acclaim
1 use
It's a critically acclaimed movie.
acclaimed = popularly and enthusiastically praised
Definition
Generally acclaim means:to praise enthusiastically and publicly — sometimes choosing without opposition or a formal vote
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
cursory
1 use
I did a cursory search on Google and found several articles.
cursory = quick (not thorough)
Definition
Generally cursory means:quick—not thorough (without attention to detail)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
decorum
1 use
All decorum was lost in the classroom.
decorum = proper manners and conduct
Definition
Generally decorum means:manners and conduct considered to be proper and in good taste
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
dispute
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
their border dispute
The area has long been a source of dispute between India and Pakistan.
dispute = disagreement
Definition
Generally this sense of dispute means:disagreement, argument, or conflict
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
diverge
1 use
The two paths diverge here.
diverge = move apart
Definition
Generally diverge means:to move apart; or be or become different
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
elaborate
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
elaborate on your plan
Please elaborate on the reasons you think this is the best plan.
elaborate = explain in detail
Definition
Generally this sense of elaborate means:add details or explain in detail
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
frenetic
1 use
I lived life at a frenetic pace until my doctor convinced me to slow down.
frenetic = fast, energetic
Definition
Generally frenetic means:fast, energetic — often with confusion
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
incredulous
1 use
I find it incredulous that you believe she is sincere.
incredulous = difficult to believe
Definition
Generally incredulous means:unbelieving; or having difficulty accepting something so unexpected
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 11 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
innovate
1 use
Apple is considered one of the most innovative companies.
innovative = introducing things that are new and different
(editor's note: The suffix "-ive" converts a word into an adjective; though over time, what was originally an adjective often comes to be used as a noun. The adjective pattern means tending to and is seen in words like attractive, impressive, and supportive. Examples of the noun include narrative, alternative, and detective.)
(editor's note: The suffix "-ive" converts a word into an adjective; though over time, what was originally an adjective often comes to be used as a noun. The adjective pattern means tending to and is seen in words like attractive, impressive, and supportive. Examples of the noun include narrative, alternative, and detective.)
Definition
Generally innovate means:bring something new to an environment
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
lament
1 use
She lamented the loss.
lamented = expressed grief about
Definition
Generally lament means:to express grief or regret
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
languish
1 use
The prisoner languished in the dungeon for years.
languished = suffering in a bad situation for a long time
Definition
Generally languish means:to suffer in a bad situation for a long time
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
nostalgia
2 uses
The music makes me feel nostalgic.
nostalgic = with a longing for something past
Definition
Generally nostalgia means:happiness that come with the memory of good times combined with a hint of sadness that those times are over
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
obscure (2 meanings)
2 meanings, 2 uses
1 —1 use as in:
the view or directions are obscure
For some obscure reason that goes back many years, they don't like each other.
obscure = not clearly understood
Definition
Generally this sense of obscure means:not clearly seen, understood, or expressed
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 2000 |
2 —1 use as in:
knows the famous and the obscure
The obscure battle is hardly mentioned in history books.
obscure = not known to many people
Definition
Generally this sense of obscure means:not known to many people; or unimportant or undistinguished
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 2000 |
persist
1 use
The child persisted in asking questions despite my obvious desire to be left alone.
persisted = continued
Definition
Generally persist means:to continue — often despite difficulty
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 11 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
prolific
1 use
She is a prolific artist.
prolific = producing abundantly
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
rebuttal
1 use
She immediately wrote a rebuttal and sent it to the New York Times.
rebuttal = argument against (something)
Definition
Generally rebuttal means:a statement arguing against something
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
speculate
5 uses
1 —5 uses as in:
don't know, but I'll speculate
philosophers have speculated on the question of God for thousands of years
speculated = thought and guessed without certainty
Definition
Generally this sense of speculate means:to think about, wonder, guess or theorize with much uncertainty
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
spontaneous
2 uses
The group broke into spontaneous laughter.
spontaneous = happening or arising without plan
Definition
Generally spontaneous means:behaving in an instinctive, uninhibited manner
or:
happening naturally (without planning or external force)
or:
happening naturally (without planning or external force)
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 2000 |
vestige
2 uses
The House of Lords is a vestige of the British system of aristocracy.
vestige = remaining trace
Definition
Generally vestige means:a remaining trace (little bit of something) that was previously abundant
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |