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Make Your Point

In each issue, we explore a sophisticated word:
what it means, beyond the literal;
when and why we should choose it;
how to use it when we talk and write.

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▼Very Common▼ | Common | Semi-Common | Rare | Very Rare

Level 1:

If you read for an hour a day,
you might bump into the words below
once or twice a day.

adverse advocate aggregate articulate ascertain attain, attainable, & unattainable cerebral cognitive coherent coincide compel compensate competent & incompetent compile comprise denote derive employ exert explicit exploit gravity imperial imply & implicit incur indigenous inevitable inherent intrinsic inventory invoke landscape manifest nominal peripheral pertain & pertinent phenomenon premise prestige presume prevail & prevalent relevant & irrelevant resign revelation signify spectrum spite undermine viable

Very Common | ▼Common▼ | Semi-Common | Rare | Very Rare

Level 2:

If you read for an hour a day,
you might bump into the words below
once every week or so.

abdicate aberration abject abrasive absolve abstain accede acquiesce actualize acuity adamant adduce adept admonish aegis affront alchemy alienate allay alleviate altruistic amalgamation ambient, ambience, & ambiance ambiguous amiable amity amnesty anomaly antagonize antebellum anthology antipathy aperture apex aphorism apparition appease appellation apprehensive appropriate (the verb) apt arbiter archaic ardent arduous arsenal artifice ascetic ascribe aspire assail assay assent assimilate assuage astute atone atrophy attenuate attest attrition audacity augment aura auspicious austere avant-garde averse & aversion avert avid axiom & axiomatic ballast balk barrage baseline battalion bedrock belie belligerent benevolent benign bereft blight boon brevity bristle broach bulwark buoyant buttress Byzantine cache cauldron caliber calibrate candor & candid canonical capitulate capricious cardinal caricature castigate catalyst categorical caustic cede chassis chastise circumscribe circumvent citadel clamber clandestine coalesce coerce cogent cognizant cohesive colloquial combustible compendium complacent complement compliant compulsive conciliatory concoct concur condescend condone conducive conduit confide & confidante confiscate conflagration confluence Confucian congenial congregate conjecture conjure dearth debacle debase decadent decimate decorum defunct deleterious delineate demonstrative derision despise & despicable deter detract detriment detritus devastate deviate devious dexterity dichotomy dictatorial dictum diffuse dilapidate diligent dilute diminutive din disarming discontinuity discordant discursive disillusion disintegrate disparate dispense disperse disseminate dissent dissident dissipate dissociate dissonance dissuade distill diverge divulge dogmatic dubious dwindle ebb eccentricity edifice efface elegy elemental eloquent elucidate elude & elusive emanate emancipate embers emblematic embryonic eminent emit emulate en_masse encapsulate endemic engender enigmatic enmity epithet epitomize eradicate erroneous eschew esoteric espouse esprit ethereal ethos evade & evasive evince exacerbate exalt exasperate exemplify exhort exodus exorbitant expedient expedite explicate exponent exponential expound extant extol extraneous extrapolate extricate extrinsic exuberant exude fabricate facade facet facile faction fecundity feign fiasco fiat fissure flagrant fledgling flit flounder fodder foray formidable fortify fortuitous foundering fraught frenzy fruition fruitful & fruitless gait gale galvanize gamut garner gauge genial germinate glacial glean grandeur granular grapple gratuitous gravitate hegemony heuristic hinterland Homeric humility hyperbolic iconic idiosyncratic idyllic ignite illustrious imbue immaculate immanent imminent impeccable impending imperative impermeable implacable implicate impunity impute incarnate incessant incipient incisive incite incongruous incubate inculcate incumbent industrious inept inertia inexorable inexplicable inferential infinitesimal inimical iniquity innate innocuous insatiable insidious insinuate instigate instill insular insulate insurmountable intelligentsia inter intercede intermittent interpolate intoxicate intricate intrigue introspective inundate invincible ire, irate, & irascible itinerant itinerary jeopardize judicious junta juxtapose kernel kindle kinetic laborious laity languish latency latitude lax legion lethargy & lethargic litany lucrative luminous magnate magnetism maim mainstay malaise malevolent malice & malicious malignant manifesto mar marshal martyr maxim meander mediocre melancholy messianic meticulous microcosm milieu militant militate mitigate modulate monolithic multiplicity mundane muse muster muzzle myriad nameless nascent necessitate nee negate negligible nexus niche nihilism nomadic notorious noxious obliterate oblivious obscure obviate odious oeuvre olfactory ominous omnibus omnipotent onerous opaque orchestrate oscillate ostensible overt pacify palatable palette palpable panacea panoramic pantheon paradox paramount parity parochial patronize paucity pecuniary pedestrian penchant perceptible perennial permeate pernicious perpetuity pervasive phalanx philistine pillar pivotal placebo placid plasticity plethora plight plumage plunder plurality poignant poise polemic politic ponder pomp, pompous, & pomposity pore posit practicable pragmatic precarious precept precipitate precipitous precocious precursor predatory predicate predominant preferential prelude preoccupy preponderance preposterous prerogative pretext primeval pristine quasi quell quiescent rampant rapport rapprochement ravel & unravel rebuke recalcitrant recapitulate reciprocate redundant refractory refute reiterate relegate relent & unrelenting relic rend rendezvous renown repercussions replete repudiate resolute & irresolute resonate retinue revel reverberate reverie revoke & irrevocable rife rift & riven rivet ruse saddled sage salient salutary sanguine sans scant scruple scrupulous & unscrupulous scrutinize & hyperscrutinize sedentary seismic seminal sentient serviceable sideline simmer siren slacken solidify sordid specter & spectral splinter sporadic spurious stagnate & stagnant stark stasis stave stigma stipulate stratify strident subjugate subordinate subpar subsist subsume tacit tangential tangible tedious tenacious tenet tentative tenuous tertiary thicket thresh tinge titan torrent tortuous totem transient & transitory trope truncate tumult ulcer unanimity unattainable undeterred undiluted undimmed undisputed unequivocal unparalleled unprecedented unravel unrelenting utilitarian vagaries valence vanguard variegated venerable vestige vicarious vicissitudes vindicate virtuous virulent visceral vise vista vitiate volatile voluminous waive wane waterloo watershed wax & wane weld windfall yoke zenith

