Words of the Day

1. Words of the Day 2013-2014

2. WOTD #1 • Paradigm (n)- A model, pattern, or accepted view of how things work in the world • EX- A paradigm shift occurred as people realized that the universe did not revolve around the earth, instead it revolves around the sun.

3. WOTD #2 • Acclimate (v)- to get accustomed to a new environment or situation • Ex.- Mark never thought he would acclimate to life in a hot, humid climate.

4. WOTD #3 • Exuberant (adj)- full of high spirits • Mr. Mitchell was exuberant when he learned he had won a trip to Europe.

5. WOTD #4 • Aspire (v)- to have a great desire • Ex.- Dan aspires to be an actor.

6. WOTD #5 • Pragmatic (adj)- practical • Most doctors are pragmatic in their approaches to treating the common cold.

7. WOTD #6 • Pious (adj)- having or showing religious devotion • Ex.- Most churches claim to be pious although some are often unwelcoming.

8. WOTD #7 • Impending (adj)- About to take place; menacing • Ex.- The dark clouds and distant thunder of the impending storm frightened the young child.

9. WOTD #8 • Ingenious (adj)- clever; displaying imagination • Ex.- The ingenious invention of smart phones allows people to multi-task and be more efficient than ever.

10. WOTD #9 • Myriad (n or adj)- a group; variety; vast amount • Ex.- A myriad (noun form) of people came to see the concert in the park. • Ex.- The myriad lights of the Christmas season are beautiful.

11. WOTD #10 • Primal (adj)- most important, original, ancient • The primal instincts of all creatures is to stay alive.

12. WOTD #11 • Fallow (adj)- unseeded, idle, or burned-out • Working many days without a break left Ms. Cook feeling very fallow.

13. WOTD #12 • Meager (adj)- deficient in quantity; scanty; thin • Ex.- Due to slowed economic growth, meager raises are projected for employees.

14. WOTD #13 • Precipitate (v)- to cause to happen • Ex.- Ian did not want to precipitate an argument, so he kept his opinions to himself.

15. WOTD #14 • Thrive (v)- to prosper, to grow vigorously • Ex.- That house plant will thrive in a sunny window.

16. WOTD #15 • Fervent (adj)- having great emotion • Ex.- The defense attorney made a fervent plea to the jury on behalf of her client.

17. WOTD #16 • Unsung (adj)- not honored, celebrated, or praised • Ex.- The nurses at the military hospital were unsung heroines.

18. WOTD #17 • Brandish (v)- to wave menacingly • Ex.- I wanted to play the role of a pirate in the play so I could brandish a sword.

19. WOTD #18 • Demoralize (v)- to weaken the spirit of • Ex.- The coach feared that their loss of the season’s game would demoralize the team.

20. WOTD #19 • Dignify (adv)- to add to the prestige of • Ex.- The architect thought that the columns would dignify the building.

21. WOTD #20 • Menace (n)- threat; annoying person • Ex.- People who drink alcoholic beverages and then drive are menaces to other motorists.

22. WOTD #21 • Feign (v)- to pretend, disguise, or fake • Malawi president Joyce Banda has put her nation first by selling her jet which feigns power and wealth.

23. WOTD #22 • Misconception (n)- incorrect understanding • Ex.- The idea that hogs are dirty animals is a misconception.

24. WOTD #23 • Staid (adj)- serious or reserved in behavior • Ex.- It was unusual for him to be so staid; normally, he is a chatter box.

25. WOTD #24 • Chide (v)- to find fault with or to blame • Ex.- The teacher chided the class for not completing their homework.

26. WOTD #25 • Abhor (v)- to regard with disgust • Ex.- After working in the fast-food restaurant, she began to abhor burgers.

27. WOTD #26 • Allusion (n)- a statement or reference to something without mentioning it directly. • Ex.- “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” makes an allusion to Sodom and Gomorrah, cities destroyed in the Bible.

28. WOTD #27 • Profound (adj)- absolute; far-reaching • Ex.- Meeting the famous author had a profound effect on the struggling, young writer.

29. WOTD # 28 • Circumscribe (v)- to limit; to restrict • Ex.- Having a broken leg is bound to circumscribe a person.

30. WOTD #29 • Depreciate (v)- to decrease in value • Ex.- The value of the dollar began to depreciate in overseas markets.

31. WOTD #30 • Enable (v)- to make possible • Ex.- Samantha’s inheritance will enable her to live a life of luxury.

32. WOTD #31 • Morality (n)- a set of ideas about right and wrong • Ex.- The prosecutor plans to appeal to the jury’s sense of morality, but he might have a hard time convincing them that the defendant’s actions were clearly wrong.

33. WOTD #32 • Fanatic (n)- a person possessed by an excessive and irrational zeal, especially for a religious or political cause • Ex.- Many people around the world viewed the Puritans as fanatics.

34. WOTD #33 • Insoluble (adj)- having no solution; unsolvable • Ex.- The math problem appeared to be insoluble to the student.

35. WOTD #34 • Suffrage (n)- the right to vote • The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution gave suffrage to women.

36. WOTD #35 • Propriety (n)- the quality or state of being proper in manners or behavior • Ex.- The girl behaved with the upmost propriety to win student of the nine weeks.