Category: Weekly Word

Weekly Word is a weekly post intended to illustrate the meaning and use of a single word. The chosen word will begin with a different letter of the alphabet each week, as Louise (my daughter) and I work our way through the alphabet.

Louise posts on her website:

An Enchanted Place

This week’s word begins with the letter J

Meaning:

1.  Easy and sprightly in manner or bearing; happy and confident

2.  Smartly trim or stylishly chic in clothing:

3. Archaic: genteel

Pronunciation:

jawn-tee, jahn-tee

Audio Link:

jaunty

Part of Speech:

Adjective

Related Forms:

Jauntier (comparative adjective)

Jauntiest (superlative adjective)

Jauntily (adverb)

Jauntiness (noun)

Synonyms:

In the sense of sprightly:

carefree, high-spirited, devilish, dashing, jocund, perky, animated, jolly, jovial, cocky, sparky, bold, confident, buoyant, playful, impish

In the sense of smart in dress:

Smart, trim, dapper, stylish, spruce, showy, dashing, chic (a jaunty little hat):

Antonyms: 

depressing, cheerless, listless, depressed, lackadaisical, cheerless, sedate, lethargic, inactive

unfashionable, unstylish

Word Origin:

C17 (1655-65) earlier jentee or juntee from the French gentil (noble, gentle or genteel)

Use the Word in a Sentence: 

1.  Mary lifted young Jack onto her back and followed behind his twin brother, Joe, who scampered along jauntily on their way to the fair.

2.  As they reached the fair, Joe clapped his hands in excitement as the familiar jaunty music of the merry-go-round filled the afternoon air.

3.  The jauntiness in the steps of the three friends spoke of their enjoyment in each other’s company during their hike across the countryside.

***

If you would like to join us in doing this weekly post, both Louise and I would be happy to see you. You can pick of your own word and illustrate its use in any way you choose(even a short story) or use your chosen word to follow a similar pattern to our posts.

Weekly Word is a weekly post intended to illustrate the meaning and use of a single word. The chosen word will begin with a different letter of the alphabet each week, as Louise (my daughter) and I work our way through the alphabet.

Louise posts on her website:

An Enchanted Place

This week’s word begins with the letter I:

Meaning:

A product or idea featuring new, advanced and original methods; a person introducing new creative and original ideas in thinking; introducing innovations

Pronunciation:

in-uh-vey-tiv   (ɪn əˌveɪ tɪv)

Audio Link:

innovative

Part of Speech:

Adjective

Related Forms:

innovatively (adverb)

innovativeness (noun)

Synonyms:

original innovatory (British English) innovational new cutting-edge novel fresh unconventional unorthodox unusual unfamiliar unprecedented avant-garde experimental inventive ingenious advanced modern modernistic ultra-modern state-of-the-art futuristic pioneering groundbreaking trailblazing revolutionary radical

Antonyms: 

uncreative unimaginative uninventive unoriginal

Word Origin:

Late Middle English (1600-1610) from the Latin innovation, from the verb innovare

Use the Word in a Sentence: 

1. Despite being a hot-headed, violent man, often in trouble with the law and implicated in more than one murder, Caravaggio created striking, innovative paintings and pioneered the use of dramatic lighting and the representation of religious figures in modern clothes and attitudes.

2. Miss Reynolds stood before the class of sixteen-year-olds, her steely gaze reminding them she did not tolerate inattention. ‘Now,’ she started, adjusting her dark-rimmed spectacles, ‘last lesson we watched a short film about the many ways in which plastic pollution is affecting our oceans. So today you will work in groups to create a convincing presentation on how any one of those problems could be dealt with and, where possible, offer alternative materials that could be used in the place of those causing the problems. Credit will be given for innovative ideas and on how innovatively you present them.

3 The new company in town was known not only for its excellent working conditions and pension schemes for employees, but for the many opportunities for promotion it offered to those who showed innovativeness and flair.

***

If you would like to join us in doing this weekly post, both Louise and I would be happy to see you. You can pick of your own word and illustrate its use in any way you choose(even a short story) or use your chosen word to follow a similar pattern to our posts.

