I once read a book where the author constantly used the word, exacerbate. Eventually, I looked it up and discovered it had nothing to do with sex. So I had to reread the book.
Reading and listening to smart people requires owning a strong vocabulary. And let’s be honest, very few of us have one. So rather than being doomed into never understanding, let’s get down to the business of bettering our word power. Create a list of fancy words you commonly come across and make a personal dictionary—using definitions and examples that make sense to you. Here’s a sample of mine.
Adversary – Opponent in a contest, conflict or dispute. The verb is adversarial. The professions of politics and law are both adversarial in nature.
Allegory – Story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. Synonyms are parable, analogy, and metaphor. Many stories in the Bible can be viewed as allegorical (not to be taken literally).
Altruism – The practice or belief in selfless concern for the well-being of others.
Auspices – Protection, patronage, under the control of (e.g., Iraq was ruled by a monarchy under the auspices of the British Empire from 1921 to 1958).
Auspicious – Conducive to, or promising, success. Terry believed an auspicious future lay ahead for himself. Synonyms are advantageous, favourable, and opportune.
Capricious – Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior (fickle).
Circumspect – Being wary and unwilling to take risks.
Conundrum – A confusing and difficult problem or question.
Corollary – A proposition that follows with little or no proof required from one already proved (like a second point based on the same justification as the first).
Disenfranchised – Deprive someone of a right or privilege, like the right to vote.
Disingenuous – Not being candid or sincere, typically by pretending to know less about something than you really do (insincere, deceitful).
Dogma – Principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true. As in Christian dogma.
Egregious – Outstandingly bad; shocking.
Esoteric – Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest. Synonym is arcane.
Exacerbate – Make a bad situation worse. Nothing to do with sex.
Foster – Verb meaning to encourage or promote the development of. Usually associated with something regarded as good. It also means to bring up a child that is not one’s own by birth like, a foster parent.
Fulcrum – Noun meaning the support, or point of rest, on which a lever turns in moving a body.
Hubris – Excessive pride or self-confidence (arrogance).
Incorrigible – A person or their tendencies not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed. “Oh, Winston, you’re incorrigible.”
Juxtaposition – The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect. The state of being close together or side by side.
Marginalize – Treat a person, group, or concept as if it were insignificant or peripheral.
Metaphysics – One of the four traditional branches of philosophy. It’s concerned with the fundamental nature of being beyond the physical. Metaphysical issues most discussed are the existence of God, the soul, and the afterlife.
Nefarious – An action or activity that is wicked or cruel.
Nihilism – The rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless. Synonyms: skepticism, cynicism, pessimism, negativity.
Ominous – Giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen (e.g., ominous dark clouds gathering overhead).
Precarious – Adjective meaning not securely held in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse. Dependent on chance; uncertain – she made a precarious living by writing. Uncertain, unpredictable, unsafe.
Prudence – Being cautious (e.g., exercising prudence in an important matter).
Providence – The protective care of God or nature as in divine intervention (e.g., Michael placed his trust in providence).
Pugnacious – Eager or quick to argue. Those people who like to fight.
Sectarian – Denoting or concerning a sect or sects. Separatist, partisan.
Secular – Adjective meaning non-religious. Non-secular then means religious (or spiritual).
Serendipity – The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. Good fortune (perhaps through providence).
Tenuous – Adjective meaning very weak or slight.
Ubiquitous – Found everywhere (e.g., his ubiquitous influence was felt by all the family).
Umbrage – Take offence to, be insulted or put out by (e.g., fortunately she doesn’t take umbrage at such remarks).
Vanguard – A group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas.
Time to start yours?