others picked up on the theme, summing up left-wing ideology as “San Francisco values.” Slate (Jan 19, 2012)
• pallid lacking in vitality or interest or effectiveness But too often the music sounded thin and pallid . New York Times (Apr 25, 2010)
• chagrin strong feelings of embarrassment But he was feeling deeply chagrined and mortified over his last escapade. White, Fred M. (Fred Merrick)
• obtrude thrust oneself in as if by force She had no right to obtrude herself into his life and to disturb it. Packard, Frank L. (Frank Lucius)
• audacious disposed to venture or take risks In an audacious operation that unfolded like a Hollywood thriller, the Navy Seals executed a daring raid deep into Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden. New York Times (Sep 4, 2011)
• construe make sense of; assign a meaning to But nothing that was said Tuesday can be construed as good news. Washington Post (Sep 14, 2011)
• ford cross a river where it's shallow Sometimes they drive their teams through unsettled country, without roads, swimming and fording streams, clearing away obstructions, and camping where night overtakes them. Folsom, William Henry Carman
• repast the food served and eaten at one time Fragrant coffee, light rolls, fresh butter, ham and eggs, fried crocuses and soft crabs, formed the repast . Reid, Mayne
• stint an unbroken period of time during which you do something He found his unionized warehouse job after a stint working for his father, an accountant. New York Times (Mar 21, 2012)
• fresco a mural done with watercolors on wet plaster The little church has an ancient fresco of St. Christopher, placed, as usual, opposite the entrance. Conybeare, Edward
• dutiful willingly obedient out of a sense of respect Perhaps he thinks an engaged young lady should be demure and dutiful , having no eyes or ears for any one except her betrothed. Harland, Marion
• hew make or shape as with an axe They bought a log chain, and lumber for a door; the window frames were hewed from logs. Daughters of the American Revolution. Nebraska
• parity functional equality How many of the world’s problems would be solved, or at least greatly reduced, if women had true parity with men? New York Times (Dec 15, 2011)
• affable diffusing warmth and friendliness He was well liked and respected in these islands, for his affable manners had obtained for him much popularity. Various
• interminable tiresomely long; seemingly without end All was going well, but slowly, the time taken for the last few feet seeming to be interminable . Cumberland, Barlow
• pillage steal goods; take as spoils In addition great material losses were inflicted: seven hundred houses were destroyed, six hundred stores pillaged , and thousands of families utterly ruined. Straus, Oscar S.
• foreboding a feeling of evil to come Mr. Harding had strong forebodings that the trouble, so far from being ended, was only just beginning. Marsh, Richard
• rend tear or be torn violently In the distance heavy artillery was growling, and high explosive shells were bursting with a violence that seemed to rend the sky. Tracy, Louis
• livelihood the financial means whereby one supports oneself With businesses shut, fields untended and fishing abandoned many have lost their livelihoods as well as their homes, our correspondent says.
• deign do something that one considers to be below one's dignity To Mr. Gompers' courteous letter Czar Gary did not deign to reply. Foster, William Z.
• capricious determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity Her admirers were capricious , returning to her at times, and then holding aloof again; and as for suitors, they entirely disappeared. Schubin, Ossip
• stupendous so great in size, force, or extent as to elicit awe The fact was so stupendous that Terry felt almost frightened over the great good fortune. Sabin, Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand)
• chaff material consisting of seed coverings and pieces of stem The wheat, being heavy, falls, while the chaff is blown away. Starr, Frederick
• innate not established by conditioning or learning In other words, one of our most essential abilities as humans--reading--is the product of a combination of innate and learned traits.
• reverie an abstracted state of absorption He stood still, seemingly lost in reverie , and quite oblivious to the group about him. Frey, Hildegard G. (Hildegard Gertrude)
• wrangle quarrel noisily, angrily, or disruptively Here were many fierce and bitter wrangles over vexed questions, turbulent scenes, displays of sectional feelings. Raymond, Evelyn
• crevice a long narrow opening The disruptive power of tree roots, growing in the crevices of rocks, is well known. Various
• ostensible appearing as such but not necessarily so This already-exhaustive book is studded with diary entries, academic papers and other ostensible evidence that its fictitious stories of destruction are true. New York Times (Jun 6, 2010)
• craven lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful Was it for them to follow the craven footsteps of a cowardly generation? Robinson, Victor
• vestige an indication that something has been present Now, there was no vestige of vegetation; no living thing. Hopkins, William John
• plumb examine thoroughly and in great depth Tellingly, Ms. Liao said she had great difficulty finding three actors willing to plumb their own personalities. New York Times (Jun 1, 2011)
• reticent not inclined to talk or provide information No questions were asked, and few indeed were the words spoken, his reticent manner preventing any undue familiarity. Maclean, John
• propensity an inclination to do something A longtime colleague, Gate Theatre director Michael Colgan, noted Kelly's old-school charms, punctuated by his propensity for bow ties and smart suits. Seattle Times (Feb 15, 2012)
• chide scold or reprimand severely or angrily He chided reporters as having “stalked” family members, demanding that his relatives be left alone. New York Times (Nov 8, 2011)
• espouse choose and follow a theory, idea, policy, etc. He said Islam should not be equated with terrorism or the kind of violence espoused by Bin Laden.
• raiment especially fine or decorative clothing Clothed in fine raiment and faring sumptuously every day, he soon developed into a handsome lad. Oxley, J. Macdonald (James Macdonald)
• intrepid invulnerable to fear or intimidation There are some very courageous and intrepid reporters in Afghanistan, including some who work for American media outlets.
• seemly according with custom or propriety The Baron was less conscientious, for he ate more beefsteak than was seemly , and talked a great deal of stupid nonsense, as was his wont. Hoffmann, Ernst Theordor Wilhelm
• allay lessen the intensity of or calm Our boy was scared and confused; we tried to allay his fears. New York Times (Mar 30, 2012)
• fitful occurring in spells and often abruptly She had lost her composure, her breath came in fitful , uneven gasps, and as she sat there she pressed one hand over her heart. Davis, Owen
• erode become ground down or deteriorate Another report today showed home prices fell more than forecast in November, eroding the wealth of families as they seek to rebuild savings.
• unaffected free of artificiality; sincere and genuine His conversation was unaffectedly simple and frank; his language natural; always abounding in curious anecdotes. Conway, Moncure Daniel
• canto a major division of a long poem Folengo’s next production was the Orlandino, an Italian poem of eight cantos , written in rhymed octaves. Various
• docile easily handled or managed Time and again humans have domesticated wild , producing tame individuals with softer appearances and more docile temperaments, such as dogs and guinea pigs. Scientific American (Jan 25, 2012)
• patronize treat condescendingly Ms. Paul herself noted that “glib talk about appreciating dyslexia as a ‘gift’ is unhelpful at best and patronizing at worst.” New York Times (Feb 6, 2012)
• teem be full of or abuzz with The coast, once teeming with traffic, is now lonely and deserted. Mahaffy, J. P.
• estrange arouse hostility or indifference in An atmosphere of distrust, suspicion and fear can cause workers to feel estranged from one another, Dr. Wright has written. New York Times (Jan 28, 2012)
• spat a quarrel about petty points Public spats are rare in the asset-management industry, where companies typically resolve disputes behind closed doors.
• warble sing or play with trills Meadow larks, as you have undoubtedly noticed, warble many different songs. Barrett, R. E.
• mien a person's appearance, manner, or demeanor Nevertheless, before going to meet Samuel, she assumed a calm and dignified mien . Kraszewski, Jo?zef Ignacy
• sate fill to contentment His appetite was not sated by any means, but he knew the danger of overloading his stomach, so he stopped. Dewey, Edward Hooker
• constituency the body of voters who elect a representative for their area Each posited that the blue-collar Democratic constituency rooted in the New Deal had grown increasingly conservative, alienated from “big government.” New York Times (Jan 14, 2012)
• patrician characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy Respectable ladies, long resident, wearing black poke bonnets and camel's-hair shawls, lifted their patrician eyebrows with disapproval. Brooks, Charles Stephen
• parry avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing The boys asked a few guarded questions, but gained no information whatever, their questions being parried in every instance. Mears, James R.
• practitioner someone who carries out a learned profession In particular, modern medical practitioners are coming around to the idea that certain illnesses cannot be reduced to one isolatable, treatable cause. Nature (Dec 21, 2011)
• ravel disentangle or separate out Overcasting is done by taking loose stitches over the raw edge of the cloth, to keep it from ravelling or fraying. Ontario. Ministry of Education
• infest occupy in large numbers or live on a host Many lived in dilapidated apartments with leaky pipes, broken windows, rooms full of mold, and walls infested with cockroaches and rats. New York Times (Jul 28, 2011)
• actuate give an incentive for doing something He knew that men were actuated by other motives, good and bad, than self-interest. Blease, Walter Lyon
• surly unfriendly and inclined toward anger or irritation But Blake, being surly and quarrelsome even when sober, gave the lapel a savage jerk, and reached out with his other hand. Chisholm, A. M. (Arthur Murray)
• convalesce get over an illness or shock Patients convalescing from pneumonia were evacuated to England or given Base Duty. Jahns, Lewis E.
• demoralize lower someone's spirits; make downhearted The storm clobbered many communities still recovering from the flooding two months ago caused by Hurricane Irene, leaving weary homeowners exhausted and demoralized . Washington Post (Nov 1, 2011)
• devolve grow worse As the rhetoric heated up inside, the violence outside devolved into chaos.
• alacrity liveliness and eagerness Every one exerted himself not only without murmuring and discontent, but even with an alacrity which almost approached to cheerfulness. Kippis, Andrew
• waive do without or cease to hold or adhere to Low rates have also led retail brokerages to waive fees on money market funds to avoid negative returns for their clients.
• unwonted out of the ordinary He must rush off to see his people, who no doubt were quite confounded by his unwonted energy. Speed, Nell
• seethe be in an agitated emotional state Outwardly quite calm and matter-of-fact, his mind was in a seething turmoil. Douglas, Hudson
• scrutinize look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail Fans and commentators are scrutinizing every blemish: his turnovers, his weak left hand, his jump shot. New York Times (Mar 5, 2012)
• diffident lacking self-confidence Shyly diffident in the presence of strangers, her head was lowered. Packard, Frank L. (Frank Lucius)
• execrate curse or declare to be evil or anathema When all Great Britain was execrating Napoleon, picturing him as a devil with horns and hoofs, Byron looked upon him as the world's hero. Hubbard, Elbert
• implacable incapable of being appeased or pacified This man was a savage in his implacable desire for revenge. Kelly, Florence Finch
• pique a sudden outburst of anger A talented youngster who smashes his guitar in a fit of pique finds it magically reassembled just in time for a crucial concert.
• mite a slight but appreciable amount I never saw anybody so pleased with monkeys as she is, and not one mite afraid. Raymond, Evelyn
• encumber hold back, impede, or weigh down Two others were making slower progress for the reason that each was encumbered by supporting a disabled man. Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)
• uncouth lacking refinement or cultivation or taste He had not stopped to consider her rough speech and uncouth manners. Johnston, Annie F. (Annie Fellows)
• petulant easily irritated or annoyed The black eyes emitted an angry flash, the voice that answered was sharp and petulant . Fleming, May Agnes
• expiate make amends for Wulphere was absolved on condition that he should expiate his crime by founding churches and monasteries all over his kingdom. Clifton, A. B.
• cavalier showing a lack of concern or seriousness Some would have given Nicklaus a cavalier response: polite nod while thinking, “Yeah, whatever.” New York Times (Jun 18, 2011)
• banter light teasing repartee Our easy banter had suddenly been replaced by strained and awkward interaction. Slate (Feb 15, 2012)
• bluster act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner Slade, despite his swaggers and blustering , was at heart a coward. Landon, Herman
• debase corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality Long oppression had not, on the whole, either blunted their intellects or debased their morals. Adler, Felix
• retainer a person working in the service of another This faithful and trusted retainer is greatly valued by his employers. Black, Helen C.
• subjugate make subservient; force to submit or subdue The Confederacy was led by thoroughgoing racists who wanted to keep blacks subjugated for all time because of the color of their skin. Slate (Apr 7, 2010)
• extol praise, glorify, or honor How I praised the duck at that first dinner, and extolled Madame's skill in cookery! Warren, Arthur
• fraught filled with or attended with But the ocean remains an unpredictable place, fraught with hazards. Scientific American (Apr 5, 2012)
• august profoundly honored At all times reserved in his manner and his bearing full of dignity, never before had she realized the majesty of General Washington’s august presence. Madison, Lucy Foster
• fissure a long narrow depression in a surface The brown bark is not very rough, though its numerous fissures and cracks give it a rugged appearance. Step, Edward
• knoll a small natural mound Opened in 2008, the park serves as a true public space; elderly couples stroll around the artificial lake as toddlers roll down grassy knolls . New York Times (May 7, 2010)
• callous emotionally hardened Outwardly merry and good-humoured, he was by nature coldly fierce, calculating, callous . Wingfield, Lewis
• inculcate teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions But instruction in history has been for a long time systematically used to inculcate certain political sentiments in the pupils. Liebknecht, Karl Paul August Friedrich
• nettle disturb, especially by minor irritations Lincoln began these remarks by good-humored but nettling chaffing of his opponent. Various
• blanch turn pale, as if in fear He is silent, as if struck dumb, his face showing blanched and bloodless, while she utters a shriek, half terrified, half in frenzied anger. Reid, Mayne
• inscrutable difficult or impossible to understand The fashion industry is notoriously opaque and often inscrutable for outsiders, even ones as well connected as him. Seattle Times (Oct 1, 2011)
• tenacious stubbornly unyielding She was a tenacious woman, one who would even hold fast a thing which she no longer valued, simply because it belonged to her. Morris, Clara
• thrall the state of being under the control of another person Then Kiss commenced in earnest, and quickly held his audience in thrall . Farjeon, Benjamin Leopold
• exigency a pressing or urgent situation The exigency of the situation roused Mr. Popkiss' sluggish faculties into prompt action. Magnay, William
• disconsolate sad beyond comforting; incapable of being soothed Was there a bereaved mother or disconsolate sister weeping over their dead? Steward, T. G. (Theophilus Gould)
• impetus a force that makes something happen Critics say it has known mixed success at best, although supporters hope the U.S. drawdown could provide just the impetus it needs to thrive.
