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Each lesson explains one practical word in a clear and memorable way, including pronunciation, meaning, natural example sentences, formality level, word origin or related words, synonyms, antonyms, and a simple memory trick.
Sample full lesson from this feed:
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Crapulence (pronounced KRAP-yuh-luhns)
Noun. Sickness or indisposition resulting from excessive eating or drinking; also, intemperance or debauchery.
Examples:
After the holiday feast, he suffered from terrible crapulence that kept him in bed all day.
The novel vividly described the crapulence of the Roman elite during their orgies.
Her crapulence after the wedding party was a lesson in moderation she would not soon forget.
Sample quote:
There is a certain crapulence that follows not just a surfeit of wine, but a satiety of pleasure.
Origin:
From Latin crapula, meaning “drunkenness” or “hangover,” from Greek kraipalē, meaning “a drunken headache” or the aftereffects of drinking. The suffix -ence forms a noun denoting a state or condition.
Formality:
Formal, rare, and somewhat literary; it is unlikely in everyday conversation but may appear in historical writing, satire, or richly descriptive prose.
How to remember it:
Think of “crap” as how you feel after overindulging, plus the ending of “opulence”: crapulence is the miserable result of too much rich food or drink.
Synonyms:
Intemperance, gluttony, drunkenness, overindulgence, debauchery
Antonyms:
Sobriety, moderation, temperance, abstinence, restraint
Do you remember yesterday's word "himation"? It means a rectangular cloak or mantle worn as an outer garment in ancient Greece. The philosopher pulled his himation around his shoulders before stepping into the agora.
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