Notice how our society is sounding dumber every day? Like, we totally like need to like, uh, like, make it to the movie in like 5 mins or we are gonna be late nnnkay!
I blame the internet, as well as an overall poor education system in not teaching kids at least some basics in articulation. Granted, I am not well-versed in sentence structure either, which is another reason I am continuing this blog – to improve my own writing potential. I also am killing time before the Sox game.
Adding to your vocabulary is not used to “sound” smart; it literally will make you smarter. You are exercising your brain by using a wider variety of terminology and learning not to repeat certain utterances over and over…and over….and over. You are also learning to think before you speak - something MANY people should try out. It also will increase your overall writing quality for professional school, job resumes, vision statements, public speaking, ectera.
Now I know learning words is not fun and nobody will want to read VOCABULARY BLOGS..so I will make sure to add a reward at the end of all of these posts. I will also try to add engaging examples of each word that aren't dull as all hell. Also note that cheating and skipping right to the reward will earn you a one-way ticket to hell, with all the fire and brimstones. So be warned.
I am jacking these words from the Merriam-Websters Vocabulary Builder, which our pre-professional program shoveled down my throat for four years.
Most of these examples are straight out of the book, but I have added my own spin to a few, see if you can figure out which!
bellicose – Warlike, aggressive, quarrelsome
-Our president has a bellicose mindset.
amicable – Friendly, peaceful
-The interview was of an amicable nature.
paramour – A lover, often secret, not allowed by law or custom
-my wife divorced me, took half my money, and is off with her paramour in Hawaii. Next time I’m getting a prenup.
recrimination – An accusation in retaliation for an accusation made against oneself; the making of such an accusation
-Their failure to find help led to endless and pointless recriminations over the responsibility of the accident.
reprobate – A person of thoroughly bad character
- My neighbors are total rebrobates.
gravid – Pregnant or enlarged with something
- My girlfriend is so very gravid! (It sounds so much better than the dull “pregnant” Also note that I don't have a pregnant girlfriend...but if I did, I would say she is gravid!)
gravitas – great or very dignified seriousness
- The head of the committee never failed to carry herself with the gravitas she felt was appropriate to her office. She was an importer/exporter.
levity – Frivolity, lack of appropriate seriousness
-Levity on college campuses is always to the extreme, leading to 8 year seniors.
stentorian – Extremely loud, often with especially deep richness of sound.
-That tenor has got crazy stentorian vibes going.
spartan – marked by simplicity and often strict self-discipline or self-denial
-Getting an A in a biology course requires a spartan style of studying.
Now now, that wasn’t so bad was it!? Take one word a week, and use it when you can – even if you are alone. You will be surprised how quickly it sticks. Don’t force feed vocabulary in every-day conversation either, you will sound like an idiot.
And of course, here is the reward!