• imposition an uncalled-for burden On that far-away day he had considered the little, lost girl a nuisance and an imposition . Chisholm, A. M. (Arthur Murray)
• auspices kindly endorsement and guidance In March 2009, negotiations between Israel and Hamas were held in Cairo, under the auspices of the Egyptian intelligence agency. New York Times (Nov 9, 2011)
• sonorous full and loud and deep His voice rang out firmly now, a deep and sonorous bass. Bedford-Jones, H.
• exploitation an act that victimizes someone In a scathing report released last year, Amnesty International found there was widespread exploitation of migrants in Malaysia.
• bane something causing misery or death Knee pain is the bane of many runners, sometimes causing them to give up altogether. Seattle Times (Jun 7, 2010)
• dint force or effort If only certain puzzles could be solved by dint of sheer hard thinking! Marsh, Richard
• ignominious deserving or bringing disgrace or shame The great Ottawa chief saw his partially accomplished scheme withering into ignominious failure. Rudd, John
• amicable characterized by friendship and good will After a short colloquy the two men evidently came to an amicable understanding, for they shook hands. Kraszewski, Jo?zef Ignacy
• onset the beginning or early stages Thousands of families are living in makeshift camps as temperatures fall to freezing with the onset of winter. New York Times (Nov 10, 2011)
• conservatory a schoolhouse with special facilities for fine arts The young instrumental talent that is coming out of local music schools and conservatories is as amazingly good as you are going to find anywhere.
• zenith the highest point of something In other words it never reaches the zenith , a point directly overhead. George H. Lowery.
• voluble marked by a ready flow of speech I find him charming: shy – yet easy to talk to – voluble and funny once he gets going.
• yeoman a free man who cultivates his own land On one extreme was the well-to-do yeoman farmer farming his own land. Reilly, S. A.
• levity a manner lacking seriousness The same balance of seriousness and levity runs through her plays, which put an absurdist spin on everyday problems. New York Times (May 7, 2010)
• rapt feeling great delight and interest She was watching the development of the investigation with rapt , eager attention. Mitford, Bertram
• sultry characterized by oppressive heat and humidity New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics arrive just as school sports ramp up in sultry August temperatures. Washington Post (Aug 9, 2011)
• pinion restrain or bind The prisoners having dismounted, were placed in a line on the ground facing the guillotine, their arms pinioned . Various
• axiom a proposition that is not susceptible of proof or disproof The fundamental axiom of scientific thought is that there is not, never has been, and never will be, any disorder in nature. Huxley, Thomas H.
• descry catch sight of Looking off seaward, I could descry no sails. Drake, Samuel Adams
• retinue the group following and attending to some important person Despite his retinue of security personnel, Atambaev had been poisoned during his short tenure as prime minister.
• functionary a worker who holds or is invested with an office He was the functionary of the assize court, impaneling its juries, bringing accused men before it, and carrying out its penalties. Reilly, S. A.
• imbibe take in liquids "We're cornered at last," he said suddenly, as the old man set the bottle down after having imbibed the best half of its contents. Douglas, Hudson
• diversified having variety of character or form or components Funds in both categories tend to be highly diversified , typically with 100 or more stocks across at least 10 industries. Wall Street Journal (Feb 24, 2012)
• maraud raid and rove in search of plunder Its reporter says armed gangs and looters are marauding the streets.
• grudging petty or reluctant in giving or spending Expect delays, scattered outages and surly, grudging customer service in the interim.
• partiality a predisposition to like something She still showed a partiality for bright colors, by her gown of deep crimson. Sage, William
• philology the humanistic study of language and literature I had determined to study philology , chiefly Greek and Latin, but the fare spread out by the professors was much too tempting. Müller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
• wry humorously sarcastic or mocking She also has a very understated but very wry sense of humour; watch out for it.
• caucus meet to select a candidate or promote a policy Representative Ron Paul of Texas isn’t campaigning in Florida, instead focusing on Maine, which will caucus in late February.
• permeate spread or diffuse through Florida’s summertime heat permeates almost every scene, becoming something like a character. New York Times (Mar 13, 2012)
• propitious presenting favorable circumstances With the Athens stock market down nearly 30 percent so far this year, it would not seem a propitious time for initial public offerings. New York Times (Jun 2, 2010)
• salient conspicuous, prominent, or important Bullying has become an increasingly salient problem for school-age children, and in rare cases has ended tragically with victims committing suicide.
• propitiate make peace with King Edward, having subdued the Welsh, “endeavoured to propitiate his newly acquired subjects by becoming a resident in the conquered country. Frith, William Powell
• excise remove by cutting Wielding a razor, Jefferson excised all passages containing supernaturalistic elements from the gospels, extracting what he took to be Jesus's pure ethical teachings.
• betoken be a signal for or a symptom of The haggard face and sombre eyes betokened considerable mental anguish. Young, F.E. Mills
• palatable acceptable to the taste or mind If nicely cooked in this way, cabbage is as palatable and as digestible as cauliflower. Ronald, Mary
• upbraid express criticism towards When Kahn warned of a serious economic "depression", he was upbraided by the White House for using such language.
• renegade someone who rebels and becomes an outlaw If he went off to another people he lost all standing among the Sioux and was thereafter treated as an outlaw and a renegade . Robinson, Doane
• hoary ancient The device of the trapped young person saved by books is a hoary one, but Ms. Winterson makes it seem new, and sulfurous. New York Times (Mar 8, 2012)
• pedantic marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning The reader is treated to pedantic little footnotes, and given a good deal of information which is either gratuitous or uninteresting. Hay, Ian
• coy showing marked and often playful evasiveness or reluctance It was funny watching such a solid person, based in faith and education, grow a trifle coy about the year of his birth. New York Times (Jul 11, 2010)
• troth a solemn pledge of fidelity She had pledged to him her troth , and she would not attempt to go back from her pledge at the first appearance of a difficulty. Trollope, Anthony
• encroachment entry to another's property without right or permission The move may mark yet another attempt by France to rein in what it sees as the encroachment of online services on the country's culture. BusinessWeek (Jan 8, 2010)
• belie be in contradiction with "It is a fine morning," he said, taken aback by my sudden movement, but affecting an indifference which the sparkle in his eye belied . Weyman, Stanley John
• armada a large fleet An armada of three hundred ships manned by eighteen thousand marines assembled in the bay on their way to the conquest of Algiers. Douglas, Frances
• succor assistance in time of difficulty Given his health woes, succession worries and persistent isolation, Mr. Kim may simply be seeking succor from what may be his last friend on earth. New York Times (May 5, 2010)
• imperturbable marked by extreme calm and composure Ordinarily imperturbable , even in the face of unexpected situations, he was now visibly agitated. Griggs, Sutton E. (Sutton Elbert)
• irresolute uncertain how to act or proceed I stood for a moment before I entered on my arduous undertaking, irresolute and hesitating, swayed by two conflicting impulses. Waugh, Joseph Laing
• knack a special way of doing something He had a special knack of hunting out farm houses, engaging madame in conversation, and coming away with bread, eggs, or cheese in his knapsack. Price, Lucien
• unseemly not in keeping with accepted standards of what is proper The square mile's upbeat mood may strike some as unseemly at a time of national gloom.
• accentuate stress or single out as important This sparkling marvel lies modestly nestled among the law courts, whose plainer modern buildings serve but to accentuate its wonderful beauty. Sherrill, Charles Hitchcock
• divulge make known to the public information previously kept secret She hectors her children not to divulge personal information like phone numbers online. Seattle Times (Nov 15, 2011)
• brawn the trait of possessing muscular strength He believes Hollywood has often have had an over-reliance on physical brawn as the deciding factor for portraying a strong man.
• burnish polish and make shiny Great cleanliness is enforced in all that belongs to a lighthouse, the reflectors and lenses being constantly burnished , polished, and cleansed. Whymper, Frederick
• palpitate beat rapidly After supper my heart started racing, palpitating like a tick. Isaacson, Lauren Ann
• promiscuous not selective of a single class or person A promiscuous assembly had gathered there—men of all creeds and opinions—and an "open-air" meeting was in progress. Whitney, Orson F.
• dissemble make believe with the intent to deceive Pictures have always dissembled – there are millions of snaps of miserable families grinning bravely – but now they directly lie.
• flotilla a fleet of small craft She was guarded by a flotilla of boats equipped with satellites, Global Positioning System devices, advanced navigation systems and shark shields. New York Times (Aug 11, 2011)
• invective abusive language used to express blame or censure There's much more name-calling, shouting and personal invective in American life than anywhere I've ever traveled outside the United States. Washington Post (Jan 15, 2011)
• hermitage the abode of a recluse All the rest of their time is passed in solitude in their hermitages , which are built quite separate from one another. Various
• despoil destroy and strip of its possession Wherever his lordship's army went, plantations were despoiled , and private houses plundered. Campbell, Charles
• sully make dirty or spotty Why sully the reputation of an otherwise fascinating online community with really deeply questionable, troubling content? Forbes (Feb 13, 2012)
• malevolent having or exerting a malignant influence So you don’t believe in evil, as an actual malevolent force? New York Times (Oct 28, 2011)
• irksome tedious or irritating It was pretty irksome passing the time in his enforced prison, and finally Andy went to sleep. Webster, Frank V.
• prattle speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly She prattled on about the gossip of the town until Penny and her father were thoroughly bored. Clark, Joan
• subaltern inferior in rank or status The careful commanding officer of a regiment discourages his young subalterns from taking leave to Hill Stations. Casserly, Gordon
• welt a raised mark on the skin But red, itchy welts typically appear within 24 to 48 hours of being bitten.
• wreak cause to happen or to occur as a consequence The burden of paying for college is wreaking havoc on the finances of an unexpected demographic: senior citizens. Washington Post (Apr 1, 2012)
• tenable based on sound reasoning or evidence First, it is no longer really tenable – and in fact a bit disrespectful – to call a country like China an emerging economy.
• inimitable matchless Leave aside Spain, where Barcelona breeds its own, inimitable style, and the answer might be that we are rushing toward uniformity. New York Times (Sep 26, 2010)
• depredation a destructive action Wild elephants abound and commit many depredations , entering villages in large herds, and consuming everything suitable to their tastes. Various
• amalgamate bring or combine together or with something else Where two weak tribes amalgamated into one, there it exceptionally happened that two closely related dialects were simultaneously spoken in the same tribe. Engels, Friedrich
• immutable not subject or susceptible to change or variation We are mistaken to imagine a work of literature is or should be immutable , sculpted in marble and similarly impervious to change.
• proxy a person authorized to act for another Ideally, everybody over 18 should execute a living will and select a health care proxy — someone to represent you in medical matters. New York Times (Jan 17, 2011)
• dote shower with love; show excessive affection for He doted on him, just dearly loved him, and thought he could do no wrong,” Kredell said. Washington Post (Oct 17, 2011)
• reactionary extremely conservative or resistant to change Old people are often accused of being too conservative, and even reactionary . Chinard, Gilbert
• rationalism the doctrine that reason is the basis for regulating conduct Offering a religious rationale for policy goals threatens what for many has become the cherished principle of secular rationalism in public life.
• endue give qualities or abilities to To say the least of it, he was endued with sufficient intelligence to acquire an ordinary knowledge of such matters. Various
• discriminating showing or indicating careful judgment and discernment Jobs’ Apple specializes in delighting the most discriminating , hard-to-please customers. Forbes (Oct 12, 2011)
• brooch a decorative pin Upon her breast she wore a brooch of gold set with many precious stones. Butler, Pierce
• pert characterized by a lightly saucy or impudent quality Her pert , lively manner said she hadn't taken any wooden nickels lately. Schoenherr, John
• disembark exit from a ship, vehicle, or aircraft The immigrants disembarked from their ships tired and underfed—generally in poor health. Hughes, Thomas Proctor
• aria an elaborate song for solo voice Ms. Netrebko sang an elegantly sad aria with lustrous warmth, aching vulnerability and floating high notes. New York Times (Sep 27, 2011)
• trappings ornaments; embellishments to or characteristic signs of They were caparisoned in Indian fashion with gay colors and fancy trappings . Roy, Lillian Elizabeth
• abet assist or encourage, usually in some wrongdoing "Since YouTube, digital culture has aided and enhanced -- or maybe the better word is abetted -- the celebrity meltdown," said Wired magazine senior editor Nancy Miller.
• clandestine conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods For Jordan, this is a clandestine relationship it would much prefer to have kept secret. BBC (Jan 5, 2010)
• distend swell from or as if from internal pressure Some kids said LaNiyah's distended abdomen looked like she was carrying a baby. Seattle Times (Apr 7, 2011)
• glib having only superficial plausibility The other sort of engineer understands that glib comparisons between computers and humans don't do justice to the complexities of either.
• pucker gather something into small wrinkles or folds Godmother,' she went on, puckering her forehead again in perplexity, 'it almost feels like feathers. Molesworth, Mrs. (Mary Louisa)
• rejoinder a quick reply to a question or remark "Not at all!" was Aunt Susannah's brisk rejoinder . Various
• spangle adornment consisting of a small piece of shiny material Magdalen's garments are rich with spangles ; her mantle is scarlet; she has flowers in her luxuriant tresses, and looks a vain creature. O'Shea, John Augustus
• blighted affected by something that prevents growth or prosperity Hudec, whose career has been blighted by knee injuries and operations, won for the first time in more than four years. New York Times (Feb 4, 2012)
• nicety conformity with some standard of correctness or propriety They accepted the invitation; but Mrs. Rowlandson did not appreciate the niceties of Indian etiquette. Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
• aggrieve infringe on the rights of Some fallout appears evident in donations from Wall Street executives, who feel particularly aggrieved by Mr. Obama’s criticisms and policies. New York Times (Feb 20, 2012)
• vestment a gown worn by the clergy And then a priest, arrayed in all his vestments , came in at the open door, and the prince and princess exchanged rings, and were married. Glinski, A. J.
• urbane showing a high degree of refinement Polished, urbane and gentlemanly—his manners were calculated to refine all around him. Judson, L. Carroll
