Word of the day english email

1. sedate

   cause to be calm or quiet

   They might just enjoy a weekend in more
   sedate surroundings.

2. acumen

   shrewdness shown by keen insight

   That business generates stable revenue, but running it is not usually seen on Wall Street as requiring tremendous management
   acumen.
3. dreadful

   exceptionally bad or displeasing

   This year’s
   dreadful weather has cost rural Britain at least £1bn, according to an investigation by .

4. ordeal

   a severe or trying experience

5. subdue

   put down by force or intimidation

6. detour

   a roundabout road or route

   As my colleague John Burns reported, several American and Australian athletes got taken on a 4-hour
   detour through London when their bus driver got lost.New York Times (Jul 21, 2012)

7. nimble

   moving quickly and lightly

   “They’re more
   nimble,” said Rebecca Thomas, vice president of direct services, strategy and innovation at the Nonprofit Finance Fund.Washington Post (Jul 28, 2012)

8. demeanour

   the way a person behaves toward other people

   Something about Johnson’s
   demeanour makes the drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket seem like Graham Norton.

9. embrace

   squeeze tightly in your arms, usually with fondness

   With Microsoft and Sony now both
   embracing it, said convincing might be achieved a little sooner.Forbes (Sep 11, 2012)

10. revulsion

    intense aversion

    Her eyes widen–surprise, anger–and finally her lip drops in
    revulsion.

11. anecdote

    short account of an incident

    There are numerous
    anecdotes of footballers’ decadent spending habits.

12. austerity

    self-denial, especially refraining from worldly pleasures

    Teachers, doctors, lawyers, journalists – even tax collectors – have walked off the job to protest the country’s biting
    austerity measures.

13. prudence

    discretion in practical affairs

    Common
    prudence and common sense were completely set aside.Various

14. clamour

    utter or proclaim insistently and noisily

    No other country has so many newly pecunious consumers
    clamouring for stuff.

15. scuffle

    disorderly fighting

    After a
    scuffle broke out, the crew, led by Roan again, failed to exert control.
16. nonviolence

    peaceful resistance to a government
17. congregation

    group that habitually attends a particular place of worship

    Half a dozen officers in camouflage fatigues mingle with the
    congregation dressed up in their Sunday best.

18. ambiguity

    an expression whose meaning cannot be determined

19. stubborn

    tenaciously unwilling to yield

    Fungal infections are notoriously
    stubborn and hard to treat, requiring powerful drugs that can have harsh side effects.
20. hoax

    something intended to deceive

    Christopher Shell’s detailed travel updates may have helped a romantic rival plan an elaborate
    hoax.Forbes (Sep 10, 2012)

21. benevolence

    an inclination to do kind or charitable acts

    No one questions his good intentions, no man puts his
    benevolence in doubt.Various

22. feeble

    pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness

    But public finances are still in shreds and bank lending is still
    feeble.

23. harrowing

    causing extreme distress

    It was one of the most
    harrowing moments in Wall Street history.

24. impeccable

    without error or flaw

25. wisdom

    accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment

    Permission implies the
    wisdom of an officially appointed elder brother.

26. emancipate

    free from slavery or servitude

27. rejuvenate

    make younger or more youthful

    Enterprises that
    rejuvenate seaside assets or help emerging industries will also benefit.

28. mortal

    subject to death

    “Those furious humans driving the cars, who yammered and glared insanely at me,” he said, “were mere
    mortals.Salon (Jun 17, 2012)

29. apprehend

    anticipate with dread or anxiety

    One raider was then
    apprehended by a passer-by outside.

30. frantic

    marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion

    A
    frantic police investigation led to a number of premises being briefly sealed off while forensic scientists tested for traces of the radioactive material.
31. contentious

    showing an inclination to disagree

32. repeal

    cancel officially

    He promised to
    repeal and replace Wall Street regulations but did not give specifics.

33. accede

    yield to another’s wish or opinion

    Many executives are deeply skeptical that Greece will
    accede to the austere fiscal policies being demanded by Europe in return for financial assistance.

34. rectitude

    righteousness as a consequence of being honorable and honest
35. exhilarate

    fill with sublime emotion

    The trip was exhausting,
    exhilarating and fascinating in equal measure.

36. whimsical

    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity

    Semi-autobiographical novels seems to have given way to
    whimsical child narrators.

37. vivid

    having striking color

    He called the Republican state Legislature’s focus on social conservatism a »
    vivid and horrifying spectacle.»

38. salvage

    rescuing a ship or its crew from a shipwreck or a fire

    A woman
    salvages her belongings after Hurricane Sandy hit Santiago de Cuba October 25, 2012.

39. serenity

    the absence of mental stress or anxiety

    Eyes and brows are charged with potencies; with seriousness, with modesty,
    serenity, elusiveness.Kenealy, Arabella

40. surmise

    infer from incomplete evidence

    Dr. Thomas
    surmised that matching donors to patients was crucial.

41. meander

    move or cause to move in a winding or curving course

    His answers were
    meandering and professorial, laden with facts but short on vision.

42. beguile

    attract; cause to be enamored

43. appease

    make peace with

    It would be bad news for investors if governments crank up spending to
    appease restless populations or pressure central banks into cutting interest rates.

44. amicable

    characterized by friendship and good will

    He advised an
    amicable settlement if one could possibly be arrived at.Onions, Oliver

45. abate

    become less in amount or intensity

    Encouragingly, this turbulence has largely
    abated since central bank interventions in the summer and UK bank funding conditions are much improved.

46. ramification

    a consequence, especially one that causes complications

    Debates like these have real
    ramifications for how various creatures are treated.Salon (Sep 27, 2012)

47. emulate

    strive to equal or match, especially by imitating

    Booth is looking for his side to
    emulate their performance at Leicester next week.

48. embolden

    give encouragement to

    Economic data released earlier Wednesday did not
    embolden investors, either.

49. allegiance

    the act of binding yourself to a course of action

50. atone

    turn away from sin or do penitence

51. pugnacity

    a natural disposition to be hostile

Created on September 12, 2012
(updated May 27, 2013)