militate

Friday, February 6, 2009

militate

Pronunciation: [ˈmɪlɪteɪt]

Part of speech: verb

Structure: to militate against something

Definition: to have the effect of preventing something

Example: Her shyness strongly militates against her success in this competitive environment.

Usage note: formal word

See also: Verbs, M Words, Formal Words

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saccharine

Thursday, February 5, 2009

saccharine

Pronunciation: [ˈsækəri:n]

Part of speech: adjective

Definition: excessively sweet or sentimental

Example: I enjoy reading love stories but not saccharine ones that make one wants to vomit.

Usage note: derogatory word

See also: Adjectives, S Words, SAT Words

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decadence

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

decadence

Pronunciation: [ˈdekədəns]

Part of speech: noun (uncountable)

Definition: fall to a lower level, specially in morals

Example: Many pessimists see the decadence of society as a threat to the existence of mankind itself.

Usage note: derogatory word

-> decadent [ˈdekədənt] (adjective)

See also: Nouns, D Words

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recondite

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

recondite

Pronunciation: [ˈrekəndaɪt]

Part of speech: adjective

Definition: not known about or understood by many people

Example: He refused to major in the subject, rejecting it as recondite and incapable of giving him a bright future.

Usage note: formal word

See also: Adjectives, R Words, Formal Words, GRE Words

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exonerate

Monday, February 2, 2009

exonerate

Pronunciation: [ɪgˈzɒnəreɪt]

Part of speech: verb

Structure: to exonerate someone (from something)

Definition: to free someone (from something)

Example: He was exonerated from all responsibility for the murder.

-> exoneration [ɪgˌzɒnəˈreɪʃn] (noun)

See also: Verbs, E Words, GRE Words

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