Word of the Day

Definition: (adjective) Bestowed liberally. Synonyms: lavish, munificent, overgenerous, too-generous, unsparing. Usage: Her suitor's unstinting devotion was flattering yet slightly unsettling. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Troublesome or oppressive. Synonyms: burdensome, taxing. Usage: Preparing income tax returns is an onerous task, and many people resort to hiring professional accountants during tax season. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Relating to or involving blood or bloodshed. Synonyms: butcherly, gory, slaughterous. Usage: He was an angry youth with a sanguineous temperament and was always getting into fights. Discuss

Definition: (verb) Form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case. Synonyms: conceive of, envisage, imagine. Usage: Such characters represent a grotesquely blown-up aspect of an ideal man … if not realizable, capable of being ideated. Discuss

Definition: (verb) Oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions. Synonyms: counteract, counterbalance, neutralize. Usage: I hope that my letter of apology will countervail the foolish actions of my colleagues. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Arousing fear or awe. Synonyms: formidable, unnerving. Usage: On his comely head he set his helmet, well-wrought, with a crest of horse-hair that nodded menacingly above it, and he grasped a redoubtable spear that suited his hands. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds. Synonyms: assorted, miscellaneous, mixed, motley. Usage: Walking-sticks, canes, baseball bats, and sundry other items stood in the umbrella stand next to the front door, but I could not find a single umbrella! Discuss

Definition: (adjective) So shocked or astonished as to be rendered speechless. Synonyms: dumbfounded, flabbergasted, stupefied, thunderstruck. Usage: He stood dumbstruck in the doorway as the partygoers yelled "Surprise!" in unison. Discuss

Definition: (noun) The state of being stimulated, refreshed, or elated. Synonyms: excitement. Usage: Few Yosemite visitors ever see snow avalanches and fewer still know the exhilaration of riding on them. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Free from emotional agitation or nervous tension. Synonyms: unflurried, unflustered, unruffled. Usage: Though chaos and panic swirled all about him, the fireman remained unperturbed and calmly brought order to the scene. Discuss