list of speech words in english

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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Each list of articulation sounds contains words with the target sound in the beginning, middle, and end position, including blends when applicable, as well as words that...

• are common and functional (words we use all day...everyday)
• are mostly 1 syllable (multi-syllabic words are more difficult)
• have a phonemic context that don't interfere with production of the target sound (most words)

If "R" is the problem sound using the word "Rope" makes saying the "R" sound harder because the "O" sound is considered a round vowel.

A round vowel is one where you round your lips to say it. Go ahead...try it by saying "O" as in "boat". You rounded your lips didn't you? I thought you might.

Children who have difficulty with the "R" sound tend to say the "W" sound...they say "Wabbit" instead of "Rabbit".

The "W" sound is considered a rounded sound too. Try saying the "W" sound without rounding your lips...you can't because that is how the sound is made.

So by pairing the "R" sound with the "O" sound like in the word "Rope", this makes the word extra difficult for a child who has a problem saying the "R" sound because the "O" that follows the "R" will naturally make them want to round there lips.

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List of Multisyllabic Words for Speech Therapy

Multisyllabic words are simply words that contain more than one syllable (or vowel sound). Multisyllabic words are often used in speech therapy for a variety of purposes. Commonly, in speech therapy, multisyllabic words are used to target articulation skills, but are occasionally used for word decoding or phonological awareness skills as well. This resource provides a comprehensive list of multisyllabic words, both broken down by syllable and by word type. We hope this resource will be helpful for parents and speech therapists alike who are working on multisyllabic words with their children.

What Are Multisyllabic Words?

Multisyllabic words are longer words containing at least 2 syllables. Multisyllabic words in speech therapy are very important and often a goal therapists will set for children. There are many reasons a speech therapist may work on multisyllabic words in speech therapy, such as:

• Deleting weak syllables in words (“Nana” for “Banana”)
• Deleting consonants in words (“Able” for “Table” or “Buh-er” for “Butter”)
• Articulation errors
• Difficulty with phonological processing or phonological awareness

Understanding how to correctly pronounce, combine, or decode multisyllabic words is very important. Multiple syllable words are important for speech development, word decoding, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and overall effective communication.

Why Do We Target Multisyllabic Words?

Many children have difficulty producing all the sounds and syllables in multiple syllable words. For some children, this is because of a phonological process called “weak syllable deletion”. In weak syllable deletion, a “weak” syllable in a word is omitted, for example, saying “batty” instead of “battery” or “ah-gator” for “alligator”. Other children may have difficulty producing multiple syllable words because of specific speech sounds in the words. For example, a child who says /t/ for /k/ may have difficulty producing the word “crocodile” in a way that others can understand. For many children, both of these may apply. 

List of 100+ Multisyllabic Words

The following is a comprehensive multisyllabic word list, separated by category. When working on multisyllabic words in speech therapy, it is important to remember to use words that are common and meaningful to your child. The more meaningful or common the word, the more likely the child is to generalize it to their conversational speech. This list gives many suggestions of words, but is not a complete list of all words that can be targeted for this goal.

Multisyllabic Word Lists by Word Structure

Multisyllabic words are found in all parts of speech. Depending on the age or language ability of the child, certain word forms may be more appropriate to target with your child. For example, younger children such as preschoolers do not use as many adjectives or adverbs, so it may be better to work on multisyllabic words that are nouns or verbs so targets are more meaningful. Below, you can find a list of multisyllabic words broken down by word form:

Pronouncing Multisyllabic Words

Because multisyllabic words are more complex, they can be more challenging for children with moderate to severe articulation or phonological disorders, or apraxia of speech. However, there are several techniques that are effective for helping children learn to pronounce multisyllabic words.

Touch cues can be a great way to help children identify all the syllables they hear (or should hear) in the word, and a great way for adults to give feedback on how many syllables the child is saying. Touch cues can be things like a tap on the hand, arm, or table. Sometimes, pairing touch cues with a visual cue as well, like a dot or circle to represent each syllable, can further help children with their pronunciation. 

Mouth cues can be a little trickier than touch cues, and it is beneficial to have support from a speech-language pathologist to incorporate this one into home practice. That being said, mouth cues can be very simple, such as a point to the mouth, or more complex, such as different hand signs to represent different sounds. Typically, the more complex hand cues are more beneficial for children working on multisyllabic words. This is because the different cues help children understand the different sounds they are hearing so they can reproduce them more easily. 

Word Segmentation

Word segmentation is a great strategy when you are working on words that contain prefixes or suffixes. For this, you would take the base word that the child can say more easily and then pair it with the prefix or suffix with a slight delay. For example, if you were practicing the word ‘Unhappy” you would say “Un…happy” to give the additional syllable some extra emphasis. This strategy can often be paired with others as well.

Visual Aids

Visual aids can take many forms! A visual aid could simply be the word written down, dots or other images to represent syllables, or visuals for the specific speech sound the child is practicing. Visual aids are best used in conjunction with other strategies, but can be very helpful for children. 

Knowing Where to Start

When working on multisyllabic words, we typically don’t recommend starting with the most complex words. Instead, we usually start with 2 syllable words, then 3 syllable, and continue working up as children master each level. Starting at the correct level is important for your child. If it is too hard for them at the start, they may lose the motivation to continue practicing. 

Games & Activities for Multisyllabic Words

If you are working on multisyllabic words in speech therapy, as a parent or SLP, some of the games and activities below may be useful for you. Engaging activities for multisyllabic words are very important to help keep childrens’ attention and make faster progress.

Coloring is an engaging activity for children of all ages. To use coloring as a multisyllabic words activity, simply choose 10-15 words appropriate for your child and either draw them or print them out. As your child colors the pictures, have them practice saying each word using all the syllables and their best speech sounds.

Drumming Syllables

Kids love to drum! On the table, on the wall, or on an actual drum (if you have one). This activity is great for building awareness of how many syllables are in words, and there are so many ways to practice it! You can say the word while drumming out the syllables and the child can imitate, you say the word and they drum the syllables, show the child a picture and have them drum the syllables, or even make up songs using the words they have been practicing.

Silly Sentences

This activity is targeted more for children who have been practicing for a while, but are having trouble using the longer words in conversation. For this game, pick 2 words from our word list and take turns making up silly sentences using both of the words. For example, if you chose the words “flamingo” and “alphabet” your sentence could be “The flamingo sang the alphabet.” You can also write them down for later practice.

Discrimination Activities

Discrimination activities are helpful for children who are just starting out, or who are moving up to words with more syllables. One way to practice this is to gather a large group of items together. The child can then sort the items based on how many syllables are in its name. So, if you got together scissors, tissue, tablet, pencil, a stuffed kangaroo, a lollipop, and a telephone, the child could sort them into 2-syllable and 3-syllable words. This can also be done without physical items using pictures or just telling the words to the child.

Reading with your child is a great activity, no matter what speech therapy goal they have. To work on multisyllabic words while reading, first identify which level your child is at (2, 3, 4, or 5 syllables). While you are reading, stop each time you come to a word at their level and practice it together. If they are older or are working on carryover, they can try and practice using it in the whole sentence.

Using Forbrain For a Better Sound Practice

Forbrain is an auditory stimulation headset that uses bone conduction, allowing your voice to reach your brain at a much faster speech. It also makes your voice more vibrant by highlighting high frequencies and attenuating low frequencies.  

Forbrain is an excellent choice for working on multisyllabic words in speech therapy because it allows immediate feedback of the word produced, including the speech sounds and number of syllables. This immediate feedback will help children learn to self-monitor, and can help them to correct their pronunciation or responses without additional prompting. Forbrain can lead to improved progress on learning to produce all sounds and syllables in multisyllabic words

For more information regarding Forbrain’s use in speech therapy, see this ASHA article.  

Final Word s

Many children have difficulty correctly producing multisyllabic words. They may have difficulty using all the syllables, pronouncing specific sounds, or both. Being able to correctly pronounce multisyllabic words is very important for children to be able to effectively communicate with others. If you have concerns about your child’s ability to pronounce words with multiple syllables, please consult with a licensed speech-language pathologist to see if speech therapy may be right for you. You can search for a speech-language pathologist in your area using this tool if you need a place to start. In the meantime, some of the resources, games, and activities mentioned in this article may be helpful for you as you work with your child at home.

Natalie Fitzgerald

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50 Figures of Speech (Types & Examples)

What are figures of speech.

Figures of speech are creative rhetorical devices that go beyond literal meaning. They make the language more colorful and impactful. These figures of speech allow the writers to convey ideas and imagery in an imaginative and unconventional way through comparisons, associations and plays on words. Some common examples include similes, metaphors, hyperbole, personification, oxymoron’s and alliteration. Skillful use of rhetorical devices brings vividness and flair to expression. These figures of speech make communication more engaging, memorable and expressive.

Importance of Figures of Speech

The figures of speech are important rhetorical device, that writers and speakers employ to enhance the power and impact of their language. The use of creative comparisons and vivid imagery engage the audience in memorable ways that literal language often lacks.

Figures of speech strengthen communication by using creative language to emphasize ideas in a more compelling way than plain speech alone. Their artful deviations from literal meaning make key points more memorable and impactful for audiences. Used strategically or just to infuse writing with imaginative flair, rhetorical devices ensure ideas resonate longer in the minds of the readers and listeners. In essence, by elevating functional language to an art form through their nuanced turns of phrase, figures of speech make messages more persuasive, engaging and unforgettable.

How to Find Figures of Speech in writing?

For finding figures of speech in the writing, it is necessary to look for words or phrases that are used in a non-literal way.

For example, if someone says ‘my heart is breaking’, he is using a metaphor to describe his emotions.

50 Figures Of Speech With Examples

Here is a list of 50 figures of speech used in English literature and daily communication:

1- Alliteration

Repetition of the same initial letter or sound in closely connected words. They could be uttered within a phrase of sentences, starting with the same sound of consonants but not necessarily being the same letter. Some examples of alliteration are:

• Peter’s pink pig
• She sells seashells
• Big bad wolf
• Sally sells seashells by the seashore

Example in literature

“the raven” by edgar allan poe.

“Once upon a midnight dreary.”

In the said context, the sound of ‘m ‘ has been alliterated with ‘midnight ‘ and ‘dreary’. The repetition of consonant sound creates a musical and effect. It enhances the gloomy atmosphere, which the write is trying to convey in the poem.

2- Anaphora

It is a type of amplification, wherein the words or phrases are reiterated in every clause, sentence and line. The word is used to stress an idea in a piece of writing or it serves as a connector.

• I came, I saw, I conquered.
• To be or not to be, that is the question.
• United we stand, divided we fall.

“A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity. It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness. It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

Dickens has used anaphora by repeating the phrase ‘it was’ at the beginning of each successive clause. He emphasizes the contrasting nature of the time period. The practice of anaphora is used to establish a unique mood and setting that stick in people’s minds to capture it as a whole.

3- Antithesis

It is a literary device, which is used to juxtapose the contrasting ideas in balanced phrases. It highlights opposition through parallel grammatical structures.

• The early bird catches the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
• You win some, you lose some.
• Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but out of sight is out of mind.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

“ All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost”

The first line ‘All that is gold does not glitter’ sets up an expectation. The second line ‘Not all those who wander are lost’ subverts it with the opposite proposition. This creates an antithetical parallel structure that emphasizes the contrast between appearances/expectations and realities. Things are not always as they seem on the surface.

4- Apostrophe

A direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea. It is a rhetorical device used to engage or emotionally influence the audience.

• Stupid phone, why aren’t you charging?
• Come on feet, you can make it up the stairs!
• Thank you coffee for the caffeine boost.

“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare

“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”

The rhetorical device gives an emotional outlet to Juliet and draws the audience deeper into her perspective. It underscores the tragedy of their star-crossed love and opposing families through Juliet’s anguished pleas. This example demonstrates how apostrophe can powerfully convey emotion and engagement when used skillfully in literary works like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It intensifies reader experience of the characters and themes.

5- Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. It adds musicality and emphasis to speech or writing. Assonance creates cadences that can make utterances more memorable, soothing or impactful.

• Pick a pink peach please.
• Slowly she strode down the street.
• Do you need anything else?

“The King’s English” by Kingsley Amis

“The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.”

This famous tongue twister uses assonance extensively through the repetition of the “ai” sound in words like “rain”, “Spain”, “mainly”. The assonance highlights the difficulty in pronouncing the phrase quickly due to all the similar vowel sounds falling in close succession. It makes the sentence rhythmically challenging to say.

6- Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event or work of art. It relies on the readers or listener’s background knowledge and cultural literacy. They allow speakers to colorfully draw on cultural knowledge without exposition.

• That plan is doomed like the Titanic.
• Don’t pull a Houdini on me!
• She’s no Mother Teresa.

“The American Crisis” by Thomas Paine

“These are the times that try men’s souls.”

This well-crafted allusion would resonate powerfully with educated readers, which reminds them of the challenges ahead in their fight for independence using a culturally significant reference. It illustrates how allusions can add profound layers of inferred meaning in literature by drawing on intertextual connections in an economy of words.

7- Anachronism

Something out of its normal time. It involves mentioning something from a different time period in a way that distorts the actual chronology.

• I was just watching some Netflix after work yesterday.
• Let me check my iPhone for the time.
• I’ll email you the details later today.

“Ulysses” by Alfred Tennyson

 “I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees.”

Tennyson imagines the thoughts and desires of the Homeric hero Ulysses in his later years after returning home from the Trojan War. However, the language and ideas Tennyson attributes to Ulysses are anachronistic, as they reflect Victorian England in the 19th century rather than ancient Greece.

8- Anastrophe

The inversion of the usual order of words. It involves rearranging the structure of words or phrases for impact. It creates variety from the standard structures we expect. 

• Fed up am I with this traffic!
• Off to work go I.
• In the kitchen, what’s that noise?

“Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Towards Phoebus’ lodging! Such a wagoner As Phaëton would whip you to the west And bring in cloudy night immediately.”

Romeo uses anastrophe by rearranging the expected word order of ‘fiery-footed steeds’ to emphasize the speed and passion of the horses as they carry the sun across the sky. While inverting ‘fiery-footed steeds’ to ‘you fiery-footed steeds’, the writer draws attention to the horses through anastrophe and builds dramatic tension as Romeo anxiously awaits nightfall.

