IMPEL • DEFINITION:

drive, force, or urge (someone) to do something

• ORIGIN: impel is from Latin…the root verb pello "to knock, drive“

The Declaration of Independence states that a group that feels the need to break free "should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

VERB

EMPIRICAL

• DEFINTION: based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic

• ORIGIN: empirical comes from the Greek

verb to test or try (PEIRAW). FWIW, it has nothing to do with "empire" or "imperial" or "imperative.“

ADJECTIVE

Scientists rely on empirical data to confirm their theories.

ANIMUS • DEFINITION: a usually prejudiced and often spiteful or malevolent ill will

The fans of the home team displayed animus towards anyone wearing the colors of the visiting team.

Synonyms Antonyms

Animosity Amity

Grudge Goodwill

“Bad blood” Acceptance

Bitterness Tolerance

NOUN

The former political prisoner felt animus

toward the government that had imprisoned

him, but he tried to show forgiveness.

JEJUNE

• DEFINITION: naïve, simplistic, and superficial; (of an idea or writing) dry or uninteresting

• Origin: Latin.

Inconsistencies of character and plot mar this

lively but jejune debut.

ADJECTIVE

CONCEIT CONCEDE • DEFINITION: Holding a

high opinion of one's own qualities or abilities; especially, one that is not justified

Since he won the race, Craig has been full of conceit about his athletic prowess.

• DEFINITION: to accept as true, valid, or accurate; to acknowledge grudgingly or hesitantly

I prefer baseball to football but I have to concede that football has more action.

The congressman stubbornly stood his ground, refusing to make any concessions to his opponents, even in the name of compromise.

NOUN VERB

EDIFY • DEFINITION: instruct or improve (someone)

morally or intellectually

In the novel A Lesson Before Dying, the narrator is a teacher who is brought in

to try to edify a death-row inmate, but to his surprise the teacher ends up learning as much as he teaches.

VERB

PHOBIA • DEFINITION: an exaggerated

usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation

ORIGIN: Phobia is from the

Greek word for fear. Phobos was the Greek god of fear, the son of Ares

http://phobialist.com/ Have a fear? Give it a name

using the website above!

The famously wealthy and eccentric industrialist and aviator, Howard Hughes, who designed the giant hydroplane "The Spruce Goose," suffered so much from agoraphobia that he became a recluse during the last few years of his life. Considered to be an unlucky number, many hotels omit the 13th floor using 12a or skipping directly to 14, which is sure to please many triskaidekaphobics.

NOUN

PERPETUATE DEFINITION: cause to last infinitely

ORIGIN: Latin adjective perpetuus meaning “everlasting”.

• Bad habits and stereotypes perpetuate unless conscious efforts are made to put an end to them.

• Radnor football has been 12-2 against LM since 1999, and looks to perpetuate that recent success with another victory this weekend.

TRANSITIVE VERB

Perpetuate is… Perpetuate is not…

Infinite Finite

Immortal Mortal

Eternal Temporary

TAUTOLOGY DEFINITION: the saying of the same thing twice in

different words, generally considered to be a fault of style.

When they are in trouble, children often turn a deaf ear to their parents’ tautological lectures.

TAUTOLOGY EXAMPLES:

“In my opinion, I think that…”

“Say it again, once more.”

Hot water heater

NOUN

ORIGIN: Greek. Tautologia, from tautologos "repeating what has been said," from tauto "the same" + -logos "saying.”

MUNIFICENT • DEFINITION: larger or more

generous than is usual or necessary (referring to a gift or a sum of money)

• A generous gift need not be monetary.

• When applied to a person, "munificent" also means "characterized by great generosity".

TRIVIA: What Disney

protagonist is named after an

ANTONYM of the WOW?

What actress will play the part

of the Evil Queen in the

2014 movie?

ADJECTIVE

The munificent host presided over many charitable events at his mansion. One need not be rich to be munificent: the world is full of people who are generous in small but meaningful ways.

EUPHORIA • DEFINITION: a feeling of well-being or elation

The prefix “eu” means “well” or “successfully”

• ORIGIN: Greek

When the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, the entire city of Philadelphia was in

a state of bliss and euphoria.

You could sense the euphoria oozing from the hallways during LM Week. The feeling

continued onto the football field and back into the building for “Half-day Monday.”

NOUN

SERENDIPITY Definition: the occurrence and development of events

by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

How serendipitous it was that I just found the very same twenty dollar bill that I had

misplaced months ago.

The musical group Daft Punk liked their song "Obtain Serendipity" but had a hard time getting the lyrics to fit rhythmically until they rewrote it to say simply "Get Lucky".

NOUN

FATHOM NOUN

A unit of length equal to six

feet, usually in water.

These pumps are capable of

supplying ample air to two

divers simultaneously, at the

depth of twelve fathoms.

VERB

To understand

When bad things happen, it is

not always easy to fathom the

reasons why they happen.

Omphaloskepsis (Om-pha-lo-skep-sis)

DEFINITION: The contemplation of one’s navel;

metaphorically, it refers to self-absorption ORIGIN: Ancient Greek omphalos – navel, and skepsis – reflection

For some people, omphaloskepsis can be a form of meditation.

NOUN

CHAGRIN NOUN DEFINITION: mental unease,

distress or embarrassment

caused by failure,

disappointment or a

disconcerting event.

VERB DEFINITION: to feel distressed

or humiliated

ORIGIN: French

The TV weatherman appeared chagrined when he reported on the brutal storm that was bearing down on his city, but he rejoiced on the inside, because he knew that dismal weather could help his career.