• defray bear the expenses of The legislation also calls for $1.6 billion in spending cuts to help defray the disaster costs. Washington Post (Sep 26, 2011)
• spectral resembling or characteristic of a phantom Hawthorne’s figures are somewhat spectral ; they lack flesh and blood. Merwin, Henry Childs
• munificent very generous They have shown themselves very loving and generous lately, in making a quite munificent provision for his traveling. Carlyle, Thomas
• dictum an authoritative declaration In other words, they seemed fully subscribed to Andy Warhol’s dictum that business art is the best art. New York Times (Dec 10, 2011)
• fad an interest followed with exaggerated zeal According to Chinese media, the hottest new fad in China involves selling small live-animal key chains. Time (Apr 5, 2011)
• scabbard a sheath for a sword or dagger or bayonet Drawing his own sabre from its scabbard , he pointed to a stain on it, saying, "This is the blood of an Englishman." Reed, Helen Leah
• adulterate make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance Shady dealers along the supply chain frequently adulterate olive oil with low-grade vegetable oils and add artificial coloring. New York Times (Dec 7, 2011)
• beleaguer annoy persistently Rock concert ticket sales dropped sharply last year, sounding another sour note for the beleaguered music industry.
• gripe complain If America is going to gripe about the yuan’s rate, then China will complain about the dollar’s role.
• remission an abatement in intensity or degree After a few hours there is a remission of the pain, slight perspiration takes place, and the patient may fall asleep. Various
• exorbitant greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation Soon, stories began trickling across the Atlantic of crazed fans paying exorbitant sums to get into London gigs. Slate (Oct 10, 2011)
• invocation the act of appealing for help These dances are prayers or invocations for rain, the crowning blessing in this dry land. Roosevelt, Theodore
• cajole influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering Hamilton, however, was not to be cajoled into friendliness by superficial compliment. Fisher, Harrison
• inclusive encompassing much or everything We are going to adhere to our basic programing strategy of nonpartisan information inclusive of all different points of view.
• interdict command against Failing to satisfy his examiners, he was interdicted from practice, but ignored the prohibition, and suffered more than one imprisonment in consequence. Worley, George
• abase cause to feel shame Ashamed, abased , degraded in his own eyes, he turned away his head. Caine, Hall, Sir
• obviate do away with Comfortable sleeping-cars obviate the necessity of stopping by the way for bodily rest, provided the traveller be physically strong and in good health. Ballou, Maturin Murray
• hurtle move with or as if with a rushing sound The hurricane was expected to hit Washington in the early hours of Sunday before hurtling toward New York City.
• unanimity everyone being of one mind On all other points of colonial policy, Mackenzie declared, people would be found to differ, but as regards the post office there was absolute unanimity . Smith, William, Sir
• mettle the courage to carry on The deployment will also test the emotional mettle of soldiers and their families. New York Times (Jun 26, 2010)
• interpolate insert words into texts, often falsifying it thereby Most scholars agree that these lines are interpolated , since they do not fit in with the rest of the poem. Various
• surreptitious marked by quiet and caution and secrecy He noticed that the peddler was eying the bag Scotty had picked up, and was trying to be surreptitious about it. Goodwin, Harold L. (Harold Leland)
• dissimulate hide feelings from other people From infancy these people have been schooled to dissimulate and hide emotion, and ordinarily their faces are as opaque as those of veteran poker players. Kephart, Horace
• ruse a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture Overseas criminals use elaborate ruses , including phony websites, to trick job-seekers into helping transfer stolen funds. BusinessWeek (Aug 4, 2011)
• specious plausible but false You might be tempted to think of the biggest airline as the one with the most aircraft, but capacity differences make this reasoning specious .
• revulsion intense aversion After a first instinctive cry of horrified revulsion , the men reached down under water with their hands and drew out—a corpse. Livingston, Arthur
• hale exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health From a hearty, hale , corn-fed boy, he has become pale, lean, and wan. Adams, Abigail
• palliate lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of Divisions and inequalities persist, but government can palliate their effects with hard cash.
• obtuse lacking in insight or discernment The affair had been mentioned so plainly that it was impossible for the most dense and obtuse person not to have understood the allusion. Brazil, Angela
• querulous habitually complaining He was, at times, as querulous as a complaining old man. Williams, Ben Ames
• vagary an unexpected and inexplicable change in something Today such acquisitions are more likely to stay put, destined to survive both market fluctuations and the vagaries of style. New York Times (Sep 29, 2010)
• incipient only partly in existence; imperfectly formed Above all, medical teams will need to establish quick surveillance to identify health needs and pinpoint incipient outbreaks before they explode. Time (Jan 13, 2010)
• obdurate stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing Several appeared deeply affected, with tears of repentance standing in their eyes, others sullen and obdurate . Huth, Alexander
• grovel show submission or fear The two young men who drove them had fallen flat and were grovelling and wailing for mercy. Mitford, Bertram
• refractory stubbornly resistant to authority or control Beyond them the gardener struggled with a refractory horse that refused to draw his load of brush and dead leaves. Bacon, Josephine Dodge Daskam
• dregs sediment that has settled at the bottom of a liquid "Right got to go," Ali says, draining the dregs of his beer.
• ascendancy the state when one person or group has power over another But in a few days he had secured an almost incredible ascendancy over the sullen, starved, half-clothed army. Various
• supercilious having or showing arrogant superiority A supercilious , patronizing person—son of a wretched country parson—used to loll against the wall of your salon—with his nose in the air. Pinero, Arthur Wing, Sir
• pundit someone who has been admitted to membership in a field Pundits of agricultural science explore the sheds, I believe, the barns, stables, machine-rooms, and so forth, before inspecting the crops. Boyle, Frederick
• commiserate feel or express sympathy or compassion We had spent countless hours together drinking wine and commiserating about child-rearing, long Wisconsin winters and interrupted sleep. New York Times (Mar 24, 2011)
• alcove a small recess opening off a large room or garden They showed him where he would sleep, in a little closet-like alcove screened from the big room by a gay curtain. Wilson, Harry Leon
• assay make an effort or attempt He decided to assay one last project before giving up. New York Times (Mar 30, 2012)
• parochial narrowly restricted in outlook or scope But Republicans in Pennsylvania also have narrower and more parochial things to worry about. New York Times (Sep 17, 2011)
• conjugal relating to the relationship between a wife and husband They even had conjugal visits for prisoners — five hours in a private room every three months with your wife. New York Times (Nov 23, 2010)
• abjure formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief The caste abstain from liquor, and some of them have abjured all flesh food while others partake of it. Russell, R. V. (Robert Vane)
• frieze an ornament consisting of a horizontal sculptured band All the doorways mentioned above have cornices, and in those at Palmyra and Baalbec richly carved friezes with side corbels. Various
• ornate marked by complexity and richness of detail Unlike his literary icon, Herman Melville, he doesn’t adorn his writing with ornate flourishes or complicated scaffolding. Scientific American (Dec 20, 2011)
• inflammatory inciting action or rebellion We don't know whether inflammatory language or images can incite the mentally ill to commit acts of violence. Time (Jan 13, 2011)
• machination a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends He was continued a member of Congress until 1777 when his enemies succeeded in their long nursed machinations against him. Judson, L. Carroll
• mendicant a pauper who lives by begging In others are the broken-down mendicants who live on soup-kitchens and begging.  Ritchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)
• meander move or cause to move in a winding or curving course They paused beside one of the low stone walls that meandered in a meaningless fashion this way and that over the uplands. Vance, Louis Joseph
• bullion gold or silver in bars or ingots In times of economic turmoil, more people tend to invest in bullion gold. Washington Post (Mar 30, 2012)
• diffidence lack of self-assurance His grave diffidence and continued hesitation in offering an opinion confirmed me in my own. Froude, James Anthony
• makeshift done or made using whatever is available The house was still under construction, so he climbed up a ladder being used as a makeshift stairway, fell and injured his leg. New York Times (Apr 12, 2012)
• husbandry the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock The U.S. can take a lesson from Denmark, which has efficiently raised livestock without hurting farmers, by using better animal husbandry practices. Scientific American (Mar 22, 2011)
• podium a platform raised above the surrounding level Leyva beamed as he stood atop the podium , nodding as the American flag was raised and “The Star-Spangled Banner” played in his honor. New York Times (Oct 22, 2011)
• dearth an insufficient quantity or number A continuing dearth of snow in many U.S. spots usually buried by this time of year has turned life upside down. Washington Post (Jan 5, 2012)
• granary a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed Here is where he does his husking, and the "clear corn" produced is stored away in some underground granary till It is needed. Seton, Ernest Thompson
• whet make keen or more acute While he described the fishing as “pretty good,” the silver salmon running in the creek only whetted his appetite to return to Alaska. Washington Post (Aug 17, 2011)
• imposture pretending to be another person He got somebody to prosecute him for false pretences and imposture , on the ground that Madame was a man.  Leland, Charles Godfrey
• diadem an ornamental jeweled headdress signifying sovereignty I dethrone monarchs and the people rejoicing crown me instead, showering diadems upon my head. Tilney, Frederick Colin
• fallow undeveloped but potentially useful Several new prostate cancer drugs have been approved in the last couple of years, after a long fallow period, and others are in advanced development. New York Times (Nov 3, 2011)
• hubbub loud confused noise from many sources There was some good-humoured pushing and thrusting, the drum beating and the church bells jangling bravely above the hubbub . Weyman, Stanley J.
• dispassionate unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice The commission sitting by, judicial, dispassionate , presided with cold dignity over the sacrifice, and pronounced it good. Candee, Helen Churchill Hungerford, Mrs.
• harrowing causing extreme distress Belgium found itself in turmoil as hundreds of people came forward to offer harrowing accounts of abuse over several decades. New York Times (Jan 16, 2012)
• askance with suspicion or disapproval A secret marriage in these days would be looked upon askance by most people. Wood, Mrs. Henry
• lancet a surgical knife with a pointed double-edged blade His left arm was held by the second physician, while the chief surgeon bent over it, lancet in hand. Hay, Marie, Hon. (Agnes Blanche Marie)
• rankle make resentful or angry He was feeling more like himself now, though the memory of the bully’s sneering words rankled . Chadwick, Lester
• ramify have or develop complicating consequences Cometary science has ramified in unexpected ways during the last hundred years. Various
• gainsay take exception to That Whitman entertained a genuine affection for men and women is, of course, too obvious to be gainsaid .  Rickett, Arthur
• polity a governmentally organized unit China needs a polity that can address its increasingly sophisticated society, and to achieve that there must be political reform, Mr. Sun said. New York Times (Mar 21, 2012)
• credence the mental attitude that something is believable "Well-known brand names that promote new products receive more credence than newcomers that people don't know about."
• indemnify make amends for; pay compensation for She put her affairs in order and left instructions that those whom she had unwittingly wronged should be indemnified out of her private fortune. Butler, Pierce
• ingratiate gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts He became kindly and coaxing, leaning across the table with an ingratiating smile. King, Basil
• declivity a downward slope or bend In this frightful condition, the hunter grappled with the raging beast, and, struggling for life, they rolled together down a steep declivity . Goodrich, Samuel G. (Samuel Griswold)
• importunate making persistent or urgent requests The young man was then passionately importunate in the protestations of his love. Barr, Amelia Edith Huddleston
• passe out of fashion My friend is very keen on the new crowd; everything else he declares is " passe ." Holliday, Robert Cortes
• whittle cut small bits or pare shavings from Tad followed, whittling on a stick with his knife and kicking at the shavings as they fell. Kjelgaard, James Arthur
• repine express discontent Those poor fellows above, accustomed to the wild freshness and freedom of the sea, how they must mourn and repine ! O'Shea, John Augustus
• flay strip the skin off Once at the moose and hastily flaying the hide from the steaming meat my attention became centered on the task. Sinclair, Bertrand W.
• larder a small storeroom for storing foods or wines Mr. Goncalves’s larder holds staples like beefsteak, salt cod, sardines, olives, artichokes, hot and sweet peppers and plenty of garlic. New York Times (Feb 18, 2011)
• threadbare thin and tattered with age They were all poor folk, wrapped in threadbare cloaks or tattered leather. Brackett, Leigh Douglass
• grisly shockingly repellent; inspiring horror Television video showed a heavily damaged building and a grisly scene inside, with clothing and prayer mats scattered across a blood-splattered floor. New York Times (Aug 19, 2011)
• untoward not in keeping with accepted standards of what is proper Responding to criticism that cash payments are a classic means of tax evasion, he said he had done nothing untoward . New York Times (Aug 2, 2011)
• idiosyncrasy a behavioral attribute peculiar to an individual One of his well-known idiosyncrasies was that he would never allow himself to be photographed. Le Queux, William
• quip make jokes or witty remarks "I could have joined the FBI in a shorter period of time and with less documentation than it took to get that mortgage," she quipped .
• blatant without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious There was no blatant display of wealth, and every article of furniture bore signs of long though careful use. Bull, Charles Livingston
• stanch stop the flow of a liquid She did not attempt to stanch her tears, but sat looking at him with a smiling mouth, while the heavy drops fell down her cheeks. Stockley, Cynthia
• incongruity the quality of disagreeing Hanging out wet clothes and an American flag at the North Pole seemed an amusing incongruity . Cook, Frederick A.
• perfidious tending to betray The perfidious Italian at length confessed that it was his intention to murder his master, and then rob the house. Billinghurst, Percy J.
• platitude a trite or obvious remark But details are fuzzy and rebel leaders often resort to platitudes when dismissing suggestions of discord, saying simply that "Libya is one tribe." Wall Street Journal (Jun 20, 2011)
• revelry unrestrained merrymaking But all this revelry — dancing, drinks, exuberant youth — can be hard to manage. New York Times (Jun 3, 2010)
• delve turn up, loosen, or remove earth So she did what any reporter would do: she delved into the scientific literature and talked to investigators. New York Times (Dec 27, 2010)
