Make Your Point > Archived Issues, by Frequency
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Make Your Point is a free daily email.
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.
▼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.
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
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
bailiwick
baleful
banal
bandy
bane
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
carp
carte_blanche
cataclysm
cathartic
cause_célèbre
cavalcade
cavalier
cavil
cavort
celerity
censorious
ceteris_paribus
chaff
charlatan
chary
chasten
chicanery
chimerical
choleric
chortle
chrysalis
chthonic
chutzpah
cipher
circuitous
circumnavigate
circumspect
clairvoyant
clarion
cloaca
cloy
coeval
colonnade
comely
commensurate
commiserate
commodious
companionable
compartmentalize
complaisant
complicit
compunction
concatenate
concord
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
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
effusive
egregious
élan
elephantiasis
elide
elysian
emollient
encomium
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
frisson
fructify
fulcrum
fulminate
fungible
fusillade
fustian
gaffe
gaggle
gainsay
gambit
gangrenous
garish
garrulous
gauche & gaucherie
gauleiter
genuflect
germane
germinal
gird_&_undergird
glut
goad
golem
Gordian_knot
gossamer
gouge
grace_note
greenhorn
gregarious
gridlock
grist
guileless
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
ill-contrived
imbroglio
immiscible
immolate
immure
imperious
impertinent
impetuous
impolitic
importunate
imprimatur
incandescent
incense
inchoate
incontrovertible
incorrigible
incredulous
incriminate
indefatigable
indefensible
indelible
indigence
indolence
indomitable
indurate
ineffable
ineluctable
ingenuous
ingratiate
ingress
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
keynote
keystone
kilter
knell
koan
kowtow
labyrinthine
lacerate
lackadaisical
laconic
lambaste
lamentable
languid
lapidary
largesse
lassitude
laudable
lebensraum
legerdemain
leitmotif
leonine
leviathan
levity
lilliputian
lilt
limbo
liminal
limn
limpid
linchpin
lionize
litigious
livid
lockstep
lodestar
lodestone
logjam
longueur
loquacious
lucent
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
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
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
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
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
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
uncharitable
unchoreographed
unencumbered
unflagging
unflappable
unfurl
unimpeachable
unmitigated
unremitting
untether
upbraid
uproarious
urbane
usurious
vacillate
vacuous
vainglory
valor
vapid
variegated
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
allegiant
amour_propre
anecdotal
anemic
anesthetize
animadversion
anima_mundi
anneal
annus_mirabilis_&_annus_horribilis
anodyne
anteprandial
antipodal
antithetical
apercu
aphelion_(&_perihelion)
apostate
apostrophe
arriviste
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
cheeseparing
chichi
chintzy
chockablock
chrism
circumambulate
circumlocutory
clangor
claque
cogitate
Comstockery
concomitant
Daedalian
decerebrate
defang
demesne
deracinate
diablerie
diametric
diktat
disaccord
discountenance
Disneyesque
disputatious
done_and_dusted
donnish
Draconian
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
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
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
kludge
knolling
kryptonite
lachrymose
lacuna
laggardly
lambent
Laputan
larcenous
lissome
lotus-eater_&_lotusland
louche
lucubration
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
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
preprandial
procrustean
quincunx
qui_vive
rabidity
raffish
rapscallion
rara_avis
rattletrap
rebarbative
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
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
tailspin
tenebrous
tertium_quid
thaumaturgy
tinderbox
toady
tocsin
toil-worn
tony
tornadic
trammel
treacly
triturate
truckle
trumpery
tumid
twee
ubi_sunt
umpteen
undulant
unfetter
vade_mecum
vaunt
velleity
veracious
Vesuvian
via_media
vie
vim
viva_voce
vox populi
weather-wise
Weltanschauung
Weltschmerz
whip_hand
whipsaw
whirligig
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
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
chop-logic
circussy
clinquant
closefisted
daguerrean
Dahlesque
Damoclean
declasse
defenestrate
dégagé
derring-do
deus_ex_machina
disconsonant
dolce_far_niente
Droste_effect
El_Dorado
embracive
esprit_de_l'escalier
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
gray_eminence
Grundyish
Hanlon's_razor
hebetate
hemi-demi-semi
holus-bolus
idée fixe
immiserate
inculpable
inenarrable
ingurgitate
inside-baseball
iridesce
jamais_vu
jeu_d'esprit
jouissance
juvenescent
kayfabe
keelhaul
kerfuffle
Kopfkino
legerity
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
Occam's razor
old-fangled
old_fogeydom
omissible
omnifarious
opalesce
operose
oppugn_&_impugn
orchidaceous
outbulk
Ozymandian
Pandora's_box
Parkinson's_Law
petrichor
plusquam-
pococurante
Podsnappian
Poeish
raison_d'etre
rattle-bag
réchauffé
rejectamenta
Rhadamanthine
rimple
rimy
risorgimento
roi_soleil
rope-a-dope
Rorschach_test
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
sub_dio & sub_jove_frigido
taedium_vitae
termless
throttlehold
toplofty
Torschlusspanik
Tralfamadorian
transpicuous
trinketry
tub-thumpery
tulgey
ultracrepidarian
vincible
Vorfreude
whole-souled
wizen
yo-yoing
zaddy
zoomorphize
Zugzwang
|
▼Very Common▼ | Common | Semi-Common | Rare | Very Rare |
