Commiserate: Part of Speech – verb Definition – 1. to feel or express sorrow or sympathy for; empathize with; pity Word Root – com, together Sample Sentence – “A true friend is one who can commiserate with those he cares for.”

Voracious: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – exceedingly eager or avid. Word Root – vor, eater ous, full of Sample Sentence – “Stan was always a voracious reader of science fiction.” “I used to voraciously collect antique chess boards.”

Circumlocution: Part of Speech – noun Definition – 1. The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language. 2. Evasiveness in speech or writing. 3. A roundabout expression. Word Root – circum, around loqui-, to speak Sample Sentence – “The politician evaded talking about the issue through circumlocution.”

Animosity: Part of Speech – noun Definition – a feeling of strong dislike, ill will, or enmity that tends to display itself in action. Word Root – anim, mind ous, full of Sample Sentence – “The friends that once had loved each other now shared a common animosity.”

Belligerent: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – of warlike character; aggressively hostile Word Root – bell, war Sample Sentence – “My sister always talks to my parents with a belligerent tone.” “I will not tolerate your belligerence any longer!”

Vacuous: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – 1. Lacking intelligence; stupid. 2. Devoid of matter; empty. Word Root –vac, empty ous, full of Sample Sentence – “I tried explaining it to him, but his expression remained vacuous and uncomprehending.”

Cosmopolitan: Part of Speech – noun Definition – belonging to all the world; not limited to just one part of the world Word Root – cosm, world polis, city Sample Sentence – “His mother was Russian and his dad was Peruvian…he was a true cosmopolitan.”

Perambulate: Part of Speech – verb Definition – To walk through, about, or over. Word Root – peri, around ambul, to walk Sample Sentence – “As you take the test I will be perambulating in case you have any questions.” “He generally perambulated near her table once or twice each day during lunch.”

Dormant: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – Lying asleep; a state of inactivity. Word Root – dorm, sleep Sample Sentence – “The cold weather and darker days usually make most teens rather dormant during much of winter break.”

Euphony: Part of Speech – noun Definition – agreeableness of sound; pleasing effect on the ear Word Root – eu, good phon, sound Sample Sentence – “Good poetry always seems to have a euphonious succession of words.”

Patriarchy: Part of Speech – noun Definition – a social organization in which the father is the supreme authority (in tribes or families, not in necessarily government) Word Root – pater, father archy, government Sample Sentence – “Capable women have for centuries sought to escape the oppression of traditional patriarchies.”

Symbiotic: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – an interdependent, mutually beneficial relationship between two organisms. Word Root – sym, together bio, life Sample Sentence – “The two hugged each other in a momentary symbiotic exchange of encouragement.”

Soliloquy: Part of Speech – noun Definition – The act of talking while or as if alone. Word Root – sol, alone loqui, to speak Sample Sentence – “Hamlet’s famous soliloquy begins with the words ‘To be or not to be.’”

Fiduciary: Part of Speech – noun Definition – 1. A person who holds property or power in trust for another. Word Root –fid, trust Sample Sentence – “The teacher was fiduciary for John’s flowers, promising to hold them until he could give it to Nikki in 6th period.” “The government is responsible for all fiduciary distribution.”

“Sucks to your ass-mar!” -Ralph

Intransigent: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – refusing to agree or compromise Word Root – in, not trans, across Sample Sentence – “My father’s intransigent character forced me to date my first girlfriend secretly.

Equanimity: Part of Speech – noun Definition – Mental or emotional stability or composure, especially when under stress. Word Root – equi, equal anim, mind Sample Sentence – “Those who are veteran performers understand how to operate with equanimity during intense situations (go dancers, musicians, and athletes!)”

Verisimilitude: Part of Speech – noun Definition – The appearance or semblance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true. Word Root – ver, truth Sample Sentence – “Good playwrights attempt to depict their characters with verisimilitude.” “Teachers’ statements always have the luster of verisimilitude, but believe only half of what you hear.”

Recapitulate: Part of Speech – verb Definition – 1. To repeat in concise form; to make a summary (recap). Word Root – re-, again capit, head ate, to make Sample Sentence – “After the teacher gives her lecture, she always asks a student to recapitulate.”

-Ralph (139) “What makes things break up like they do?” Stanley: “But didn’t we, didn’t we –” Jack: “No! How could we – kill – it?”(160)

Verbose: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – Characterized by the use of many or too many words; wordy Word Root – verb, word Sample Sentence – “Your ideas are good, but your writing is verbose.” “I try to avoid the more verbose teachers in the hallway so they don’t chat my ear off for too long.”

Laudable Part of Speech – adjective Definition – Deserving praise; praiseworthy; commendable Word Root – laud, praise Sample Sentence – “Laudando’s efforts this football season were quite laudable. Good luck next year!” “He made a laudable attempt at making it known that he wanted Shelly to ask him to Turnabout, but to no avail – she asked Kyle.”

Vivacious: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – Lively or animated; full of energy Word Root – viv, live/life ous, full of Sample Sentence – “Jack’s tribe performed the vivacious pig hunting dance before they inadvertently killed Simon.”

Neologism: Part of Speech – noun Definition – A new word, usage, or phrase Word Root – neo, new logos, word Sample Sentence – “Gerschlunk!” said Nicole as she dropped her books….she relied on neologisms instead of actual curse words. Jessie might say “This cake tastes very….ummm….scrum-diddly-umptious!” because no real word contains the enthusiasm she expresses with her neologism.