Weekly Word is a weekly post intended to illustrate the meaning and use of a single word. The chosen word will begin with a different letter of the alphabet each week, as Louise (my daughter) and I work our way through the alphabet.

Louise posts on her website:

An Enchanted Place

This week’s word begins with the letter H:

Meaning:

Excessive pride or foolish amount of self-confidence in one’s own abilities; a way of talking or behaving that is too proud and offends people.

Pronunciation:

hyoo-bris (hoo-bris)

Audio Link:

Hubris

Part of Speech:

Noun

Synonyms:

Arrogance, conceit, conceitedness, haughtiness, pride, nerve, vanity, self-importance, self-conceit, ostentation, pomposity, insolence, superciliousness, hauteur, big-headedness, boastfulness, pretension, pretentiousness, audacity, chuzpah, disdain.

Antonyms: 

Modesty, unselfishness, bashfulness, shyness, humility, self doubt, self loathing, altruism

Related Forms:

Hubristic (adjective)

Word Origin:

First recorded in 1880–85, HUBRIS is from the Greek word hýbris, meaning insolence.

(In Greek tragedy HUBRIS means excessive pride towards, or in defiance of the gods, leading to nemesis/punishment.)

Use the Word in a Sentence: 

1. From his seat in the clouds, Apollo focused on the young Trojan prince as he drew back his bow. Not renowned for his archery skills, Paris would not feel confident of his arrow finding its mark. But Apollo would ensure that the arrow flew straight to Achilles’ heel – the only vulnerable spot on the seemingly invincible Greek’s body. Achilles had greatly angered the gods with his pride and defiance and would pay dearly for his hubris.

2. The conductor put down his baton and nodded approvingly at the end of the orchestra’s rehearsal. The new violinist was not only extremely talented, she lacked the hubristic behaviour common to many musicians he’d employed in the past.

3. After putting up with her friend’s haughty and conceited ways since their schooldays, Erin suddenly flipped. ‘I’ve had it with you, Gloria. I’m sick of defending your pomposity to everyone. And believe me, once I stop lying through my teeth and telling them all how nice you are beneath that arrogant veneer, you won’t have a friend left in this town.’ She stood to leave. ‘And you know what…? From now on, you won’t even have me. Find another stooge to put up with your ridiculous hubris.’

***

If you would like to join us in doing this weekly post, both Louise and I would be happy to see you. You can pick of your own word and illustrate its use in any way you choose(even a short story) or use your chosen word to follow a similar pattern to our posts.

Weekly Word is a weekly post intended to illustrate the meaning and use of a single word. The chosen word will begin with a different letter of the alphabet each week, as Louise (my daughter) and I work our way through the alphabet.

Louise posts on her website:

An Enchanted Place

This week’s word begins with the letter G:

or…

The two spellings seem to be used in both the UK and the US, but the most used spelling seems to be the second one (whereas I have always used the first).

Meaning:

1.  Complicated or technical language that is difficult to understand, especially when used in official documents or instruction manuals.

2.  Although Meaning (1) above still remains in use, gobbledegook is sometimes used to mean simply nonsensical or silly (i.e. not necessarily jargon or pretentious wording):

Parents watched as the children played their party games, their happy chatter sounding like gobbledegook to adult ears.

Pronunciation:

gob–uhl-dee-gook

Audio Link:

Gobbledegook

Part of Speech:

Noun (Informal)

Synonyms:

nonsense, babble, balderdash, boloney, drivel, poppycock, mumbo jumbo, twaddle, gibberish, claptrap

Antonyms: 

fact, frankness, honesty, openness, sense, truth, truthfulness

Related Forms:

None

Word Origin:

1940s (originally US): probably imitating a turkey’s gobble.

Texas Congressman Maury Maverick coined the word in 1944 to describe the frustrating jargon used by policymakers in Washington. It reminded him of the sound of turkeys gobbling.

Use the Word in a Sentence: 

1. ‘Okay, I’ve heard enough,’ Greg said none too politely, cutting through the salesman’s jargon. ‘Forget the rest of the gobbledegook and just tell me how much the car costs.’

2. After listening to the closing speeches at the end of the trial, Monica’s head was spinning. Sifting the truth from the deluge of what sounded like gobbledegook spouted by witnesses and judges alike would not be an easy matter.