Very Common | Common | ▼Semi-Common▼ | Rare | Very Rare

Level 3:

If you read for an hour a day,
you might bump into the words below
once every few months.

abase abate abeyance abhorrent abnegation abomination aboveboard abscond abstemious abstruse abysmal accolade accoutrements acerbic acid test acme acolyte acquisitive acrid acrimonious acumen adage adamantine ad infinitum adjure adumbrate adventitious affable affectation aficionado agglomerate aggrandize agonistic akimbo alacrity albatross aleatory alibi alpha_and_omega altercation ambit ambivalent ameliorate amenable amicable amorphous amulet anachronistic anathema anchorite antediluvian anteroom anthropocentric anthropomorphic aplomb apropos apocryphal apogee apoplectic apotheosis appertain & appurtenances apposite apprise arabesque arcane archetypical argot arid armada armchair (the adjective) arrant arresting artful & artless asinine asperity aspersion assiduous augur august (the adjective) automaticity autumnal avarice & avaricious avuncular bailiwick baleful banal bandy bane bantam becloud beguile behemoth beleaguer bellicose benediction berate bespoke bevy bezel bidirectional bilious bilk blitzkrieg bode Boeotian bombastic brandish bravado bric-a-brac brio brook browbeat bruit bucolic buffet burgeon burnish busking cachet cacophony cadaverous cagey cajole calcify calculable callow calumny camaraderie canard cantankerous capacious capstone captious carapace careen carp carte_blanche cataclysm cathartic cause_célèbre cavalcade cavalier cavil cavort celerity censorious ceteris_paribus chaff charlatan charnel house chary chasten chicanery chimerical choleric chortle chrysalis chthonic chutzpah cipher circuitous circumnavigate circumspect clairvoyant clarion cloaca cloy coeval colonnade comely comity commensurate commiserate commodious companionable compartmentalize complaisant complicit compunction concatenate concord condole confection conflate confute congeal conglomerate contrived dabble dally dastardly deadwood debunk decalogue decamp decrepit deferential deft deluge demagoguery demerit denigrate denouement deprecate descant desideratum despondent desultory dewy diadem diaphanous diatribe diffident dilatory dilettante dint dirge discombobulate discomfit disconsolate disingenuous disinter disparage dispassionate dissemble dissimulate distend diurnal divest dolorous doppelganger dovetail dowdy dreadnought dross droves drudgery dualistic ductile du_jour dumbfound dupe duplicitous duress dyspeptic dysphoric dystopian ebullient echelon eddy edify educe effervescent effete efflorescence effluvium effrontery effulgent effusive egregious élan elephantiasis elide elysian emollient encomium encumber encyclopedic enervate ennui enterprising ephemera epigrammatic epochal equanimity equipoise equivocate erosive ersatz erudite estimable eulogize euphemistic euphoric eviscerate ex_cathedra excoriate exculpate execrate exhume exigency exonerate exorcise expendable expletive expostulate expunge extemporaneous extenuating extirpate exult faceless facetious factotum fallacious fallible fallow falsifiable fastidious fatuous Faustian faze felicitous feral fester fete fetid figment fillip finesse fireside first_fruits fixate flagging fleece flippant florid flotsam flout foment force_majeure foursquare fracas fractious frenetic friable frisson fructify fulcrum fulminate fungible fusillade fustian gaffe gaggle gainsay gambit gangrenous garish garrulous gauche & gaucherie gauleiter genuflect germane germinal gimlet gird & undergird glut goad golem Gordian_knot gossamer gouge grace_note greenhorn gregarious gridlock grist guileless gull & gullible gusto gyre habituate hackneyed haggard hailstorm halcyon hamstring harangue harbinger hard-bitten harrowing harry hauteur hedonistic hegira herculean hidebound histrionics hobble homily hoodwink hubris hydra iconoclast ignominious ilk ill-contrived imbroglio immiscible immolate immure imperious impertinent impetuous impinge impolitic importunate impressionable imprimatur impudence incandescent incense inchoate incontrovertible incorrigible incredulous incriminate indefatigable indefensible indelible indigence indolence indomitable indurate ineffable ineluctable ingenuous ingratiate ingress inimitable inscrutable insensate insipid insolent insuperable interleave internecine interstices intone intransigent intrepid introversion intuit inure invective inveigh inveigle inveterate invidious invigorate inviolable iota ipso_facto irk ironclad irrefutable irrepressible irreproachable iterative jaded jeremiad jettison jocular joie_de_vivre joust jovial juggernaut kaleidoscopic ken keynote keystone kilter