English Archives

The adjective abdominous means “having a large belly” or “potbellied”.

To fustigate means “to beat with a club” or “to criticize harshly”.

The adjective sonorous means “capable of giving out a sound”, “rich and full in sound”, “grandiloquent”, or “loud, deep, or resonant”.

Pernoctation, a not-so-common word, means “the act or state of passing the whole night; a remaining all night”.

Flaneur (or fancy French spelling flâneur) is a noun meaning “idler; dawdler; loafer”.

Apotheosis is “the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god”. It can also mean “the ideal example” or “epitome”.

May you tipple your way to a very happy new year! And have a drink for me, because I’m not 21 yet. To tipple means “to drink intoxicating liquor, esp. habitually or to some excess.”

A platitude is “a flat, dull, or trite remark, esp. one uttered as if it were fresh or profound”. It can also refer to “lack of originality” in general.

Insularity means “the state of being isolated or detached”. The word insulation can have the same meaning, though it usually refers to “a material that reduces or prevents the transmission of heat or sound or electricity”.

This sounds like an SAT word if I ever memorized one: reticent, “reluctant”, “restrained”, or “disposed to be silent or not to speak freely”.