Word of the Day
Definition: (adjective) Unproductive of success. Synonyms: fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vain. Usage: He would like to have done with life and its vanity altogether—so bootless and unsatisfactory the struggle, so cheerless and dreary the prospect seemed to him. Discuss
Definition: (adjective) Characterized by ludicrous, repulsive, or incongruous distortion, as of appearance or manner. Synonyms: monstrous. Usage: The addition of the grotesque, intentionally distorted sculpture entirely changed the character of the surrounding gardens. Discuss
Definition: (adjective) Discontented as toward authority. Synonyms: disaffected, ill-affected, rebellious. Usage: The film follows three malcontent teenagers as they gather a following of like-minded peers and wreak havoc with their attempts to buck the system. Discuss
Definition: (adjective) So lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness. Synonyms: boring, ho-hum, irksome, tedious, tiresome, wearisome, dull, slow. Usage: He envied Joe, down in the village,… fantastically and gloriously drunk and forgetful of Monday morning and the week of deadening toil to come. Discuss
Definition: (adjective) Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments. Synonyms: menacing, ominous, sinister, baleful, forbidding. Usage: Number 3, Lauriston Gardens wore an ill-omened and minatory look. Discuss
Definition: (noun) An exclusive circle of people with a common purpose. Synonyms: clique, ingroup, camp, pack. Usage: This little coterie of friends was composed of seven famous men, who possessed many talents in common, being poets and musicians, alchemists, philosophers, and mostly hard drinkers as well. Discuss
Definition: (noun) A negotiator who acts as a link between parties. Synonyms: intercessor, intermediary, mediator. Usage: A skilled go-between can prove invaluable to businesses when negotiations become hostile or contentious. Discuss
Definition: (verb) Strike, usually with the fist. Synonyms: biff. Usage: Arthur now uses the school's back entrance because bullies are often loitering in the front, waiting to pommel him in the face. Discuss
Definition: (noun) The visual property of something that shines with reflected light. Synonyms: sheen, shininess. Usage: Distant masses of plants and flowers, mingled in ever-varying forms of beauty, are touched by the melancholy luster of the rising moon. Discuss
Definition: (noun) Someone who unlawfully seizes and detains a victim (usually for ransom). Synonyms: kidnapper, snatcher. Usage: Until dark the Englishman searched the nearby jungle for a trace of the missing one or a sign of the trail of her abductor. Discuss