52 Words

A selection of words and definitions I found interesting in 2025

abstruse – difficult to understand; obscure

adumbrate – just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary • confused or incoherent

antinomy – a contradiction between two beliefs or conclusions that are in themselves reasonable; a paradox

apace – swiftly; quickly (2) at the same speed or rate as

asperity – harshness of tone or manner

benighted – in a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance, typically owing to a lack of opportunity (2) overtaken by darkness

calyx – the sepals of a flower, typically forming a whorl that encloses the petals and forms a protective layer around a flower in bud

cameo – (2) a short description that neatly encapsulates someone or something

chaw – an act of chewing something, especially something not intended to be swallowed

confrere – a fellow member of a profession; a colleague

cote – a shelter for mammals or birds, especially pigeons

crepuscular – of, resembling, or relating to twilight

desiccated – having had all moisture removed; dried out (2) lacking vitality or interest

disingenuous – not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does.

effrontery – insolent or impertinent behavior

elide – omit (a sound or syllable) when speaking.

emollient – having the quality of softening or smoothing the skin • attempting to avoid confrontation or anger; soothing or calming

enervating – causing one to feel drained of energy or vitality

fecund – producing or capable of producing an abundance of offspring or new growth; fertile

garrulity – excessive talkativeness, especially on trivial matters

georgic – a poem or book dealing with agricultural or rural topics

Golconda – a source of wealth, advantages, or happiness—from then name of a city near Hyderabad, India, famous for its diamonds.

horripilation – the erection of hairs on the skin due to cold, fear, or excitement

idyll – an extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque episode or scene, typically an idealized or unsustainable one

immanent – existing or operating within; inherent • (of God) permanently pervading and sustaining the universe. Often contrasted with transcendent.

insuperable – (of a difficulty or obstacle) impossible to overcome

kith – one’s friends, acquaintances, and relations (usually in the phrase kith and kin)

languid – displaying or having a disinclination for physical exertion or effort • slow and relaxed • pleasantly lazy and peaceful (2) weak or faint from illness or fatigue

lido – a public, open-air swimming pool or beach — from Italian lido ‘shore’

loquacity – talkative

manque – adj [postpositive] having failed to become what one might have been; unfulfilled

mantic – relating to divination or prophecy

mien – a person’s look or manner, especially one of a particular kind indicating their character or mood

mystic – a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect

numen – the spirit or divine power presiding over a thing or place.

opsimath – a person who begins to learn or study only late in life

perspicuous – (of an account or representation) clearly expressed and easily understood; lucid

quay – a concrete, stone, or metal platform lying alongside or projecting into water for loading and unloading ships

quicken – make or become faster or quicker (2) stimulate or become stimulated (3) reach a stage in pregnancy when movements of the fetus can be felt.

ramifications – a consequence of an action or event, especially when complex or unwelcome • a subdivision of a complex structure or process perceived as comparable to a tree’s branches — from French, from ramifier ‘form branches’

repristinate – restore (something) to its original, first, or pristine condition or state.

ribald – referring to sexual matters in an amusingly rude or irreverent way

sortilege – the practice of foretelling the future from a card or other item drawn at random from a collection.

stolid – (of a person) calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation

sullen – bad-tempered and uncommunicative, especially on account of resentment • (of the sky) full of dark clouds

synecdoche – a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa, as in ‘Cleveland won by six runs’ (meaning ‘Cleveland’s baseball team’)

synoptic – of or forming a general summary or synopsis

transgress – infringe or go beyond the bounds of (a moral principle or other established standard of behavior)

unilateral – (of an action or decision) performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved in a particular situation, without the agreement of another or the others. (2) relating to, occurring on, or affecting only one side of an organ or structure, or of the body.

urbane – courteous and refined in manner — from Latin urbanus, from urb ‘city’

usufruct – the right to enjoy the use and advantages of another’s property short of the destruction or waste of its substance

votary – a person, such as a monk or nun, who has made vows of dedication to religious service. • a devoted follower, adherent, or advocate of someone or something.

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Thanks to New Oxford American Dictionary for (most of) the definitions. And to David Foster Wallace for splicing a list of interesting words between essays in his collection Both Flesh and Not. I enjoyed those.