• extenuate lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or degree of Prosecutors often spend time weighing mitigating and extenuating circumstances before deciding to seek the death penalty. Washington Post (Oct 15, 2011)
• polemic a verbal or written attack, especially of a belief or dogma Would it be a polemic that denounced Western imperialism for using cinema to undermine emerging nations like Kazakhstan? New York Times (Oct 4, 2010)
• enrapture hold spellbound I was delighted, enraptured , beside myself--the world had disappeared in an instant. Spielhagen, Friedrich
• virtuoso someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field Each of the seven instrumentalists was a virtuoso in his own right and had ample opportunity to prove it, often in long, soulful solos. New York Times (May 3, 2010)
• glower look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval A moment later he would collapse, sit glowering in his chair, looking angrily at the carpet. Hecht, Ben
• mundane found in the ordinary course of events Now, it would seem, that the Chinese are getting back to their everyday concerns, paying attention to events more mundane and less cataclysmic. New York Times (Mar 20, 2012)
• fatuous devoid of intelligence They're too stupid, for one thing; they go on burning houses and breaking windows in their old fatuous way. McKenna, Stephen
• incorrigible impervious to correction by punishment She scolded and lectured her sister in vain; Cynthia was incorrigible . Various
• postulate maintain or assert In fact, when Einstein formulated his cosmological vision, based on his theory of gravitation, he postulated that the universe was finite. Scientific American (Jul 26, 2011)
• gist the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work The syntax was a little off, even comical at times, but I got the gist of what was going on. Time (May 6, 2010)
• vociferous conspicuously and offensively loud The complaints grew so loud and vociferous that even President Obama was forced to address the backlash from Lisbon on Saturday. New York Times (Nov 23, 2010)
• purvey supply with provisions And we will agree also to purvey food for these horses and people during nine months. Villehardouin, Geoffroi de
• baleful deadly or sinister “But he is dead,” put in Fanning, wondering at the baleful expression of hatred that had come into the man’s face. Burnham, Margaret
• gibe laugh at with contempt and derision So much did their taunts prey upon him that he ran away from school to escape their gibes . Hubbard, Elbert
• dyspeptic irritable as if suffering from indigestion One may begin with heroic renunciations and end in undignified envy and dyspeptic comments outside the door one has slammed on one's self. Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)
• prude a person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum Criticising high-profile programmes about teenage sex education often means risking being written off as a prude .
• luminary a celebrity who is an inspiration to others Founded in 1947, the group's members have included such luminaries as Walt Disney, Spencer Tracy and another American president, Ronald Reagan. Seattle Times (Apr 11, 2011)
• amenable disposed or willing to comply He, Jean Boulot, being so amenable to sensible argument, would at once fall in with his views. Wingfield, Lewis
• willful habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition I crossed my arms like a willful child. New York Times (Aug 18, 2011)
• overbearing having or showing arrogant superiority "True; but——" "Just so," interrupted Mr. Fauntleroy, in his decisive and rather overbearing manner. Wood, Mrs. Henry
• dais a platform raised above the surrounding level The throne was elevated on a dais of silver steps. Tracy, Louis
• automate operate or make run by machines rather than human action And because leap seconds are needed irregularly their insertion cannot be automated , which means that fallible humans must insert them by hand.
• enervate weaken physically, mentally, or morally The reviewers have enervated men’s minds, and made them indolent; few think for themselves. Rossetti, William Michael
• wheedle influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering On one level, I expected incessant flattery in attempts to wheedle equipment or even money from American forces. New York Times (Aug 16, 2010)
• gusto vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment The audience, surprisingly large given the inclement weather, responded with gusto , applauding each song, including those within the Shostakovich cycle. New York Times (Mar 2, 2010)
• bouillon a clear seasoned broth The meat soups are called broths, bouillon , or consommé, according to their richness. Ronald, Mary
• omniscient knowing, seeing, or understanding everything Robbe-Grillet responds that his work is in fact far less objective than the godlike, omniscient narrator who presides over so many traditional novels.
• apostate not faithful to religion or party or cause They are atheist conservatives — Mr. Khan an apostate to his family’s Islamic faith, Ms. Mac Donald to her left-wing education. New York Times (Feb 18, 2011)
• carrion the dead and rotting body of an animal; unfit for human food Habitually his diet is not carnivorous, but he will eat at times either carrion or living flesh. Reid, Mayne
• emolument compensation received by virtue of holding an office As the TUC has pointed out, those incomes – except for senior executives, whose emoluments seem to know few bounds – are rising more slowly than prices.
• ungainly lacking grace in movement or posture Thomas looked up furtively and saw that an ungainly human figure with crooked legs was being led into the church. Gogol, Nikolai Vasilievich
• impiety unrighteousness by virtue of lacking respect for a god That, however, is unbelief, extreme impiety , and a denial of the most high God. Bente, F. (Friedrich)
• decadence the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities But there are people who really do not want to import what they regard as Western decadence , especially public drunkenness. BBC (Jun 11, 2011)
• homily a sermon on a moral or religious topic In his New Year's homily , the pope said "words were not enough" to bring about peace, particularly in the Middle East.
• avocation an auxiliary activity Unlike many retired doctors, whom he says often have no life outside their profession, he always knew sailing would become his avocation . Newsweek (Nov 17, 2010)
• circumvent avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing Mr. Bloomberg said he would take several steps to circumvent obstacles to his proposals posed by city labor unions. New York Times (Jan 12, 2012)
• syllogism reasoning in which a conclusion is derived from two premises The conclusions arrived at by means of syllogisms are irresistible, provided the form be correct and the premises be true. Webster, W. F. (William Franklin)
• collation assembling in proper numerical or logical sequence In the case of early printed books or manuscripts, which are often not paged, special knowledge is needed for their collation . Rooke, Noel
• haggle wrangle, as over a price or terms of an agreement Obama said while officials can haggle over the makeup of spending cuts, the policy issues have no place in the measure.
• waylay wait in hiding to attack Sir Samuel Clithering was not, of course, a member of it; but he lurked about outside and waylaid us as we went in. Birmingham, George A.
• savant a learned person Frank had studied something of almost everything and imagined himself a savant . Roussel, John
• cohort a group of people having approximately the same age The current cohort of college students is, as many have pointed out, the first truly digital generation. Washington Post (Dec 1, 2011)
• unction excessive but superficial compliments with affected charm "You couldn't ask too much of me," he returned, with no unction of flattery, but the cheerfully frank expression of an ingenuous heart. Ogden, George W. (George Washington)
• adjure command solemnly “I adjure thee,” she said, “swear to me that you will never go near those Christians again or read their books.” Pennell, T. L. (Theodore Leighton)
• acrimony a rough and bitter manner Relations with India have been slowly improving, although talks ended in acrimony last July with the two sides indulging in a public spat over Kashmir.
• clarion loud and clear “He has been the single, clarion voice for commuter rail in central Florida for 20 years,” said Mayor Ken Bradley of Winter Park. New York Times (Jun 27, 2011)
• turbid clouded as with sediment The thick turbid sea rolled in, casting up mire and dirt from its depths. Reynolds, Mrs. Baillie
• cupidity extreme greed for material wealth Well educated, but very corrupt at heart, he found in his insatiable cupidity many ways of gaining money. Kraszewski, Jozef Ignacy
• disaffected discontented as toward authority The financial crisis, largely caused by banker incompetence, has created legions of disaffected customers. Forbes (Sep 15, 2011)
• preternatural surpassing the ordinary or normal In fact, they regarded the Spaniards as superior beings endowed with preternatural gifts. Gilson, Jewett Castello
• eschew avoid and stay away from deliberately Morrissey is among those seniors who are eschewing nursing homes in favor of independent living. Washington Post (Mar 23, 2012)
• expatiate add details to clarify an idea He then expatiated on his own miseries, which he detailed at full length. Manzoni, Alessandro
• didactic instructive, especially excessively Let us have a book so full of good illustrations that didactic instruction shall not be needed. Various
• sinuous curved or curving in and out In origami parlance, Mr. Joisel was a wet-folder, dampening his paper so that he could coax it into sinuous curves. New York Times (Oct 20, 2010)
• rancor a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will The current session of Parliament has so far produced only rancor , as opposition parties have shut down proceedings with angry, theatrical protests against corruption. New York Times (Aug 14, 2011)
• puissant powerful The ship was not fighting now, but yielding—a complacent leviathan held captive by a most puissant and ruthless enemy. Tracy, Louis
• homespun characteristic of country life His rural, homespun demeanor ordinarily might elicit snickers from India’s urban elite. New York Times (Aug 18, 2011)
• embroil force into some kind of situation or course of action But Mr. Marbury, often embroiled in controversy during his N.B.A. days, seems to have found some measure of peace in China. New York Times (Apr 1, 2012)
• pathological caused by or evidencing a mentally disturbed condition "Fixated individuals" — mentally ill people with a pathological focus on someone, often a stranger — make up the first group.
• resonant characterized by a loud deep sound His eyes were piercing but sad, his voice grand and resonant , suiting well the wrathful, impassioned Calvinism of his sermons. Barr, Amelia Edith Huddleston
• libretto the words of an opera or musical play In many great operas, composers have had to whittle down an epic literary work into a suitable libretto . New York Times (Mar 6, 2010)
• flail thrash about Exercise is prescribed, but when she joins an aqua aerobics class, she flails embarrassingly. New York Times (Apr 12, 2012)
• bandy discuss lightly Hillary Clinton’s name has been bandied about, but she’s made it clear she’s not interested.
• gratis costing nothing "Would you admit them gratis ?" asked Mr. Castlemaine with a smile, "or would they have to pay, like ordinary residents in an hotel?" Hocking, Joseph
• upshot a phenomenon that is caused by some previous phenomenon The inevitable upshot of their growing social power was that brands wanted an expanded visual presence.
• aphorism a short pithy instructive saying General Sherman's famous aphorism that "War is Hell," has become classic. Fletcher, Samuel H.
• redoubtable worthy of respect or honor Captain Miles Standish was a redoubtable soldier, small in person, but of great activity and courage. Mann, Henry
• corpulent excessively large Obesity is very common, but chiefly among the women, who while still quite young often become enormously corpulent . D'Anvers, N.
• benighted lacking enlightenment or knowledge or culture I alone was magnificently and absurdly aware—everyone else was benightedly out of it. James, Henry
• sententious abounding in or given to pompous or aphoristic moralizing He is the village wise man; very sententious ; and full of profound remarks on shallow subjects. Irving, Washington
• cabal a clique that seeks power usually through intrigue Supposedly, see, there's this global cabal of scientists conspiring to bring about socialist one-world government.
• paraphernalia equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles It's outfitted with cricket bats and other antique sports paraphernalia . Seattle Times (Sep 27, 2011)
• vitiate make imperfect His talent in writing is vitiated by his affectation and other faults. Blair, Emma Helen
• adulation exaggerated flattery or praise And celebrities get all this adulation for something that is not about character, it's about talent.
• quaff swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught Meanwhile the officers under the tree had got served, and, cups in hand, were quaffing joyously. Reid, Mayne
• unassuming not arrogant Parr's conduct after his most heroic actions was thoroughly modest and unassuming . Greely, Adolphus W.
• libertine a dissolute person Still, Mr. Awlaki was neither among the most conservative Muslim students nor among the libertines who tossed aside religious restrictions on drinking and sex. New York Times (May 8, 2010)
• maul injure badly Hundreds of concert goers were mauled as they left by what The New York Times called “bands of roving youths.” New York Times (Aug 17, 2011)
• adage a condensed but memorable saying embodying an important fact So he focuses on the fans and embraces the adage , “Living well is the best revenge.” New York Times (Mar 25, 2011)
• expostulation the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest He even believed he saw visions with his own bodily eyes, and no expostulations of his friends could drive this belief out of his head. Hoffmann, E. T. A. (Ernst Theodor Amadeus)
• tawdry tastelessly showy It was a tawdry affair, all Cupids and cornucopias, like a third-rate wedding cake. Wilde, Oscar
• trite repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse The subject—a deathbed scene—might seem at first sight to be a trite and common one. Lancey, Magdalene de
• hireling a person who works only for money Why should I?—a mere police detective, who had been hired to do a service and paid for it like any other hireling . Hanshew, Thomas W.
• ensconce fix firmly Though she is firmly ensconced in a writing career, Ms. Freud, 48, said that in the early days she missed acting terribly. New York Times (Oct 30, 2011)
• egregious conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible “These offenses are very serious, even egregious ,” the judge said. Washington Post (Sep 12, 2011)
• cogent powerfully persuasive His thesis was too cogent , and appealed too powerfully to all classes of the Upper Canada community, to be anything but irresistible. Morison, J. L. (John Lyle)
• incisive demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions A half-hour of informed and incisive questioning by Mr. Russert would have demolished Mr. Trump. New York Times (May 1, 2011)
• errant straying from the right course or from accepted standards As the crowd voiced its displeasure, the referees made sure Wisconsin got the ball, but pass was errant and rolled out of bounds at midcourt. Seattle Times (Feb 28, 2012)
• sedulous marked by care and persistent effort Sedulous attention and painstaking industry always mark the true worker. Calhoon, Major A.R.
• incandescent characterized by ardent emotion, intensity, or brilliance Kirkwood's anger cooled apace; at worst it had been a flare of passion— incandescent . Vance, Louis Joseph
• derelict in deplorable condition Others are clustered under a tin awning by a derelict railway station or in similarly run-down school buildings.
• entomology the branch of zoology that studies insects From the department of entomology you expect to learn something about the troublesome insects, which are so universal an annoyance. Latham, A. W.
• execrable unequivocally detestable But minds were so overexcited at the time that the parties mutually accused each other, on all occasions, of the most execrable crimes. Imbert de Saint-Amand, Arthur Léon, baron
• sluice pour as if from a conduit that carries a rapid flow of water At 4:15 p.m., as the rain was sluicing off roofs in sheets, the firemen moved the trucks to higher ground. New York Times (Aug 31, 2011)