9- Antagonym

A word that can have opposite meanings. Here are the common antagonym examples:

• Sanction – This word can mean “to approve” or “to penalize.” Example A: “The manager sanctioned the purchase of new computers.” (Approved) Example B: “The UN threatened sanctions against the hostile nation.” (Penalized)
• Oversight – This word refers to an unintentional failure to notice something, or the act of overseeing/supervising. Example A: “The typo was due to an oversight by the editor.” (Failure to notice) Example B: “There will be governmental oversight of the program.” (Supervision)
• Left – This word indicates either “departed” or “remaining.” Example A: “Most of the cake was eaten, but some was left.” (Remaining) Example B: “The traveler left early in the morning.” (Departed)

10- Antimetabole

Antimetabole involves the repetition of a phrase or statement in a reversed sequence. 

Example in “Frankenstein” by Shelley

“I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on.”

The above excerpt illustrates the antimetabole literary device through a reversed order of repetition including “and trampled on, and kicked, and spurned at”. This shows how much Frankenstein’s monster is being mistreated and rejected by society.

11- Antonomasia

Antonomasia is the act of replacing the name of an individual with another word/phrase. This word simply represents aspects of character of a person. It is also used to highlight similarity or relation between two people or item.

• The term calling someone who is very organized “a Monica” in relation to the well manicured Monica Geller character from friends.
• Calling someone cunning, crafty and shrewd as Judas, in reference to the Judas Iscariot of the Bible, who beated Jesus.
• Suggesting that an innocent, mischievous troublesome child is a “Dennis the Menace”.

12- Asyndeton

The literary device of Asyndeton involves leaving out connective words like ‘and’ or ‘or’ among other conjunctions when a number of connected clauses follow one preceding clause. This allows for faster movement as well as highlights the importance of it.

• Essays must be submitted on time.
• The house was ready for living with the furniture in it, carpets laid on the floor, and curtains drawn.

13- Anadiplosis 

This is the repetition of the last word of a preceding clause at the beginning of the next one.

• Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
• The environment, it is life and therefore we have to save it.
• I did everything I could. My best efforts were insufficient.
• You entered my world. My world has changed forever.

14- Chiasmus

Chiasmus is a rhetorical device in which two or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of structures in order to produce a mirror effect.

• Fair is foul, and foul is fair. (Shakespeare’s Macbeth)
• You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget. (Cormac McCarthy, The Road)
• Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. (John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address)

15- Catachresis

Catachresis is the use of a word in an incorrect way or in the wrong context for rhetorical effect.

• Using ‘blanket of snow’ to describe snow covering the ground, even though blankets do not look like snow.
• Referring to a loud noise as ‘deafening silence’ despite the contradiction between deafening and silence.
• Describing someone’s smile as ‘infectious’ even though smiles do not spread disease like an infection.

The climax refers to the most tense and dramatic part of the narrative in works of literature. This is the climax when tension attains its zenith and the conclusion of the tale begins. Following this is a resolution stage whereby the major conflicts in the story are solved and the fate of characters is ascertained. A fundamental part of structure that also helps generate tension in the story and hold on the attention of the reader or viewer.

Types of Climax

Emotional Climax: The moment comes when a subject becomes too frustrated and bursts out with an enormous amount of emotion leading to an unexpected ending.

Plot Climax: This is where the climax of the story takes place, where the conflict culminates, and the starting point for the resolution.

Social Climax: It happens when someone or some people climb to a top of social position in most cases by planned strategy.

17- Euphemism

A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt.

• Passed away instead of died
• Let go instead of fired
• Challenged instead of disabled

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

“Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict,” said Atticus. “She took it as a pain-killer for years. The doctor put her on it. She’d have spent the rest of her life on it and died without so much agony, but she was too contrary—”

Here, words ‘addict and ‘pain killer’ have been used instead of direct terms like, ‘drug habit’ or ‘opiate addiction’. This may have been considered crude or inappropriate at the time. This allows the author to discuss Mrs. Dubose’s situation in a more genteel and less shocking way. He uses the euphemistic language rather than direct terminology.

18- Ellipsis

The omission of words necessary for complete grammatical construction but understood in the context.

• The European soldiers killed six of the remaining villagers, the American soldiers, two.

Example in Literature

“emma” by jane austen.

“He is very plain, undoubtedly—remarkably plain: but that is nothing compared with his entire want of gentility. I had no right to expect much, and I did not expect much; but I had no idea that he could be so very clownish, so totally without air. I had imagined him, I confess, a degree or two nearer gentility.”

Austen uses an ellipsis here when Harriet says “I had imagined him…a degree or two nearer gentility.” Harriet doesn’t finish her thought. The ellipsis shows that her words trail off hinting that she is uncomfortable admitting she hoped Mr. Martin would be more refined. This allows Austen to suggest Harriet’s embarrassment, without having her directly spell it out.

19- Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza in poetry.

“Sonnet 116” by William Shakespeare

“Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove.”

The writer employs the literary device of enjambment in the foresaid lines. Rather than pausing at the end of the line, the sentence continues into the next one without punctuation. This creates a flowing and lyrical feeling that mirrors the notion of love not being impeded.

20- Epistrophe

The repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences.

• Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth. (Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address)
• We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills (Winston Churchill’s speech to the House of Commons)

“I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.”

The use of epistrophe has been observed in “I have a dream” at the start of several different phrases. The repetitive nature of this technique underscores his idea about the future, and it helps make his words more poignant, inspiring and memorable. Every time King says “I have a dream” he refers to his wish that there should be harmony and equality in the United States. Anaphora (repeated phrase leading to clauses) of this aspirational sentence provides rhetorical force and rhythm of the speech to crescendo at emotional climax where King’s dreams of the nation are presented.

21- Euphony

The use of phrases and words that are noted for their mellifluousness and ease in speaking.

• The sounds of children’s laughter carried melodiously through the warm summer air.
• The babbling brook babbled pleasantly as it wound its way through the verdant meadow.

“Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens

The lilting euphony of the writing style matches Pip’s hopeful expectations as he journeys to Miss Havisham’s house for the first time:

“The mist was heavier yet when I got out upon the marshes, so that instead of my running at everything, everything seemed to run at me. This was very disagreeable to a guilty mind. The gates and dykes and banks came bursting at me through the mist, as if they cried as plainly as could be, ‘A boy with somebody else’s pork pie! Stop him!’”

The consonance and assonance create a musical, flowing quality to mimic Pip’s eager and optimistic young imagination, which emphasizes the theme of hope in the novel.

22- Epizeuxis 

The repetition of a word or phrase in immediate succession, typically within the same sentence, for vehemence or emphasis.

• Alone, alone, all, all alone, Alone on a wide, wide sea.
• Fight, fight for your rights and your freedom!

“Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare

Mark Antony repeats the words in his famous speech to emphasize his points and rouse the crowd:

“For Brutus is an honorable man; So are they all honorable men— Come I to speak at Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me.”

The repetition of words ‘honorable’ and subsequently ‘faithful’ create stress qua the qualities of Caesar, while planting seeds of doubt through his epizeuxis. The repetition mimics the persuasive rhythm of a skillful orator whipping the crowds into an emotional frenzy over Caesar’s death.

23- Hyperbole

Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement or claim that is not meant to be taken literally, but instead used as a way to emphasize a point or evoke strong feelings.

• I’ve told you a million times to clean your room!
• The wait to get in was endless.

“Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare

“For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”

When Romeo first lays eyes on Juliet, he goes overboard describing how he has never seen someone so beautiful before. He is basically exaggerating to show just how head-over-heels in love with her he is already. This total exaggeration about her sets things up for how their whole intense, doomed relationship story will go from here.

24- Hendiadys 

A figure of speech in which a single complex idea is expressed by two words connected with “and” rather than a noun and adjective.

• We listened to the poet’s wise and ancient words.
• The guests ate and drank until late in the evening.

“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Her voice is full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it.”

Here the words ‘jingle’ and ‘cymbals song’ express the musical quality of Daisy’s voice more vividly than just calling it ‘musical voice’. The pairing of synonymous nouns intensifies the quality being described.

25- Hypallage 

A figure of speech in which the syntactic relation between two terms is reversed. It is often used for poetic effect.

• “The heavy foot of time” instead of “the footfalls of heavy time”.
• The hungry stomach waited impatiently to be fed.

“Love Medicine” by Louise Erdrich

“The windswept plain gave no shelter to wandering cattle, and slanted wood planks of abandoned farmhouse doors banged in aimless gusts.”

The way Erdrich describes the wind is real neat. Instead of just saying the wind was blowing hard or whatever, she says the plain itself was windswept.

26- Innuendo

An indirect or subtle observation about a thing or person. It is generally critical, disparaging, or salacious in nature.

• Some say he’s not unfamiliar with the inside of a jail cell.
• The politician claimed to stand for family values, but his record showed otherwise.

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

“Is Miss Darcy much grown since the spring?” said Miss Bingley; “will she be as tall as I am?” “I think she will. She is now about Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s height, or rather taller.”

Jane Austen hints at some sexual stuff going on between Lizzy Bennet and Miss Bingley about Darcy. When they’re talking about how tall each of them are, it seems like they’re also arguing about who’s gonna be the one in charge in their whole complicated relationship with Darcy. Like the one who stands tallest gets to boss around the other two and so I think Austen’s pretty slyly starting some drama here with that suggestive comparison of their heights.

Special words or expressions used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand.

• Please reboot your PC to complete the installation.
• The computer technicians talked about RAM, CPUs, and SSDs when upgrading the office devices.

“The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck

“Takes a good mechanic to keep ‘em rollin’. Know how a differential works?”

The talk about car stuff like the differential shows how Al uses a bunch of mechanic words. Steinbeck makes it clear what Al does for a living just through the way he talks, without having to straight up say he’s a mechanic. Using all those gearhead terms makes Al seem more like a real person instead of just a character, and lets you get to know him better since you can see stuff about his job.

27- Juxtaposition

The fact of placing two or more things side by side, often with the intent of comparing or contrasting them.

• Beauty and decay.
• The lavish wedding reception was held in the ballroom, while homeless people searched for food in the alley behind the hotel.

“And yet he did it with what composure and concentration we have seen … accomplishing the task he set himself, both in the poor workshop and in the rich drawing-room.”

Dickens tries to get readers to really grasp the huge change in Dr. Manette’s life by showing the difference between his nice old job as a fancy doctor with a swanky office and his current gig cobbling shoes together in a dingy workshop and it’s like night and day – he went from living’ large to just scrapping by. It really makes you think about how quick things can turn around, don’t it?

Expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite.

• A plumber’s house always has leaking taps.
• A traffic jam occurred on the highway on the day I left extra early to avoid being late.

 “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

“There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature.”

Mrs. Mallard is elated on hearing that her husband has passed away as she feels liberate from the union. Unfortunately, in a bitter irony of fate, she is overcome by shock following arrival from nowhere of Mr. Mallard who appears very much alive. Here, Chopin uses situational irony that inverts the scenario that Mrs. Mallard and the readers are accustomed to. This, in essence, explains why marriage was quite oppressing to her.

29- Litotes

An understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite.

• He’s not the brightest bulb in the chandelier.
• The hike through the canyon was no walk in the park.

“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë

Nelly criticizes Heathcliff with litotes after he returns following Catherine’s death:

“He’s not a rough diamond – a pearl-containing oyster of a rustic: he’s a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man.”

Bronté says heathcliff is no rough diamond but fierce and pitiless wolflike man with an attempt to understate the extent of Nelly’s hatred towards him. This makes the character of Heathcliff even crueler in an accentuated manner through negation instead of direct condemnation.

30- Metaphor

A metaphor makes a direct comparison between two unlike things, stating that one thing is the other.

• My old car was a dinosaur – old and decrepit.
• The assignment was a breeze – extremely easy.

“As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven Would through the airy region stream so bright.”

He compares Juliet’s eyes to stars. Romeo says her eyes would shine as brightly in the sky as daylight does to a lamp. Shakespeare uses metaphor to elevate Juliet’s beauty to celestial heights.

31- Metonymy

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is used to represent something else with which it is closely associated or related. It consists in replacing the name of one object of the other similar object.

• The pen is mightier than the sword.
• The White House issued a statement.

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”

 In this line, “ears” is used to represent the attention or audience of the people.

32- Malapropism

Malapropism is an error of language which involves one word being wrongly exchanged for another closely sounding word having the opposite meaning which results into nonsense or some funny statement.

• He is the pineapple of politeness.
• I’m on a seafood diet. I see food, and I eat it.

“Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare

“Comparisons are odorous.”

Here, Dogberry mistakenly uses “odorous” instead of “odious,” resulting in a humorous misuse of the word.

33- Meiosis

A euphemistic figure of speech that intentionally understates something or implies that it is lesser in significance or size.

• I’m somewhat tired after completing a marathon.
• It’s just a flesh wound.

“I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.”

This reduces the focus on his intentionality in order to build up a strong empathic sense. The above instances go to show that Meiosis can be employed to underrate or reduce a matter for comic effect or emphasis.

34- Onomatopoeia

The use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions to which they refer.

• “Buzz” – the word imitates the sound of a bee.
• “Splash” – the word resembles the sound of something hitting or entering water.

“The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe

“How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night!”

The word “tinkle” imitates the sound of bells ringing, which provides a sensory experience for the reader. These examples illustrate how Onomatopoeia is used to bring aural imagery to written language, evoking sounds through words.

35- Oxymoron

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms to create a paradoxical effect. It is usually used to create a dramatic or thought provoking impact in literature, poetry or everyday language.

“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

Here, the combination of ‘sweet’ and ‘sorrow’ creates the oxymoronic expression. I hope this clarifies the concept of an oxymoron and provides relevant examples.

36- Paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory or nonsensical but in reality expresses a possible truth.

“1984” by George Orwell

“War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength.”

The juxtaposition of contradictory concepts forms a paradox. It reflects the twisted logic of the dystopian society depicted in the novel.

37- Parallelism

The use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter.

• To be, or not to be: that is the question. (Hamlet)
• The midnight’s all a-glimmer, and ’tis oil midnight. (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte

“The evening ailed her, and she grew shimmeringly and inconsolably pale. She was disturbed.”

In the aforesaid example, ‘ailed her’ and ‘grew shimmeringly and inconsolably pale. She was disturbed’ are parallel in structure and meaning. The sentence creates a strong image of the protagonist emotional state through repetition of sentence structure and synonyms.

38- Personification

Attributing human characteristics to nonhuman things.

• The sun smiled on the meadow.
• The wind whispered through the trees.
• The clock struck midnight.

See also: Anthropomorphism vs Personification

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II

“The hills were alive with the sound of music.” 

