agitate
5 uses
It took them days to get the story properly blown up and themselves agitated and then to calm down and assess the situation.
agitated = stirred up (excited)
Definition
Generally agitate means:to stir up or shake — emotionally (as when people are angered or upset) or physically (as when a washing machine cleans clothes)
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 16 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
arbor
6 uses
Yonder, not far, was a grape arbor Mr. Garner made.
arbor = a framework that supports climbing plants
Definition
Generally this sense of arbor means:a framework that supports climbing plants; or a shady rest area made by such a framework or by trees and shrubs
Word Statistics
| Book | 6 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 3 |
chastise
5 uses
Schoolteacher had chastised that nephew,
chastised = scolded or criticized
Definition
Generally chastise means:to scold or criticize
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
countenance
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
giving countenance
Sethe's crime was staggering and her pride outstripped even that; but she could not countenance the possibility of sin moving on in the house, unleashed and sassy.
countenance = tolerate or approve
Definition
Generally this sense of countenance means:to tolerate, approve, or show favor or support
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 3 |
defer
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
deferred to her wishes
Deferring to his slaves' opinions did not deprive him of authority or power.
deferring = submitting or yielding
Definition
Generally this sense of defer means:submit or yield (typically to another person's opinion because of respect for that person or their knowledge)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
deliberate (2 meanings)
2 meanings, 2 uses
1 —1 use as in:
deliberate insult
Instead of sighs and accidents there was pointed and deliberate abuse.
deliberate = intentional
Definition
Generally this sense of deliberate means:to do something intentionally (do it on purpose)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
2 —1 use as in:
a deliberate thinker
Braced and heartened by that easy encounter, she picked up speed and began to look deliberately at the neighborhood surrounding her.
deliberately = with great care
Definition
Generally this sense of deliberate means:done with great care — often slowly
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 3 |
devious
1 use
Unfortunately her brain was devious.
devious = deceitful (not honest and straightforward) — often in a complicated, clever manner
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
disdain
1 use
Maybe they were sorry for the years of their own disdain. Maybe they were simply nice people who could hold meanness toward each other for just so long and...
disdain = disrespect and rejection
Definition
Generally disdain means:a lack of respect — often suggesting distaste and an undeserved sense of superiority
or:
to reject as not good enough
or:
to reject as not good enough
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Part 3 |
divert
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
divert her attention
It was only a tiny disturbance anyway—not strong enough to divert her from the ambition welling in her now:
divert = distract
(Editor's note: The prefix "un-" in undiverted means not and reverses the meaning of diverted. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.)
(Editor's note: The prefix "un-" in undiverted means not and reverses the meaning of diverted. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.)
Definition
Generally this sense of divert means:to distract someone's attention or (more rarely) to entertain
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
dominate
2 uses
she noticed neither competition between the two nor domination by one.
domination = control (of the other)
(editor's note: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.)
(editor's note: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.)
Definition
Generally dominate means:to control; or to be most influential, powerful, abundant, important, or conspicuous
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 17 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
fugitive
9 uses
his rifle ready, his eyes trained away from the house to the left and to the right, because likely as not the fugitive would make a dash for it.
fugitive = someone who is running away or hiding from police
Definition
Generally this sense of fugitive means:someone who is running away or hiding to avoid arrest or an unpleasant situation
Word Statistics
| Book | 9 uses |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
indifferent
4 uses
...listening in the dark for groans of life in the indifferent silence of the dead.
indifferent = unconcerned (showing no interest)
Definition
Generally indifferent means:without interest
in various senses, including:
- unconcerned — as in "She is indifferent to what is served to eat."
- unsympathetic — as in "She is indifferent to his needs."
- not of good quality (which may imply average or poor quality depending upon context) — as in "an indifferent performance"
- impartial — as in "We need a judge who is indifferent."
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 15 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Part 2 |
malevolent
1 use
she shouted and gave him a look so malevolent Denver touched her arm.
malevolent = evil
Definition
Generally malevolent means:evil
- of a person — wishing or appearing to wish evil to others
- of a thing — exerting an evil or harmful influence
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
oblige (2 meanings)
2 meanings, 7 uses
1 —6 uses as in:
I am obliged by law.
Perhaps it was the smile, or maybe the ever-ready love she saw in his eyes—easy and upfront, the way colts, evangelists and children look at you: with love you don't have to deserve—that made her go ahead and tell him what she had not told Baby Suggs, the only person she felt obliged to explain anything to.
obliged = required (to do something)
Definition
Generally this sense of oblige means:require (obligate) to do something
Word Statistics
| Book | 6 uses |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
2 —1 use as in:
I obliged her every request.
And Sethe would oblige her with anything from fabric to her own tongue.
oblige = grant a favor
Definition
Generally this sense of oblige means:grant a favor to someone
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
render (2 meanings)
2 meanings, 3 uses
1 —2 uses as in:
rendered her unconscious
The barker called them and their children names ... but the food on his vest and the hole in his pants rendered it fairly harmless.
rendered = made or caused to become
(editor's note: According to Wikipedia, Pickaninny is a potentially offensive derogatory term which refers to children of black descent or a racial caricature thereof.)
(editor's note: According to Wikipedia, Pickaninny is a potentially offensive derogatory term which refers to children of black descent or a racial caricature thereof.)
Definition
Generally this sense of render means:to make or cause to become
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
2 —1 use as in:
rendered interpretation
churned butter, rendered fat, laid fires....
rendered = extracted from (in this case melting fat down to lard)
Definition
Generally this sense of render means:to portray or create something in a particular way; or to interpret, translate, or extract from
The exact meaning of this sense of render depends upon its context. For example:
- "Each artist will render a different interpretation when painting a portrait." — create in a particular way
- "A Supreme Court judge may render his own interpretation of the Constitution." — interpret in a particular way
- "The computer you are using, rendered this page from software instructions." — created through interpretation
- "A graph is rendered from the underlying data." — made
- "Fat can be rendered (extracted) by cooking meat slowly." — extracted from
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
resolve
2 uses
1 —2 uses as in:
Her resolve weakened.
Resolve, he thought. That was all it took, and...
resolve = firmness of purpose
Definition
Generally this sense of resolve means:firmness of purpose (strong determination to do something)
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
righteous
2 uses
1 —2 uses as in:
a righteous cause
...colored with righteous resentment at what could have been his cowardice, or stupidity or bad luck
righteous = justified (or feeling justified)
Definition
Generally this sense of righteous means:morally correct; or morally justified
or:
acting or feeling morally superior — especially when it isn't true (this meaning is more typically seen as a compound word beginning with "self-")
or:
acting or feeling morally superior — especially when it isn't true (this meaning is more typically seen as a compound word beginning with "self-")
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |