Life, the universe, and Windows - most likely users’ errors

Words that I like

Abjure (v) – swear to give up (a belief or claim).

Abnegate (v) – renounce or reject.

Abrogate (v) – to repeal or do away with (a law or agreement)

Abstruse (adj) – difficult to understand; obscure.

Acclaim (n) – enthusiastic and public praise.

Accolade (n) – something given as a special honor or in recognition of merit.

Acumen (n) – the ability to make good judgments and take quick decisions.

Adjoin (v) – be next to and joined with.

Admonish (v) – reprimand firmly. Earnestly urge or warn.

Adorn (v) – make more attractive or beautiful, decorate.

Affable (adj) – good-natured and sociable.

Affluence (n) – wealth

Affluent (adj) – wealthy

Aggrandize  (v) – 1 to widen in scope; increase in size or intensity; enlarge; extend. 2 to make great or greater in power, wealth, or rank, or honor.

Alacrity (n) – brisk eagerness or enthusiasm.

Albeit (conjunction) – although, though, even though.

Amalgamate (v) – to mix or merge so as to make a combination; blend; unite; combine.

Androcentricity (n) – dominated by or emphasizing masculine interests or points of views.

Anomalous (adj) – differing from what is standard or normal.

Apoplectic (ad) – 1 overcome with anger. 2 relating to apoplexy (stroke).

Apotheosis (n) – 1 the culmination or highest point. 2 Elevation to divine status.

Apposite (adj) – very appropriate; apt.

Appraisal (n) – the action or an instance of assessing, evaluating.

Apprehend (v) – intercept in the course of unlawful or wrongful action, seize or arrest, understand, perceive.

Apprehension (n) – anxiety or fear that something may happen.

Approbation (n) – approval, praise.

Aptitude (n) – a natural ability or inclination.

Archaic (adj) – 1 belonging to former or ancient times. 2 old or in an old-fashioned type.

Archetype (n) – 1 a very typical example. 2 an original model. 3 a recurrent motif in literature or art.

Ardent (adj) – very enthusiastic; passionate.

Arduous (adj) – difficult and tiring.

Aria (n) – is performed by one person in an opera.

Ascetic (n) – - a person who dedicates his or her life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals and practices extreme self-denial or self-mortification for religious reasons.

Assiduity (n) – constant or close attention to what one is doing.

Assiduous (adj) – showing great care and perseverance.

August (adj) – 1 inspiring reverence or admiration. 2 venerable.

Banal (adj) – tediously unoriginal or ordinary.

Belie (v)  – 1 to show to be false. 2 to misrepresent (The newspaper belies the facts). 3  to act unworthily according to the standards of (a tradition of one’s ancestry, one’s faith, etc.)

Belligerent  (adj) – hostile and aggressive

Bicker (v) – argue about trivial matters.

Bigot (n) – a person who is prejudiced in their views and intolerant of the opinions of others.

Bland (adj) – lacking characteristics and features thus uninteresting.

Bucolic (adj) – relating to rural or pastoral life.

Burnish (v) – polish by rubbing.

Calumniate (v) – make false and defamatory statements about.

Camaraderie (n) – mutual trust and friendship.

Canine (n) – a dog or other animal of the dog family.

Carp (v) – complain or find fault continually.

Castigation (v) – reprimand severely.

Cerebral (adj) – relating to the mind, intellect.

Chicanery (n) – the use of trickery to achieve one’s purpose.

Circumscribe (v) – restrict, limit.

Clemency (adj) – merciful or tolerant.

Cloying (adj) – excessively sweet.

Coddle (v) – 1 treat in an indulgent or overprotective way. 2 cook (an egg) in water below boiling point.

Coerce (v) – persuade (an unwilling person) to do something by using force or threats.

Cognizance (n) – knowledge or awareness.

Concede (v) – 1 finally admit or agree that something is true. 2 surrender (a possession, advantage, or right). 3 admit defeat in (a match or contest). 4 fail to prevent an opponent scoring (a goal or point).

Concede (v) – 1 to accept, often reluctantly. 2 to admit. 3 to yield, to grant.

Conceive (v) – form or devise a plan with idea.

Confound  2.  to throw into confusion or disorder: The revolution confounded the people. 3.  to throw into increased confusion or disorder. 4.  to treat or regard erroneously as identical; mix or associate by mistake: truth confounded with error. 5.  to mingle so that the elements cannot be distinguished or separated. 6.  to damn (used in mild imprecations): Confound it! 7.  to contradict or refute: to confound their arguments. 8.  to put to shame; abash. 9.  Archaic. a. to defeat or overthrow. b. to bring to ruin or naught.