***

If you would like to join us in doing this weekly post, both Louise and I would be happy to see you. You can pick of your own word and illustrate its use in any way you choose(even a short story) or use your chosen word to follow a similar pattern to our posts.

Weekly Word is a weekly post intended to illustrate the meaning and use of a single word. The chosen word will begin with a different letter of the alphabet each week, as Louise (my daughter) and I work our way through the alphabet.

Louise posts on her website:

An Enchanted Place

This week’s word begins with the letter F:

Meaning:

British:

(Of a room): having a stale, warm, and stuffy atmosphere, often with an unpleasant smell due to the lack of fresh air

(Of a person or item):  having a slovenly or uncared-for appearance

Pronunciation:

frou-stee  ((frausti)

Audio Link:

Frowsty

Part of Speech:

Adjective

Synonyms:

stuffy musty airless unventilated fusty close muggy stifling suffocating oppressive stale stagnant smelly fetid malodorous rank damp acrid

Antonyms: 

airy ventilated

Related Forms:

Frowstier (comparative adjective)

Frowstiest (superlative asjective)

Other words from Frowsty:

Frowstily (adverb)

Frowstiness (noun)

Word Origin:

British

First recorded in 1860–65; perhaps dialectal variant of frowzy (of unknown origin)

Use the Word in a Sentence: 

1. Mary couldn’t understand how her sophisticated mother could enjoy the company of a gaggle of frowsty old women who spent their afternoons in an even frowstier old bingo hall.

2. Doctor Simons caught his breath as he followed the old man into his home. An overpowering stench of sickness filled the frowsty, overly warm room and his first impulse was to throw back the shutters to allow the fresh air to circulate.

3. The frowstiness of the air inside the derelict brewery told of years of it being locked and barred from the outside world.

Weekly Word is a weekly post intended to illustrate the meaning and use of a single word. The chosen word will begin with a different letter of the alphabet each week, as Louise (my daughter) and I work our way through the alphabet.

Louise posts on her website:

An Enchanted Place

This week’s word begins with the letter E:

Meaning:

A calm mental state, especially after a shock or disappointment or in a difficult situation; emotional stability or composure so that you never lose your temper or become upset

Pronunciation:

e-kwuh–nim-i-tee

Audio Link:

Equanimity

Part of Speech:

Noun

Synonyms:

Calm, calmness, composure, cool, poise, sangfoid, self-possession self-control, aplomb, placidity, balance

Antonyms: 

Discomposure, anxiety, frustration, doubt, excitableness, alarm, agitation

Related Forms:

Equanimous (adjective)

Word Origin:

Early 17th century (1600-10) from the Latin aequanimitas – which is equivalent to aequ(us), meaning even, plain, equal + anim(us) meaning ‘mind’, spirit, feeling.

Use the Word in a Sentence:

1. Sitting out here, gazing across this beautiful lake, was the only way that Mike could restore his equanimity after his latest row with his wife. How sad to think that their once loving and equanimous relationship had turned so sour.

Weekly Word is a weekly post intended to illustrate the meaning and use of a single word. The chosen word will begin with a different letter of the alphabet each week, as Louise (my daughter) and I work our way through the alphabet.

Louise posts on her website:

An Enchanted Place

This week’s word begins with the letter D:

Meaning:

(Of a person or their behaviour):

Not totally honest, frank or sincere;  not speaking the complete truth.

Pretending to know less about something than one actually does; falsely or hypocritically ingenuous (i.e. honest, sincere and trusting, sometimes in a way that seems childlike and naive).

 Pronunciation:

dis-in-jen-yoo-uh s

Audio Link:

disingenuous

Part of Speech:

Adjective

Related Forms:

disingenuously (adverb)

disingenuousness  (noun)

Synonyms:

dishonest, deceitful, underhand, duplicitous, double-dealing, two-faced, dissembling, insincere, false, lying, untruthful, mendacious, artful, cunning, scheming, double-faced

Antonyms:

ingenuous, frank, artless, candid, open, sincere, trustworthy, upright, honourable

Word Origin

First recorded in 1645–55 dis + ingenuous

Use the Word in a Sentence (or two):