Words - Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

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Words and more words from Merriam-Webster 11th edition.

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Assay is a technical word meaning "to test something (such as a metal or drug) to find out what it contains or to assess its value."

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An oxymoron is a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings, such as “cruel kindness” or “open secret.” In broader usage, oxymoron can also refer to something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements.

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In general contexts, caustic describes bluntly and harshly critical remarks, statements, or ways of being and communicating, as in "a caustic remark" or "caustic humor." In contexts involving chemistry, caustic is a synonym of corrosive, and is used to describe things capable of destroying or eating away matter by chemical action.

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A pundit is someone who is usually considered an expert on a particular subject and who shares their opinion on that subject in a public setting (such as a television or radio program).

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Embargo refers to a government order that limits trade in some way. In broader usage, embargo can function as a synonym of prohibition.

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Copacetic (less commonly spelled copasetic or copesetic) describes things that are very satisfactory.

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To upbraid someone is to speak to them in an angry or critical way in response to something they have done wrong—in other words, to scold them.

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Gauntlet was first used in English to refer to the reinforced glove worn with a suit of armor in the Middle Ages. Gauntlet later came to refer to any long, heavy glove worn to protect the hand, as well as to an open challenge to an argument, fight, competition, etc., usually in the common phrase “throw down the gauntlet.”

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To describe something as ambiguous is to say that it can be understood in more than one way or that it has more than one possible meaning.

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Pareidolia refers to the tendency to perceive a specific and often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern

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Disingenuous is a formal word that describes things, such as speech or behavior, that give a false appearance of being honest or sincere. Similarly, a person who is being disingenuous may seem sincere, but is in fact only pretending to be open and candid.

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Redound is a formal word that when paired with to means “to have a particular result.” It is often used in one of two idioms: “It redounds to someone's credit/honor” is used to say that a person deserves credit/respect for having done something. “Redound to the advantage of” means “to benefit (someone or something).” Redound is also sometimes used as a synonym of accrue and reflect.

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Bellwether refers to someone or something that leads others or shows what will happen in the future—in other words, a leader or a trendsetter.

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Orotund is a formal word used as a synonym of sonorous to describe something—usually a voice—marked by fullness, strength, and clarity of sound. It can also be used disapprovingly to mean "pompous" or "bombastic."

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Injunction refers to an order from a court of law that says something must be done or must not be done.

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Fallible means “capable of making mistakes or being wrong.”

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To abstain from something is to choose to not do or have that thing. Abstain can also mean specifically "to choose not to vote."

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A harbinger is something that foreshadows, or gives an early indication of, something that will happen in the future.

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When describing something observed, such as clothing or an attitude, demure means "not attracting or demanding a lot of attention," making it a synonym of reserved and modest. When used to describe a person—it's usually applied to a girl or woman—it typically means "quiet and polite," but it can also describe someone who puts on a show of false modesty, making it a synonym of coy.

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Mellifluous is an adjective used in formal speech and writing to describe things with a smooth, flowing sound. It can also be used to mean “filled with something (such as honey) that sweetens,” as in “mellifluous confections.”

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A shofar is the horn of an animal (usually a ram) blown as a trumpet by the ancient Hebrews in battle and during religious observances. It is used in modern Judaism especially during Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur.

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Zenith refers to the strongest or most successful period of time for a person or thing.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

Feb 18, 2024 0:08:47 GMT -5 dilvish said:

An oxymoron is a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings, such as “cruel kindness” or “open secret.” In broader usage, oxymoron can also refer to something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements.

JUMBO SHRIMP!

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To pontificate is to speak or express an opinion about something in a pompous or dogmatic way.

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Churlish is a formal word that means “irritable and rude.”

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Regimen refers to a plan or set of rules about food, exercise, etc., designed to make someone become or stay healthy.

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Mesmerize means "to hold the attention of someone entirely; to interest or amaze someone so much that nothing else is seen or noticed." The word is often used in the phrase "be mesmerized."

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Tenebrous is a formal word that is often used as a synonym of gloomy. It also can be used to describe dark, unlit places (as in “the tenebrous abyss”) or things that are difficult to understand (as in “a tenebrous tangle of lies”).

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To lionize someone is to treat them as a person of great interest or importance.