Much to everyone's chagrin, the final image of the series was a disturbing and violent cliffhanger which would never be resolved.

SYNONYMS: humiliate, mortify, abase ANTONYMS: comfort, confidence, triumph

NEMESIS DEFINITION: retributive justice OR an opponent

that cannot be overcome or beaten ORIGIN: Ancient Greek

The cat is seen as the mouse's biggest arch nemesis, as portrayed in the cartoon "Tom and Jerry."

Good normally prevails over evil despite a nemesis' attempt at foiling peaceful ways.

NOUN

EXAMPLES NON-EXAMPLES

ENEMY FRIEND

RIVAL ASSOCIATE

FOE VINDICATOR NEMESIS Greek Goddess of Revenge

BURGEON Definition: To grow or develop quickly; to send

forth new growth: sprout; bloom; flourish

The market for collectables has burgeoned in the past couple of years.

No thanks to the mild winter, mosquito populations are burgeoning this spring.

VERB

APPRAISE

DEFINITION: To assess the value or quality of or (of an offical or expert) set a price on; value ORIGIN: Latin

Owner of the pawnshop prided himself on appraising items appropriately. The house was appraised at a value lower than expected.

VERB

APPRAISE IN DAILY LIFE Antique Store Real Estate

Pawn Shop

PARADIGM DEFINITION: a typical example or pattern of something; a model

ORIGIN: Greek in origin, derived from paradeigma or "pattern" or "example"

The company's marketing paradigm shifted to a much more conservative one after they rose from being the underdog newcomer to the industry leader.

Andy Warhol ushered in a new paradigm for art in the 1960s, bringing common objects and pop culture into the spotlight to replace more traditional subject matter.

NOUN

https://www.google.com/search?q=PARADIGM&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=qofxUsLnLuHgs

PARAGON DEFINITION: a person or thing regarded as the perfect example of

a particular quality

ORIGIN: Middle French

Such a paragon never wears jeans, or drinks alcohol, or smokes.

Oddly enough, I'm not a paragon of health.

Who or what is perfect in your eyes?

NOUN

What it is… What it isn’t…

Perfect Imperfect

Paradigm Worst

Nonpareil Flawed

HARBINGER DEFINITION/ETYMOLOGY

DEFINITION: someone or something that announces the approach of another.

ORIGIN: Old French from Old German

SENTENCE EXAMPLES

Courtesy of Dr. McGay • The blooming of crocuses are a harbinger of the

arrival of spring. • A sore throat is often the harbinger of a more

serious sickness, like a cold or the flu. • When her water broke, the expectant mother

knew this was the harbinger that her baby was about to be born.

From Dictionary.com • Another harbinger of spring on Mars is huge

dust storms that sweep across the planet. • Virtue is the root of good fortune, and evil the

harbinger of calamity. • The fainting episode, a potential harbinger of

heart trouble, was the first symptom to study.

NOUN

DIVERGENT Definition: tending to be different or

develop in different directions When the movie Divergent is

released, undoubtedly moviegoers

will express divergent opinions

about how faithful the

film was to the book.

Tessa’s teaching

philosophy is divergent from her

coworkers, but they still manage

put their differences aside to

work productively.

SYNONYMS ANTONYMS

DIFFERENT SAME

DISSIMILAR SIMILAR

UNALIKE ALIKE

DISPARATE RELATED

CONFLICTING COMPARABLE

NOUN

RUMINATE DEFINITION: to think carefully

and deeply about something

ORIGIN: Latin

VERB

While some individuals are impulsive, others can ruminate for days or weeks before making a decision.

Facing a tough decision, she ruminated over her options through the course of the week.

FECUND DEFINITION: producing or capable of producing

an abundance of new growth.

ORIGIN: Latin

A lush and fecund garden will be the product of the rainy spring season.

ADJECTIVE

What it is… What it IS NOT…

Fertile Infertile

Fruitful Barren

Productive Unproductive

NASCENT DEFINITION: beginning to exist; recently formed

or developed

ORIGIN: Latin

The actress is now focusing on her nascent singing career.

It was almost 80 years ago that the Wright brothers from Ohio ventured to

Kitty Hawk for the uplift its steady winds offered their nascent passion,

airplanes. —Robert R. Yandle, Popular Photography, March 1993

ADJECTIVE

INCISIVE Clear and direct; able to explain difficult ideas clearly and confidently

A professor

Yoda A doctor

ADJECTIVE

Synonyms Antonyms

Keen Vague

Astute Rambling

Insightful

Perceptive

EXAMPLES

He is one of the most intellectually incisive executives in corporate America.

BUCOLIC

DEFINITION: of or relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and countryside life

ORIGIN: Ancient Greek

The land was quite bucolic – with rolling fields and beautiful landscape.

Many universities create bucolic environments even in urban settings.

ADJECTIVE

SCHISM DEFINITION: a division that occurs among a

group because they disagree on something

A schism was created in

the United States between

the North and South when

the Civil War broke out.

Deciding who was to pay

for the wedding led to

a schism between the

two families that, to this day, either side is willing to mend.

NOUN

PORTEND DEFINITION: a sign or warning that (something,

especially something momentous or calamitous) is likely to happen.

ORIGIN: Latin

The drop in temperature and darkening skies portend a storm is imminent.

Sandy does not believe a palm reader can portend the future.

VERB