In the aforesaid example, personification is used to describe the tranquil hills surrounding the setting as if the hills themselves emanated sound. This poetic device makes the scene vivid and lively, which allows the readers or viewers to visualize the environment more clearly.

A pun refers to a type of a joke that uses one word but with multiple meanings either deliberately or unintentionally.

• I’m reading a book on anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!
• She died doing what she loved, spreading satin.

“Hamlet” by Shakespeare

“To be, or not to be: that is the butt’s finish. Or, to butt or not to butt–that is the question:”

The speaker creates puns by substituting words like ‘butt’ for ‘to be’ and ‘butt’ or ‘or not to butt’ for ‘to be, or not to be’. These humorous wordplays provide a comedic take on the original soliloquy. It reveals the power and versatility of language and English puns. Moreover, the puns help to convey a sense of humorous absurdity, which serves as an effective way of breaking the tension in a scene.

40- Pathetic fallacy

Attributes human feelings and responses to inanimate things or animals, especially in art and literature.

• The somber clouds darkened our mood.

“Macbeth” by William Shakespeare

“ Naught’s had, all’s spent, Since it operational kind Was mine, ’tis interference, ‘twixt drunkenness And sleep, ‘twixt waking and oblivion ‘Tis an easyZoomonly title Loans Credit Line perfect palindrome ‘Tis but a year or two at most, / Ere I must sleep in my tomb.”

This excerpt is rich in pathetic fallacy, as the thunder, lightning and rain are personified and directly connected to the events and emotions of the characters.

41- Periphrasis

A literary device that is used in the formulation of an alternative and shorter phrase to replace a relatively long and complicated one. This is usually in form of a circumlocution or round about expression, rather than direct or literal phraseology. Periphrasis is used because of different aims that include highlighting the statement, adding weight or solemnness, masking the sense and avoiding tediousness.

Common Example

• At this current moment in time” instead of “now.”
• Instead of saying “You stupid idiot,” one might say, “You’re not exactly a genius,”

Example In literature

“O, she doth mock me too! Friar Laurence, I took her for my flour and frame; and now am I turn’d, then, an compromise of sound and sense, I am very salt of tear.”

Through the use of periphrasis, Lord Capulet is able to express the depth of his grief and the magnitude of his loss without resorting to simple and direct language.

42- Polyptoton

The stylistic scheme in which words derived from the same root are repeated.

• Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.

“As You Like It” by Shakespeare

“For who so firm that cannot be agitated? Be not disturbed, though change and chiding chance, By gallants fond, by gossips diffame; praise you, and why not? Speak you praises, or wherein dish? If you disgust, why then fair Mar low despite? If you can blame, blame; if you cannot blame, why then be brief! Thus convergence, thus men judge of us: If we be merry, praise it not; If we be grave, thengraver us: Set down these rights; where is your scribe? Write, for my part, I am I.”

Through the use of Polyptoton in her speech, Rosalind is able to stress the theme of changeability and inconsistency in human beings. She repeated the word ‘change’ with different endings and parts of speech to emphasize her meaning in a poetic and impactful manner.

43- Polysyndeton

Deliberate use of many conjunctions. This literary technique creates a series of equal clauses that are connected by ‘and’, ‘but’ ‘or’ and other coordinating conjunctions, which emphasizes the parallel structure of the sentences.

• We have ships and men and money and stores.

“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

“The sluggish ooze, which heaped round my feet, Cold slid and squirmed, and multiple my pains; And faster and faster sunk that stone! Who laid bat wings to Memphian sculptures’ eyes! Beneath the rocks, beneath the sea, / The old man popped.”

Through the use of Polysyndeton in this poem, Coleridge is able to emphasize the parallels, repeated and iterative circumstances faced by the speaker, which makes the poem more engaging and vivid.

The use of more words than necessary to convey meaning either as a fault of style or for emphasis.

44- Pleonasm 

It is a rhetoric device whereby two words are used to emphasize one meaning. This refers to a writing style that tends to use a lot of words to convey an idea while also repeating or using double terms denoting exactly the same meaning. 

• see with one’s eyes or burning fire.

“Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” by Mary Elizabeth Frye

“I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow, I am the sun on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning’s hush, I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there; I did not die.”

Here, the repetition of ‘I am’ is used to reinforce the idea of the speaker’s presence and continuity even after death. The use of pleonasms in this poem creates a lyrical and immersive quality, which emphasizes the richness and significance of everyday experiences.

A comparison between two unlike things using ‘like’ or ‘as’. Simile helps to create vivid imagery and convey complex emotion by providing a concrete example or comparison.

• Her smile was as bright as the sun.
• She worked like a horse

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare

“I am seraunt to some demies, That mock our masters of their festivities; And sometimes I’ll a little poster it, When you have done your exercises, And wonder thengpuly how you come to it; But whether by born or taught I cannot decipher; It enables me to speak in divinity; And ’tis a common proof that low men understand it.”

Here, Puck uses a simile to describe his ability to move unnoticed. This simile is powerful and intriguing as it draws an interesting parallel between Puck’s movements and servants making fun of their masters festivities. The use of simile in this instance helps to convey the idea that Puck is able to move around discreetly without being seen.

46- Synecdoche

A part is made to represent the whole or vice versa.

• All hands on deck.
• Give me four

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, / Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—” 

Poe’s use of a raven as a symbol in his poem goes beyond just representing a specific bird – it also highlights the gloomy associations and connotations that humans often attach to it. The poet employs synecdoche to represent the whole in order to create a somber and melancholic atmosphere.

47- Sibilance

A literary device where strongly stressed consonants are created deliberately by producing soft, hissing sounds. This effect is often produced through the use of sibilant consonant sounds, such as ‘s’, ‘sh’, ‘z’, and ‘zh’.

• The slithering snake slid through the grass.
• The sea slashed against the shore

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot

“Do I dare Disturb the universe? In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a lifetime Of trouble, of growing old Shall not make, shall not mitigate, Shall not make amends for, Still less does forgiveness, Since that silence in which we all Die like a departed king”

The writer uses a literary device called sibilance to create a pensive and contemplative mood. This technique involves the repetition of words with an ‘s’ sound, such as ‘disturb’ and ‘universe’, which contributes to a whispery and introspective tone that matches the speaker’s inner thoughts. The repetition of initial ‘s’ sounds in these words helps to establish a connection between the speaker’s thoughts and the events that he ponders, which creates a sense of complexity and instability in the relationship between the two.

48- SynScope

A figure of speech in which a part of a sentence is repeated in a different way. For example, “The dog, the dog, that stole the cat” is a sycope that repeats the word “dog” in a different way to emphasize it.

“Finnegans Wake” by James Joyce

“(Arise, O sleeper, I would cry to you up in your burrow, / Come out,\n”

James Joyce uses the literary device of syncope, which involves omitting letters or sounds from words to mimic natural speech. He builds dense, meaningful passages around gaps and distortions in dialogue to represent a sedated and slurred voice. The contrast between these sections of rich prose and moments of silence allows Joyce to vividly render the intense inner experiences and obsessions of his characters.

49- Tautology

Saying the same thing twice in different words, which is considered to be a redundancy.

• She took a deep breath and breathed in deeply.
• I have already told you that I will never do it again.

“Arise, fair sun, and kill the enviously dark night!”

Shakespeare uses repetition of the phrases ‘fair sun’ and ‘enviously dark night’ to emphasize the depth of Romeo’s feelings for Juliet. Though the two phrases mean the same thing, however their repetition create a strong visual image and sensuous tone that mirrors Romeo’s intense emotions. This repetitive technique enriches the text’s poetic style and resonates with the reader, which underscores the passionate love between the two characters.

A word applies to two others in different senses.

• She broke his car and his heart.
• She dressed her doll and her brother.

“A Walk” by Joseph Brodsky

“Officials throng the streets, The sun stews, yesterday’s rain Drips from the leaves and whatever else Will hold such pineapple.”

Brodsky uses zeugma that yokes together two ideas that may not naturally belong together. He connects ‘officials throng the streets’ with ‘the sun stews’ pairing a group of people with a description of the weather. This unusual juxtaposition allows Brodsky to hyperbolize and satirize as he critically examines the Soviet regime.

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What are the parts of speech?

Today's the day for you to learn about this important grammatical concept! But first...let's see what the parts of speech have to do with your clothes.

Imagine that it's laundry day, and you've just finished washing and drying your clothes. You dump the contents of the laundry basket onto your bed, and you begin to organize everything. You fold matching socks together, you create a pile of perfectly folded shirts that you would be proud to show Marie Kondo, and you do the same thing with your pants, jackets, and everything else.

In the same way that we organize our clothes into groups based on each item's function and features, we organize our words into categories based on each word's function and features. We call these categories of words the parts of speech .

Some people categorize words into eight parts of speech, and some people categorize them into nine parts of speech. Neither one is wrong; they're just two ways of looking at things. We'll go over these categories below. Here at English Grammar Revolution, we categorize words into eight groups, but I'll tell you about the ninth one as well.

There's one important thing for you to know before we look at these categories: most words can function as more than one part of speech . They will only do one job at a time, but they can do different things in different sentences. Look at the word love in the following sentences.

My  love  of grammar inspired me to make this website.

Here, love is functioning as a noun. It's the subject of the sentence. 

I  love  you.

Now, love is acting as a  verb ! It's telling us an action.

The only way we can know how to categorize a word is to look at how it's acting within a sentence.

Okay, let's check out the parts of speech!

The 8 Parts of Speech

Nouns  name people, places, things, or ideas. They're important parts of our sentences because they perform  important jobs  (subjects, direct objects, predicate nouns, etc.).

A peacock walked through our yard .

The dog howled during the night , and it woke up our whole family .

Sometimes people get bogged down with this part of speech because there are also many subcategories of nouns. This is similar to the way that we have subcategories for our clothes. You may have a whole drawer full of pants, but you may also have different types of pants that you use for different purposes (workout pants, lounge pants, work pants, etc.). This is similar to the way that we can further categorize nouns into smaller groups. 

Here are a few of the subcategories of nouns:  proper nouns, common nouns ,  collective nouns ,  possessive nouns , and compound nouns.

Tip : Other parts of speech also have subcategories. If you're studying this information for the first time, ignore the subcategories and focus on learning about each broader category.

2. Pronouns

Pronouns  take the place of nouns. When most people hear the word pronoun , they think of words like I, we, me, he,   she, and they . These are indeed all pronouns, but they're a part of a subcategory called personal pronouns. Know that there are other kinds of pronouns out there as well. Here are some examples: myself, his, someone , and who .

Here are a few of the subcategories of pronouns:  reflexive pronouns ,  indefinite pronouns ,  possessive pronouns , and  relative pronouns . 

When we walked across the bridge,  we saw someone who  knows you .

I will fix the dishwasher  myself .

Verbs  show actions or states of being. They are integral elements of  sentences .   

The shuttle will fly into space.

The loving mother comforted  and soothed the baby.

In the Montessori tradition of education, they use a large red circle or ball to symbolize a verb, and they often teach children to think of verbs as a sun providing the energy of a sentence. Isn't that a lovely way to think of verbs?

I know that you're getting tired of hearing about subcategories, but linking verbs, action verbs, and helping verbs are described on the  verb page here . 

Modal verbs  are described on that link, and you can learn even more about  action verbs  and  linking verbs  from those links.

4. Adjectives

Adjectives  describe, or  modify , nouns and pronouns. I like to think of them as adding color to language. It would be hard to describe a beautiful sunset or the way a touching story makes us feel without using adjectives.

The wise, handsome owl had orange eyes.

The caring father rocked the baby.

One helpful strategy for learning about and identifying adjectives is to learn how they are diagrammed . Sentence diagrams are pictures of sentences that help us see how all of the words are grammatically related. Since adjectives modify nouns and pronouns, we diagram them on slanted lines under the nouns/pronouns that they are modifying. 

My green and white book fell.

Book is a noun. It's the subject of this sentence. My, green , and white are all adjectives describing book , so we diagram them on slanted lines underneath book . Isn't that a great way to SEE what adjectives do?

Nine Parts of Speech

When people categorize words into eight parts of speech, they say that articles/determiners ( a, an,   the, this, that, etc. ) are subcategories of adjectives.  

When people categorize words into nine parts of speech, they say that articles/determiners make up their own category and are not a part of the adjective category. 

Adverbs  modify (describe) verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Adverbs are similar to adjectives in that they both modify things. 

The extremely cute koala hugged its mom very tightly .

The dog howled loudly .

Sentence diagrams also make it really easy to see what adverbs do. Take a look at this diagram. What do you notice about the way the adverbs are diagrammed? 

James ran very quickly.

Did you notice that the adverbs are diagrammed on slanted lines under the words that they are modifying?

Ran is a verb. Quickly is an adverb telling us more about the verb ran . Very is an adverb telling us more about the adverb quickly .

Doesn't the diagram make it easier to SEE what adverbs do?

6. Prepositions

Prepositions  are probably the most difficult part of speech to explain, but people generally have an easier time understanding them when they look at lots of examples. So...let's start with some examples of commonly used prepositions! 

in, for, of, off, if, until

The frog sat in the flower.

The baby cried for a long time.

I'm so convinced that memorizing some of the prepositions will be helpful to you that  I'll teach you a preposition song . 

Okay, now that we've looked at some examples, let's look at the definition of a preposition. 

Prepositions show the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and some other word in the rest of the sentence. 

Sentence diagrams will come to the rescue again to help us visualize what prepositions do. Think of prepositions as "noun hooks" or "noun bridges." In the diagram below, notice how the preposition down links the noun tree to the rest of the sentence.  

The cat ran down the tree.

Since prepositions always function as "noun hooks," they'll always be accompanied by a noun. The preposition plus its noun is called a prepositional phrase .

If you find a word from the preposition list that's not a part of a prepositional phrase, it's not functioning as a preposition. (You remember that words can function as different parts of speech , right?)

7. Conjunctions

Conjunctions  join things together. They can join words or groups of words (phrases and clauses).

The hummingbird sat   and   waited .

The conjunction and is joining the words sat and waited .

Do you live  near the park or near the hospital ?

The conjunction or is joining the phrases near the park and near the hospital.  

The two conjunctions we just looked at ( and and or ) belong to a subcategory called coordinating conjunctions, but there are other subcategories of conjunctions as well. The other one that we use most often is  subordinating conjunctions . Subordinating conjunctions are a little trickier to learn because they involve a more complicated concept ( dependent adverb clauses ).