knell koan kowtow labyrinthine lacerate lackadaisical lackluster laconic lambaste lamentable languid lapidary largesse lassitude laudable lebensraum legerdemain leitmotif leonine leviathan levity lilliputian lilt limbo liminal limn limpid linchpin lionize lithe litigious livid lockstep lodestar lodestone logjam longueur loquacious lucent lucre Luddite lugubrious luminary lupine lurid lyricism Machiavellian machismo madcap maelstrom magnanimous magnum_opus magpie mainspring maledictions malign malleable mammon mana manacle manifold manna mantle manumit marauding marginalia marinate martinet masquerade matchless maudlin mawkish mélange melee mellifluous menagerie mendacious mercurial meretricious meridian metastasize meteoric métier mettle miasma Micawber middling mien mince minutiae mire misanthrope & misanthropist miscreant millstone misnomer modicum modus_operandi mollify monochrome moot morass mordant moribund mortify mortise & tenon mottle mountebank muckrake mustard_seed mutable & immutable myopic nabob nadir naif nanosecond narcissist nebulous necromancy nefarious neologism neophyte nescience nettle niceties nidus nimbus nirvana noisome nonce noncommittal nondescript nonentity nonplussed non_sequitur nostrum nuanced nugatory numinous obdurate obeisance obfuscate objectify obliquity obsequious obsolescent obstreperous obtrusive obtuse occlude odyssey offal officious Olympian omnivorous onus opine opportune opprobrium opulent oracular Orwellian ossify ostentatious ostracize otiose ouster outré ovation oxymoron paean pageantry palatial palaver palimpsest palliate pallid panache pandemic panegyric panoply paper_tiger pariah parody & parodic paroxysm parry parsimony patent patina patrimony Pavlovian peccadillo pedantic pejorative pellucid pensive penultimate penumbra penurious percipient percolate peremptory perfidious perfunctory peripatetic perspicacious perspicuous pert peruse pestilential petrify petulant phantasmagoria pharisaic phlegmatic picaresque piebald pigeonhole pillory pinion pipe-dreamy piquant pique pithy placate plaintive plateau platitude plaudits plebeian pliable plumb plutocrat polychromatic polymath pontificate porcine prate & prattle praxis preclude precognition predestine preeminent pre-empt & pre-emptive preen prefabricated premeditate premonition preordain presage presumptuous preternatural primp prismatic prolix quagmire quail qualm quandary quantifiable & unquantifiable quarry quash quaver querulous quibble quintessential quixotic quotidian rabble raconteur raggedy raillery railroad ramification ramrod rancid rancor rankle rapacious rarefied ratchet raze recant recency recondite rectitude recumbent red_herring red-letter redolent redoubtable redound reify remonstrate remunerate renege repartee repine reprove resplendent restive resuscitate retentive reticent revenant reverent revivify rhapsody ribald rigamarole riposte rivulet rococo roil root_and_branch roseate rotund rough-cast roughshod ruminate runic saboteur saccharine sacrosanct sagacious sally salve salvo sanctimonious sang-froid sardonic sate saturnine savant scarify scrum scurrilous scuttle senescence sententious sere & sear serendipitous serpentine serried shibboleth showpiece Sibylline signet simulacrum sinecure sinuous siphon skeletal slake slipshod slovenly sluice snipe sobriquet sojourn solecism solicitous somersault sonorous sophistry soporific sortie sotto_voce spartan spasmodic specious spoor sportive squalid staid stanch stentorian stoic stolid straiten stratospheric striate stricture stultify stymie sublimate subterfuge subtext suggestible table (the verb) taciturn talisman tamp tantamount taproot tautological tawdry teeming teleological temerity tempestuous tenable tendentious tepid terra_firma terra_incognita terse threadbare timorous tincture tirade toothless torpid torrid touchstone tour_de_force tractable & intractable traduce transmogrify tremulous trenchant trepidation tribalism triptych trite trivialize troglodyte trove truculent trundle tryst turbid turgid turpitude tycoon tyro ubiquity ultimacy umbrage unassailable uncharitable unchoreographed undulate unencumbered unflagging unflappable unfurl unimpeachable unmitigated unremitting untether upbraid uproarious urbane usurious vacillate vacuous vainglory valor vapid varnished vegetate vehemence venal vendetta veneer venial verbose verdant verisimilitude vernal vertiginous vilify virtuosic visage vitriolic vituperation vivacity vociferous volte-face voluble voracious vouchsafe vulgarize waffle walloping wanderlust watchword watertight well-knit wellspring welter whitewash winnow workaday Xanadu xenophobic zealot zephyr zero-sum