Conjecture (n) – opinion or conclusion formed on the basic of incomplete information.

Consternation (n) – feeling anxious or dismay because of something unexpected.

Constitutive (adj) – having the power to establish something. 2 forming a constituent of something.

Countenance (n) – 1 a person’s face or facial expression. 2 support or approval.

Covet (v) – 1 to desire wrongfully or without due regard for the rights of others. 2 to wish for eagerly. 3 year to posses (something belong to someone else).

Credulous (adj) – excessively gullible.

Cursory (adj) – hasty and therefore not thorough.

Dabble (v) – take part in an activity in a casual way.

Daunt (v ) – to cause to feel intimidated or apprehensive.

Debilitate (v) – severely weaken.

Defalcate (v) – embezzle.

Defuse (v) –to calm or lessen.

Degenerate (adj) – having lost normal and desirable qualities; showing evidence of moral or physical decline.

Deride (v) – express contempt for; ridicule.

Despondent (adj) – in low spirits from loss of hope or courage.

Devoid (adj) – entirely lacking in.

Didactic –intended to instruct

Digress (v) – deviate from the main subject temporarily in speech or writing.

Dilettante (n) – a person who dabbles in a subject for enjoyment but without serious study.

Diligence (n) – care and conscientiousness in one’s work.

Diminutive (adj) – 1 extremely or unusually small.

Disabuse (v) – persuade (someone) that an idea or belief is mistaken.

Disavow (v) – deny any responsibility or support for.

Discern (v) – recognize or find out. Distinguish with difficulty by sight or with the other senses.

Disdainfully (adv) – showing contempt or lack of respect.

Disenchant (v) – make disillusioned.

Disillusion (n) – disappointment from discovering that something is not as good as one believed it to be.

Disparage (v) – regard or represent as being of little worth; scorn.

Disparity (n) -  a great difference

Dissipate (v) – to drive away, disperse. To overly indulge.

Dissuade (v) – persuade or advise not to do.

Divulge (v) – 1 make known (private or sensitive information). 2 to disclose, to reveal.

Docile (adj) – submissive.

Dogmatic (adj) – included to impose dogma; firmly asserting personal opinions as true.

Dread (v) – anticipate with great fear.

Dreadful (adj) – extremely bad or serious.

Dumbfound (v) – astonish greatly.

Dyslexia (adj) – difficult to read

Eccentric (adj) – 1 unconventional and slightly strange.

Eclectic (adj) – deriving ideas or style from a broad and varied range of sources.

Eclectic (adj) – deriving ideas or style from a broad and varied range of sources.

Efficacy (n) – the ability to produce a desired or intended result.

Elegiac (n) – wistfully mournful.

Eloquent (adj) – 1 showing eloquence. 2 clearly indicative or expressive.

Embezzle (v) – steal or misappropriate.

Encomium (n) – a speech or piece of writing expressing praise.

Enervate (v) – cause to feel drained of energy.

Enigmatic (adj) – a mysterious or puzzling person or thing.

Ephemeral (adj) – lasting or living for a very short time.

Equanimity (n) – calmness, composure.

Equanimity (n) – mental or emotional stability or composure under tension or strain; calmness; equilibrium.

Erstwhile (adj) – former.

Erudite (adj) – having or showing knowledge or learning.

Esoteric (adj) – intended for or understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge.

Evaporate is to turn into vapor.

Evince (v) – reveal the presence of; indicate (a quality or feeling).

Evoke (v) – 1 bring or recall to the conscious mind. 2 obtain (a response). 3 invoke.

Exhort (v) – to ask urgently, urge.

Exonerate (v) – 1 officially absolve from blame. 2 (exonerate from) release (someone) from (a duty or obligation).

Extant (adj) – still in existence.

Extemporary (adj) – spoke or done without preparation.

Extol (v) – praise enthusiastically.

Extrovert (n) – an outgoing, gregarious person.

Facetiousness (n) – trivially or inappropriately humorous.

Fatuous (adj) – foolish, silly, inane, unreal.

Fawn (v) – give a servile display of exaggerated flattery or affection. Show slavish devotion.

Felicitous (adj) – well chosen or appropriate.

Fervent (adj) – intensely passionate.

Fetid (adj) – smelling very unpleasant.