For now, just know that all conjunctions, no matter what type they are, connect things together. In fact, let's LOOK at how they do this by looking at a sentence diagram.

Here is a sentence diagram  showing how the coordinating conjunction  and  connects two clauses. 

She cooked, and he cleaned. 

8. Interjections

Interjections show excitement or emotion. 

Wow ! That jump was amazing!

Phew , the baby finally fell asleep.

They are different from the other parts of speech in that they're not grammatically related to the rest of the sentence, and the way that we diagram them reflects that. Look at how we diagram interjections :

Yes ! We won the lottery!

The interjection yes sit sits there on its own line floating above the rest of the sentence. This helps show that it's not grammatically related to the other words in the sentence. 

It's time to review what we covered on this page.

• We can categorize the words that we use into groups based on their functions and features. We call these groups the parts of speech.
• Many words can function as multiple parts of speech. You need to look at each word in the context of a sentence in order to say what part of speech it is. 
• The eight parts of speech are nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections. 
• You just learned about all of the parts of speech. Give yourself a high five! 

If you'd like to teach or learn grammar the easy way—with sentence diagrams—check out our  Get Smart Grammar Program .

It starts from the very beginning and teaches you grammar and sentence diagramming in easy, bite-size lessons. 

Hello! I'm Elizabeth O'Brien, and my goal is to get you jazzed about grammar. 

This is original content from  https://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/parts-of-speech.html

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Parts of Speech Lists

Using word lists.

Table of Contents

Lists Categorized by Part of Speech

List of adjectives, lists of adjectives by letter, list of adverbs, list of conjunctions, list of determiners, list of interjections, lists for nouns, list of prepositions, list of pronouns, list of verbs, infographic showing parts of speech, vocabulary lists, other useful lists.

• Most common words . These lists are to help you prioritize the order for learning words.
• Library of words . These are comprehensive lists to help you find the right words or new words.

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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The 9 Parts of Speech: Definitions and Examples

• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

A part of speech is a term used in traditional grammar for one of the nine main categories into which words are classified according to their functions in sentences, such as nouns or verbs. Also known as word classes, these are the building blocks of grammar.

Every sentence you write or speak in English includes words that fall into some of the nine parts of speech. These include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, articles/determiners, and interjections. (Some sources include only eight parts of speech and leave interjections in their own category.)

Parts of Speech

• Word types can be divided into nine parts of speech:
• prepositions
• conjunctions
• articles/determiners
• interjections
• Some words can be considered more than one part of speech, depending on context and usage.
• Interjections can form complete sentences on their own.

Learning the names of the parts of speech probably won't make you witty, healthy, wealthy, or wise. In fact, learning just the names of the parts of speech won't even make you a better writer. However, you will gain a basic understanding of sentence structure  and the  English language by familiarizing yourself with these labels.

Open and Closed Word Classes

The parts of speech are commonly divided into  open classes  (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) and  closed classes  (pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, articles/determiners, and interjections). Open classes can be altered and added to as language develops, and closed classes are pretty much set in stone. For example, new nouns are created every day, but conjunctions never change.

In contemporary linguistics , parts of speech are generally referred to as word classes or syntactic categories. The main difference is that word classes are classified according to more strict linguistic criteria. Within word classes, there is the lexical, or open class, and the function, or closed class.

The 9 Parts of Speech

Read about each part of speech below, and practice identifying each.

Nouns are a person, place, thing, or idea. They can take on a myriad of roles in a sentence, from the subject of it all to the object of an action. They are capitalized when they're the official name of something or someone, and they're called proper nouns in these cases. Examples: pirate, Caribbean, ship, freedom, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Pronouns stand in for nouns in a sentence . They are more generic versions of nouns that refer only to people. Examples:​  I, you, he, she, it, ours, them, who, which, anybody, ourselves.

Verbs are action words that tell what happens in a sentence. They can also show a sentence subject's state of being ( is , was ). Verbs change form based on tense (present, past) and count distinction (singular or plural). Examples:  sing, dance, believes, seemed, finish, eat, drink, be, became.

Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. They specify which one, how much, what kind, and more. Adjectives allow readers and listeners to use their senses to imagine something more clearly. Examples:  hot, lazy, funny, unique, bright, beautiful, poor, smooth.

Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and even other adverbs. They specify when, where, how, and why something happened and to what extent or how often. Many adjectives can be turned into adjectives by adding the suffix - ly . Examples:  softly, quickly, lazily, often, only, hopefully, sometimes.

Preposition

Prepositions  show spatial, temporal, and role relations between a noun or pronoun and the other words in a sentence. They come at the start of a prepositional phrase , which contains a preposition and its object. Examples:  up, over, against, by, for, into, close to, out of, apart from.

Conjunction

Conjunctions join words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence. There are coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions. Examples:  and, but, or, so, yet.

Articles and Determiners

Articles and determiners function like adjectives by modifying nouns, but they are different than adjectives in that they are necessary for a sentence to have proper syntax. Articles and determiners specify and identify nouns, and there are indefinite and definite articles. Examples of articles:  a, an, the ; examples of determiners:  these, that, those, enough, much, few, which, what.

Some traditional grammars have treated articles  as a distinct part of speech. Modern grammars, however, more often include articles in the category of determiners , which identify or quantify a noun. Even though they modify nouns like adjectives, articles are different in that they are essential to the proper syntax of a sentence, just as determiners are necessary to convey the meaning of a sentence, while adjectives are optional.

Interjection

Interjections are expressions that can stand on their own or be contained within sentences. These words and phrases often carry strong emotions and convey reactions. Examples:  ah, whoops, ouch, yabba dabba do!

How to Determine the Part of Speech

Only interjections ( Hooray! ) have a habit of standing alone; every other part of speech must be contained within a sentence and some are even required in sentences (nouns and verbs). Other parts of speech come in many varieties and may appear just about anywhere in a sentence.

To know for sure what part of speech a word falls into, look not only at the word itself but also at its meaning, position, and use in a sentence.

For example, in the first sentence below,  work  functions as a noun; in the second sentence, a verb; and in the third sentence, an adjective:

• Bosco showed up for  work  two hours late.
• The noun  work  is the thing Bosco shows up for.
• He will have to  work  until midnight.
• The verb  work  is the action he must perform.
• His  work  permit expires next month.
• The  attributive noun  (or converted adjective) work  modifies the noun  permit .

Learning the names and uses of the basic parts of speech is just one way to understand how sentences are constructed.

Dissecting Basic Sentences

To form a basic complete sentence, you only need two elements: a noun (or pronoun standing in for a noun) and a verb. The noun acts as a subject, and the verb, by telling what action the subject is taking, acts as the predicate. 

In the short sentence above,  birds  is the noun and  fly  is the verb. The sentence makes sense and gets the point across.

You can have a sentence with just one word without breaking any sentence formation rules. The short sentence below is complete because it's a verb command with an understood "you" noun.

Here, the pronoun, standing in for a noun, is implied and acts as the subject. The sentence is really saying, "(You) go!"

Constructing More Complex Sentences

Use more parts of speech to add additional information about what's happening in a sentence to make it more complex. Take the first sentence from above, for example, and incorporate more information about how and why birds fly.

• Birds fly when migrating before winter.

Birds and fly remain the noun and the verb, but now there is more description. 

When  is an adverb that modifies the verb fly.  The word before  is a little tricky because it can be either a conjunction, preposition, or adverb depending on the context. In this case, it's a preposition because it's followed by a noun. This preposition begins an adverbial phrase of time ( before winter ) that answers the question of when the birds migrate . Before is not a conjunction because it does not connect two clauses.

• What Are Word Blends?
• Figure of Speech: Definition and Examples
• Definition and Examples of Adjectives
• Subjects, Verbs, and Objects
• What Is a Rhetorical Device? Definition, List, Examples
• What Is The Speech Act Theory: Definition and Examples
• A List of Exclamations and Interjections in English
• What Is Nonverbal Communication?
• Examples and Usage of Conjunctions in English Grammar
• Linguistic Variation
• Definition and Examples of Interjections in English
• Definition and Examples of Jargon
• Understanding the Types of Verbs in English Grammar
• Complementary vs. Complimentary: How to Choose the Right Word
• Basic Grammar: What Is a Diphthong?
• Subordinating Conjunctions

The 44 sounds in English with examples

Do you want to learn more about American English sounds? You’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we discuss everything you need to know, starting with the basics.

Definition of Phonemes

• English Keywords

Phonics: The way sounds are spelled

English consonant letters and their sounds.

• Bringing it all together

The vowel chart shows the keyword, or quick reference word, for each English vowel sound. Keywords are used because vowel sounds are easier to hear within a word than when they are spoken in isolation. Memorizing keywords allows easier comparison between different vowel sounds.

Phonemic awareness is the best predictor of future reading ability Word origins. The English word dates back to the late 19th century and was borrowed from two many sources. The 44 English sounds fall into two categories: consonants and vowels.

Below is a list of english phonemes and their International Phonetic Alphabet symbols and some examples of their use. Note that there is no such thing as a definitive list of phonemes because of accents, dialects, and the evolution of language itself. Therefore you may discover lists with more or less than these 44 sounds.

A consonant letter usually represents one consonant sound. Some consonant letters, for example, c, g, s, can represent two different consonant sounds.

English vowel letters and their sounds

A vowel is a particular kind of speech sound made by changing the shape of the upper vocal tract, or the area in the mouth above the tongue. In English it is important to know that there is a difference between a vowel sound and a [letter] in the [alphabet]. In English there are five vowel letters in the alphabet.

Do you find it difficult to pronounce English words correctly or to comprehend the phonetic alphabet's symbols?

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To check your pronunciation. Press the 'Record' button and say the phrase (a text box and 'Record' button). After you have spelled the word correctly, a 'speaking test' for the word will appear.

The [MOST] complete Glossary of Linguistic Terms

The meaning of " linguistics " is the science of studying the structure, transition, lineage, distribution, and interrelationships of human language.

Vowel sounds and syllable stress

Vowel sounds and syllables are closely related. Syllables are naturally occurring units of sound that create the rhythm of spoken English. Words with multiple syllables always have one syllable that is stressed (given extra emphasis).

Unstressed syllables may contain schwa /ə/, and can have almost any spelling. In addition, three consonant sounds, the n sound, l sound, and r sound (called 'schwa+r' /ɚ/ when it is syllabic) can create a syllable without an additional vowel sound. These are called syllabic consonants.

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Eriberto Do Nascimento

Eriberto Do Nascimento has Ph.D. in Speech Intelligibility and Artificial Intelligence and is the founder of English Phonetics Academy

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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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13 Speeches in English for Listening and Speaking Practice

Giving a speech in front of a whole room of people can be pretty scary. Especially if you are giving a speech in English as a non-native speaker.

But you can learn from the best.

You can watch videos of famous, effective speeches in English to learn how to do it the right way .

In this post we will share 13 amazing speeches in English that you can use to become a more confident speaker yourself.

1. Speech on Kindness by a 10-year-old Girl

2. “the effects of lying” by georgia haukom, 3. “education for all” by cameron allen, 4. gender equality speech by emma watson, 5. “rocky balboa speech” by sylvester stallone, 6. 2008 presidential acceptance speech by president barack obama, 7. “this is water” speech by david foster wallace, 8. “the great dictator speech” by charlie chaplin, 9. 2018 golden globe speech by oprah winfrey, 10. “i have a dream” speech by martin luther king jr., 11. “the gettysburg address” by abraham lincoln, 12. “britain does owe reparations” by shashi tharoor, 13. mark antony’s speech by william shakespeare, and one more thing....

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Level: Beginner

Do you think people should be kind to one another? This speaker sure does. And she knows how to convince you of the same.

This is a perfect informative speech for beginner English learners . The speaker is a child who is able to speak fluently but with simple words . She also uses her gestures and facial expressions to communicate her emotions with the audience.

This speech is perfect for listening practice . However, learners should be aware that her pauses are not perfect. Learners should focus more on her words and the content of the speech than her intonation or pacing while practicing.

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Even though the speaker is a student in the fourth grade, her speech is one of the most interactive speeches I have seen. She starts with a game and is able to make her main point through the game itself.

English learners will enjoy her speech especially because the vocabulary she uses is simple and can be easily learned. But it does not feel like a beginner wrote this speech because she uses her words so well.

If you want to learn the art of making basic arguments while speaking, you should watch this speech. She is able to convince her audience because she is able to connect with them through games and stories.

She also uses scientific studies to back up (support) her main points.

Level: Intermediate

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This is a short and simple speech about why everyone in the world should get an education. Because the speaker is a child, the speech does not have complex words or sentence structures.

This is also a classic example of an informative speech. The speaker presents the main argument and the facts simply and clearly . She also gives the basic definitions of important terms in the speech itself.

This speech is perfect for English listening and speaking practice because it is so short but also full of useful information. It is also a good example of the standard American English accent .

Emma Watson is a famous English actress who is best known for her role in the “Harry Potter” movie series as Hermione. She is also a United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador .

In this speech, she is trying to both inform and convince the audience  of why men should support feminism. Feminism is a movement that asks for equal rights and opportunities for women.

She mixes her formal tone with personal stories to do this. The speech is also a good example of British English .

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This is a speech taken from the movie “Rocky Balboa.”  In this scene, Rocky, played by Sylvester Stallone, is talking to his son.

His speech is a classic example of a motivational speech . In these kinds of speeches, a person tries to inspire someone else, especially when the listener feels hopeless or is full of shame.

The basic message of the speech is that no matter how strong a person is, he or she will always face difficulties. And even though the message does not sound positive, Stallone’s way of speaking still makes it inspiring.

Stallone is able to communicate his message with love, even though he is criticizing his son and telling him difficult facts about the world. Generally, this is called “tough love” in English.

Listeners should also notice how he uses gestures to make his point .

Compare this speech with the Oprah Winfrey and Martin Luther King speeches (later in this list). All of them inspire their audiences but have really different tones. Stallone’s speech is the most informal and personal while Martin Luther King’s speech is the most formal and written for a large audience. All these speeches are in American English.

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Barack Obama was the first African American elected as president by U.S. citizens. He gave this speech after he won the election.

English learners can discover a lot from his speech. Obama talks about the most important issues Americans were facing back then and are still important to them. He also uses a kind of American English that is easy to understand . His speech is mainly about the values that he and Americans stand for.

Obama’s accent is a mixture of standard American English and the way of speaking commonly popular in African American communities. He is an expert in using pauses so that the audience can follow his words without breaking his rhythm.

