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.
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.

I’m going to try to use crepuscular more this year
Ramification, from the French ramifier, to form branches. So interesting! This knowledge will have ramifications on my writing. Thanks for sharing these words!