Very Common | Common | Semi-Common | ▼Rare▼ | Very Rare

Level 4:

If you read for an hour a day,
you might bump into the words below
once every year or so.

abulia ad_rem addlepated adulate afflatus agita allegiant amour_propre anecdotal anemic anesthetize animadversion anima_mundi anneal annus mirabilis & annus horribilis anodyne anteprandial antipodal antithetical apercu aphelion_(&_perihelion) apostate apostrophe arriviste au courant autophagic bagatelle balkanize balletic banausic bastion bathetic beau_ideal beau_monde bedaub bedizened besotted billet_doux bituminous black_swan blasé bollard bon_mot bonhomie bootstrap bouillabaisse boustrophedon bowdlerize braggadocio brassbound brickbat Brigadoon brindle broad-brush Brobdingnagian brown_study brusque bugaboo bumptious bush-league cadent carom casus_belli catchpenny caterwaul cathartic chameleonic Chaplinesque cheeseparing chichi chintzy chockablock chrism circumambulate circumlocutory clangor claque cogitate Comstockery concomitant concupiscent condign confabulate confirmation bias Daedalian decerebrate defang demesne deracinate diablerie diametric diktat disaccord discountenance Disneyesque disputatious done_and_dusted donnish Draconian dragoon duende dulcet echt eclat eisegesis eldritch eleemosynary emaciate emote enamor epiphanic eristic errancy etiolated euphony evanesce exegesis exiguous ex_nihilo expurgate fait_accompli fandango fanfaronade fantast farouche farrago fervency fettle flagitious flashpoint flummox folderol fountainhead frangible frowsy fugacious fusty gallivanting galumph gamine gelid genius_loci gestate GIGO gilt-edged glissade Golconda gourmand Gradgrind graffito grandiloquence gravitas grimoire groupthink hairsbreadth hairsplitting hair-trigger halfalogue halo_effect hamartia hammer_and_tongs hardscrabble Hegelian Herrenvolk hispid Hobson's_choice hoi_polloi hors_de_combat hypertrophy hypnogogic & hypnopompic Icarian imitable impedimenta inappreciable indite infra_dig inkhorn insouciant imbricate irenic je_ne_sais_quoi jejune jerry-built jocose jocund jounce joyride Junoesque juste_milieu Kafkaesque kibitz kingcraft kismet kludge knolling kryptonite lachrymose lacuna laggardly lambent Laputan larcenous lissome lotus-eater & lotusland louche lucubration lumpen machinations makeweight maladroit malinger Manichaean maunderings McGuffin mea_culpa meliorism memento_mori mephitic metronomic milquetoast minatory mirabile_dictu miscellanea mise_en_scene modus_vivendi monomaniacal movable_feast moxie mulct multifarious Munchausen myrmidon naissant natter natty nebbish Newspeak niggle nip_and_tuck nix nocuous nolens_volens nom_de_guerre nonage nonpareil nunc_dimittis obesogenic obiter dictum oddment oleaginous olid olio onomatopoetic openhanded open_sesame ordure orotund orphic oubliette ouroboros pabulum Panglossian panhuman panjandrum panopticon paternoster pentimento percussive perorate persnickety persona grata & persona non grata phatic philippic picayune piece_de_resistance piffling piñata pinball pinchbeck pleonastic Plutonian politesse Pollyanna Polyphemus postprandial prandial pratfall predigested prelapsarian prepossessing preprandial prestidigitation prevaricate procrustean quincunx qui_vive rabidity raffish rapscallion rara_avis rattletrap rebarbative recherché recrudescent rejoinder remora reprehend retrogress rhizomatic riant rictus risible rodomontade Rosetta_stone rudderless Rumpelstiltskin sacralize sanative sapience savoir-faire savoir_vivre scabrous scandalmonger scattershot Schadenfreude Schrödinger's cat scienter scintilla scintillate scumble sedulous sempiternal seraphic shellacking shivaree shoehorn shopworn short_shrift silo silver-tongued sine_die Sisyphean skinflint skullduggery skunkworks skylark slipstream snafu snake-and-ladder soi-disant soliloquize solipsistic sophomoric soupcon spelunking spindrift sprezzatura squib Stygian sub rosa tailspin tenebrous tertium_quid thaumaturgy tinderbox toady tocsin toil-worn tony tornadic trammel treacly triturate truckle trumpery tumid twee ubi_sunt umpteen unfetter vade_mecum vaunt velleity veracious Vesuvian via_media vie vim virago viva_voce vox populi weather-wise Weltanschauung Weltschmerz whip_hand whipsaw whirligig windlass wire-puller work-shy wunderkammer yammer yawp zeitgeist zero_hour