Fickle (n) – a feeling of fondness or liking.

Fidget  (v) – make small movements through nervousness or impatience. Someone with hyperactivity is known to fidget.

Furtive (adj) – to act with stealth, stealthy, characterized by guilty or evasive secrecy.

Garrulous (adj) – excessively talkative.

Garrulous (adj) – excessively talkative.

Gaucherie (n) – awkward or unsophisticated ways.

Grandiloquent (adj) –  extravagant in language, style, or manner.

Gregarious (adj) – 1 fond of company, sociable.

Guileless (adj) – innocent and without deception.

Hackneyed (adj) – tediously unoriginal, ordinary, made common place.

Halcyon (adj) – idyllically happy and peaceful.

Hemophilia (n) – a medical condition, in which the ability of the blood to clot is severely reduced, causes severe bleeding from even a slight injury.

Heresy (n) – a controversial or unorthodox opinion or doctrine.

Heretical (adj) – relating to heresy.

Hubris (n) – excessive pride or self-confidence.

Huckster (n) – 1 a person who sells small items; either door-to-door or from a stall. 2 a person who sues aggressive selling techniques.

Iconoclast (n) – a breaker or destroyer of images.

Idolatry (n) – 1 worship of idols. 2 adulation (excessive admiration).

Impassive (adj) – not feeling or showing emotion.

Imposture (n) – an instance of assuming a false identity.

Impromptu (adj) – unplanned and unrehearsed.

Impugn (v) – dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of.

Incense (v) – make angry, enrage, to inflame with wrath.

Inchoate (adj) – 1 not fully formed or developed. 2 rudimentary. 2 confused or incoherent.

Incommensurate (adj) – inadequate.

Indolence(adj) – lazy, wanting to avoid activity.

ineluctable (adj) – unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable.

Infatuate (v) – be inspired with an intense passion for.

Inherent (adj) – existing in something as a permanent or essential attribute.

Iniquitous (adj) -  evil, unjust, sinful.

Insinuate (v) – 1 suggest or hint (something bad) in an indirect and unpleasant way.

Insistently (adv) – insisting or demand something.

Insubstantial (adj) – lacking strength and solidity, imaginary.

Introvert (n) – a shy person.

Invaluable (adj) – extremely useful.

Jocularly (adj) – fond of or characterized by joking; humorous.

Lackluster (adj) – boring, dull.

Laconic (adj) – using very few words, terse (lack verbosity).

Loquaciousness – talkative

Ludicrously (adv) – foolish, out of place.

Maunder (v ) – move, talk, or act in a rambling or aimless manner.

Maverick (n) – an unorthodox or independent-minded person.

Mercurial (adj) – sudden change of mood.

Minutiae (n) – very small details.

Misapprehension (n) – a mistaken belief.

Moniker (n) – a name.

Moral (n) – painting on a wall

Morosely (adv) – sullen and ill-tempered.

Mundane (adj) – 1 lacking interest or excitement. 2 of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.

Neoteric ( adj) – of recent origin, modern.

Obfuscate (v) – to make unclear or unintelligible.

Obsequious (adj) – obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile agree.

Obstinacy (n) – stubbornness.

Obstinate (adj) – stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or chosen course of action. Hard to deal with or overcome.

Obstreperous (adj) – noisy and difficult to control.

Obtuse (adj) – 1 annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand. 2 not sharp-pointed or sharp-edge; blunt.

Obviated (v) – to prevent.

Odious (adj) – extremely unpleasant; repulsive.

Officious (adj) – asserting authority or interfering in an overbearing way.

Oppressive (adj) – 1 harsh and authoritarian.2 weighing heavily on the mind or spirits. 3 (of weather) close and sultry.

Opprobrium (n) – harsh criticism or scorn.

Overture (n) – is the beginning of a musical (among other works).

Pacifist (n) – someone who believes that disputes should be settled by peaceful means and that war and violence are unjustifiable.

Paltry (adj) – 1 (of an amount) very small or meager. 2 petty, trivial.

Panacea (n) –  1 a solution or remedy for all difficulties or all diseases.

Paragon (n) – a model of excellence or of a particular quality.

Patriarchy (n) – a form of social organization in which the father or eldest male is the head of the family and descent is reckoned through the male line. A system of society in which men hold most or all of the power.

Pecuniary (adj) – of or relating to money

Pedant (n) – a person excessively concerned with minor detail or with displaying technical knowledge.

