animate
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
animated by her strong belief
Then a businesslike air animated him.
animated = enlivened (made more lively, excited, or enthusiastic)
Definition
Generally this sense of animate means:inspire, make more lively, or bring to life
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
appraise
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
appraise the situation
Whenever he looked up from his plate he found the general studying him, appraising him narrowly.
appraising = evaluating
Definition
Generally this sense of appraise means:evaluate (consider in a comprehensive way)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
cower
1 use
Then he cowered back.
cowered = showed fear by positioning the body as though afraid of being hit
Definition
Generally cower means:show fear by positioning the body as though afraid of being hit
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
deplore
1 use
The deplorable part of it was that Lazarus followed him.
deplorable = very bad or regrettable
(Editor's note: The suffix "-able" means able to be. This is the same pattern you see in words like breakable, understandable, and comfortable.)
(Editor's note: The suffix "-able" means able to be. This is the same pattern you see in words like breakable, understandable, and comfortable.)
Definition
Generally deplore means:strongly dislike or regret
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
discern
1 use
The first thing Rainsford's eyes discerned was the largest man Rainsford had ever seen — a gigantic creature, solidly made and black-bearded to the waist.
discerned = noticed
Definition
Generally discern means:to notice or understand something — often something that is not obvious
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
divert
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
divert her attention
But may I not venture to suggest that you will find my idea of sport more diverting than Ivan's?
diverting = entertaining
(editor's note: More common meanings of diverting are "changing direction" or "distracting someone's attention.")
(editor's note: More common meanings of diverting are "changing direction" or "distracting someone's attention.")
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 |
dogged
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
dogged determination
They had come from the right, and doggedly he swam in that direction,
doggedly = with continuing effort despite difficulties
Definition
Generally this sense of dogged means:continuing effort to achieve something despite difficulties (persistent)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
focus
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
Turn your focus to question #2.
Toward morning when a dingy gray was varnishing the sky, the cry of some startled bird focused Rainsford's attention in that direction.
focused = concentrated, look at, or paid attention to
Definition
Generally this sense of focus means:verb: to concentrate, look at, or pay attention to
noun: the act of concentration, or the ability to concentrate
(to concentrate is to direct attention or effort towards a single thing)
noun: the act of concentration, or the ability to concentrate
(to concentrate is to direct attention or effort towards a single thing)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 75 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
forsake
1 use
Even cannibals wouldn't live in such a God-forsaken place.
forsaken = abandoned
Definition
Generally forsake means:to abandon or give up on — such as someone who needs you, or an idea, or a place
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
futile
1 use
He saw that straight flight was futile; inevitably it would bring him face to face with the sea.
futile = pointless (because the effort would be unproductive)
Definition
Generally futile means:effort that is pointless because it is unproductive or unsuccessful
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
grotesque
1 use
The lights from the windows sent a flickering illumination that made grotesque patterns on the courtyard below,
grotesque = distorted and unnatural in shape or size
Definition
Generally grotesque means:distorted and unnatural in shape or size — especially in a disturbing way
or:
ugly, gross, or very wrong
or:
ugly, gross, or very wrong
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
indicate
1 use
...as the general pressed a button, far out to sea Rainsford saw the flash of lights. The general chuckled. "They indicate a channel," he said, "where there's none: giant rocks with razor edges crouch like a sea monster with wide-open jaws. They can crush a ship as easily as..."
indicate = point out (show by a sign)
Definition
Generally indicate means:to show (point out, demonstrate, express, or suggest)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 40 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 10 |
inevitable
2 uses
That was postponing the inevitable.
inevitable = certain to happen
Definition
Generally inevitable means:certain to happen (even if one tried to prevent it)
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 23 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
laceration
1 use
Some wounded thing, by the evidence a large animal, had thrashed about in the underbrush; the jungle weeds were crushed down and the moss was lacerated; one patch of weeds was stained crimson.
lacerated = cut
Definition
Generally laceration means:a cut — especially of the skin — and often implying that the cut was not clean, but instead left jagged edges
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
palpable
1 use
"Can't see it," remarked Rainsford, trying to peer through the dank tropical night that was palpable as it pressed its thick warm blackness in upon the yacht.
palpable = so pronounced, it seemed almost to take a material form that could be touched
Definition
Generally palpable means:very apparent (so strong, it almost seems to take a material form that can be touched)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
placid
1 use
Rainsford had dug himself in in France when a second's delay meant death. That had been a placid pastime compared to his digging now.
placid = calm and unexcited
Definition
Generally placid means:calm and not easily excited
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
precarious
1 use
Three hundred yards from his hiding place he stopped where a huge dead tree leaned precariously on a smaller, living one.
precariously = unsafely (in danger of falling)
Definition
Generally precarious means:unsafe or in danger of getting worse — especially in danger of falling
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
recoil
1 use
The knife, driven by the recoil of the spring tree, had not wholly failed.
recoil = backward jerk
Definition
Generally recoil means:to move backward suddenly (sometimes figuratively)
especially:
- the backward jerk of a gun or cannon when it is fired
- when a person flinches (suddenly draws back) from someone or something, as with fear, disgust, or pain
- when a person is emotionally repulsed, as by disgust
- when something intended to go in one direction figuratively falls back in the opposite direction; for example, a story told to hurt someone that comes back to hurt the teller
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
scruples
1 use
But I think I can show you that your scruples are quite ill founded.
scruples = ethical or moral principles
Definition
Generally scruples means:ethical or moral principles that discourage certain kinds of action
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
staccato
1 use
He heard it again; then it was cut short by another noise, crisp, staccato.
staccato = short and crisp (describing the relationship of sounds to one another)
Definition
Generally this sense of staccato means:in music, the separating notes by cutting them short and crisp
or:
sounds that are short and crisp
or:
sounds that are short and crisp
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |