acute
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
acute sense of smell
As the darkness surrounded us, I was acutely aware of how close we were walking together, and I wondered whether she felt the same.
acutely = highly or very sharply
Definition
Generally this sense of acute means:sharp (highly perceptive in some area or mentally sharp)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 19 |
alternative
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
an alternative plan
When she was close, we spoke of Tim's condition, of skin cancer in general, the specifics of possible alternative treatments.
alternative = available as different possibilities
Definition
Generally this sense of alternative means:something available as another possibility
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 20 |
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attribute
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
I attribute it to...
As usual, he didn't ask about my day, preferring to work in silence. Yesterday I'd attributed it to the fact that we were strangers; today I understood that there was a possibility we always would be.
attributed = credited (pointed to as the cause of)
Definition
Generally this sense of attribute means:to credit (a source for something)
in two typical senses:
- "I attribute it to her work." — to say who or what made something happen
- "Remember to attribute any quotations in your paper." — indicate the source of a quotation or idea
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 10 |
autism
12 uses
He's autistic, and for a long time no one knew what to do with him or how to get through to him.
autistic = a mental illness most commonly associated with undeveloped social abilities, language, and other communication skills
Word Statistics
| Book | 12 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 2 |
candid
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
your candid opinion
Her candor made it painfully clear that she believed what she was saying.
candor = honesty and directness
Definition
Generally this sense of candid means:honest and direct
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 9 |
consummate
3 uses
Over the next few weeks, I became the consummate soldier,
consummate = perfect and complete in every respect
Definition
Generally this sense of consummate means:perfect and complete in every respect; or having a quality to an extreme degree
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 4 |
convey
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
convey her thoughts
Her voice conveyed the same wonder and joy she'd expressed when seeing the porpoises.†
conveyed = communicated or expressed
Definition
Generally this sense of convey means:communicate or express
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 9 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 7 |
induce
2 uses
1 —2 uses as in:
induce symptoms
While I may have had some version of hormone-induced success with women, I had very little experience when it came to girls I cared about. Despite the fact that only a day had passed since we'd met, I already knew I was in new territory.
induced = caused
Definition
Generally this sense of induce means:to cause something to arise or happen
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 2 |
negative
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
had a negative effect
Still, I didn't think she would say anything negative, simply because it wasn't in her nature, and when she turned to me, she was smiling.†
negative = bad
Definition
Generally this sense of negative means:bad or harmful
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 6 |
notorious
2 uses
The facility was notoriously expensive,
notoriously = well known for something bad
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 9 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 16 |
oblivious
3 uses
...with several girls ... all pretending to be oblivious to the boys around them.
oblivious = unaware of
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 11 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 2 |
ominous
2 uses
I turned away, trying to keep my anger in check, but when I spoke again, I could hear the ominous undercurrent in my voice.
ominous = threatening (suggestive of, or foreshadowing bad things to come)
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 10 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 7 |
reproach
1 use
As she stood before me on the porch, I could see the exhaustion in her face, and all the words of reproach I'd been rehearsing drained away.
reproach = criticism
Definition
Generally reproach means:a criticism; or to express criticism — especially where a relationship makes the disapproval result in disappointment or shame
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 2000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 16 |
reticent
1 use
...though I saw the mysteriousness and maturity that had always made her attractive, I noticed a hint of sadness and reticence as well.
reticence = reluctance — usually to speak freely
Definition
Generally reticent means:reluctant — especially to speak freely
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 18 |
scrutiny
2 uses
I scrutinized her face for signs of denial but saw none.
scrutinized = looked at very carefully
(editor's note: The suffix "-ive" converts a word to a verb. This is the same pattern you see in words like apologize, theorize, and dramatize.)
(editor's note: The suffix "-ive" converts a word to a verb. This is the same pattern you see in words like apologize, theorize, and dramatize.)
Definition
Generally scrutiny means:careful examination of something
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 10 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 17 |
simulate
1 use
We spent the next few months doing a lot of simulations in places like Louisiana and good old Fort Bragg, where we basically learned the best ways to kill people and break things; and after a while, my unit, as part of the First Infantry Division—aka the Big Red One—was sent to Germany.
simulations = practices in non-real environments made to imitate or represent real situations
(editor's note: The suffix "-tions", converts a verb into a plural noun that denotes results of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in actions, illustrations, and observations.)
(editor's note: The suffix "-tions", converts a verb into a plural noun that denotes results of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in actions, illustrations, and observations.)
Definition
Generally simulate means:make an imitation or representation of
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 1 |
spontaneous
3 uses
She was quiet, her expression softening into the spontaneous compassion I'd once been so drawn to.
spontaneous = instinctive (coming naturally from within)
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 | 3 uses |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 2000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 1 |
sultry
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
a sultry afternoon
With the sun hanging low, the air had none of the sultry humid heat of the coast, and I caught the scent of conifers drifting down from the mountains.
sultry = hot and humid
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 18 |
tentative
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
said it tentatively
She looked up from a magazine, and I offered a tentative smile.
tentative = careful or unsure
Definition
Generally this sense of tentative means:done in a careful or unsure way (indicating a lack of confidence in exactly what will happen)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 13 |
wane
3 uses
Fewer tears had been shed because the intensity of the feeling between us had waned.
waned = gradually decreased
Definition
Generally wane means:a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number) — especially the part of the moon that is visible
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 7 |