GUILELESS (guile·less \gahyl-lis\) adjective.
DEFINITION: innocent, naïve
EXAMPLE: The students’ guileless idealism fostered sympathy in some, and derision in others.
Wheedle
WHEEDLE (whee·dle \ˈwē-dəl\), verb.
DEFINITION: to influence through flattery.
EXAMPLE: When confrontation failed to change her mind, he resorted to wheedling her with compliments and flattery.
Levity
LEVITY (lev·i·ty \lev-i-tee\) noun.
DEFINITION: lightheartedness.
EXAMPLE: The stern headmaster disapproved of any displays of levity during school assemblies.
Paucity
PAUCITY (pau·ci·ty\paw-si-tee\) adjective.
DEFINITION: a small amount.
EXAMPLE: Appalled at the paucity of understanding from the government, the students took to the streets to make their voices heard.
Lido
LIDO (li·do \ˈlē-dō\), noun.
DEFINITION: a fashionable beach resort.
EXAMPLE: When he found the hustle and bustle of London unbearable, the young heir would escape to the lidos of Monaco.
Verily
VERILY (ver·i·ly \ˈver-ə-lē\), adverb.
DEFINITION: truthfully, certainly.
EXAMPLE: “I verily believe that karma catches up with us one way or another,” he said, “so it’s worth your while to do good things in life.”
Iconoclast
ICONOCLAST (icon·o·clast \ahy-‘kon-uh-klast\) noun.
DEFINITION: a person who criticizes traditional beliefs and institutions.
EXAMPLE: The music critic was a notorious iconoclast who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind about Elvis and The Beatles.
Immutable
IMMUTABLE (im·mu·ta·ble \ih-‘myoo-tuh-buhl\) adjective.
DEFINITION: unable to be changed
EXAMPLE: Physics is an exacting science, bound by immutable laws that are true throughout our universe.
Ebullient
EBULLIENT (ebul·lient \ih-‘buhl-yuhnt\) adjective.
DEFINITION: overflowing with enthusiasm or excitement.
EXAMPLE: Overcome with pride and excitement, the award winner gave an ebullient acceptance speech and hugged everyone in sight.
Conciliatory
CONCILIATORY (con·cil·ia·to·ry\kuhn-sil-ee-uh-tawr-ee\) adjective.
DEFINITION: overcoming hostility; gaining trust or favor.
EXAMPLE: At times, his conciliatory tone was interpreted as weakness by his political opponents.
Loquacious
LOQUACIOUS (lo·qua·cious \loh-kwey-shuhs\) adjective.
DEFINITION: talkative.
EXAMPLE: Overly loquacious on the topic of marine biology, Laura could go on for hours about the differences between squids and octopuses.
Penury
PENURY (pen·u·ry \pen-yuh-ree\) noun.
DEFINITION: the state of extreme poverty
EXAMPLE: Doctors possess a wealth of biological knowledge, but many live in penury when it comes to understanding matters of the heart.
Ossify
OSSIFY (os·si·fy \ˈä-sə-ˌfī\) verb.
DEFINITION: to turn into bone, solidify
EXAMPLE: As an editor gains experience, the principles of good writing ossify into second nature.
Irascible
IRASCIBLE (iras·ci·ble \ih-ras-uh-buhl\) adjective.
DEFINITION: easily angered
EXAMPLE: A lifetime of perceived injustices left the old man bitter and irascible – causing those around him to tread on eggshells for fear of setting him off.
Inchoate
INCHOATE (in·cho·ate \in-koh-it\) adjective.
DEFINITION: not fully developed; lacking order.
EXAMPLE: Good editors can bring order to a writer’s inchoate ideas without sacrificing their unique voice.
Neophyte
NEOPHYTE (neo·phyte \nee-uh-fahyt\) noun.
DEFINITION: a novice, one who has just begun doing something.
EXAMPLE: A common error among neophyte bullfighters was failing to realize that the bull hunts you, not the other way around.
Grandiloquent
GRANDILOQUENT (gran·dil·o·quent \gran-ˈdi-lə-kwənt\) adjective.
DEFINITION: a lofty or pompous style, especially in language.
EXAMPLE: There is a fine line between elegant prose and insufferable grandiloquence.
Abstemious
ABSTEMIOUS (ab·ste·mi·ous \ ab-ˈstē-mē-əs\) adjective.
DEFINITION: marked by restraint, especially in consumption of food or alcohol.
EXAMPLE: Much to the embarrassment of his dining companions, abstemious Gerard kept to free bread and water when he ate out with friends.
Gainsay
GAINSAY (gain·say \gān-ˈsā\) verb.
DEFINITION: to deny, dispute, or contradict.
EXAMPLE: He would constantly try to gainsay me, even though every point I made was backed up by facts.
Chicanery
CHICANERY (chi·ca·nery \shi -ˈkān-rē\) noun.
DEFINITION: the use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one's purpose.
EXAMPLE: Politics has always been filled with lies and chicanery.