Whenever I read, I keep a pencil handy and I underline words that I don't know and dog ear the page so that I can go back and look them up in the dictionary. I have always been interested in etymology and even took Latin for three years. I hope that these words can help all of us in our writings. Be sure to check out your dictionary for additional usages of the words and spellings associated with changing the word from adjective to adverb to noun ... etc.
ASSIDUOUS
adjective
Pronounced: ah-SID-due-uss
Meaning: Constant, unremitting; Working diligently at a task; persevering, industrious.
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BALEFUL
adjective
Pronounced: BAIL-full
Meaning: Menacing or malign; threatening evil.
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CONTUMACIOUS
adjective
Pronounced: kon-too-MAY-shus
Meaning: Stubbornly perverse or rebellious; willfully disobedient.
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DROSS
noun
Pronounced: DRAWSS
Meaning: Waste matter or refuse; A waste product taken off molten metal during smelting, essentially metallic in character.
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EQUIPOISE
noun
Pronounced: EH-qwi-poiz
Meaning: An equal distribution of weight; even balance; equilibrium.
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FERVID
adjective
Pronounced: FUR-vid
Meaning: Heated or vehement in spirit, enthusiasm, etc.; burning, glowing.
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GARNER
verb
Pronounced: GARR-nur
Meaning: To gather or deposit in or as if in a granary or other storage place; to get, acquire or earn.
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HARROW
verb
Pronounced: HARE-row
Meaning: To disturb painfully or keenly; to distress the mind or feelings of.
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IMPASSIVE
adjective
Pronounced: em-PA-siv
Meaning: Showing or feeling no emotion; unmoved; not subject to suffering.
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JABBERWOCKY
noun
Pronounced: JAH-bur-wock-kee
Meaning: Writing or speech with nonsensical words.
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KANJI
noun
Pronounced: KAHN-jee
Meaning: A system of Japanese writing using Chinese-derived characters.
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LOQUACIOUS
adjective
Pronounced: low-KWAY-shus
Meaning: Talking or tending to talk much freely; talkative; characteristic of excessive talk; wordy.
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MOROSE
adjective
Pronounced: MORE-ohs
Meaning: Gloomily or sullently ill-humored, as a person or mood; characterized by or expressing gloom.
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NOISOME
adjective
Pronounced: NOY-sum
Meaning: Offensive or disgusting, as in odor; harmful or injurious to health; noxious.
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OSTENSIBLE
adjective
Pronounced: oss-TEN-sih-bull
Meaning: Outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended.
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PRECEPT
noun
Pronounced: PREE-sept
Meaning: A commandment or direction given as a rule of action or conduct; an injunction as to moral conduct; a maxim.
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QUIESCENT
adjective
Pronounced: kwee-ESS-cent
Meaning: Being at rest; quiet;still; inactive or motionless.
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REFRACTORY
adjective
Pronounced: ree-FRACK-tore-ree
Meaning: Hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient.
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SQUALID
adjective
Pronounced: SKWA-lid
Meaning: Filthy or repulsive as from neglect; degraded; sordid.
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TRUCULENT
adjective
Pronounced: TRUCK-cue-lunt
Meaning: Aggressively hostile; belligerent; brutally harsh; scathing or savagely brutal.
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UNTOWARD
adjective
Pronounced: un-too-WARD
