Word |
Phonetic Pronunciation |
Part of Speech |
Definition |
|
BREW-mul |
|
archaic : indicative of or occurring in the winter; wintry |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
The brumal winds howled like a pack of wolves and sucked the warmth from my bones.
From the Latin bruma, “winter”
Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words
wintry
|
|
se-LER-i-tee |
|
speed or rapidity of motion |
Ex.
Ex. 2.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
She speaks with great celerity.
The army moved toward its target with a celerity previously unimaginable.
Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words
rapidity, speed
|
|
con-CUE-pi-sens |
|
ardent sexual desire; LUST |
Ex.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
Her presence aroused in him an uncontrollable concupiscence that was not easily
slaked.
Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words
lust
|
|
con-FAB-u-late |
|
1. to talk informally; CHAT
2. to fill in gaps in memory by fabrication |
Ex.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
Dad is in the parlor confabulating with a prospective customer
Complex Words For Simple Things | Likely Literary | Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words
chat, talk
|
deracinate
Middle French |
dee-RAY-sin-ate |
verb |
1. UPROOT
2. to displace from one’s native or accustomed environment |
Ex.
Ex. 2.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
To keep an orderly garden, you must frequently deracinate unwanted weeds.
During World War II, Hitler deracinated millions of German-born Jews as a part of his “final
solution.”
Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words
uproot
|
diablerie
Late Latin |
dee-OB-lur-ee |
noun |
1. black magic; sorcery
2. a representation, in words or pictures, of black magic
or dealings with the devil
3. devilish or mischievous conduct |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
One’s tendency to engage in diablerie is greater in a place like Las Vegas, where everyone shares
the common purpose of drinking too much and sleeping too little.
From the Greek diabolos, “accuser”
or “slanderer.”
Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words
black magic, devilish behavior, sorcery
|
eleemosynary
Late Latin |
e-li-MAW-sin-air-ee |
adjective |
of, relating to, or supported by charity; CHARITABLE |
Ex.
Ex. 2.
Etym.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
Victims of large natural disasters frequently
depend on eleemosynary relief
from private individuals.
The church is supported by donations from
an anonymous, eleemosynary benefactor.
From the Late Latin eleemosyna, “alms.”
Complex Words for Simple
Things | Little-known
Synonyms for Well-known Words
charitable
|
fuliginous
Latin |
fyoo-LI-juh-nus |
adjective |
1. sooty, obscure, murky
2. having a dark or dusky color |
Ex.
Ex. 2.
Etym.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
At the height of the Industrial Revolution, London
was perhaps the most fuliginous city on earth.
The mountains were obscured in a fuliginous mantle of storm.
From the Latin fuligo, “soot.”
Likely Literary | Little-known
Synonyms for Well-known Words
dusky, murky, obscure, sooty
|
gasconade
French
Toponym |
gas-kuh-NADE |
noun |
bravado or exaggerated boasting |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
Despite all his gasconade,
he failed to finish the job on time.
From the French gascon, “boaster,”
in turn from Gascon, an inhabitant of the town of Gascony,
notorious for its boastful citizens.
Little-known Synonyms
for Well-known Words | Toponyms
bravado
|
gorgonize
Greek |
GOR-gu-nize |
verb |
to have a paralyzing or mesmerizing effect on; STUPEFY |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
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
petrify, stupefy
|
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:
Synonym for: |
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
frozen, northerly
|
|
aub-NOO-bi-late |
|
to becloud or obscure |
Ex.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
The judge’s ruling included excessive amounts
of dicta, which did nothing but obnubilate his main points.
Complex Words For Simple
Things | Little-known
Synonyms for Well-known Words | Words
That Impress
conceal, mask, obscure
|
|
o-NIGH-rik |
|
of or relating to dreams; DREAMY |
Ex.
Ex. 2.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
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
dreamy
|
|
|
PUL-kri-tood |
|
physical beauty |
Ex.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
He was a dashing figure of great pulchritude,
sculpted as from a stone by the gods.
Complex Words For Simple
Things | High-Falutin' Praises | Likely Literary | Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words
beauty
|
sapphic
Greek
Eponym |
SAF-ik |
adjective |
1. capitalized: of or relating to the Greek poet Sappho
2. lesbian |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes:
Synonym for: |
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
lesbian
|
|
WI-dur-shinz |
|
1. in a direction opposite to the usual; the wrong way; counterclockwise
2. in a direction contrary to the apparent course of the sun (considered as unlucky or causing disaster) |
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes:
* |
"The coracle whirled round, clockwise, then widdershins." (Anthony Bailey)
Chiefly a Scottish dialect word, probably from Middle Low German weddersinnes, lit. "against the way"
Likely Literary, Little-known Synonyms, Sounds Silly
Technically not a German word, since modern German (or "New High German") is different from the Middle Low German (c. 1100 - c. 1500) from which this word is likely descended
|