Very Common | Common | ▼Semi-Common▼ | Rare | Very Rare | |
abase abate abeyance abhorrent abnegation abomination aboveboard abscond abstemious abstruse abysmal accolade accoutrements acerbic acid test acme acolyte acquisitive acrid acrimonious acumen 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 bailiwick baleful banal bandy bane 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 carp carte_blanche cataclysm cathartic cause_célèbre cavalcade cavalier cavil cavort celerity censorious ceteris_paribus chaff charlatan chary chasten chicanery chimerical choleric chortle chrysalis chthonic chutzpah cipher circuitous circumnavigate circumspect clairvoyant clarion cloaca cloy coeval colonnade comely commensurate commiserate commodious companionable compartmentalize complaisant complicit compunction concatenate concord 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 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 effusive egregious élan elephantiasis elide elysian emollient encomium 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 frisson fructify fulcrum fulminate fungible fusillade fustian gaffe gaggle gainsay gambit gangrenous garish garrulous gauche & gaucherie gauleiter genuflect germane germinal gird_&_undergird glut goad golem Gordian_knot gossamer gouge grace_note greenhorn gregarious gridlock grist guileless 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 ill-contrived imbroglio immiscible immolate immure imperious impertinent impetuous impolitic importunate imprimatur incandescent incense inchoate incontrovertible incorrigible incredulous incriminate indefatigable indefensible indelible indigence indolence indomitable indurate ineffable ineluctable ingenuous ingratiate ingress 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 keynote keystone kilter knell koan kowtow labyrinthine lacerate lackadaisical laconic lambaste lamentable languid lapidary largesse lassitude laudable lebensraum legerdemain leitmotif leonine leviathan levity lilliputian lilt limbo liminal limn limpid linchpin lionize litigious livid lockstep lodestar lodestone logjam longueur loquacious lucent 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 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 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 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 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 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 uncharitable unchoreographed unencumbered unflagging unflappable unfurl unimpeachable unmitigated unremitting untether upbraid uproarious urbane usurious vacillate vacuous vainglory valor vapid variegated 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 | |
abulia ad_rem addlepated adulate allegiant amour_propre anecdotal anemic anesthetize animadversion anima_mundi anneal annus_mirabilis_&_annus_horribilis anodyne anteprandial antipodal antithetical apercu aphelion_(&_perihelion) apostate apostrophe arriviste 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 cheeseparing chichi chintzy chockablock chrism circumambulate circumlocutory clangor claque cogitate Comstockery concomitant Daedalian decerebrate defang demesne deracinate diablerie diametric diktat disaccord discountenance Disneyesque disputatious done_and_dusted donnish Draconian 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 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 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 kludge knolling kryptonite lachrymose lacuna laggardly lambent Laputan larcenous lissome lotus-eater_&_lotusland louche lucubration 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 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 preprandial procrustean quincunx qui_vive rabidity raffish rapscallion rara_avis rattletrap rebarbative 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 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 tailspin tenebrous tertium_quid thaumaturgy tinderbox toady tocsin toil-worn tony tornadic trammel treacly triturate truckle trumpery tumid twee ubi_sunt umpteen undulant unfetter vade_mecum vaunt velleity veracious Vesuvian via_media vie vim viva_voce vox populi weather-wise Weltanschauung Weltschmerz whip_hand whipsaw whirligig wire-puller work-shy wunderkammer yammer yawp zeitgeist zero_hour |
Very Common | Common | Semi-Common | Rare | ▼Very Rare▼ | |
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 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 chop-logic circussy clinquant closefisted daguerrean Dahlesque Damoclean declasse defenestrate dégagé derring-do deus_ex_machina disconsonant dolce_far_niente Droste_effect El_Dorado embracive esprit_de_l'escalier 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 gray_eminence Grundyish Hanlon's_razor hebetate hemi-demi-semi holus-bolus idée fixe immiserate inculpable inenarrable ingurgitate inside-baseball iridesce jamais_vu jeu_d'esprit jouissance juvenescent kayfabe keelhaul kerfuffle Kopfkino legerity 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 Occam's razor old-fangled old_fogeydom omissible omnifarious opalesce operose oppugn_&_impugn orchidaceous outbulk Ozymandian Pandora's_box Parkinson's_Law petrichor plusquam- pococurante Podsnappian Poeish raison_d'etre rattle-bag réchauffé rejectamenta Rhadamanthine rimple rimy risorgimento roi_soleil rope-a-dope Rorschach_test 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 sub_dio & sub_jove_frigido taedium_vitae termless throttlehold toplofty Torschlusspanik Tralfamadorian transpicuous trinketry tub-thumpery tulgey ultracrepidarian vincible Vorfreude whole-souled wizen yo-yoing zaddy zoomorphize Zugzwang |