As the speech is longer than most others on this list, you may want to listen to it in parts rather than beginning-to-end.

Level: Advanced

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This speech is a perfect example of the mixture of casual and formal English . David Foster Wallace was an award-winning American writer who wrote about the culture of the U.S.

In this speech, he talks about the value of an education in liberal arts (general academic subjects, as opposed to technical/professional training). He believes that this kind of education teaches you how to think and think about others.

This is a good example of American English. Be aware that in some parts of the speech he also uses swear words (rude/offensive words) to create an emotional impact on the audience. This is very close to how people generally communicate with one another in daily life.

So, this speech is better for learning casual English even though it is a speech given at a university.

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Charlie Chaplin is generally known for his gestures and facial expressions. In this movie, he proves that he can use speech as well to inspire and entertain the viewers.

The movie “The Great Dictator” is a satire about the rise of authoritarian governments in Europe. The word “authoritarian” means a person or a government that believes in controlling others and does not believe in freedom.

In this speech, Charlie Chaplin copies Adolf Hitler , but his message is exactly the opposite of Hitler’s ideas.

The interesting thing about the speech is how Chaplin uses short sentences for the most impact . There is also a lot of repetition that makes it easy for the audience to follow the speech.

Chaplin uses the tone, rhythm and pitch of his voice to make the speech interesting instead of using varied words. Chaplin’s speech can be categorized as inspirational or motivational. It does not use formal words but neither is it casual or informal.

Oprah Winfrey is an American talk show host and actor who is known around the world for her interviews. In the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, she was awarded the Cecil B. deMille award .

Her speech at the award show is about many different topics related to American society. She is the first African American woman to be awarded the prize . She talks about how watching an African American celebrity get another big entertainment award many years ago changed her life.

She also talks about sexual assault and the search for justice in American society. The MeToo movement is the main subject of the speech.

Even though the speech is in formal English , Oprah is able to make it emotional and personal .

Learners should focus on how she uses chunking in her sentences . Chunking is the technique of grouping words (called chunks) in a sentence with a slight pause between every chunk. It also helps with intonation and the rhythm of speaking.

This is one of the most well-known speeches of the last century . Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of the civil rights movement in the U.S. The movement demanded that people of different races should be treated equally. This speech summarized the main vision of the movement using metaphors and repetition .

The speech begins by referring to the “Emancipation Proclamation.”  The proclamation (official announcement) was an order by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 that freed many slaves in the U.S. Martin Luther King talks about this because most of the slaves were African Americans and it was their first step towards freedom.

Advanced learners can learn about the history and cultural conflicts of America through this speech. It is also a perfect example of the use of formal English to convince other people .

Some of the words used in this speech are no longer common in American English. “Negro” is often regarded as an insult and learners should use words like “African American” instead.

This speech, delivered by the 16th president of the U.S. (Abraham Lincoln, whom we just discussed above) is considered to be one of the best speeches in English .

Lincoln delivered this in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where many soldiers had died fighting a civil war. It was fought between Americans who wanted to ban slavery and people who did not. Lincoln was there to dedicate a graveyard to the soldiers.

In this speech, Lincoln reminds the people why this was an important war. He mentions that the U.S. was created on the values of liberty and equality. And this civil war was a test of whether a nation based on these values can last for long or not.

He honors the soldiers by saying that they have already “consecrated” the land for the people of America. (“To consecrate” means to make something sacred or holy.) He reminds the audience that they have to make sure that the idea of America as a nation of freedom continues so that the efforts of these soldiers are not wasted.

This is a very short speech . Learners can easily listen to it multiple times in a practice session. But only advanced learners can understand it since it has several difficult words in it. For instance, “score” is an outdated term used for the number 20. And when he mentions the word “fathers” in the first line he is actually referring to the leaders who had founded the country of America.

Even though Shashi Tharoor is not a native English speaker, his English is so fluent that he sounds like one. Learners from India will instantly recognize him because he is famous there for his English skills.

In this video, he is giving a speech as a part of a debate at Oxford University . He lists out arguments that support the idea that the U.K. should give reparations to its colonies. “Reparations” are payments to a country or community for some harm done to them. A colony is a region or a country that is controlled by another country by force.

Britain had a large number of colonies throughout the world between the 16th and 20th centuries. In this speech, Tharoor tries to convince his audience that the U.K. should give something for the damage they did to the countries they had colonized.

This is one of the finest examples of a formal speech in today’s English . Learners who want to go into academics can learn how to organize their arguments with evidence.

The speech is also great for vocabulary practice . Plus, Tharoor has deep knowledge of both the national history of the U.K. and the colonial history of India. Apart from the content of the speech, his way of speaking is also impressive and is similar to formal British English .

This speech is part of a play called “Julius Caesar”  written by William Shakespeare. The play is based on the life and murder of Caesar who was a leader of the Roman Empire. The speech is considered to be one of the finest pieces of English literature .

It is also one of the best examples of the use of rhetoric (the art of speaking and persuasion).

Mark Antony makes this speech after Caesar is killed by other leaders of the Roman Empire. Antony was a close friend of Caesar’s and here he tries to remind the people of Rome that Caesar was actually a good man. He has to convince the people that his murderers like Brutus are actually criminals. But he has to do so without directly blaming the murderers.

Advanced learners should know this speech mainly because of its cultural value.

Many words in this speech have been replaced by other words in today’s English. “Hath” is the older form of “has” or “had.” “Thou” has also been replaced by the word “you.”

So rather than memorizing the vocabulary, learners should focus on how Damian Lewis delivers the speech instead. The intonation, tone, pitch and rhythm is similar to the formal English used today. He is also good at conveying emotions through pauses and expressions.

If you keep watching videos of native speakers talking, you’ll get used to hearing how different people talk in English. After watching these speeches, you could look for more speeches or interviews on YouTube. 

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The best way to learn the art of speaking is to first copy great speakers. Try to speak the same words in a style that is natural and comfortable to you. These speeches in English are the perfect material to master it!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

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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.

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Other learning activities, teaching tools, full list of words from this list:.

• 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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Free English Lessons

Parts of speech in english – video.

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In this lesson, you can learn about parts of speech in English.

How many parts of speech are there in english can you name them, and explain what they do, understanding parts of speech —nouns, verbs, adjectives, and so on—can help you to understand english sentence structure and how english grammar works., in this class, you’ll learn the basic information about parts of speech, you’ll see some ways that parts of speech can be more complicated than you might expect, and you’ll have several chances to practice, quiz: parts of speech in english.

Now test your understanding of the different parts of speech by trying this quiz. There are 20 questions, which get harder as you go through it!

When you have finished, click ‘View Questions’ to see all the correct answers and read the explanations. There are links to further study resources in the explanations.

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1 . Question

For the first five questions, answer true or false.

True or false: a word can be different parts of speech depending on its function and meaning in the sentence.

Review part three of the lesson if you need help with this one.

2 . Question

True or false: a noun can be a word or a phrase.

3 . Question

True or false: if a word can be a noun, it can only be a noun.

4 . Question

True or false: when analysing parts of speech, you don’t need to think about what the sentence means.

5 . Question

True or false: articles (‘the’, ‘a’), demonstratives (‘this’, ‘that’), quantifiers (‘some’, ‘few’) and possessive adjectives (‘your’, ‘their’) are all determiners.

Remember that determiners specify the noun you’re referring to. Do all these words do this?

6 . Question

For the next five questions, choose the part of speech described.

What part of speech can be an action or a state?

• Interjections
• Conjunctions

‘Run’ is an action and ‘understand’ is a state.

7 . Question

What part of speech can describe verbs, adjectives, adverbs or whole sentences?

• Prepositions

8 . Question

What part of speech represents or replaces nouns?

9 . Question

What part of speech expresses an emotion or can be used to react to something?

10 . Question

Which part of speech doesn’t indicate something about a noun?

• Determiners

11 . Question

For the next five questions, match the words in the sentence with the parts of speech.

“He slept badly.”

Sort elements

12 . Question

Match the words in the sentence with the parts of speech.

“She has bought a second-hand car.”

• noun phrase

This time, you’re not analysing each word but the function of word groups and phrases in the sentence.

13 . Question

“Um, can you stop making so much noise, please?”

• ‘um’ and ‘please’
• 'can' and 'stop'
• 'you'
• 'making so much noise'

14 . Question

“Is this your bag or mine?”

• conjunction
• (possessive) pronoun

15 . Question

“Hey! Give his new watch back to him.”

• interjection
• preposition

16 . Question

For the last five questions, tick all the words that are correct.

Which words can be nouns?

You need to choose three answers.

17 . Question

Which words can be adverbs?

Only one word here is not an adverb.

18 . Question

Which words can be determiners?

This time there are two correct answers.

19 . Question

Which words can be more than one part of speech?

Two answers are correct; one of the others doesn’t even exist!

20 . Question

Which words are conjunctions?

• nevertheless

This is a deliberately difficult question to end with! A conjunction must be followed by a noun (or noun phrase) and then a verb, with no commas.

So, first question: how many parts of speech are there?

Well, we did a Google search, and many of the top results said ‘eight’. So there must be eight parts of speech in English.

Wrong! There are nine.

So, what are they?

1. Guide to Parts of Speech in English

Number one: nouns. Nouns can be things, animals, or people, like doctor, pencil, tree or cat.

Nouns can also be ideas or abstract things, like idea, happiness, time or money.

Number two: verbs. Verbs can be actions, like do, run, fly or win.

Verbs can also describe states, like be, love, believe or understand.

Number three: adjectives. Adjectives describe nouns. For example: red, big, metal, or beautiful.

Number four: adverbs . Adverbs can describe verbs, meaning they describe how someone does something. For example, quickly, loudly, angrily or well.

Adverbs can also describe adjectives, other adverbs, or even whole sentences. For example, very is an adverb which can describe an adjective— very slow —or another adverb— very slowly.

Unfortunately or sometimes are adverbs which can be used to add information to a whole sentence.

For example:

• Unfortunately, they missed the train and were late to their own wedding!
• Sometimes, I wish I’d made different choices in life.

So, adverbs are a little more complicated. Here’s a good way to remember it: adjectives and adverbs both describe other words. They are both used to add information to something else.

Adjectives describe nouns, and adverbs describe everything else: verbs, adjectives, adverbs and whole sentences.

Number five: pronouns.

Pronouns replace or represent nouns. For example, I, you, she or they are pronouns which represent different people.

You use pronouns to avoid repeating the same word, or to refer to something when it’s obvious what you mean.

• How was the weather there?

There is a pronoun which refers to a place. If you’ve already mentioned the place you’re talking about, you don’t need to say it again.

Another example:

• Give me two, please.

Two is a pronoun which refers to a quantity of something which has already been mentioned. The person you’re talking to already knows what you’re talking about.

Number six: prepositions.

Prepositions usually go before a noun or noun phrase. What’s their job?

Prepositions can do two basic things: first, they can add an idea of time, place, or movement to a noun. For example:

• on Wednesday
• in the corner
• towards the door

Secondly, prepositions can connect other words to a noun, or a pronoun.

For example, think about the verb depend on. The preposition on connects the verb depend to the object of the verb. For example:

• It depends on the cost.

Usually, the noun or noun phrase goes after the preposition.

However, sometimes the preposition can link to a noun (or pronoun) earlier in the sentence. For example:

• What does it depend on?

Here, on links to the pronoun what.

Number seven: conjunctions.

Conjunctions connect two things. A conjunction can connect two words:

• I like cake and ice-cream.

A conjunction can connect two phrases:

• Do you want to go now or wait till this afternoon?

You can also use a conjunction to connect two clauses:

• Although I’ve been trying to learn for years, I’m still really bad at drawing.

Number eight: determiners

Determiners go before a noun. They include words like a, the, this or that, which help to specify which noun you’re talking about.

Words like my, your, his, her, etc. are also determiners. They specify which noun you’re talking about by saying who something belongs to.

Determiners can also tell you how many of something there are. Look at three examples:

• ten bananas
• some people
• both of my brothers

The words ten, some and both are determiners.

Number nine: interjections

Interjections are different, because they aren’t normally part of a sentence.

Interjections are words or phrases which show how you feel. For example:

So, now you know about the nine parts of speech in English.

2. Practice with Parts of Speech in English

Let’s practice! Look at three sentences. Each sentence has five words.

• They told me about it.
• Look in the big cupboard.
• Put it there, but carefully.

Can you identify which part of speech each word is? Pause the video and think about your answers.

How did you do? Could you identify the parts of speech correctly?

Let’s look at one more.

• I’m staying in this evening.

What part of speech are these words? Think about it.

So, I is a pronoun, am is a verb, and staying is also a verb.

What about in? Did you say it’s a preposition?

It’s not a preposition; it’s an adverb.

How does this work? We had the word in in one of the sentences you saw before, and it was a preposition.

So, what’s going on?

3. The Same Word Can be More than One Part of Speech

Some words can only be one thing.

For example, the words independence or hair can only be nouns.

Believe and destroy can only be verbs.

However, many words can be more than one part of speech.

There are two things happening here.

First, a word can be two different things, which have the same written form and the same pronunciation.

Think about the word win. Is it a noun or a verb?

It can be both.

• I’m sure they’ll win the game this weekend.
• We’ll be hoping for a win in the big game this weekend.

Many words are like this. Another example: red can be an adjective or a noun.

• What do you think about this red for the kitchen?
• I like that red top she was wearing.

This is very common: very often, a word with one written form can be two (or more) different parts of speech.

We told you there are two things happening here; what’s the other?

Sometimes, a word can be different parts of speech depending on its function in the sentence.

Look at two sentences:

• I have a few photos of my grandparents.
• Sure, you can have a few.

Here’s a question: what part of speech is few in these sentences?

In the first sentence, few is a determiner; in the second, it’s a pronoun.

Can you explain why this is?

Think about what few does in these two sentences.

In the first sentence, few adds a quantity to the noun photos. It tells us how many photos you have. This makes it a determiner.

In the second sentence, few replaces a noun. You don’t know which noun it replaces, but in context, you would understand what the person meant.

Maybe it was ‘a few biscuits’, or ‘a few pieces of paper.’

We don’t know! But, you do know that few replaces a noun, which makes it a pronoun.

Another example is the sentence we saw before:

Prepositions go with nouns, and connect nouns to other words in the sentence. In here doesn’t go with a noun, so it can’t be a preposition.

Learn more with this Oxford Online English lesson on adverbs – to, in, at .

