TheFreeDictionary.com - Word Of The Day

poppycock

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (noun) Senseless talk.
Synonyms: hooey, stuff and nonsense.
Usage: There's been talk of an outbreak, and two or three suspicious signs I'm willing to admit, but personally I think it's all poppycock.
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countermand

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (verb) To cancel or reverse (a previously issued command or order).
Synonyms: repeal, rescind, annul, revoke, vacate, reverse, overturn, lift.
Usage: Countermand the order for cake, send a wire putting off the wedding, dismiss the bridesmaids, [and] tell the organist he can stop practicing.
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belittle

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (verb) To represent or speak of as contemptibly small or unimportant; disparage.
Synonyms: denigrate, derogate, minimize.
Usage: Why should I bother trying to get good grades when all you do is belittle my achievements?
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conceited

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (adjective) Holding or characterized by an unduly high opinion of oneself.
Synonyms: swollen-headed, egotistical, vain.
Usage: She was a conceited, boastful old thing, and even misfortune could not humble her.
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panjandrum

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (noun) An important or self-important person.
Synonyms: dignitary, high muckamuck, high-up, VIP.
Usage: A word from my boss, a panjandrum of the filmmaking industry, can make or break a person's Hollywood career.
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intrepid

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (adjective) Invulnerable to fear or intimidation.
Synonyms: audacious, dauntless, fearless, brave, hardy.
Usage: The intrepid climber, undeterred by the knowledge that none had yet survived an attempt to summit this peak, eagerly set out from base camp.
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antediluvian

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (adjective) So extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period.
Synonyms: antiquated, archaic.
Usage: My grandfather's antediluvian ideas about relationships and marriage are frequently at odds with my views.
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indignation

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (noun) Strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base; righteous anger.
Synonyms: outrage.
Usage: I could hardly contain my indignation at his disparaging comments.
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profligacy

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (noun) The trait of spending extravagantly.
Synonyms: prodigality, extravagance.
Usage: They fell on hard times but did not curb their spending, and this profligacy soon brought them to the brink of bankruptcy.
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seditious

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (adjective) In opposition to a civil authority or government.
Synonyms: insurgent, subversive.
Usage: In an attempt to discourage rebellion, the dictator announced that anyone found in possession of seditious literature would be executed.
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truculent

Sat, 17 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (adjective) Defiantly aggressive.
Synonyms: belligerent, combative, pugnacious, bellicose, obstreperous.
Usage: Bitter and truculent when excited, I spoke as I felt, without reserve or softening.
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contentious

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (adjective) Inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in lawsuits.
Synonyms: combative, disputatious, litigious.
Usage: The captain felt like he was constantly mediating disputes between his contentious crew members.
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staid

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (adjective) Characterized by sedate dignity and often a strait-laced sense of propriety.
Synonyms: serious, sober, quiet, calm, grave, steady, composed, solemn.
Usage: I instinctively stood up a little straighter when the staid duke entered the parlor.
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modicum

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (noun) A small, moderate, or token amount.
Synonyms: little, bit, drop, touch, inch, scrap, dash, grain, particle, fragment, atom, pinch, ounce, shred, crumb, tinge, mite, tad, speck, iota.
Usage: Her modicum of strength had been exhausted, and she was unable even to move from her position.
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malarkey

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (noun) Speech or writing designed to obscure, mislead, or impress; bunk.
Synonyms: idle words, jazz, nothingness, wind.
Usage: Snookered by a lot of malarkey about drilling costs, a Texas jury ... added $3 billion of punitive damages.
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plethora

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (noun) Extreme excess.
Synonyms: overplus, superfluity, embarrassment.
Usage: The mind of man can scarce conceive the plethora of carnivorous life in this lost world; and their prey, of course, is even more abundant.
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capricious

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (adjective) Characterized by or liable to sudden unpredictable changes in attitude or behavior.
Synonyms: whimsical, impulsive.
Usage: My wife's capricious mood swings are beginning to worry me, and I fear she may need professional help.
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amicable

Sat, 10 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (adjective) Characterized by or exhibiting friendliness or goodwill.
Synonyms: friendly, civil, peaceful, polite, harmonious, amiable, courteous, cordial, sociable, fraternal.
Usage: Our dispute was finally settled in an amicable manner, and we parted as friends.
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rankle

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (verb) Gnaw into; make resentful or angry.
Synonyms: eat into, grate, fret.
Usage: If you were aiming to rankle me with your sexist comments, you succeeded!
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libertine

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Definition: (adjective) Unrestrained by convention or morality.
Synonyms: debauched, degenerate, degraded, dissipated, dissolute, profligate, riotous, fast.
Usage: Such an expression is often mistaken for manly frankness, when in truth it arises from the reckless indifference of a libertine disposition ... totally unconnected with personal merit.
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