Vociferous: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – crying out noisily; clamorous; Word Root – voc, voice ous, full of Sample Sentence – “Ralph gave vociferous objections to the boys ignoring the fire.”

Amorphous: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – lacking definite form; having no specific shape Word Root – a, not/without morph, shape ous, full of Sample Sentence – “He puffed an amorphous cloud of smoke in her face before she could even confront him.” “His personality was as unpredictable and amorphous as the wind.”

Corporeal: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – Of the nature of the physical body; bodily. Word Root – corp, body Sample Sentence – “Comfort food might meet her corporeal needs, but what could heal her spirit?” “The angel took on a corporeal form to finally appear to the man whom he had always looked after.”

Posthumous: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – arising, occurring, or continuing after ones death. Word Root – post, after Sample Sentence – “Tupac is the only person I know who still magically seems to be publishing new albums posthumously.”

Euphemism: Part of Speech – noun Definition – The substitution of a mild or indirect phrase for one that is usually considered harsh or blunt. Word Root – eu, good Sample Sentence – “You’re about to buy the farm!” my father would euphemize as he was about to beat me at RBI Baseball, again.

Contravene: Part of Speech – verb Definition – To come or be in conflict with; to infringe or trangress. Word Root – contra, against Sample Sentence – “If you morally disagree with a law, is it still okay to contravene it?” “The good-for-nothing husband contravened every sentence of his wife’s with an excuse.”

Verbatim: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – Corresponding word for word with the original source or text. Word Root – verb, word Sample Sentence – “Mr. Catapano quoted ‘The Raven’ verbatim last semester.” “The secretary took down her boss’s words verbatim.”

Circumspect: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent. Word Root – circum, around spect, look Sample Sentence – “Fearing potential danger, he entered the dark alley with very circumspect behavior.”

My favorite quote from Antigone: “We are of the tribe that asks questions, and we ask them to the bitter end. Until no tiniest chance of hope remains to be strangled by our hands.”

Autocracy: Part of Speech – noun Definition – Government in which one person has uncontrolled/unlimited authority over others. Word Root – auto, self cracy, rule/govern Sample Sentence – “America fears nothing more than becoming an autocracy.”

Monogamous: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – Marriage with only one other person at a time. Word Root – mono, one gamy, marriage ous, full of Sample Sentence – “Hopefully you have been faithful in each of your relationships….this will easily lead to a monogamous mindset when you’re with your future spouse.”

Mortify: Part of Speech – verb Definition – To humiliate or shame, as by injuring a person’s pride and self-respect. Word Root – mort, death Sample Sentence – “The ambitious mother mortified her daughter when she called the teacher herself!”

Egotistical: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – given to talking about oneself; vain; boastful; opinionated; indifferent to the well-being of others. Word Root – ego, I Sample Sentence – “Laura was always an egotistical teen, so self-absorbed, telling and retelling that stupid story about her and the raft.”

“I don’t get it!” -Mr. Catapano

The POWER of Paraphrasing: To understand difficult passages, one must be able to restate it in their own words. Paraphrasing forces someone to decode and re-encode information. By doing this, you are communicating the information to yourself in a form that is more easily understood. It turns “What in the world?!!” to “Oh! I get it now!”

Confluence: Part of Speech – noun Definition – The flowing together of two or more streams; a coming together of people or things. Word Root – con, together flu, flow Sample Sentence – “A confluence of negative events transpired that caused the downfall of Jack and Jill’s relationship.”

Jurisdiction: Part of Speech – noun Definition – The right, power, or authority to administer justice. Word Root – jur, rule/law dict, speak Sample Sentence – “Who has jurisdiction to enforce the laws in Hoffman Estates?”

Centrifugal: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – moving or directed outward from the center Word Root – centri, center (fug, flee) Sample Sentence – “A finely-tuned combination of gravity and centrifugal force keep Earth in orbit around the sun.”

Invocation: Part of Speech – noun Definition – Any petition or supplication for help or aid, usually to a deity. Word Root – voc, voice in, in Sample Sentence – “He muttered a petty invocation before stepping foot onto the battlefield.”

Concentric: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – Having a common center, usually in circles or spheres. Word Root – con, together centric, center Sample Sentence – “He threw the pebble into the lake, watching as the peaceful concentric circles drifted outwards.

Ambulatory: Part of Speech – adjective Definition – of, pertaining to, or capable of walking. Word Root – ambul, walk Sample Sentence – “He asked to go to the bathroom, but really went on his daily ambulatory exploration of the hallways until he got caught.” “She preferred the wheel-chair’s comforts, but was still somewhat ambulatory when she needed to be.”

Acronym: Part of Speech – noun Definition – A word formed from the initial letters of a group of words. Word Root – acro, high nym, name Sample Sentence – “OPEC, NAFTA, NAACP, NCAA, UN, USA, and AWOL are all acronyms.”

Benediction: Part of Speech – noun Definition – An utterance of good wishes, usually spoken at the end of a religious service. Word Root – bene, good dict, speak, say Sample Sentence – “On the last day of the school, the teacher couldn’t help but conclude the year by giving a warm benediction and plenty of candy to his class.”