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foible [ˈfoibəl] NOUN a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone's character. "they have to tolerate each other's little foibles"...

pariah [pəˈrīə] NOUN an outcast. "they were treated as social pariahs" synonyms: outcast · persona non grata · leper · reject ·...

scapegrace [ˈskāpɡrās] NOUN archaic a mischievous or wayward person, especially a young person or child; a rascal. synonyms: scoundrel ·...

sycophant [ˈsikəˌfant, ˈsikəfənt] NOUN a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage. synonyms:...

inculcate [inˈkəlˌkāt, ˈinkəlˌkāt] VERB instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction. "the failures of the churches to...

notional [ˈnōSH(ə)n(ə)l] existing only in theory or as a suggestion or idea. "notional budgets for hospital and community health...

impetus [ˈimpədəs] NOUN 1. the force or energy with which a body moves. "hit the booster coil before the flywheel loses all its impetus"...

neophyte [ˈnēəˌfīt] a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief. "four-day cooking classes are offered to neophytes and experts"...

stymie [ˈstīmē] VERB stymied (past tense) · stymied (past participle) prevent or hinder the progress of. "the changes must not be allowed...

You can learn the darndest things from the most curious of places. I was watching one of my favorite Christmas movies last night, "Olive,...

It occurred to me several years ago that usage of the word "nope" is much more negative than a simple "no". "Nope" indicates some...

misanthrope [ˈmis(ə)nˌTHrōp, ˈmiz(ə)nˌTHrōp] NOUN misanthrope (noun) · misanthropes (plural noun) · misanthropist (noun) · misanthropists...

Hundreds of words and definitions are added to the dictionary each month. I had no idea! Merriam-Webster added 455 new words in October...

chanteuse [ˌSHänˈto͞oz] NOUN a female singer of popular songs, especially in a nightclub. ORIGIN French, from chanter: ‘sing’....

inane [iˈnān] ADJECTIVE silly; stupid. "don't constantly badger people with inane questions" synonyms: silly · foolish · stupid · fatuous...

simpleton [ˈsimpəlt(ə)n] NOUN a foolish or gullible person. "stop grinning at me like a simpleton" 1640s, probably a jocular formation...

schadenfreude [ˈSHädənˌfroidə] NOUN pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune. Schadenfreude is borrowed from German....

ebullience [iˈbo͝olyəns, iˈbəlyəns] NOUN the quality of being cheerful and full of energy; exuberance. The famed Met Gala was this past...

tête-à-tête [ˌtādəˈtāt, ˌtedəˈtet] NOUN a private conversation between two people. A coworker used this with me the other day. Let's...

esoteric [ˌesəˈterik] ADJECTIVE intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or...