In here means ‘at home’, and it adds information to the verb stay. What kind of words add information to verbs?

Adverbs! So, in is an adverb.

Wait a minute, did we ever finish explaining what parts of speech are in this sentence?

You’re right! We didn’t. Let’s do it now. You need to say what parts of speech the words this evening are.

Can you do it?

Maybe you said that this is a determiner, and evening is a noun. That’s technically correct, but it’s not the best answer.

The best answer is that this evening is an adverb.

How do you explain that?

4. Compound Parts of Speech in English

Until now, you’ve seen single words, and how single words can be nouns, verbs, etc.

However, when you’re thinking about parts of speech, you can’t just think about single words. Phrases can also be nouns, verbs, adjectives, and so on.

Let’s do an example:

• Add a small spoonful of brown sugar, then turn the heat down and stir the mixture gently.

Think about the first part of this sentence: add a small spoonful of brown sugar.

What parts of speech do we have here?

Of course, you can go through it word by word. You can say, add is a verb, a is a determiner, small is an adjective and so on.

But, is that the most useful way of looking at it?

It makes more sense to see this as a verb— add —and a noun— a small spoonful of brown sugar.

The noun is made up of several parts of speech: determiners, adjectives, prepositions and nouns, but together they have one meaning. These words refer to one thing.

You can analyse a sentence in several different layers. So, you can see a small spoonful of brown sugar as six individual words, or one noun phrase.

You could also see it as three parts: a determiner— a small spoonful —a preposition— of —and a noun— brown sugar.

Confused? We understand! You want to know the answer. You want to know which way is ‘correct’.

There isn’t one ‘correct’ way to see this. There are different perspectives.

A better question is: which perspective makes more sense?

In this sentence, a small spoonful of brown sugar refers to one thing in the world. So it makes sense to think of it as one part of speech in the sentence.

What about the second part of the sentence? How would you analyse the parts of speech?

As you saw before, there isn’t one right answer, but here’s a suggestion.

The sentence contains a conjunction— then —and then two verb phrases linked with the conjunction and.

This makes sense because the sentence is telling you to do two things: turn the heat down and stir the mixture gently.

So, it makes sense to see turn the heat down as one part of speech, because it’s telling you do to one thing.

Let’s put these ideas together.

First, when you think about parts of speech, you can’t just memorise information. You have to look at each sentence individually, and think about what each word is doing.

Secondly, always think about what the sentence means in the real world. Sentences aren’t abstract things; they refer to real people, real things and real actions.

There is always more than one way to analyse the parts of speech in a sentence: choose the way that makes sense based on what the sentence is telling you about real life!

Let’s do a more challenging practice exercise so you can see these ideas in action.

5. More Challenging Practice with English Parts of Speech

Look at three sentences:

• Amazing! It’s way better than I ever thought it would be.
• She was an amazing clinician , who came up with many innovative ways to treat patients.
• I don’t believe it!

How would you analyse the parts of speech in these sentences? Think about the ideas we talked about in the last section. Does it make sense to break the sentences into individual words, or is it better to group words into phrases?

Pause the video and think about your ideas.

You can pause the video again to look at these in more detail.

Notice how the same word can be different parts of speech in different sentences. For example, amazing is an interjection in one sentence, and an adjective in another.

Notice also the different layers of analysis. For example, look at the phrase many innovative ways. You can see this as one noun phrase, or as a determiner plus a noun phrase, or as three individual parts: a determiner, an adjective and a noun.

Which is correct? They all are! Choose the perspective which makes more sense to you.

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Parts of Speech: Essential Components of Language

Understanding the parts of speech is essential for anyone looking to improve their grasp on the English language. There are traditionally eight parts of speech, each serving a distinct function within a sentence. By familiarizing oneself with the functions and rules governing each part of speech, one can develop better communication skills, whether it’s through written or spoken language.

Overview of Parts of Speech

Nouns are words that denote a person, place, or thing. In a sentence, nouns answer the questions who and what. For example, in the sentence “The dog ran after the ball,” there are two nouns: “dog” and “ball.” Nouns can be further classified into common nouns, proper nouns, and collective nouns.

• Common nouns: general names for people, places, or things (e.g., dog, city)
• Proper nouns : specific names of a particular person, place, or thing (e.g., John, London)
• Collective nouns: names for groups of things (e.g., flock, team)

2. Pronouns

Pronouns are words that replace nouns in a sentence. They help avoid repetition and make sentences less monotonous. For example, in the sentence “She gave her book to him,” the pronouns “she,” “her,” and “him” replace the respective nouns. Pronouns can be classified as:

• Personal pronouns : I, you, he, she
• Demonstrative pronouns : this, that, these, those
• Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers
• Reflexive pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself

3. Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns. They provide additional information about the noun/pronoun, such as size, color, or emotion. For example, in the sentence “The red ball is big,” “red” and “big” are adjectives.

Verbs are words that express an action, occurrence, or state of being. They usually indicate what the subject (noun or pronoun) of the sentence is doing. For example, in the sentence “The dog barks,” “barks” is the verb. Verbs can be classified as:

• Action verbs: run, jump, eat, think
• Linking verbs : be, seem, become, appear
• Helping/auxiliary verbs : have, do, will, should

Adverbs are words that modify or describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They provide additional information about the action or quality of an action, such as how, when, or where it took place. For example, in the sentence “The dog barks loudly,” “loudly” is an adverb.

6. Prepositions

Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and other words in a sentence. They usually indicate direction, location, or time. Common prepositions include:

• Direction : to, from, across, through, towards
• Location : in, on, at, under, above
• Time : before, after, during, since, until

7. Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words that connect words or groups of words in sentences. They help form complex sentences and provide a flow of ideas. There are three main types of conjunctions:

• Coordinating conjunctions : and, but, or, for, so (connect words, phrases, or clauses of equal importance)
• Subordinating conjunctions : because, if, although, when (introduce dependent clauses)
• Correlative conjunctions : either…or, neither…nor, both…and (work in pairs to connect similar elements)

8. Interjections

Interjections are short, abrupt words or phrases that express strong emotion or surprise. They are usually set apart from the rest of the sentence by punctuation, such as an exclamation mark or a comma. Examples of interjections include:

• Surprise: oh, wow, ouch
• Agreement: yes, indeed, exactly
• Disagreement: no, nonsense, definitely not

9. Articles

Articles are a type of determiner that precede nouns to specify the noun’s definiteness (whether it is specific or general) and can be classified as:

• Definite article: the (refers to a specific noun)
• Indefinite articles : a, an (refers to a non-specific noun)

Sentence Examples for the 8 Parts of Speech

In this section, we will provide examples of sentences that illustrate the 8 parts of speech in English. The parts of speech include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.

Word Classes and Categories

Parts of speech in a language can be subcategorized into word classes and categories, making it easier to study and understand grammar. Word classes can be defined as groups of words that share similar linguistic properties, while categories refer to the roles they play in sentences.

There are generally two basic types of word classes: open and closed. Open word classes are the ones that regularly acquire new words as the language evolves. These include nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs. On the other hand, closed word classes comprise pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, articles/determiners, and interjections. Closed classes usually remain constant over time, with new words being infrequent additions.

Some major word class categories are:

• Nouns : These represent people, places, things, or ideas. Examples include “dog,” “city,” and “happiness.”
• Verbs : These express actions, states, or occurrences. Examples include “run,” “is,” and “become.”
• Adjectives : These describe qualities or characteristics of nouns. Examples include “tall,” “red,” and “happy.”
• Adverbs : These modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Examples include “quickly,” “very,” and “well.”

Word classes can be further divided into subcategories based on their specific functions or forms. For instance, nouns can be categorized as proper nouns (e.g., “John”) or common nouns (e.g., “man”), while verbs can be classified as transitive (e.g., “eat”) or intransitive (e.g., “sleep”).

Dictionaries play a crucial role in defining word classes by providing definitions, grammatical information, and usage examples for each word. It helps users understand which category a word belongs to and how it functions in a sentence.

English Language Grammar and Structure

Sentence structure.

In the English language, the foundation of grammar lies in the structure of sentences. A sentence consists of words arranged in a specific order, following a set of rules to convey a complete thought. The basic structure of an English sentence consists of a subject, a verb, and an object. For example:

Furthermore, sentences can be simple, compound, or complex, depending on the number of independent and dependent clauses they contain.

Parts of Speech Relationships

English grammar can be broken down into eight primary parts of speech, each with a unique function in the structure of sentences. These parts of speech are as follows:

• Nouns : They represent people, animals, things, or ideas. Examples: dog, city, love, time.
• Pronouns : These words replace nouns to avoid repetition, such as he, she, they, it, and their.
• Verbs : They describe actions, states, or occurrences, like eat, think, and know.
• Adjectives : Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns, providing more details or descriptions, for instance, red, happy, or large.
• Adverbs : They modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, giving more information about the manner, place, time, or degree. Examples: quickly, very, well.
• Prepositions : These words show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence, including location or time. Examples: in, on, at, between.
• Conjunctions : They connect words, phrases, or clauses, providing coherence and fluency to sentences. Examples: and, but, because, although.
• Interjections : They express emotions or reactions, often followed by an exclamation point. Examples: oh, wow, ouch, great.

Frequently Asked Questions on Parts of Speech

What are the parts of speech.

The parts of speech are different categories of words based on their usage and role in a sentence. In the English language, there are eight traditional parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.

Can you provide examples of each part of speech?

Certainly! Here are examples for each part of speech:

• Nouns : cat, book, happiness, city
• Pronouns : he, she, they, whose
• Verbs : run, think, be, have
• Adjectives : happy, large, warm, yellow
• Adverbs : quickly, very, almost, gently
• Prepositions : in, on, of, with
• Conjunctions : and, but, or, yet
• Interjections : ouch, hooray, wow, oh

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Understanding the 8 Parts of Speech: Definitions and Examples

General Education

If you’re trying to learn the grammatical rules of English, you’ve probably been asked to learn the parts of speech. But what are parts of speech and how many are there? How do you know which words are classified in each part of speech?

The answers to these questions can be a bit complicated—English is a difficult language to learn and understand. Don’t fret, though! We’re going to answer each of these questions for you with a full guide to the parts of speech that explains the following:

• What the parts of speech are, including a comprehensive parts of speech list
• Parts of speech definitions for the individual parts of speech. (If you’re looking for information on a specific part of speech, you can search for it by pressing Command + F, then typing in the part of speech you’re interested in.) 
• Parts of speech examples
• A ten question quiz covering parts of speech definitions and parts of speech examples

We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s begin!

Feature Image: (Gavina S / Wikimedia Commons)

What Are Parts of Speech? 

The parts of speech definitions in English can vary, but here’s a widely accepted one: a part of speech is a category of words that serve a similar grammatical purpose in sentences.  

To make that definition even simpler, a part of speech is just a category for similar types of words . All of the types of words included under a single part of speech function in similar ways when they’re used properly in sentences.

In the English language, it’s commonly accepted that there are 8 parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, interjections, and prepositions. Each of these categories plays a different role in communicating meaning in the English language. Each of the eight parts of speech—which we might also call the “main classes” of speech—also have subclasses. In other words, we can think of each of the eight parts of speech as being general categories for different types within their part of speech . There are different types of nouns, different types of verbs, different types of adjectives, adverbs, pronouns...you get the idea. 

And that’s an overview of what a part of speech is! Next, we’ll explain each of the 8 parts of speech—definitions and examples included for each category. 

There are tons of nouns in this picture. Can you find them all? 

Nouns are a class of words that refer, generally, to people and living creatures, objects, events, ideas, states of being, places, and actions. You’ve probably heard English nouns referred to as “persons, places, or things.” That definition is a little simplistic, though—while nouns do include people, places, and things, “things” is kind of a vague term. I t’s important to recognize that “things” can include physical things—like objects or belongings—and nonphysical, abstract things—like ideas, states of existence, and actions. 

Since there are many different types of nouns, we’ll include several examples of nouns used in a sentence while we break down the subclasses of nouns next!

Subclasses of Nouns, Including Examples

As an open class of words, the category of “nouns” has a lot of subclasses. The most common and important subclasses of nouns are common nouns, proper nouns, concrete nouns, abstract nouns, collective nouns, and count and mass nouns. Let’s break down each of these subclasses!

Common Nouns and Proper Nouns

Common nouns are generic nouns—they don’t name specific items. They refer to people (the man, the woman), living creatures (cat, bird), objects (pen, computer, car), events (party, work), ideas (culture, freedom), states of being (beauty, integrity), and places (home, neighborhood, country) in a general way. 

Proper nouns are sort of the counterpart to common nouns. Proper nouns refer to specific people, places, events, or ideas. Names are the most obvious example of proper nouns, like in these two examples: 

Common noun: What state are you from?

Proper noun: I’m from Arizona .

Whereas “state” is a common noun, Arizona is a proper noun since it refers to a specific state. Whereas “the election” is a common noun, “Election Day” is a proper noun. Another way to pick out proper nouns: the first letter is often capitalized. If you’d capitalize the word in a sentence, it’s almost always a proper noun. 

Concrete Nouns and Abstract Nouns

Concrete nouns are nouns that can be identified through the five senses. Concrete nouns include people, living creatures, objects, and places, since these things can be sensed in the physical world. In contrast to concrete nouns, abstract nouns are nouns that identify ideas, qualities, concepts, experiences, or states of being. Abstract nouns cannot be detected by the five senses. Here’s an example of concrete and abstract nouns used in a sentence: 

Concrete noun: Could you please fix the weedeater and mow the lawn ?

Abstract noun: Aliyah was delighted to have the freedom to enjoy the art show in peace .

See the difference? A weedeater and the lawn are physical objects or things, and freedom and peace are not physical objects, though they’re “things” people experience! Despite those differences, they all count as nouns. 

Collective Nouns, Count Nouns, and Mass Nouns

Nouns are often categorized based on number and amount. Collective nouns are nouns that refer to a group of something—often groups of people or a type of animal. Team , crowd , and herd are all examples of collective nouns. 

Count nouns are nouns that can appear in the singular or plural form, can be modified by numbers, and can be described by quantifying determiners (e.g. many, most, more, several). For example, “bug” is a count noun. It can occur in singular form if you say, “There is a bug in the kitchen,” but it can also occur in the plural form if you say, “There are many bugs in the kitchen.” (In the case of the latter, you’d call an exterminator...which is an example of a common noun!) Any noun that can accurately occur in one of these singular or plural forms is a count noun. 

