Wayne State University's Word Warriors: a list of words to revive in your vocabulary

Learn these 9 oldies but goodies -- that Wayne State University’s Word Warriors think we should be using more often.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. absquatulate
    run away, taking something or somebody along
    Do they think I mean to absquatulate with the spoons? Taylor, Tom
  2. anathema
    a detested person or thing
    He had a notoriously high failure rate, which of course made him the anathema of Carter High School. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream
  3. delectation
    a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction
    But if you insist, there's a black-and-white cookie for your delectation. Los Angeles Times (Aug 1, 2014)
  4. epigone
    an inferior imitator or follower of someone
    Richard Wagner has his epigones; the same is the case with Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. Huneker, James
  5. puerile
    displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
    "There were tears of mirth, toilet humour and mild incontinence," Michael Hogan continued, saying the show was "huge fun, if typically puerile." BBC (Jun 29, 2015)
  6. rumpus
    a noisy disturbance
    As Max might say: “Let the wild rumpus start!” Los Angeles Times (Sep 4, 2014)
  7. sybaritic
    displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses
    Indeed the city is something of a sybaritic haven, celebrated for its fine sake and delectable oysters, best eaten in winter. National Geographic (Aug 7, 2015)
  8. torpid
    slow and apathetic
    So extended are the pauses between sentences, so torpid the pace even of the chase scenes. Time (Apr 15, 2015)
  9. turpitude
    a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice
    Moral turpitude has been defined by the courts as behavior that is “inherently base, vile, or depraved, and contrary to the accepted rules of morality.” The New Yorker (Dec 7, 2015)
Created on Tue Jan 05 07:44:44 EST 2016 (updated Tue Jan 05 08:28:53 EST 2016)

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