Garrulous

Building Your Power of Expression Garrulous, adj. Pronunciation: ˈɡerələs Meaning: Ever met a person who is excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters? That person is garrulous. Usage: “In the play, that particular character was portrayed as a foolish, garrulous old man.” “At family dinners, my uncle always became a bit garrulous, regaling us with endless […]

Building Your Power of Expression Studied, adj. Pronunciation: ˈstədēd Meaning: This word points to some sort of quality or result achieved or maintained by careful and deliberate effort. Usage: “He treated them with studied politeness.” “She gave a studied response, ensuring every word was chosen carefully.” “He maintained a studied indifference, though it was clear […]

Building Your Power of Expression Imprimatur, n. Pronunciation: ˌimprəˈmädər, imˈpriməˌto͝or Meaning: This word originally referred to an official license by the Roman Catholic Church to print an ecclesiastical or religious book of some kind, one that was deemed to hold no doctrinal errors; thus, the word, coming from the Latin, meant “Let it be printed.” […]

Building Your Power of Expression Amnesiac(s), n. Pronunciation: amˈnēzēˌak(s) Meaning: A person (or persons) experiencing a partial or total loss of memory. I often use the term in the plural in a metaphorical sense to describe our tendency as people to fail to remember certain things. Usage: “We need constant reminders because, frankly, we are […]

Building Your Power of Expression Palliative, adj., n. Pronunciation: ˈpalēˌādiv Meaning: Although this word doubles as both a noun and an adjective, I prefer the latter. Although in the field of medicine, the word refers to the relieving of symptoms without dealing with the root cause of the condition, I tend to employ this word […]

Building Your Power of Expression Pluck, n. Pronunciation: ˌplək Meaning: This nifty noun (and mind you, it can also be a verb, but that is for an entirely different context and meaning) is not used often, but when it is, it brings some lively imagery with it. Pluck refers to spirited and determined courage. Usage: […]

Building Your Power of Expression Winsome, adj. Pronunciation: ˌˈwin(t)səm Meaning: This word brings to mind the notion of something that is attractive or appealing in appearance or character. At its heart, the word conveys a kind of gentle, disarming charm. It is not loud or flashy or manipulative. It is the sort of appeal that […]

Building Your Power of Expression Prestidigitation, n. Pronunciation: ˌprestəˌdijəˈtāSHən Meaning: In its original and pure usage, the word Prestidigitation refers to the art or skill of performing magic tricks, sleight of hand, or clever manual deception—especially the kind associated with stage magicians and illusionists. The word comes from the French prestidigitateur, meaning “fast fingers,” and […]

Building Your Power of Expression Bucolic, adj. Pronunciation: byo͞oˈkälik Meaning: This word conveys the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life. Usage: “The church is lovely for its bucolic setting.” “Her childhood memories were steeped in bucolic scenes of orchards dirt roads, and the gentle rhythm of rural life.” “The poet’s language was so […]

Building Your Power of Expression Optics, n., pl. Pronunciation: ˈäptiks Meaning: Although this is a plural noun, it is usually treated, in practice, as a singular noun (similar to economics, politics, etc.) While the word originally pertained to the scientific study of sight and the behavior of light, I tend to use the word in […]