Effusive

Building Your Power of Expression Effusive, adj. Pronunciation: əˈfyo͞osiv Meaning: Any time you are expressing feelings of gratitude, praise, approval, or offering compliments in a way that is unrestrained, deeply heartfelt, or over-the-top, you are being effusive. Usage: She received quite an effusive welcoming upon her return. I couldn’t help it; I gave them effusive praise […]

Building Your Power of Expression Compunction, n. [usually used in the negative] Pronunciation: kəmˈpəNG(k)SH(ə)n Meaning: A compunction is a feeling of guilt or moral scruple that prevents or follows the doing of something bad. Think of it as a feeling of anxiety arising from awareness of guilt. It could also be thought of as distress of […]

Building Your Power of Expression Schema, n. Pronunciation: ˈskēmə Meaning: Aside from its technical use in the fields of logic or philosophy (especially in Kantian philosophy) a schema most generally refers to a representation of a plan or theory in the form of an outline or a model of some kind. If I developed a new […]

Building Your Power of Expression Emaciated, adj. Pronunciation: əˈmāSHēˌādəd Meaning: When a person (or an animal) appears to be abnormally weak and thin, especially when due to illness or a lack of food, that person (or animal) could be said to be emaciated. We’ve all seen people or animals that have been neglected and are thus […]

Building Your Power of Expression Ameliorate, v. Pronunciation: əˈmēlyəˌrāt Meaning: To ameliorate is to take something bad or undesirable and make it better somehow; to make more tolerable. Usage: Take this medicine, as it will help ameliorate the pain. His reforms did much to ameliorate living standards. Although this environment is in utter disarray, it will […]

Building Your Power of Expression Droll, adj. Pronunciation: drōl Meaning: This word describes something that is curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement. Usage: He was notable for his unique brand of droll self-mockery. No, I didn’t do the chicken dance or anything so droll. Nick is very droll; he’s got a very […]

Building Your Power of Expression Risible adj. Pronunciation: ˈrizəbəl Meaning: Something that is capable of causing laughter. The word describes something that is amusing or worthy of laughter, often because it is absurd or ridiculous. Usage: The comedian’s risible performance had the audience in stitches. His risible attempts at dance moves made everyone at the party […]

Building Your Power of Expression Paean n. Pronunciation: ˈpēən Meaning:A paean is a rich word loaded with meaning and energy. The word can refer to a song of praise or triumph, such as the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah, or the National Anthem (“The Star Spangled Banner”) of the United States. Additionally, a paean can be […]

Building Your Power of Expression Pining, pine n. Pronunciation: pin ng Meaning: To pine is to yearn for something with deep intensity – especially something that is unattainable. If a person longs for the return of something (e.g., a person, an earlier state of affairs, etc.,) they could said to be pining for that thing from […]

Building Your Power of Expression Specter, n. Pronunciation: ˈspektər Meaning: Although this word originally referred to a ghost, which for some people is scary enough, the meaning of this word has expanded to encompass anything that is widely feared as a possible unpleasant or even dangerous occurrence. Usage: The direction you are suggesting may well lead […]