• moot of no legal significance, as having been previously decided The statement from Hermitage said even in the Soviet period no defendant had been tried after death, when charges were generally considered moot . New York Times (Feb 7, 2012)
• evanescent short-lived; tending to vanish or disappear Time seems stopped but it is moving on, and every glimmer of light is evanescent , flitting.
• vat a large open vessel for holding or storing liquids The cream remains in the large vat about twenty-four hours before it is churned. Chamberlain, James Franklin
• dapper marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners Thoroughly dapper , he took off his black-and-white pinstriped suit jacket — with its pocket-square flair — and weaved in and out among them, his voice ever rising. New York Times (Jan 22, 2011)
• asperity harshness of manner All this proceeds from the old man, whose proper character it is to be angry and bitter, and to exhibit rancor and asperity . Arndt, Johann
• flair a natural talent In fact, while Lamarr qualified as an inventive genius for her artistic flair , she fell somewhat short on her scientific acumen. Slate (Nov 28, 2011)
• mote a tiny piece of anything He took his discharge out of his pocket, brushed every mote of dust from the table, and spread the document before their eyes. Auerbach, Berthold
• circumspect careful to consider potential consequences and avoid risk Obama administration officials argue that new regulations are forcing insurers to be more circumspect about raising rates. New York Times (Sep 27, 2011)
• inimical tending to obstruct or cause harm The Hindu idea is that so long as justice and equity characterise a king’s rule, even beasts naturally inimical are disposed to live in friendship. Kingscote, Mrs. Howard
• apropos of a suitable, fitting, or pertinent nature I found myself thinking vaguely about things that were not at all apropos to the situation. Stockley, Cynthia
• gruel a thin porridge He says, keep them on just two pints of Indian-meal gruel —by which he appears to mean thin hasty pudding—a day, and no more. Alcott, William A. (William Andrus)
• gentility elegance by virtue of fineness of manner and expression This was no rough bully of the seas; Carew's bearing and dandified apparel bespoke gentility . Springer, Norman
• disapprobation an expression of strong disapproval Mr Ruthven shook his head and declared that he regarded the conduct of her persecutors with grave moral disapprobation . Wheeler, E.J.
• cameo engraving or carving in low relief on a stone The trinket was a small round cameo cut out of mother-of-pearl and set in gold; it represented St. George and the dragon. J?kai, M?r
• gouge swindle; obtain by coercion Shortages also have raised concerns about higher prices and gouging by wholesale drug companies that obtain supplies of hard-to-get drugs and jack up the costs. Seattle Times (Jan 20, 2012)
• oratorio a musical composition for voices and orchestra Mendelssohn had no sooner completed his first oratorio , "St. Paul," than he began to think about setting another Bible story to music. Edwards, Frederick George
• inclement severe, of weather Be prepared for inclement weather and possible ice and snow on park roads. Seattle Times (Oct 16, 2011)
• scintilla a tiny or scarcely detectable amount Gardner "never expressed one scintilla of remorse for his attack upon the victim" despite overwhelming evidence, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo.
• confluence a flowing together And indeed, before the 13th century, there was an extraordinary confluence of genius and innovation, particularly around Baghdad. New York Times (Dec 28, 2010)
• squalor sordid dirtiness What can be expected of human beings, crowded in such miserable habitations, living in filth and squalor , and often pinched with hunger? Field, Henry M. (Henry Martyn)
• stricture severe criticism While gratefully accepting the generous praises of our friends, we must briefly reply to some strictures by our critics. Stanton, Elizabeth Cady
• emblazon decorate with heraldic arms His coat of arms was emblazoned on the cover. Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley)
• augury an event indicating important things to come This is always an encouraging sign, and an augury of success. Alger, Horatio
• abut lie adjacent to another or share a boundary It depicts a mountain landscape near Kingston, a historic town abutting the Hudson River. New York Times (Jan 8, 2010)
• banal repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse Highly dramatic incidents are juxtaposed with comparatively banal ones; particular attention is given to tales of doomed love affairs. New York Times (Dec 4, 2011)
• congeal solidify, thicken, or come together Boil down the syrup to half its original quantity, but take care that it does not boil long enough to congeal or become thick. Baru?, Sulpice
• pilfer make off with belongings of others Many young people scavenge for reusable garbage, living on proceeds from pilfered construction material and other recyclables. Seattle Times (Feb 8, 2012)
• malcontent a person who is unsatisfied or disgusted Now, unfortunately, some malcontents among the hands here have spread their ideas, and a strike has been called. Maitland, Robert
• sublimate direct energy or urges into useful activities They might instead have passionate friendships, or sublimate their urges into other pursuits. New York Times (Jun 4, 2010)
• eugenic causing improvement in the offspring produced Eugenics was aimed at creating a better society by filtering out people considered undesirable, ranging from criminals to those imprecisely designated as “feeble-minded.” Washington Post (Aug 1, 2011)
• lineament the characteristic parts of a person's face The tears stood in Muriel's eyes, and her face was very pale, but serenity marked every lineament . Davidson, John
• firebrand someone who deliberately foments trouble But Hassan is not some teenage firebrand hurling rocks; he’s a slight, graying scholar committed to peace. New York Times (Jun 9, 2011)
• fiasco a complete failure or collapse The Stuttgart protests became a national fiasco in late September, when protesters clashed with police wielding batons and water cannons. Newsweek (Dec 14, 2010)
• foolhardy marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences Many mistakes—extravagant purchases, foolhardy investments—are made in the first months after a windfall. Wall Street Journal (Feb 24, 2012)
• retrench tighten one's belt; use resources carefully But there was only one way open to me at present—and that was to retrench my expenses. Caine, Hall, Sir
• ulterior lying beyond what is openly revealed or avowed Shop window displays may help prettify shopping thoroughfares, but any savvy retailer has the ulterior motive of self promotion. BBC (Feb 3, 2010)
• equable not varying His must have been that calm, equable temperament not easily ruffled, which goes with the self-respecting nature. Hurll, Estelle M. (Estelle May)
• inured made tough by habitual exposure But he had become inured to the rush and whirr of missiles, and now paid no heed whatever to them. Mitford, Bertram
• invidious containing or implying a slight or showing prejudice "After an old-fashioned, all-round team performance … it might seem invidious to single out one player," admits the paper before singling out one player.
• unmitigated not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity In order to be well directed, sympathy must consider all men, and not the individual alone; only then is it an unmitigated good. Williams, C. M.
• concomitant an event or situation that happens at the same time The conclusion must be drawn that every epidemic of bubonic plague is caused by the concomitant rat plague. Scientific American (Jan 21, 2011)
• cozen cheat or trick Dicing-houses, where cheaters meet, and cozen young men out of their money. Various
• phlegmatic showing little emotion Humanity, when surfeited with emotion, becomes calm, almost phlegmatic . Tracy, Louis
• dormer a gabled extension built out from a sloping roof Other features, such as the front French doors and two roof dormers with curved-top windows and operable shutters, give this home a pleasing, well-balanced presence. Southern Living (Apr 14, 2010)
• pontifical denoting or governed by or relating to a bishop or bishops The high priest made no resistance, but went forth in his pontifical robes, followed by the people in white garments, to meet the mighty warrior. Lord, John
• disport occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion Straightway the glade in which they sat was filled with knights, ladies, maidens, and esquires, who danced and disported themselves right joyously. Spence, Lewis
• apologist a person who argues to defend some policy or institution Tories, and apologists for Great Britain, have written much about a justification for this action, but there is no real justification. Barce, Elmore
• abeyance temporary cessation or suspension My feelings of home-sickness had returned with redoubled strength after being long in abeyance . Boldrewood, Rolf
• enclave an enclosed territory that is culturally distinct And its suburban schools, rather than being exclusive enclaves , include children whose parents can't afford a house in the neighborhood. Washington Post (Jan 11, 2011)
• improvident not supplying something useful for the future He was industrious but improvident ; he made money and he lost it. Hubbard, Elbert
• disquisition an elaborate analytical or explanatory essay or discussion Cumulatively, what emerges from To Kill a Mockingbird is a thoughtful disquisition that encompasses – and goes beyond – the question of racial bias at its worst.
• categorical not modified or restricted by reservations "European leaders were united, categorical and crystal clear: Gaddafi must go," British Prime Minister David Cameron said.
• placate cause to be more favorably inclined The East India Company was placated by the concession of further exemptions in its favour. Smith, A. D.
• redolent serving to bring to mind Here, however, are congregated a vast number of curious and interesting objects, while the place is redolent of vivid historical associations. Ballou, Maturin Murray
• felicitous exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style The first book is the finest, sparkling with felicitous expressions and rising frequently to true poetry. Dennis, John
• gusty blowing in puffs or short intermittent blasts Winds could get gusty , occasionally blowing at more than 30 miles per hour.
• natty marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners He wore a checked suit, very natty , and was more than usually tall and fine-looking. Green, Anna Katharine
• pacifist opposed to war He was, furthermore, a real pacifist , believing that war is debasing morally and disastrous economically. Seymour, Charles
• buxom healthily plump and vigorous Mrs. Connelly—a round, rosy, buxom Irishwoman, with a mellow voice, laughing eye, and artist-red hair—was very much taken with their plan. Douglas, Amanda Minnie
• heyday the period of greatest prosperity or productivity Playboy's most popular years are well behind it - the magazine enjoyed its heyday in the 1970s. Washington Post (Jan 10, 2011)
• herculean displaying superhuman strength or power He made herculean efforts to get on terms with his examination subjects, and worked harder than he had ever done in his life before. Marshall, Archibald
• burgeon grow and flourish Brooklyn's burgeoning dining scene has even developed a following among Manhattan food lovers.
• crone an ugly, evil-looking old woman The aged crone wrinkled her forehead and lifted her grizzled eyebrows, still without looking at him. Myrick, Frank
• prognosticate make a prediction about; tell in advance How strange it is that our dreams often prognosticate coming events! Huth, Alexander
• lout an awkward, foolish person But this question was beyond the poor lout 's intelligence; he could only blubber and fend off possible chastisement. Williams, J. Scott (John Scott)
• simper smile in an insincere, unnatural, or coy way Mrs. Barnett's mouth simpered at the implied flattery; but her eyes, always looking calculatingly for substantial results, were studying Reedy Jenkins. Hamby, William H. (William Henry)
• iniquitous characterized by injustice or wickedness This was some piece of wickedness concocted by the venomous brain of the iniquitous Vicar, more abominable than all his other wickednesses. Trollope, Anthony
• rile disturb, especially by minor irritations The prospect of seeing Ms. Palin tour Alaska’s wild habitats may rile some people who oppose her opinions about climate change. New York Times (Mar 25, 2010)
• sentient endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness The money fluttered from his hand to the floor, where it lay like a sentient thing, staring back as if mocking him. Hitchcock, Lucius W.
• garish tastelessly showy With its opulently garish sets and knee-jerk realism, the production dwarfed the cast, no matter what stars were singing. New York Times (Jan 2, 2011)
• readjustment the act of correcting again While earpieces are not uncomfortable, they do sometimes come loose, requiring readjustment . Slate (Apr 17, 2012)
• erstwhile belonging to some prior time Sony, whose erstwhile dominance in consumer electronics has been eroded by the likes of Samsung, could beat rivals to a potentially new generation of devices.
• aquiline curved down like an eagle's beak The nose slightly aquiline , curving at the nostril; while luxuriant hair, in broad plaits, fell far below her waist. Various
• bilious irritable as if suffering from indigestion But his sleep had not refreshed him; he waked up bilious , irritable, ill-tempered, and looked with hatred at his room. Garnett, Constance
• vilify spread negative information about The trial was televised and the victim's identity became known, resulting in her being vilified by almost the entire town.
• nuance a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude By working so hard to simplify things, we lose any nuance or ability to deal with folks’ individual circumstances. Washington Post (Oct 3, 2011)
• gawk look with amazement He speaks mainly of his humiliation at lying on the sidewalk as hipsters gawked . New York Times (Apr 9, 2012)
• refectory a communal dining-hall, usually in a monastery Meanwhile, the soup was getting cold in the refectory , so that the assembled brotherhood at last fell to, without waiting any longer for the Abbot. Scheffel, Joseph Victor von
• palatial suitable for or like a large and stately residence The house was very large; its rooms almost palatial in size, had been finished in richly carved hardwood panels and wainscoting, mostly polished mahogany. Hitchcock, Frederick L. (Frederick Lyman)
• mincing affectedly dainty or refined She went, carrying her little head very high indeed, and taking dainty, mincing steps. Banks, Nancy Huston
• trenchant having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought They are written in a serio-comic tone, and for sparkling wit, trenchant sarcasm, and dramatic dialectics surpass anything ever penned by Lessing. Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim
• emboss raise in a relief Requests may also be made of the stationer to use an embossed plate so that the letters stand out in relief. Eichler, Lillian
• proletarian a member of the working class As yet, the true proletarian wage-earner, uprooted from his native village and broken away from the organization of Indian society, is but insignificant. Stoddard, Lothrop
• careen pitching dangerously to one side I turned the steering wheel all the way to one side, and found myself careening backward in a violent arc. Vogel, Nancy
• debacle a sound defeat The Broncos are coming off their worst season in franchise history, a 4-12 debacle that included issues on and off the field. Newsweek (Jan 9, 2011)
• sycophant a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage The people around the king are sycophants who are looking after their own personal advantage. Coffin, Charles Carleton
• crabbed annoyed and irritable He grew crabbed and soured, his temper flashing out on small provocation. Weyman, Stanley J.
• archetype something that serves as a model Newport, R.I., looks like a perfect archetype of a small, seaside New England town.
• cryptic of an obscure nature The authorities, beyond some cryptic language about the death being sudden but not suspicious, have released no details. New York Times (Aug 24, 2011)
• penchant a strong liking or preference But sometimes, old Wall Street habits — including a penchant for expensive luxuries — are hard to break. New York Times (Mar 31, 2012)