Mass nouns are another type of noun that involve numbers and amount. Mass nouns are nouns that usually can’t be pluralized, counted, or quantified and still make sense grammatically. “Charisma” is an example of a mass noun (and an abstract noun!). For example, you could say, “They’ve got charisma, ” which doesn’t imply a specific amount. You couldn’t say, “They’ve got six charismas, ” or, “They’ve got several charismas .” It just doesn’t make sense! 

Verbs are all about action...just like these runners. 

A verb is a part of speech that, when used in a sentence, communicates an action, an occurrence, or a state of being . In sentences, verbs are the most important part of the predicate, which explains or describes what the subject of the sentence is doing or how they are being. And, guess what? All sentences contain verbs!

There are many words in the English language that are classified as verbs. A few common verbs include the words run, sing, cook, talk, and clean. These words are all verbs because they communicate an action performed by a living being. We’ll look at more specific examples of verbs as we discuss the subclasses of verbs next!

Subclasses of Verbs, Including Examples

Like nouns, verbs have several subclasses. The subclasses of verbs include copular or linking verbs, intransitive verbs, transitive verbs, and ditransitive or double transitive verbs. Let’s dive into these subclasses of verbs!

Copular or Linking Verbs

Copular verbs, or linking verbs, are verbs that link a subject with its complement in a sentence. The most familiar linking verb is probably be. Here’s a list of other common copular verbs in English: act, be, become, feel, grow, seem, smell, and taste. 

So how do copular verbs work? Well, in a sentence, if we said, “Michi is ,” and left it at that, it wouldn’t make any sense. “Michi,” the subject, needs to be connected to a complement by the copular verb “is.” Instead, we could say, “Michi is leaving.” In that instance, is links the subject of the sentence to its complement. 

Transitive Verbs, Intransitive Verbs, and Ditransitive Verbs

Transitive verbs are verbs that affect or act upon an object. When unattached to an object in a sentence, a transitive verb does not make sense. Here’s an example of a transitive verb attached to (and appearing before) an object in a sentence: 

Please take the clothes to the dry cleaners.

In this example, “take” is a transitive verb because it requires an object—”the clothes”—to make sense. “The clothes” are the objects being taken. “Please take” wouldn’t make sense by itself, would it? That’s because the transitive verb “take,” like all transitive verbs, transfers its action onto another being or object. 

Conversely, intransitive verbs don’t require an object to act upon in order to make sense in a sentence. These verbs make sense all on their own! For instance, “They ran ,” “We arrived ,” and, “The car stopped ” are all examples of sentences that contain intransitive verbs. 

Finally, ditransitive verbs, or double transitive verbs, are a bit more complicated. Ditransitive verbs are verbs that are followed by two objects in a sentence . One of the objects has the action of the ditransitive verb done to it, and the other object has the action of the ditransitive verb directed towards it. Here’s an example of what that means in a sentence: 

I cooked Nathan a meal.

In this example, “cooked” is a ditransitive verb because it modifies two objects: Nathan and meal . The meal has the action of “cooked” done to it, and “Nathan” has the action of the verb directed towards him. 

Adjectives are descriptors that help us better understand a sentence. A common adjective type is color.

#3: Adjectives

Here’s the simplest definition of adjectives: adjectives are words that describe other words . Specifically, adjectives modify nouns and noun phrases. In sentences, adjectives appear before nouns and pronouns (they have to appear before the words they describe!). 

Adjectives give more detail to nouns and pronouns by describing how a noun looks, smells, tastes, sounds, or feels, or its state of being or existence. . For example, you could say, “The girl rode her bike.” That sentence doesn’t have any adjectives in it, but you could add an adjective before both of the nouns in the sentence—”girl” and “bike”—to give more detail to the sentence. It might read like this: “The young girl rode her red bike.”   You can pick out adjectives in a sentence by asking the following questions: 

• Which one? 
• What kind? 
• How many? 
• Whose’s? 

We’ll look at more examples of adjectives as we explore the subclasses of adjectives next!

Subclasses of Adjectives, Including Examples

Subclasses of adjectives include adjective phrases, comparative adjectives, superlative adjectives, and determiners (which include articles, possessive adjectives, and demonstratives). 

Adjective Phrases

An adjective phrase is a group of words that describe a noun or noun phrase in a sentence. Adjective phrases can appear before the noun or noun phrase in a sentence, like in this example: 

The extremely fragile vase somehow did not break during the move.

In this case, extremely fragile describes the vase. On the other hand, adjective phrases can appear after the noun or noun phrase in a sentence as well: 

The museum was somewhat boring. 

Again, the phrase somewhat boring describes the museum. The takeaway is this: adjective phrases describe the subject of a sentence with greater detail than an individual adjective. 

Comparative Adjectives and Superlative Adjectives

Comparative adjectives are used in sentences where two nouns are compared. They function to compare the differences between the two nouns that they modify. In sentences, comparative adjectives often appear in this pattern and typically end with -er. If we were to describe how comparative adjectives function as a formula, it might look something like this: 

Noun (subject) + verb + comparative adjective + than + noun (object).

Here’s an example of how a comparative adjective would work in that type of sentence: 

The horse was faster than the dog.

The adjective faster compares the speed of the horse to the speed of the dog. Other common comparative adjectives include words that compare distance ( higher, lower, farther ), age ( younger, older ), size and dimensions ( bigger, smaller, wider, taller, shorter ), and quality or feeling ( better, cleaner, happier, angrier ). 

Superlative adjectives are adjectives that describe the extremes of a quality that applies to a subject being compared to a group of objects . Put more simply, superlative adjectives help show how extreme something is. In sentences, superlative adjectives usually appear in this structure and end in -est : 

Noun (subject) + verb + the + superlative adjective + noun (object).

Here’s an example of a superlative adjective that appears in that type of sentence: 

Their story was the funniest story. 

In this example, the subject— story —is being compared to a group of objects—other stories. The superlative adjective “funniest” implies that this particular story is the funniest out of all the stories ever, period. Other common superlative adjectives are best, worst, craziest, and happiest... though there are many more than that! 

It’s also important to know that you can often omit the object from the end of the sentence when using superlative adjectives, like this: “Their story was the funniest.” We still know that “their story” is being compared to other stories without the object at the end of the sentence.

Determiners

The last subclass of adjectives we want to look at are determiners. Determiners are words that determine what kind of reference a noun or noun phrase makes. These words are placed in front of nouns to make it clear what the noun is referring to. Determiners are an example of a part of speech subclass that contains a lot of subclasses of its own. Here is a list of the different types of determiners: 

• Definite article: the
• Indefinite articles : a, an 
• Demonstratives: this, that, these, those
• Pronouns and possessive determiners: my, your, his, her, its, our, their
• Quantifiers : a little, a few, many, much, most, some, any, enough
• Numbers: one, twenty, fifty
• Distributives: all, both, half, either, neither, each, every
• Difference words : other, another
• Pre-determiners: such, what, rather, quite

Here are some examples of how determiners can be used in sentences: 

Definite article: Get in the car.  

Demonstrative: Could you hand me that magazine?  

Possessive determiner: Please put away your clothes. 

Distributive: He ate all of the pie. 

Though some of the words above might not seem descriptive, they actually do describe the specificity and definiteness, relationship, and quantity or amount of a noun or noun phrase. For example, the definite article “the” (a type of determiner) indicates that a noun refers to a specific thing or entity. The indefinite article “an,” on the other hand, indicates that a noun refers to a nonspecific entity. 

One quick note, since English is always more complicated than it seems: while articles are most commonly classified as adjectives, they can also function as adverbs in specific situations, too. Not only that, some people are taught that determiners are their own part of speech...which means that some people are taught there are 9 parts of speech instead of 8! 

It can be a little confusing, which is why we have a whole article explaining how articles function as a part of speech to help clear things up . 

Adverbs can be used to answer questions like "when?" and "how long?"

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives (including determiners), clauses, prepositions, and sentences. Adverbs typically answer the questions how?, in what way?, when?, where?, and to what extent? In answering these questions, adverbs function to express frequency, degree, manner, time, place, and level of certainty . Adverbs can answer these questions in the form of single words, or in the form of adverbial phrases or adverbial clauses. 

Adverbs are commonly known for being words that end in -ly, but there’s actually a bit more to adverbs than that, which we’ll dive into while we look at the subclasses of adverbs!

Subclasses Of Adverbs, Including Examples

There are many types of adverbs, but the main subclasses we’ll look at are conjunctive adverbs, and adverbs of place, time, manner, degree, and frequency. 

Conjunctive Adverbs

Conjunctive adverbs look like coordinating conjunctions (which we’ll talk about later!), but they are actually their own category: conjunctive adverbs are words that connect independent clauses into a single sentence . These adverbs appear after a semicolon and before a comma in sentences, like in these two examples: 

She was exhausted; nevertheless , she went for a five mile run. 

They didn’t call; instead , they texted.  

Though conjunctive adverbs are frequently used to create shorter sentences using a semicolon and comma, they can also appear at the beginning of sentences, like this: 

He chopped the vegetables. Meanwhile, I boiled the pasta.  

One thing to keep in mind is that conjunctive adverbs come with a comma. When you use them, be sure to include a comma afterward! 

There are a lot of conjunctive adverbs, but some common ones include also, anyway, besides, finally, further, however, indeed, instead, meanwhile, nevertheless, next, nonetheless, now, otherwise, similarly, then, therefore, and thus.  

Adverbs of Place, Time, Manner, Degree, and Frequency

There are also adverbs of place, time, manner, degree, and frequency. Each of these types of adverbs express a different kind of meaning. 

Adverbs of place express where an action is done or where an event occurs. These are used after the verb, direct object, or at the end of a sentence. A sentence like “She walked outside to watch the sunset” uses outside as an adverb of place. 

Adverbs of time explain when something happens. These adverbs are used at the beginning or at the end of sentences. In a sentence like “The game should be over soon,” soon functions as an adverb of time. 

Adverbs of manner describe the way in which something is done or how something happens. These are the adverbs that usually end in the familiar -ly.  If we were to write “She quickly finished her homework,” quickly is an adverb of manner. 

Adverbs of degree tell us the extent to which something happens or occurs. If we were to say “The play was quite interesting,” quite tells us the extent of how interesting the play was. Thus, quite is an adverb of degree.  

Finally, adverbs of frequency express how often something happens . In a sentence like “They never know what to do with themselves,” never is an adverb of frequency. 

Five subclasses of adverbs is a lot, so we’ve organized the words that fall under each category in a nifty table for you here: 

It’s important to know about these subclasses of adverbs because many of them don’t follow the old adage that adverbs end in -ly. 

Here's a helpful list of pronouns. (Attanata / Flickr )

#5: Pronouns

Pronouns are words that can be substituted for a noun or noun phrase in a sentence . Pronouns function to make sentences less clunky by allowing people to avoid repeating nouns over and over. For example, if you were telling someone a story about your friend Destiny, you wouldn’t keep repeating their name over and over again every time you referred to them. Instead, you’d use a pronoun—like they or them—to refer to Destiny throughout the story. 

Pronouns are typically short words, often only two or three letters long. The most familiar pronouns in the English language are they, she, and he. But these aren’t the only pronouns. There are many more pronouns in English that fall under different subclasses!

Subclasses of Pronouns, Including Examples

There are many subclasses of pronouns, but the most commonly used subclasses are personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, indefinite pronouns, and interrogative pronouns. 

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are probably the most familiar type of pronoun. Personal pronouns include I, me, you, she, her, him, he, we, us, they, and them. These are called personal pronouns because they refer to a person! Personal pronouns can replace specific nouns in sentences, like a person’s name, or refer to specific groups of people, like in these examples: 

Did you see Gia pole vault at the track meet? Her form was incredible!

The Cycling Club is meeting up at six. They said they would be at the park. 

In both of the examples above, a pronoun stands in for a proper noun to avoid repetitiveness. Her replaces Gia in the first example, and they replaces the Cycling Club in the second example. 

(It’s also worth noting that personal pronouns are one of the easiest ways to determine what point of view a writer is using.) 

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are used to indicate that something belongs to or is the possession of someone. The possessive pronouns fall into two categories: limiting and absolute. In a sentence, absolute possessive pronouns can be substituted for the thing that belongs to a person, and limiting pronouns cannot. 

The limiting pronouns are my, your, its, his, her, our, their, and whose, and the absolute pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs . Here are examples of a limiting possessive pronoun and absolute possessive pronoun used in a sentence: 

Limiting possessive pronoun: Juan is fixing his car. 

In the example above, the car belongs to Juan, and his is the limiting possessive pronoun that shows the car belongs to Juan. Now, here’s an example of an absolute pronoun in a sentence: 

Absolute possessive pronoun: Did you buy your tickets ? We already bought ours . 

In this example, the tickets belong to whoever we is, and in the second sentence, ours is the absolute possessive pronoun standing in for the thing that “we” possess—the tickets. 

Demonstrative Pronouns, Interrogative Pronouns, and Indefinite Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns include the words that, this, these, and those. These pronouns stand in for a noun or noun phrase that has already been mentioned in a sentence or conversation. This and these are typically used to refer to objects or entities that are nearby distance-wise, and that and those usually refer to objects or entities that are farther away. Here’s an example of a demonstrative pronoun used in a sentence: 

The books are stacked up in the garage. Can you put those away? 

The books have already been mentioned, and those is the demonstrative pronoun that stands in to refer to them in the second sentence above. The use of those indicates that the books aren’t nearby—they’re out in the garage. Here’s another example: 

Do you need shoes? Here...you can borrow these. 

In this sentence, these refers to the noun shoes. Using the word these tells readers that the shoes are nearby...maybe even on the speaker’s feet! 

Indefinite pronouns are used when it isn’t necessary to identify a specific person or thing . The indefinite pronouns are one, other, none, some, anybody, everybody, and no one. Here’s one example of an indefinite pronoun used in a sentence: 

Promise you can keep a secret? 

Of course. I won’t tell anyone. 

In this example, the person speaking in the second two sentences isn’t referring to any particular people who they won’t tell the secret to. They’re saying that, in general, they won’t tell anyone . That doesn’t specify a specific number, type, or category of people who they won’t tell the secret to, which is what makes the pronoun indefinite. 

Finally, interrogative pronouns are used in questions, and these pronouns include who, what, which, and whose. These pronouns are simply used to gather information about specific nouns—persons, places, and ideas. Let’s look at two examples of interrogative pronouns used in sentences: 

Do you remember which glass was mine? 