Very Common | Common | Semi-Common | Rare | ▼Very Rare▼

Level 5:

Even if you read an hour a day,
you might never bump into
any of the words below.

à_la_mode abubble aeonian a_fortiori afterclap age_quod_agis alarums_and_excursions also-ran anguine anomie apophenia après_nous_le_déluge apricate & apricity a priori & a posteriori auto-da-fe backpedal Barnum_effect beamish beau_geste ben_trovato bete_noire bêtise bloviate bread_and_circuses bromidic cachinnate caliginous cannon_fodder cap-à-pie catch-as-catch-can cat's_cradle chapfallen chivy chop-logic circussy clinquant closefisted daguerrean Dahlesque Damoclean declasse defenestrate dégagé de novo derring-do deus_ex_machina the Diderot effect disconsonant dolce_far_niente Droste_effect El_Dorado embracive esprit_de_l'escalier even-keeled ex_pede_Herculem Faberge facile_princeps facilis_descensus faineant festina_lente finifugal fletcherize foofaraw free-hearted free-spoken fremdscham freudenfreude froideur gasconade gluckschmerz Goldbergian goldbrick Goodhart's law gray_eminence greeble Grundyish Hanlon's_razor hebetate hemi-demi-semi Hofstadter's Law holus-bolus hyperpalatable idée fixe immiserate inculpable inenarrable ingurgitate inside-baseball iridesce jamais_vu jeu_d'esprit jouissance juvenescent kayfabe keelhaul kerfuffle Kopfkino legerity lethologica longanimity madeleine_effect malapert malapropos maleficent matryoshka_dolls memento_vivere mise_en_place mono_no_aware monstre_sacré multum_in_parvo munge Murphy's_Law myth-information neophilia nepenthean ne_plus_ultra Nessus nibling nimiety nominis_umbra Norman doors Nostradamic nuit_blanche observer effect Occam's razor old-fangled old_fogeydom omerta omissible omnifarious opalesce operose oppugn & impugn orchidaceous outbulk Ozymandian Pandora's_box Parkinson's_Law petrichor plusquam- pococurante Podsnappian Poeish prêt-à-porter raison_d'etre rattle-bag réchauffé rejectamenta Rhadamanthine rimple rimy risorgimento roi_soleil rope-a-dope Rorschach_test Russell's teapot salmagundi Samsonian sciamachy sciolism Scylla_and_Charybdis self-applauding sesquipedalian Seussian Ship_of_Theseus siderate simpatico sine_qua_non skyscraping soigne Sprachgefühl status quo ante stellify stenograph stupor mundi Sturm und Drang sturmfrei sub_dio & sub_jove_frigido taedium_vitae termless throttlehold toplofty Torschlusspanik Tralfamadorian transpicuous trinketry tsundoku tub-thumpery tulgey ultracrepidarian uncertainty principle vincible Vorfreude whole-souled wizen yo-yoing zaddy zoomorphize Zugzwang

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