• bauble cheap showy jewelry or ornament But men were buying Valentine's baubles for their honeys long before the first Zales ever opened its doors in a suburban shopping mall. Slate (Feb 14, 2012)
• mountebank a flamboyant deceiver They are singularly clever, these Indian mountebanks , especially in sleight of hand tricks. Ballou, Maturin Murray
• fawning attempting to win favor by flattery “As any cult leader, he was extremely good at milking the rich, at flattering and fawning ,” Ms. Gordon said. New York Times (Apr 16, 2010)
• hummock a small natural mound Captain Bill leaned back on a hummock of earth, his arms folded behind his head. Grayson, J. J.
• apotheosis model of excellence or perfection of a kind Contrary to popular belief, however, she said Ms. Deen’s fat-laden cooking does not in fact represent the apotheosis of Southern cuisine. New York Times (Jan 17, 2012)
• discretionary not earmarked; available for use as needed Steeper prices for basic necessities have forced many to cut back on more discretionary purchases. Washington Post (Oct 19, 2011)
• pithy concise and full of meaning As Moore isolated finer points of the passing game, Keller in neat penmanship jotted down pithy phrases and punchy quotes, basic ideas and specific concepts. New York Times (Dec 10, 2011)
• comport behave in a certain manner Ironically, the one man on stage who did comport himself with dignity, John Huntsman, is now being dismissed as having not made an impact.
• checkered marked by changeable fortune Both restaurants have checkered histories with the health department; they were temporarily shut down for sanitary violations that included evidence of rodents. New York Times (Aug 22, 2010)
• ambrosia the food and drink of the gods "Frieda represents the lovely goddess, Hebe, who served nectar and ambrosia to the high gods on Mount Olympus," she explained. Vandercook, Margaret
• factious dissenting with the majority opinion Will it be answered that we are factious , discontented spirits, striving to disturb the public order, and tear up the old fastnesses of society? Stanton, Elizabeth Cady
• disgorge cause or allow to flow or run out or over There are telephone poles and cinder blocks and living room chairs and large trash bins, overturned and disgorging their soggy contents. New York Times (Oct 28, 2011)
• filch make off with belongings of others Then, in place of the real site, it displays a fake site created  to filch account numbers, login names and passwords. New York Times (Jul 13, 2010)
• wraith a ghostly figure, especially one seen shortly before death Whichever way he turns there loom past wraiths , restless as ghosts of unburied Grecian slain. Lee, Carson Jay
• demonstrable capable of being proved The linkage between deposits and trade is definite, causal, positive, statistically demonstrable . Anderson, Benjamin M.
• pertinacious stubbornly unyielding His temper, though yielding and easy in appearance, was in reality most obstinate and pertinacious . Kavanagh, Julia
• emend make corrections to The following were identified as spelling or typographic errors and have been emended as noted. Hopper, James
• laggard someone who takes more time than necessary Corporate data centers are the slowpoke laggards of information technology. New York Times (Apr 10, 2012)
• waffle pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness A few days of waffling back and forth and I ended up going out to a mediocre bistro with my parents. Scientific American (Feb 8, 2011)
• loquacious full of trivial conversation Pan soon found it needful to make conversation, in order to keep the loquacious old stage driver from talking too much. Grey, Zane
• venial easily excused or forgiven The confidence of ignorance, however venial in youth, is not altogether so excusable, in full grown men. School, A Sexton of the Old
• peon a laborer who is obliged to do menial work For the most part, the men were wiry peons , some toiling half naked, but there were a number who looked like prosperous citizens. Bindloss, Harold
• effulgence the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light Then, all at once, in a way that seemed to frighten her, the sunshine had burst the clouds, and dazzled her with its effulgence . Fenn, George Manville
• lode a deposit of valuable ore Such local perturbations are regularly used in Sweden for tracing out the position of underground lodes of iron ore. Gilbert, William
• fanfare a gaudy outward display It opened a month ago to considerable fanfare , with television cameras trailing government officials meandering proudly around the bright new stores filled with imported goods. New York Times (Aug 22, 2010)
• dilettante showing frivolous or superficial interest; amateurish They dabbled in politics and art in the same dilettante fashion. Cannan, Gilbert
• pusillanimous lacking in courage, strength, and resolution He was described by his friends as pusillanimous to an incredible extent, timid from excess of riches, afraid of his own shadow. Motley, John Lothrop
• ingrained deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held The narrow prejudices of his country were ingrained too deeply in his character to be disturbed by any change of surroundings. Fuller, Robert H.
• quagmire a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot The heavy rain had reduced this low-lying ground to a veritable quagmire , making progress very difficult even for one as unburdened as he was. Putnam Weale, B. L. (Bertram Lenox)
• reprobation severe disapproval Mr. Conway denounced this scheme as "utterly and flagrantly unconstitutional, as radically revolutionary in character and deserving the reprobation of every loyal citizen." Blaine, James Gillespie
• mannered having unnatural behavioral attributes Nothing was mannered or pretentious; the texts came through with utter naturalness. New York Times (May 29, 2011)
• squeamish easily disturbed or disgusted by unpleasant things But please note that this gunfire-fueled film is for mature audiences; given its content, young and/or squeamish viewers should avoid this one. Washington Post (Aug 6, 2010)
• proclivity a natural inclination She received, under her father's supervision, a very careful education, and developed her proclivities for literary composition at an early age. Adams, W. H. Davenport
• miserly characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity Now, my uncle seemed so miserly that I was struck dumb by this sudden generosity, and could find no words in which to thank him. Stevenson, Robert Louis
• vapid lacking significance or liveliness or spirit or zest How vapid was the talk of my remaining fellow-passengers; how slow of understanding, and how preoccupied with petty things they seemed! Dawson, A. J. (Alec John)
• mercurial liable to sudden unpredictable change Wind energy is notoriously mercurial , with patterns shifting drastically over the course of years, days, even minutes. Scientific American (Jan 4, 2012)
• perspicuous transparently clear; easily understandable The statements are plain and simple, a perfect model of perspicuous narrative. Smith, Uriah
• nonplus be a mystery or bewildering to I shook my head and rushed from his presence, completely nonplussed , bewildered, frantic. Cole, E. W. (Edward William)
• enamor attract Young Indian audiences are so enamored with reality television that they will not watch the soap operas and dramas that their parents or grandparents watch. New York Times (Jan 9, 2011)
• hackneyed repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse Many speakers become so addicted to certain hackneyed phrases that those used to hearing them speak can see them coming sentences away. Lewis, Arthur M. (Arthur Morrow)
• spate a large number or amount or extent French authorities are already reporting a rising spate of calls to emergency services by homeowners whose once-frozen water mains have now burst.
• pedagogue someone who educates young people His old pedagogue , Mr. Brownell, had been unable to teach him mathematics. Pierce, H. Winthrop
• acme the highest level or degree attainable Scientifically speaking, it is the acme of absurdity to talk of a man defying the law of gravitation when he lifts his arm. Huxley, Thomas H.
• masticate bite and grind with the teeth Food should be masticated quietly, and with the lips closed. Cooke, Maud C.
• sinecure a job that involves minimal duties He would have repudiated the notion that he was looking for a sinecure , but no doubt considered that the duties would be easy and light. Trollope, Anthony
• indite produce a literary work She indited religious poems which were the admiration of the age. Brittain, Alfred
• emetic a medicine that induces nausea and vomiting The juice of this herb, taken in ale, is esteemed a gentle and very good emetic , bringing on vomiting without any great irritation or pain. Smith, John Thomas
• temporize draw out a discussion or process in order to gain time So he temporized and beat about the bush, and did not touch first on that which was nearest his heart. Erskine, Payne
• unimpeachable beyond doubt or reproach Whether we agree with the conclusions of these writers or not, the method of critical investigation which they adopt is unimpeachable . Huxley, Thomas H.
• genesis a coming into being He found himself speculating on the genesis of the moral sense, how it developed in difficulties rather than in ease. Miller, Alice Duer
• mordant harshly ironic or sinister Even Morgan himself, intrepid as he was, shrank from the awful menace of the mordant words. Crawford, Will
• smattering a small number or amount Only a smattering of fans remained for all four ghastly quarters. Washington Post (Sep 24, 2011)
• suavity the quality of being charming and gracious in manner His combativeness was harnessed to his suavity , and he could be forcible and at the same time persuasive. Windsor, William
• stentorian very loud or booming If a hundred voices shouted in opposition, his stentorian tones still made themselves heard above the uproar. J?kai, M?r
• junket a trip taken by an official at public expense Mr. Abramoff arranged for junkets , including foreign golfing destinations, for the members of Congress he was trying to influence. New York Times (Feb 26, 2010)
• appurtenance a supplementary component that improves capability In the center of this space stood a large frame building whose courtyard, stables, and other appurtenances proclaimed it an inn. Madison, Lucy Foster
• nostrum patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable Just here a native "medicine man" dispenses nostrums of doubtful efficacy, and in front a quantity of red Moorish pottery is exposed for sale. Meakin, Budgett
• immure lock up or confine, in or as in a jail Political prisoners, numbering as many as three or four hundred at a time, have been immured within its massive walls. Boyd, Mary Stuart
• astringent acidic or bitter in taste or smell There was something sharply astringent about her then, like biting inadvertently into a green banana. McFee, William
• unfaltering marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable Still unfaltering , the procession commenced to trudge back, the littlest boy and girl bearing themselves bravely, with lips tight pressed. Sabin, Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand)
• tutelage attention and management implying responsibility for safety It will do so under German leadership that grows less hesitant with each crisis, and without the American tutelage it enjoyed for so many decades. Newsweek (Jan 23, 2011)
• testator a person who makes a will This will was drawn up by me some years since at the request of the testator , who was in good health, mentally and bodily. Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
• elysian of such excellence as to suggest inspiration by the gods Life seemed an elysian dream, from which care and sorrow must be for ever banished. Hentz, Caroline Lee
• fulminate criticize severely But with people looking for almost any excuse to fulminate against airlines these days, there's a certain risk of embellishment.
• fractious easily irritated or annoyed He was a fractious invalid, and spared his wife neither time nor trouble in attending to his wants. Brazil, Angela
• pummel strike, usually with the fist Another, with rubber bands wrapped tightly around his face, is pummelled by a plastic boxing kangaroo.
• manumit free from slavery or servitude Moreover, manumitted slaves enjoyed the same rights, privileges and immunities that were enjoyed by those born free. Various
• unexceptionable completely acceptable; not open to reproach All cowboys are from necessity good cooks, and the fluffy, golden brown biscuits and fragrant coffee of Red's making were unexceptionable . Mayer, Frank
• triumvirate a group of three people responsible for civil authority This triumvirate approach has real benefits in terms of shared wisdom, and we will continue to discuss the big decisions among the three of us.
• sybarite a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses He was not used to travelling on omnibuses, being something of a sybarite who spared nothing to ensure his own comfort. Wallace, Edgar
• jibe be compatible, similar, or consistent Contemporary art has never quite jibed with mainstream media.
• magisterial offensively self-assured or exercising unwarranted power “Now look here,” he said, making believe to take down my words and shaking his pencil at me in a magisterial way. Fenn, George Manville
• roseate of something having a dusty purplish pink color Behind the trees rough, lichened rock and stony slopes ran up to a bare ridge, silhouetted against the roseate glow of the morning sky. Bindloss, Harold
• obloquy abusive, malicious, and condemnatory language This is the real history of a transaction which, by frequent misrepresentation, has brought undeserved obloquy upon a generous man. Purchas, H. T. (Henry Thomas)
• hoodwink influence by slyness The stories of the saints he regarded as preposterous fables invented to hoodwink a gullible and illiterate populace.
• striate mark with stripes of contrasting color The body is striated with clearly defined, often depressed lines, which run longitudinally and sometimes spirally. Calkins, Gary N. (Gary Nathan)
• arrogate seize and take control without authority Japanese manufacturers were accused of arrogating American technologies to churn out low-cost electronics. New York Times (May 25, 2010)
• rarefied of high moral or intellectual value The debate over climate science has involved very complex physical models and rarefied areas of scientific knowledge. New York Times (Apr 9, 2011)
• chary characterized by great caution There was no independent verification of the figure; the authorities have been chary of releasing death tolls for fear of inflaming further violence. New York Times (Apr 24, 2011)
• credo any system of principles or beliefs She preferred to hang out with everyone but was best friends with no one, holding to the credo : “You should be nice to people.” New York Times (Jan 21, 2011)
• superannuated too old to be useful Civil servants are superannuated at fifty-five years of age and are sent home on a pension, seldom enjoying life longer than two years afterward. Hunt, Eleonora
• impolitic lacking tact, shrewdness, or prudence Bill Maher has always been a vocal critic of Islam, even at times making impolitic statements about the religion.
• aspersion a disparaging remark Lord Sanquhar then proceeded to deny the aspersion that he was an ill-natured fellow, ever revengeful, and delighting in blood. Thornbury, Walter
• abysmal exceptionally bad or displeasing After all, many Americans regard this Congress as dysfunctional, with abysmal approval ratings. New York Times (Dec 28, 2011)
• poignancy a quality that arouses emotions, especially pity or sorrow They were curious about the “near loss” experience—specifically the feelings of poignancy that occur when what we cherish disappears. Scientific American (Jan 17, 2011)
• stilted artificially formal or stiff But thanks to the stilted writing and stiff acting, the characters still feel very much like one-dimensional figures from a dutiful fable. New York Times (Jul 12, 2011)
• effete excessively self-indulgent, affected, or decadent John Bull was an effete old plutocrat whose sons and daughters were given up to sport and amusement. Moffett, Cleveland
• provender food for domestic livestock "Fools!" she cried, looking in her magic crystal, "he was in the big sycamore under which you stopped to give your horses provender !" Housman, Laurence
• endemic of a disease constantly present in a particular locality Mean-spirited chants and songs are also endemic in British soccer. New York Times (Jan 27, 2012)
• jocund full of or showing high-spirited merriment Her jocund laugh and merry voice, indeed, first attracted my attention. Lever, Charles James
• procedural of or relating to processes In other words, the rejection was a bureaucratic/ procedural decision. Scientific American (Feb 1, 2012)
• rakish marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness She wore her red cap in a rakish manner on the side of her head, its tassel falling down over her forehead between her eyes. Sage, William
• skittish unpredictably excitable, especially of horses That combined with his calm and reassuring tone made me think of an animal trainer trying to woo skittish wild animals.
• peroration a flowery and highly rhetorical address He had little hope that Gallagher, once embarked on a peroration , would stop until he had used up all the words at his command. Birmingham, George A.
• nonentity a person of no influence Was he such a nonentity in every way that she could remain unconcerned as to any fear of danger from him? Woolson, Constance Fenimore
• abstemious marked by temperance in indulgence Raw, boozy, untethered performances are heralded as real; the abstemious professional is yawned off the stage.
• viscid having the sticky properties of an adhesive Roads were quagmires where travellers slipped and laboured through viscid mud and over icy fords. Buck, Charles Neville
• doggerel a comic verse of irregular measure He sang, with accompanying action, some dozen verses of doggerel , remarkable for obscenity and imbecility.  Ritchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)
• sleight adroitness in using the hands The trick was performed Tuesday by Russell Fitzgerald, an amateur magician known to open meetings with a little sleight of hand. Washington Post (Sep 29, 2011)
• rubric category name Ms. Moss took issue, not surprisingly, with the notion that grouping the performances under the rubric of spirituality was a marketing ploy. New York Times (Nov 22, 2010)
• plenitude a full supply Of course at that season, amid the plenitude of seeds, nuts, and berries, they were as plump as partridges. Reid, Mayne
• rebus a puzzle consisting of pictures representing words They wrote at times with pictures standing for sounds, as we now write in rebus puzzles. Park, Robert Ezra
• wizened lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness Kim Jong Il may be increasingly wizened and frail, with fingernails white from kidney disease, but his propaganda apparatus is as vigorous as ever. Wall Street Journal (Mar 26, 2010)
• whorl a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles The flowers are waxy, tubular, fragrant, turning their yellow petals backward in a whorl . Rogers, Julia Ellen
• fracas a noisy quarrel Other cops were battling each other, going after the kids and clutching empty air, cursing and screaming unheard orders in the fracas . Freas, Kelly
• iconoclast someone who attacks cherished ideas or institutions Jobs is a classic iconoclast , one who aggressively seeks out, attacks, and overthrows conventional ideas. BusinessWeek (Oct 12, 2010)
• saturnine bitter or scornful Only when Bill Lightfoot spoke did he look up, and then with a set sneer, growing daily more saturnine . Dixon, Maynard
• madrigal an unaccompanied partsong for several voices Nevertheless we learn from Malvezzi's publication that the pieces were all written in the madrigal style, frequently in numerous voice parts. Henderson, W. J. (William James)
• discursive tending to cover a wide range of subjects “Tabloid,” like his previous films, consists largely of long, discursive conversations — in effect monologues directed at an unseen, mostly unheard interlocutor. New York Times (Jul 22, 2011)
• zealot a fervent and even militant proponent of something "The public is going to just think of us as these zealots who want to ban smoking everywhere," he said. Seattle Times (Feb 20, 2011)
• moribund not growing or changing; without force or vitality The entertainment sector there is booming, while Pakistan's is moribund . Seattle Times (Dec 3, 2011)
• modicum a small or moderate or token amount He volunteered a modicum of advice, limited in quantity, but valuable. Bolderwood, Rolf
• connotation an idea that is implied or suggested In Arabic, the word “bayt” translates literally as house, but its connotations resonate beyond rooms and walls, summoning longings gathered about family and home. New York Times (Feb 18, 2012)
• adventitious associated by chance and not an integral part The derivation of the word thus appears to be merely accidental and adventitious . Stace, W. T. (Walter Terence)
• recondite difficult to understand The mystery of verse is like other abstruse and recondite mysteries—it strikes the ordinary fleshly man as absurd. Gosse, Edmund
• zephyr a slight wind The dwellings and public buildings throughout Cuba are planned to give free passage to every zephyr that wafts relief from the oppressive heat. Various
• countermand cancel officially In the midst of executing this order, he got another order countermanding it, and proceeding directly from his direct superior. Belloc, Hilaire
• captious tending to find and call attention to faults Miss Burton had been very irritable and captious in class, more so even than usual, and most of her anger was vented upon Gerry. Chaundler, Christine
• cognate having the same ancestral language The synonyms are also given in the cognate dialects of Welsh, Armoric, Irish, Gaelic, and Manx, showing at one view the connection between them.  Jenner, Henry
• forebear a person from whom you are descended His forebears were Greek immigrants who opened a small sandwich shop in Brooklyn, then moved, one after another, to Providence, to sell distinct, delectable wieners. New York Times (Sep 24, 2010)
• cadaverous very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold He looked gaunt and cadaverous , and much of his old reckless joyousness had left him, though he brightened up wonderfully on seeing an old friend. Doyle, A. Conan
• foist force onto another Mr. Knoll added that the 3-D “Star Wars” movies are not “going to be foisted on anybody against their will.” New York Times (Sep 29, 2010)
• dotage mental infirmity as a consequence of old age He is, as you say, a senile old man in his dotage . Wilcox, Ella Wheeler
• nexus a connected series or group Numerous innovators are also worrying away at this nexus of problems.
• choleric characterized by anger Jonathan, choleric with indignation, stood by his desk, clenching his hands. Mills, Weymer Jay
• garble distort or make false by mutilation or addition But the fact remains that the contradictory and inconsistent things said do reach the public, and usually in garbled and distorted form. Unknown
• bucolic idyllically rustic Forty-four years ago, Bill Sievers moved into his neo-Colonial house in Douglaston, Queens, on bucolic Poplar Street, lined with stately trees and equally stately homes. New York Times (Mar 26, 2012)
• denouement the outcome of a complex sequence of events Suppose the truly apocalyptic denouement happens -- no deal is reached, and taxes rise for everyone.
• animus a feeling of ill will arousing active hostility The youthful savages had each an armful of snowballs, and they were pelting the child with more animus than seemed befitting. Murray, David Christie
• overweening unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings He had overweening ambitions even then, along with a highly developed sense of his own importance. New York Times (Apr 19, 2010)
• tyro someone new to a field or activity As yet he was merely a tyro , gaining practical experience under a veteran Zeppelin commander. Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)
• preen dress or groom with elaborate care He preened on fight nights in a tuxedo, a bow tie and no shirt, and he favored showy rings and bracelets. New York Times (Jul 24, 2011)
• largesse liberality in bestowing gifts After being saved by government largesse , they say, big banks then moved to thwart reforms aimed at preventing future meltdowns caused by excessive risk-taking. New York Times (Jul 14, 2011)
• retentive good at remembering The child was very sharp, and her memory was extremely retentive . Rowlands, Effie Adelaide
• unconscionable greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation For generations in the New York City public schools, this has become the norm with devastating consequences rooted in unconscionable levels of student failure. New York Times (Nov 4, 2011)
• badinage frivolous banter It was preposterous to talk to her of serious things, and nothing but an airy badinage seemed possible in her company. Maugham, W. Somerset (William Somerset)
• insensate devoid of feeling and consciousness and animation Men also are those brutal soldiers, alike stupidly ready, at the word of command, to drive the nail through quivering flesh or insensate wood. Stowe, Harriet Beecher
• sherbet a frozen dessert made primarily of fruit juice and sugar "One person said it looks like a big lime sherbet ice cream cone!" Southern Living (Apr 28, 2010)
• beatific resembling or befitting an angel or saint She dozed at last, her face serene and beatific . Beach, Rex Ellingwood
• bemuse cause to be confused emotionally They were marching in the middle of the street, chanting and singing and disrupting traffic while countless New Yorkers looked on, some bemused , others applauding.
• microcosm a miniature model of something The building, he said, is "a microcosm of what Shanghai was all about." Wall Street Journal (Apr 30, 2010)
• factitious not produced by natural forces; artificial or fake Indeed, the Chinese make a factitious cheese out of peas, which it is difficult to discriminate from the article of animal origin. Cameron, Charles Alexander, Sir
• gestate develop in the mind; have the idea for Mr. Lucas’s most recent project, still gestating , is a collaboration with Cuban musicians. New York Times (May 9, 2011)
• traduce speak unfavorably about For Grover Cleveland there were no longer enemies to traduce and vilify. Straus, Oscar S.
• sextant an instrument for measuring angular distance For example, a sextant could be used to sight the sun at high noon in order to determine one’s latitude. Scientific American (Mar 8, 2012)
• coiffure the arrangement of the hair They sat down, and Saint-Clair noticed his friend's coiffure ; a single rose was in her hair. M?rim?e, Prosper
• malleable easily influenced “The Americans are seen as naïve malleable tools in the hands of the Brits.” New York Times (Nov 30, 2011)
• rococo having excessive asymmetrical ornamentation The upper part of the case is decorated with elaborately carved and gilt rococo motifs. Bedini, Silvio A.
• fructify become productive or fruitful Thence they grow, expand, fructify , and the result is Progress. Stanton, Elizabeth Cady
• nihilist someone who rejects all theories of morality “He’s a loner nihilist who believes in nothing,” Mr. Lu said. New York Times (Nov 6, 2011)
• ellipsis a mark indicating that words have been omitted He speaks in ellipses , often leaving sentences hanging, and fiddles apologetically with his BlackBerry.
• accolade a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction The Nobel Prize, considered one of the highest accolades in literature, is given only to living writers. Seattle Times (Oct 6, 2011)
• codicil a supplement to a will The codicil to her will, which she had spoken of with so much composure, left three hundred pounds to Stella and me. Fothergill, Jessie
• roil be agitated Like thousands of fellow students, he was roiled with emotions, struggling to come to grips with an inescapable reality. New York Times (Nov 26, 2011)
• grandiloquent lofty in style A large part of his duties will be to strut about on the stage, and mouth more or less unintelligible sentences in a grandiloquent tone. Smith, Arthur H.
• inconsequential lacking worth or importance But as the months went by, Mr. Kimura had an unexpected epiphany: His business, which he thought was inconsequential , mattered to a lot of people.
• effervescence the property of giving off bubbles Both were in the very sparkle and effervescence of that fanciful glee which bubbles up from the golden, untried fountains of early childhood. Stowe, Harriet Beecher
• stultify deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless Far from being engines of economic growth, Egypt's leading cities are stultified .
• tureen large deep serving dish with a cover Soups are presented in big tureens and can be quite good. New York Times (Apr 13, 2012)
• pellucid transparently clear; easily understandable Caribou Island is a scant 300 pages, and written in prose as pellucid as the rivers he used to fish as a boy.
• euphony any pleasing and harmonious sounds It depends somewhat on usage and on euphony or agreeableness of sound. Hamilton, Frederick W. (Frederick William)
• apocryphal being of questionable authenticity We're reminded of the story, possibly apocryphal , that they used to play the Beach Boys' Smiley Smile in psychiatric wards to calm patients.
• veracious precisely accurate For proof, we cite the following veracious narrative, which bears within it every internal mark of truth, and matter for grave and serious reflection. Roby, John
• pendulous hanging loosely or bending downward And all around, far out of reach, the trees of the forest were swaying restlessly, their long, pendulous branches, like tentacles, lashing out hungrily. Bates, Harry
• exegesis an explanation or critical interpretation Its musical significance has been presented with illuminating exegesis by more than one commentator. Forkel, Johann Nikolaus
• effluvium a foul-smelling outflow or vapor However, acting on my best judgment, I struck a downward course, and then suddenly a horrible effluvium was wafted to my nostrils. Mitford, Bertram
• apposite being of striking appropriateness and pertinence He was quite capable of meaningful, apposite phrases about the game, even though distant sports editors did not encourage them enough.
• viscous having the sticky properties of an adhesive Sluggish, blind crawling things like three-foot slugs flowed across their path and among the tree trunks, leaving viscous trails of slime behind them. Various
• misanthrope someone who dislikes people in general And shaking his head like a misanthrope , disgusted, if not with life, at least with men, Patout led the horse to the stable. Dumas père, Alexandre
• vintner someone who makes wine The question remains, he said, whether established vintners will change their winemaking practices or “continue to sell their schlock.” New York Times (Oct 27, 2010)
• halcyon idyllically calm and peaceful; suggesting happy tranquility He now seemed to have entered on a halcyon period of life—congenial society, romantic and interesting surroundings. Kennard, Nina H.
• anthropomorphic suggesting human features for animals or inanimate things The same anthropomorphic fallacy that accords human attributes to giant corporations like BP distorts clear thinking about how to limit their political influence.
• turgid ostentatiously lofty in style His waspish wit can make him entertaining company at a party, but there is little evidence of that in his largely turgid prose.
• malaise a feeling of mild sickness or depression Initially, many doctors discounted sufferers’ feelings of generalized malaise as nothing more than stress or normal fatigue.
• polemical of or involving dispute or controversy His works include several dogmatic and polemical treatises, but the most important are the historical. Various
• gadfly a persistently annoying person Mr. Phelps is regarded here as the ultimate example of an irritating local gadfly . New York Times (Oct 9, 2010)
• atavism a reappearance of an earlier characteristic Criminal atavism might be defined as the sporadic reversion to savagery in certain individuals. Symonds, John Addington
• contusion an injury in which the skin is not broken My falling companion, being a much stouter man than myself did not fare so well, as his right shoulder received a severe contusion . Bevan, A. Beckford
• parsimonious excessively unwilling to spend Pill-splitting is catching on among parsimonious prescription-takers who want to lower costs.
• dulcet pleasing to the ear Ever and anon the dulcet murmur of gurgling streams broke gently on the ear. Madison, Lucy Foster
• reprise a repetition of a short musical passage The live set reprises material from this remarkable group's earlier Aurora CD.
• anodyne capable of relieving pain But philosophy failed, as it will probably fail till some far-off age, to find an anodyne for the spiritual distresses of the mass of men. Dill, Samuel
• bemused perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements They were marching in the middle of the street, chanting and singing and disrupting traffic while countless New Yorkers looked on, some bemused , others applauding.

