capricious
8 uses
he could not sacrifice his own happiness to his father's caprice
caprice = impulsive wishes
Definition
Generally capricious means:impulsive or unpredictable or tending to make sudden changes — especially impulsive behavior
Word Statistics
| Book | 8 uses |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 4 |
censure
9 uses
he was censuring his father for the first time in his life
censuring = criticizing
Definition
Generally censure means:harsh criticism; or formal criticism from an organization — such as the U.S. Senate
Word Statistics
| Book | 9 uses |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 9 |
consonant (2 meanings)
2 meanings, 2 uses
1 —1 use as in:
consonant or vowel?
The naval officer spoke in a particularly sonorous, musical, and aristocratic baritone voice, pleasantly swallowing his r's and generally slurring his consonants: the voice of a man calling out to his servant, "Heah!"
consonants = speech sounds that are not vowels
Definition
Generally this sense of consonant means:a letter of the alphabet (or a speech sound) that is not a vowel
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 9 |
2 —1 use as in:
in consonance with
And yet it is difficult to imagine an historical character whose activity was so unswervingly directed to a single aim; and it would be difficult to imagine any aim more worthy or more consonant with the will of the whole people.†
consonant = in keeping
Definition
Generally this sense of consonant means:in keeping with (or consistent with, or in harmony with)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 0 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 15 |
depravity
7 uses
He was hard alike on the lazy, the depraved, and the weak, and tried to get them expelled from the commune.
depraved = immoral
Definition
Generally depravity means:complete immorality or evilness
Word Statistics
| Book | 7 uses |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 4 |
deride
7 uses
Napoleon was silent, still looking derisively at him and evidently not listening to him.
derisively = with treatment as inferior and unworthy of respect
Definition
Generally deride means:to criticize with strong disrespect — often
with humor
with humor
Word Statistics
| Book | 7 uses |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 9 |
desist
2 uses
"Lise, I beg you to desist," said Prince Andrew still more emphatically.
desist = to not do something
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1 |
dilatory
1 use
I am not to blame that the Minister is vacillating, a coward, dense, dilatory, and has all bad qualities.
dilatory = slow
Definition
Generally dilatory means:slow; or causing or tending to delay things
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 0 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 10 |
discord (2 meanings)
2 meanings, 2 uses
1 —1 use as in:
discord amongst the group
It would be too painful to me to think that I might be a cause of sorrow or discord in the family that has been so good to me...
discord = conflict
Definition
Generally this sense of discord means:conflict or disagreement — especially among those expected to cooperate
or (especially in the form discordant):
seeming different or wrong along with everything else
or (especially in the form discordant):
seeming different or wrong along with everything else
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 12 |
2 —1 use as in:
discordant music
diverse discordant sounds of disorder
discordant = sounds that don't sound right together
Definition
Generally this sense of discord means:unpleasant sound — especially a combination of sounds that sound wrong together (though sometimes done intentionally in music)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 11 |
enjoin
4 uses
1 —4 uses as in:
enjoined us to act
Of the three precepts of Freemasonry Pierre realized that he did not fulfill the one which enjoined every Mason to set an example of moral life, and that of the seven virtues he lacked two—morality and the love of death.
enjoined = urged or commanded
Definition
Generally this sense of enjoin means:to urge or command someone to do something
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 0 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 8 |
fallacious
1 use
But the mind of man not only refuses to believe this explanation, but plainly says that this method of explanation is fallacious, because in it a weaker phenomenon is taken as the cause of a stronger.
fallacious = mistaken
Definition
Generally fallacious means:not correct
- typically describing something as mistaken due to incorrect information or belief
- sometimes describing something as an intentional lie
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 0 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 11 |
indolent
7 uses
the view of life you mention, and which you think is the result of your own mental efforts, is the one held by the majority of people, and is the invariable fruit of pride, indolence, and ignorance.
indolence = laziness
Definition
Generally this sense of indolent means:lazy; disinclined to work
Word Statistics
| Book | 7 uses |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 3 |
minuteness
3 uses
1 —3 uses as in:
minute size; or minute description
The dispositions drawn up by Weyrother for the battle of Austerlitz were a model of perfection for that kind of composition, but still they were criticized—criticized for their very perfection, for their excessive minuteness.†
minuteness = attention to detail
Definition
Generally this sense of minuteness means:very small
or:
detailed (including even small considerations); or careful (done with care)
or:
detailed (including even small considerations); or careful (done with care)
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 10 |
nominal
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
he's nominally in charge
Nominally he is only an adjutant on Kutuzov's staff, but he does everything alone.†
nominally = officially (in title)
Definition
Generally this sense of nominal means:in form or name, but not in reality
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 3 |
novel
2 uses
Pierre was greatly surprised by his wife's view, to him a perfectly novel one, that every moment of his life belonged to her and to the family.
novel = new and original
Definition
Generally this sense of novel means:new and original — typically something considered good
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 11 |
philanthropy
6 uses
In regard to philanthropy, the greatest virtue of crowned heads, Napoleon also did all in his power.
philanthropy = helping others
Definition
Generally philanthropy means:helping others — especially donating money to worthy causes; or an organization that does so
Word Statistics
| Book | 6 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 5 |
refute
8 uses
To refute him someone would have to prove to him that there is no devil, or another peasant would have to explain to him that it is not the devil but a German, who moves the locomotive.
refute = disprove the argument of
Definition
Generally refute means:to disprove or argue against
Word Statistics
| Book | 8 uses |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 6 |
reprehensible
2 uses
And Pierre, anxiously trying to remember whether he had done anything reprehensible, looked round with a blush.
reprehensible = bad and unacceptable
Definition
Generally reprehensible means:bad — deserving severe criticism
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 3 |
zeal
11 uses
When they understood that order the servants set to work at this new task with pleasure and zeal.
zeal = enthusiasm
Definition
Generally zeal means:active interest and enthusiasm
Word Statistics
| Book | 11 uses |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 9 |