What time are they arriving? 

In the first glass, the speaker wants to know more about which glass belongs to whom. In the second sentence, the speaker is asking for more clarity about a specific time. 

Conjunctions hook phrases and clauses together so they fit like pieces of a puzzle.

#6: Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words that are used to connect words, phrases, clauses, and sentences in the English language. This function allows conjunctions to connect actions, ideas, and thoughts as well. Conjunctions are also used to make lists within sentences. (Conjunctions are also probably the most famous part of speech, since they were immortalized in the famous “Conjunction Junction” song from Schoolhouse Rock .) 

You’re probably familiar with and, but, and or as conjunctions, but let’s look into some subclasses of conjunctions so you can learn about the array of conjunctions that are out there!

Subclasses of Conjunctions, Including Examples

Coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, and correlative conjunctions are three subclasses of conjunctions. Each of these types of conjunctions functions in a different way in sentences!

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions are probably the most familiar type of conjunction. These conjunctions include the words for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (people often recommend using the acronym FANBOYS to remember the seven coordinating conjunctions!). 

Coordinating conjunctions are responsible for connecting two independent clauses in sentences, but can also be used to connect two words in a sentence. Here are two examples of coordinating conjunctions that connect two independent clauses in a sentence: 

He wanted to go to the movies, but he couldn’t find his car keys. 

They put on sunscreen, and they went to the beach. 

Next, here are two examples of coordinating conjunctions that connect two words: 

Would you like to cook or order in for dinner? 

The storm was loud yet refreshing. 

The two examples above show that coordinating conjunctions can connect different types of words as well. In the first example, the coordinating conjunction “or” connects two verbs; in the second example, the coordinating conjunction “yet” connects two adjectives. 

But wait! Why does the first set of sentences have commas while the second set of sentences doesn’t? When using a coordinating conjunction, put a comma before the conjunction when it’s connecting two complete sentences . Otherwise, there’s no comma necessary. 

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions are used to link an independent clause to a dependent clause in a sentence. This type of conjunction always appears at the beginning of a dependent clause, which means that subordinating conjunctions can appear at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle of a sentence following an independent clause. (If you’re unsure about what independent and dependent clauses are, be sure to check out our guide to compound sentences.) 

Here is an example of a subordinating conjunction that appears at the beginning of a sentence: 

Because we were hungry, we ordered way too much food. 

Now, here’s an example of a subordinating conjunction that appears in the middle of a sentence, following an independent clause and a comma: 

Rakim was scared after the power went out. 

See? In the example above, the subordinating conjunction after connects the independent clause Rakim was scared to the dependent clause after the power went out. Subordinating conjunctions include (but are not limited to!) the following words: after, as, because, before, even though, one, since, unless, until, whenever, and while. 

Correlative Conjunctions

Finally, correlative conjunctions are conjunctions that come in pairs, like both/and, either/or, and neither/nor. The two correlative conjunctions that come in a pair must appear in different parts of a sentence to make sense— they correlate the meaning in one part of the sentence with the meaning in another part of the sentence . Makes sense, right? 

Here are two examples of correlative conjunctions used in a sentence: 

We’re either going to the Farmer’s Market or the Natural Grocer’s for our shopping today. 

They’re going to have to get dog treats for both Piper and Fudge. 

Other pairs of correlative conjunctions include as many/as, not/but, not only/but also, rather/than, such/that, and whether/or. 

Interjections are single words that express emotions that end in an exclamation point. Cool!

#7: Interjections 

Interjections are words that often appear at the beginning of sentences or between sentences to express emotions or sentiments such as excitement, surprise, joy, disgust, anger, or even pain. Commonly used interjections include wow!, yikes!, ouch!, or ugh! One clue that an interjection is being used is when an exclamation point appears after a single word (but interjections don’t have to be followed by an exclamation point). And, since interjections usually express emotion or feeling, they’re often referred to as being exclamatory. Wow! 

Interjections don’t come together with other parts of speech to form bigger grammatical units, like phrases or clauses. There also aren’t strict rules about where interjections should appear in relation to other sentences . While it’s common for interjections to appear before sentences that describe an action or event that the interjection helps explain, interjections can appear after sentences that contain the action they’re describing as well. 

Subclasses of Interjections, Including Examples

There are two main subclasses of interjections: primary interjections and secondary interjections. Let’s take a look at these two types of interjections!

Primary Interjections  

Primary interjections are single words, like oh!, wow!, or ouch! that don’t enter into the actual structure of a sentence but add to the meaning of a sentence. Here’s an example of how a primary interjection can be used before a sentence to add to the meaning of the sentence that follows it: 

Ouch ! I just burned myself on that pan!

While someone who hears, I just burned myself on that pan might assume that the person who said that is now in pain, the interjection Ouch! makes it clear that burning oneself on the pan definitely was painful. 

Secondary Interjections

Secondary interjections are words that have other meanings but have evolved to be used like interjections in the English language and are often exclamatory. Secondary interjections can be mixed with greetings, oaths, or swear words. In many cases, the use of secondary interjections negates the original meaning of the word that is being used as an interjection. Let’s look at a couple of examples of secondary interjections here: 

Well , look what the cat dragged in!

Heck, I’d help if I could, but I’ve got to get to work. 

You probably know that the words well and heck weren’t originally used as interjections in the English language. Well originally meant that something was done in a good or satisfactory way, or that a person was in good health. Over time and through repeated usage, it’s come to be used as a way to express emotion, such as surprise, anger, relief, or resignation, like in the example above. 

This is a handy list of common prepositional phrases. (attanatta / Flickr) 

#8: Prepositions

The last part of speech we’re going to define is the preposition. Prepositions are words that are used to connect other words in a sentence—typically nouns and verbs—and show the relationship between those words. Prepositions convey concepts such as comparison, position, place, direction, movement, time, possession, and how an action is completed. 

Subclasses of Prepositions, Including Examples

The subclasses of prepositions are simple prepositions, double prepositions, participle prepositions, and prepositional phrases. 

Simple Prepositions

Simple prepositions appear before and between nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in sentences to convey relationships between people, living creatures, things, or places . Here are a couple of examples of simple prepositions used in sentences: 

I’ll order more ink before we run out. 

Your phone was beside your wallet. 

In the first example, the preposition before appears between the noun ink and the personal pronoun we to convey a relationship. In the second example, the preposition beside appears between the verb was and the possessive pronoun your.

In both examples, though, the prepositions help us understand how elements in the sentence are related to one another. In the first sentence, we know that the speaker currently has ink but needs more before it’s gone. In the second sentence, the preposition beside helps us understand how the wallet and the phone are positioned relative to one another! 

Double Prepositions

Double prepositions are exactly what they sound like: two prepositions joined together into one unit to connect phrases, nouns, and pronouns with other words in a sentence. Common examples of double prepositions include outside of, because of, according to, next to, across from, and on top of. Here is an example of a double preposition in a sentence: 

I thought you were sitting across from me. 

You see? Across and from both function as prepositions individually. When combined together in a sentence, they create a double preposition. (Also note that the prepositions help us understand how two people— you and I— are positioned with one another through spacial relationship.)  

Prepositional Phrases

Finally, prepositional phrases are groups of words that include a preposition and a noun or pronoun. Typically, the noun or pronoun that appears after the preposition in a prepositional phrase is called the object of the preposition. The object always appears at the end of the prepositional phrase. Additionally, prepositional phrases never include a verb or a subject. Here are two examples of prepositional phrases: 

The cat sat under the chair . 

In the example above, “under” is the preposition, and “the chair” is the noun, which functions as the object of the preposition. Here’s one more example: 

We walked through the overgrown field . 

Now, this example demonstrates one more thing you need to know about prepositional phrases: they can include an adjective before the object. In this example, “through” is the preposition, and “field” is the object. “Overgrown” is an adjective that modifies “the field,” and it’s quite common for adjectives to appear in prepositional phrases like the one above. 

While that might sound confusing, don’t worry: the key is identifying the preposition in the first place! Once you can find the preposition, you can start looking at the words around it to see if it forms a compound preposition, a double preposition of a prepositional phrase. 

10 Question Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples

Since we’ve covered a lot of material about the 8 parts of speech with examples ( a lot of them!), we want to give you an opportunity to review and see what you’ve learned! While it might seem easier to just use a parts of speech finder instead of learning all this stuff, our parts of speech quiz can help you continue building your knowledge of the 8 parts of speech and master each one. 

Are you ready? Here we go:  

1) What are the 8 parts of speech? 

a) Noun, article, adverb, antecedent, verb, adjective, conjunction, interjection b) Noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, determiner, clause, adjective, preposition c) Noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, conjunction, interjection, preposition

2) Which parts of speech have subclasses?

a) Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs b) Nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions c) All of them! There are many types of words within each part of speech.

3) What is the difference between common nouns and proper nouns?

a) Common nouns don’t refer to specific people, places, or entities, but proper nouns do refer to specific people, places, or entities.  b) Common nouns refer to regular, everyday people, places, or entities, but proper nouns refer to famous people, places, or entities.  c) Common nouns refer to physical entities, like people, places, and objects, but proper nouns refer to nonphysical entities, like feelings, ideas, and experiences.

4) In which of the following sentences is the emboldened word a verb?

a) He was frightened by the horror film .   b) He adjusted his expectations after the first plan fell through.  c) She walked briskly to get there on time.

5) Which of the following is a correct definition of adjectives, and what other part of speech do adjectives modify?

a) Adjectives are describing words, and they modify nouns and noun phrases.  b) Adjectives are describing words, and they modify verbs and adverbs.  c) Adjectives are describing words, and they modify nouns, verbs, and adverbs.

6) Which of the following describes the function of adverbs in sentences?

a) Adverbs express frequency, degree, manner, time, place, and level of certainty. b) Adverbs express an action performed by a subject.  c) Adverbs describe nouns and noun phrases.

7) Which of the following answers contains a list of personal pronouns?

a) This, that, these, those b) I, you, me, we, he, she, him, her, they, them c) Who, what, which, whose

8) Where do interjections typically appear in a sentence?

a) Interjections can appear at the beginning of or in between sentences. b) Interjections appear at the end of sentences.  c) Interjections appear in prepositional phrases.

9) Which of the following sentences contains a prepositional phrase?

a) The dog happily wagged his tail.  b) The cow jumped over the moon.  c) She glared, angry that he forgot the flowers.

10) Which of the following is an accurate definition of a “part of speech”?

a) A category of words that serve a similar grammatical purpose in sentences. b) A category of words that are of similar length and spelling. c) A category of words that mean the same thing.

So, how did you do? If you got 1C, 2C, 3A, 4B, 5A, 6A, 7B, 8A, 9B, and 10A, you came out on top! There’s a lot to remember where the parts of speech are concerned, and if you’re looking for more practice like our quiz, try looking around for parts of speech games or parts of speech worksheets online!

What’s Next?

You might be brushing up on your grammar so you can ace the verbal portions of the SAT or ACT. Be sure you check out our guides to the grammar you need to know before you tackle those tests! Here’s our expert guide to the grammar rules you need to know for the SAT , and this article teaches you the 14 grammar rules you’ll definitely see on the ACT.

When you have a good handle on parts of speech, it can make writing essays tons easier. Learn how knowing parts of speech can help you get a perfect 12 on the ACT Essay (or an 8/8/8 on the SAT Essay ).

While we’re on the topic of grammar: keep in mind that knowing grammar rules is only part of the battle when it comes to the verbal and written portions of the SAT and ACT. Having a good vocabulary is also important to making the perfect score ! Here are 262 vocabulary words you need to know before you tackle your standardized tests.

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Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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The Oxford 3000 and the Oxford 5000

What is the oxford 3000.

The Oxford 3000 is a list of the 3,000 core words that every learner of English needs to know.

The words have been chosen based on their frequency in the Oxford English Corpus and relevance to learners of English. Every word is aligned to the CEFR , guiding learners on the words they should know at A1-B2 level.

What is the Oxford 5000?

The Oxford 5000 is an expanded core word list for advanced learners of English.

As well as the Oxford 3000 core word list, it includes an additional 2,000 words that are aligned to the CEFR , guiding advanced learners at B2-C1 level on the most useful high-level words to learn to expand their vocabulary.

Expand these sections to read more:

The words in the Oxford 3000 and 5000 have been selected based on two criteria:

• the frequency of the words in the Oxford English Corpus , a database of over 2 billion words from different subject areas and contexts which covers British, American and world English.
• the relevance of the words to English language learners, measured by their frequency in a specially created corpus of Secondary and Adult English courses published by Oxford University Press. This means that the lists cover the words that learners will come across in class and in their study texts.

The Oxford 3000 was developed in consultation with James Milton, Professor of Applied Linguistics, Swansea University, UK, and reviewed by Paul Nation, Emeritus Professor in Applied Linguistics, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

‘When I started using the Oxford 3000 with my students… I wasn’t sure how students would respond to these activities. I found that they seem to like the routine and recognise the value of working with the Oxford 3000 word list.’

Bjorn Candel, EFL teacher

On this website, the words are listed alphabetically. You can browse the words, search for a word, filter the list, and download them. The CEFR level is shown beside each word, and you can hear the word pronounced in either British or American English.

Every definition in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary is written using words from the Oxford 3000, making it easier for users of these lists to look up and understand the definitions.

• Filter the words by CEFR level to see which words you should know at your level and which words to learn.
• Check if the new words that you’ve come across in a text or a language activity are on the list, then look up the meaning in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary .
• The keywords make an excellent starting point for expanding your vocabulary. With most keywords, there is far more to learn about them than the first meaning in the entry. Often these words have many meanings, have a large family of words derived from them, or are used in a variety of patterns. You will also find a wide variety of usage notes at the keyword entries.

The Oxford 3000 and 5000 are the perfect tools to get your students to focus on their vocabulary.

• Filter the words by CEFR level to decide which words are most important for your students to target next, and which words to focus on in your teaching.
• Encourage your students to use the dictionary, not just to look up words they don’t know, but to expand their knowledge of words they partly know.

And we have created the following resources especially for teachers:

• Discover how the words most relevant to your learners’ needs were identified and how to use them in a range of contexts. Read the Oxford 3000 and Oxford 5000 position paper , written by our expert panel.
• What is a core vocabulary? Read our blog post by ELT writer and lexicographer Julie Moore.
• Watch Julie’s webinar about the Oxford 3000 and 5000 lists and how they can be used in the classroom (login/registration to Oxford Teachers’ Club required).
• Download a free lesson plan to use in class with your students!

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