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VP Kamala Harris word salads reveal something sinister about her political worldview

Vice President Kamala Harris actually said this: “We have the ability to see what can be, unburdened by what has been, and then to make the possible actually happen”.

The part of the statement “by what has been” refers to the democracy and freedom in this country since the passage of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

This message seemed to be only “word salad” from the vice president as she often talks in words that defy logical interpretation, but this remark should not be taken lightly since it comes from the playbook ("The Communist Manifesto") of none other than Karl Marx, the infamous socialist revolutionist. A believer that capitalism stands for social destruction.

Much of Harris's thoughts come naturally from her father; a Marxist leaning economist that taught at Stanford University and was educated at University of California Berkeley.  Her contempt for free market economy and radical racism are the first beginnings of socialism that has never worked in a free society.  

Counterpoint: Kamala Harris is ready to be president. Her life story and achievements are two reasons

The unequivocal notion that this country could survive as a world leader for freedom under a Harris presidency is unthinkable.  

Don Forte, Nashville 37221

Agree or disagree? Or have a view on another topic entirely? Send a letter of 250 words or fewer to  [email protected] . Include your full name, city/town, ZIP and contact information for verification. Thanks for adding to the public conversation.

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Trump keeps losing his train of thought. Cognitive experts have theories about why

By Olivia Goldhill Aug. 7, 2024

I n a speech earlier this year, former President Trump was mocking President Biden’s ability to walk through sand when he suddenly switched to talking about the old Hollywood icon Cary Grant.

“Somebody said he [Biden] looks great in a bathing suit, right? When he was in the sand and he was having a hard time lifting his feet through the sand, because you know, sand is heavy. They figure three solid ounces per foot. But sand is a little heavy. And he’s sitting in a bathing suit. Look, at 81, do you remember Cary Grant? How good was Cary Grant, right? I don’t think Cary Grant — he was good. I don’t know what happened to movie stars today,” he said at a March rally in Georgia. Trump went on to talk about contemporary actors, Michael Jackson, and border policies before returning to the theme of how Biden looks on the beach.

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This shifting from topic to topic, with few connections — a pattern of speech called tangentiality — is one of several disjointed and occasionally incoherent verbal habits that seem to have increased in Trump’s speech in recent years, according to interviews with experts in memory, psychology, and linguistics.

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About the Author Reprints

Olivia goldhill.

Investigative Reporter

Olivia Goldhill works to hold corporations and public bodies to account, with a particular interest in reproductive health, mental health, and psychedelics.

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