UNUSUAL WORDS LIII

Source:

The Words You Should Know to Sound Smart

Robert W. Bly

The following words are not that rare or unusual, but they are not used frequently - especially in casual conversation. Do you know their meanings?

1. Aegis

2. Halcyon

3. Limpid

4. Scintilla

5. Taciturn

6. Zephyr

7. Redolent

8. Inveigle

9. Nostrum

10. Sycophant

11. Peripatetic

12. Meretricious 

Answers:

 

1. Aegis - Protection, backing, or support of a particular person or organization

 

2. Halcyon - Denoting a period time in the past, usually youth, that was happy and peaceful

 

3. Limpid - Completely clear, as a liquid

 

4. Scintilla - A tiny trace of spark of a specified quality or feeling

 

5. Taciturn - Saying little, reserved or uncommunicative in speech

 

6. Zephyr - A soft, gentle breeze

 

7. Redolent - Strongly reminiscent or suggestive of (as by smell)

 

8. Inveigle - Persuade someone to do something by deception or flattery

 

9. Nostrum - An ineffective solution or quick fix proposed to solve a problem, but that does not address the real issues - a quack medicine to cure everything

 

10. Sycophant - A person who acts obsequiously to someone important in order to gain favor/advantage.

11. Peripatetic - Traveling or moving from place to place

12. Meretricious - Showy and apparently attractive, but having in reality no real value or integrity