Word |
Phonetic Pronunciation |
Part of Speech |
Definition |
apocryphal
Greek |
a-POK-ri-ful |
|
1. of doubtful authenticity
2. spurious; false |
Ex.
Rel. Themes: |
He lays claim to this parcel of land with an apocryphal deed.
High-Falutin' Insults
|
callipygian
Greek |
cal-i-PIJ-i-en |
|
pertaining to or having shapely buttocks |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes: |
The gym was full of men on a quest for the callipygian ideal.
From the name of a statue of Aphrodite, Aphrodite Kallipygos. From the Greek kallos "beauty" + pyge "buttocks."
Apo Mythologia | High-Falutin' Praises | There's A Word For That?
|
catoptromancy
Greek |
ka-TOP-tro-man-see |
|
divination by means of a mirror |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes: |
In the world of children's animation, catoptromancy is largely the province of evil overlords and jealous queens, whose mirrors tend to give them painful truths.
From katoptron "mirror" + manteia "divination"
There's A Word For That?
|
encyclical
Greek |
in-SICK-li-kul |
adjective |
1. addressed to all the individuals of a group
2. noun : a letter, esp. one sent by the Pope to the bishops
of the church |
Ex. |
My inbox is constantly overflowing with daily encyclicals from the school dean.
|
gorgonize
Greek |
GOR-gu-nize |
verb |
to have a paralyzing or mesmerizing effect on; STUPEFY |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes: |
The young lass was instantly gorgonized by the shapely frame of the newly arrived stranger from New
York.
From the Greek gorgos, "terrifying."
Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words
|
hyperborean
Greek |
high-per-BOR-ee-un |
adjective |
1. of or relating to an extreme northern region: frozen
2. of or relating to any of the arctic peoples |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes: |
Although she had endured many a hyperborean winter during her childhood, she always wore a jacket whenever
the mercury dipped below 60.
From Greek hyper- "above"
+ Boreas "god of the north wind." Literally,
"beyond the north wind."
Apo Mythologia | Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words | There's A Word For That? | Words That Impress
|
lexiphanicism
Greek |
lex-i-FAN-i-ciz-em |
|
the use of pretentious words or language |
Ex.
Rel. Themes: |
The style of many 19th-century poets suggests
they all took a university-level course in lexiphanicism.
Big Words About Big Words | Words That Impress
|
misandry
Greek |
MIS-an-dree |
|
hatred or oppression of men (misogyny is the female
counterpart) |
Ex.
Rel. Themes: |
Some women are so scarred by turbulent breakups that a
deep misandry afflicts them for
the rest of their lives.
Little-known Antonyms
for Well-known Words
|
miter
Greek |
MIGHT-er |
|
a headdress worn by bishops and abbots |
Ex. |
The Pope was laid in state and arrayed in full clerical
robes, a crosier beneath one arm and a miter atop his head.
|
|
o-NIGH-rik |
|
of or relating to dreams; DREAMY |
Ex.
Ex. 2.
Rel. Themes: |
Salvador Dali was a master of oneiric landscapes.
The warm rays of the sun and the subtle buzzing
of insects cast an oneiric haze
over the whole afternoon.
Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words | There's A Word For
That? | Words That Impress
|
psephology
Greek |
say-FOAL-a-gee |
|
the scientific analysis of political elections and voting |
Ex.
Rel. Themes: |
To most, psephology is more of an inexact art than a precise science.
There's A Word For That?
|
|
sapphic
Greek
Eponym |
SAF-ik |
adjective |
1. capitalized: of or relating to the Greek poet Sappho
2. lesbian |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes: |
The inclusion of a sapphic romantic subplot lent the play an unusual allure.
From the Greek lyric poetess Sappho, who lived on the isle of Lesbos c. 600 B.C.
Eponyms | Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words
|
sybarite
Greek
Toponym |
SIB-uh-rite |
noun |
a person whose chief interests are luxury and the gratification
of sensual appetites |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes: |
That old sybarite is easy to entertain! Just give him some feminine distractions
and a glass of wine and you won’t hear from him all
night.
Literally, an inhabitant of Sybaris, an ancient
Greek town in southern Italy whose inhabitants were renowned
for their love of luxury.
There's A Word For
That? | Toponyms
|
theophany
Greek |
thee-AW-fan-ee |
noun |
the appearance of a deity in a visible form to a person |
Ex. |
I just witnessed a theophany — Jesus himself came and spoke to me.
|
trichotillomania
Greek |
try-kuh-ti-luh-MAY-nee-uh |
noun |
an abnormal desire to pull out one's hair |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes: |
Greg's trichotillomania left him with frayed eyebrows and a random array of bald spots.
From the Greek trich- "hair" + tillein "to pull, pluck" + -mania "madness."
There's A Word For That? | Words That Impress
|
triskaidekaphobia
Greek |
tris-ky-dek-uh-FO-be-uh |
noun |
fear of the number 13 |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes: |
My cousin is so stricken with triskaidekaphobia that he stays locked indoors on the 13th of every month.
From treis "three" + kai "and" + deka "ten" + phobos "fear"
There's A Word For That?
|
