Learn English Vocabulary - via Word of the Day

Aversion [ uh'-VUR-zhuh' n, -shuh' n ][ noun ]MEANING :1. a deep repugnance, dislike or antipathy
2. the cause of repugnance or dislike
3. an evasion or dodging of something unpleasantUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :She had a deep seated aversion towards sea food.

Vapid [ VAP-id ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. insipid, dull, tasteless or lifeless
2. boring, uninteresting or lacking zestUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The novel was described as a vapid read.

Composure [ kuh' m-POH-zher ][ noun ]MEANING :calmness, serenity or tranquility of mind, manner or appearanceUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The control and composure exhibited by her during the phase was exemplary.

Tepid [ TEP-id ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. lukewarm or barely warm
2. half-hearted or devoid of enthusiasm, zeal or passionUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The tepid tea was sent back to the kitchen to be reheated.

Tribute [ TRIB-yoot ][ noun ]MEANING :1. An act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration.
2. Payment made periodically by one state or ruler to another, especially as a sign of dependence.
3. A proportion of ore or its equivalent, paid to a miner for his work, or to the owner or lessor of a mine.USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :A fitting tribute to the soldiers was planned on their return.

Opportunist [ op-er-TOO-niz-uh’ m, -TYOO- ][ noun ]MEANING :one who takes complete advantage of an opportunity irrespective of whether it goes against ones principles or ethicsUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The police were convinced that those responsible were organised car thieves and not opportunists.

Collude [ kəˈl(j)uːd][ verb ]MEANING :1. Cooperate in a secret or unlawful way in order to deceive or gain an advantage over others.
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The president accused his opponents of colluding with foreigners

Anomaly [ uh'-NOM-uh'-lee ][ noun ]MEANING :1. divergence or deviation from a rule or form
2. something that is strange odd or peculiar
3. (astronomy) the angular deviation of a planet orbiting the Sun from its perihelion (as observed from the Sun)USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The case was termed as an anomaly and filed for future reference.

Subliminal [ suhb-LIM-uh’-nl ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. functioning or operating well below the threshold of consciousness
2. inadequate or insufficient to produce sensation or cause stimulusUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :There were accused of using subliminal messages on television to sell their products.

constituent [ kuh' n-Stich-oo-uh' nt ]

GRAMMAR: [ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :1. (n.) a component or an important part
2. (n.) one who is part of a constituency
3. (n.) one who can authorize another to vote or act on behalf of himself or herself
4. (n.) an element that is part of a grammatical construction
5. (adj.) one who is empowered to vote or appoint
6. (adj.) one who has the authority to revise a constitution
7. (adj.) composing or forming something
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Milk is a constituent of a healthy breakfast.

USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :His mobile phone and Blackberry were seized and his Parliamentary email account - used by many of his 75,000 constituents to communicate with their MP - had been suspended.

Surmount [ ser-MOUNT ][ verb ]MEANING :1. to exceed, overcome, conquer or prevail over
2. to rise to the top of
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :He had surmounted many formidable hardships to reach where he is today.

Surmise [ v. ser-MAHYZ; n. ser-MAHYZ, SUR-mahyz ][ verb, noun]MEANING :1. (v.) to infer or suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it.
2. (n.) a supposition that something may be true, even though there is no evidence to confirm it.USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Soon after entering the venue he surmised that something must be wrong.

Surly [ SUR-lee ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. ill-tempered, rude or churlish
2. threatening or menacing
3. dismal or gloomy
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
His surly temper made everyone wary of him.

Supercilious [ soo-per-SIL-ee-uh's ] [ adjective ] MEANING : behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others haughty, arrogant or disdainfully contemptuous USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : Her supercilious attitude lost her many friends.

Sully [ SUHL-ee ] [ verb ] MEANING : 1. (verb) to damage, taint, or defile the purity or integrity of USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : His reputation was sullied by gossip mongers.

Succulent [ SUHK-yuh’-luh ’nt ] [ adjective, noun ] MEANING : 1. (adj.) (of food) tender, juicy, and tasty
2. (adj.) (of a plant) having fleshy and thick tissues that are capable of storing water
3. (n.) a plant that is succulent USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The succulent steak is considered to be a delicacy.

Indicative [ in-DIK-uh’-tiv ] [ adjective, noun ] MEANING : 1. (adj.) Serving as a sign or indication of something
2. (adj.) Denoting a mood of verbs expressing simple statement of a fact.
3. (n.) a verb in the indicative mood USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : Having recurrent dreams is not necessarily indicative of any psychological problem.

Intermittent [ in-ter-MIT-nt ] [ adjective ] MEANING : Occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady. USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The match was cancelled due to intermittent rain.

Inception [ in-SEP-shuh’ n ] [ noun ] MEANING : The establishment or starting point of an institution or activity USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The project was a disaster since its inception.

Fraudulent [ FRAW-juh'-luh' nt ] [ adjective ] MEANING : 1. Obtained, done by, or involving deception, especially criminal deception USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The police believed the documents were stolen over a period of time, or might have been obtained by fraudulent means.

Flaunt [ flawnt ] [ verb ] MEANING : 1. Display (something) ostentatiously, especially in order to provoke envy or admiration or to show defiance USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : She is a humble person who does not believe in flaunting her wealth.

Equivocal [ i-KWIV-uh'-kuh' l ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. Open to more than one interpretation or ambiguous
2. Uncertain or questionable in nature
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The equivocal nature of her remarks posed more questions.

Microcosm [ MAHY-kruh’-koz-uh’ m ][ noun ]MEANING :1. a miniature of the world or universe
2. a human or society that can be considered as an epitome of the universe or worldUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :They built a microcosm as part of their science project.

Infantile [ IN-fuh’ n-tahyl, -til ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. childish, babyish or immature
2. pertaining to or of infancy or infantsUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :His infantile behaviour lost him his promotion.

Immune [ i-MYOON ][ noun, adjective ]MEANING :1. (adj.) protected, exempt or free esp. from a disease
2. (adj.) pertaining to or of the immune system
3. (adj.) unresponsive or not affected by something
4. (n.) one who has an immunity to somethingUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :His immune system was weak.

Chauvinist [ SHOH-vuh'-nyst ][ noun ]MEANING :1. one who believes that his own race, nationality or religion are superior to those of others
2. one's prejudiced belief that one's gender is superior to the opposite sex
3. an aggressive or belligerent nationalistUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :He was considered a chauvinist by almost the entire female population of the office.

Trepidation [ trep-i-DEY-shuh'n ][ noun ]MEANING :1. fear or apprehension
2. tremor or a sudden, quivering motionUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :She trembled with trepidation.

Corrugate [ v.KAWR-uh'-geyt,KOR; adj.KAWR-uh'-git,-geyt,KOR- ][ adjective, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr.v.) to wrinkle or bend or dram into folds
2. (intr.v.) to contract into grooves or ridges or to wrinkle
3. (adj.) furrowed or wrinkledUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The metal sheets were corrugated according to specifications.

Steadfast [ STED-fast, -fahst, -fuh’ st ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. faithful or unswervingly, unwaveringly loyal
2. steady, firm or constantUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :He was considered to be a steadfast and brave soldier.

Monotony [ muh’-NOT-n-ee ][ noun ]MEANING :1. wearisome uniformity or sameness
2. continuous or repetitive use of the same tone without any variationUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The monotony of his job made him lose interest.

Torpid [ TAWR-pid ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. numb or having no sensation of motion
2. hibernating or dormant
3. inactive or sluggishUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Her torpid fingers were frozen solid because of the cold.