Penchant (n) – a strong linking or inclination.

Perennial (adj) – 1 lasting through a year or several years. 2 living for several years.

Perfidious (adj) – deceitful and untrustworthy.

Perfunctory (adj) – carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection.

Permeate (v) – pervade or spread through all. Spring permeates through all January.

Pernicious (adj) – having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.

Perseverance (n) – continue in a course of action in spite of difficulty or lack of success.

Perspicacious (adj) – having a ready insight into and understanding of things.

Perturb (v) – make anxious or unsettled.

Pessimism (n) – the tendency to see, anticipate, or emphasize only bad or undesirable result, or outcomes. 2 the doctrine that the existing world is the worst of all possible worlds, or that all things naturally tend to evil.

Petrify is to turn into stone.

Petulance (n) – bad-tempered.

Picayune (adj) – petty; worthless.

Pilgrim (n) – person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons.

Piqued (adj) – feel hurt and irritated or resentful.

Pithy (adj) – terse (neatly or effectively concise) and vigorously expressive.

Placate (v) – make less angry or hostile, calm or appease.

Plutocracy (n) – government by the wealthy. A society governed by the wealthy. An elite ruling class whose power derives from their wealth.

Poignant (adj) – 1 evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret.

Pontificate (v) – express one’s opinions in a formal, dignified, serious and dogmatic way

Poseur (n) – a person who attempts to impress others by assuming or affecting a manner, degree of elegance, sentiment, other than his or her true one.

Precarious (adj) – 1  dependent on circumstances beyond one’s control; uncertain; unstable; insecure. 2 dependent on the will or pleasure of another. 3 exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky. 4 having insufficient, little, or no foundation.

Presumptuous (ad) – failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate.

Probity (n) – honesty and decency.

Proclamation (n) – official announcement, public declaration.

Profligate (adj) – recklessly extravagant or wasteful, dissolute.

Proliferate (v) – reproduce rapidly; increase rapidly in number.

Proscribe (v) – forbid, especially. by law. Denounce or condemn. Outlaw. Condemned.

Querulous (adj) – complaining in a petulant or whining manner.

Quibbles (n) – very small complaints

Quiescent (adj) – in a state or period of activity.

Quixotic (adj) – impractically idealistic or fanciful.

Quotidian (adj) – 1 daily. 2 ordinary or everyday.

Rail (v) – complain or protest strongly about or to.

Ramble (v) – walk for pleasure in the countryside. (of a plant) grow over walls, fences. (often ramble on) talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way.

Rancor (n) – bitterness; resentment.

Recapitulate (v) – summarize and state again the main points of.

Recidivism (n) – repeated or habitual relapse, as into crime.

Reckon (v) – 1. Calculate. 2 informal be of the opinion. 3 regard in a specified way.  4 (reckon on) rely on or be sure of.  5 (reckon with or without) take (or fail to take) into account.

Recluse (n) – a person who avoids others and lives a solitary life

Recondite (adj) – 1. Dealing with very profound, difficult, or abstruse subject matter. 2 beyond ordinary knowledge or understanding. 3 little known; obscure.

Recourse (n) – a source of help in a difficult situation.

Recumbent (n) – 1 lying down.

Redolent (adj) – 1 strongly reminiscent or suggestive of. 2 strongly smelling of.

Refute (v) – prove (a statement or the person advancing it) to be wrong. Deny.

Relegate (v) – 1 place in an inferior rank or position. 2 Transfer to a lower division of a league.

Relentless (adj) – oppressively constant. 2 harsh or inflexible.

Renounce (v) – 1 formally declare one’s abandonment of (a claim, right, or possession). 2 refuse to recognize any longer. 3 abandon (a cause, bad habit, or way of life).

Repudiate (v) – 1 refuse to accept or be associated with. 2 deny the truth or validity of. 3 refuse to fulfill or discharge (an agreement, obligation, or debt). Disown or divorce.

Resumption (n) – begin again or continue after a pause or interruption. Take or put on again, return to the use of.

Reticent (adj) – not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily.

Salutary (adj) – (of something disadvantageous) beneficial in providing an opportunity for learning from experience. Example: Natural disaster books has the salutary effect of helping us to appreciate the humanity of people living far away.

Sanction (n) – a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule. Measures taken by a state to coerce another to an international agreement or norms of conduct. Official permission or approval.

Sedulous (adj) – showing dedication and diligence.

Serene (adj) – calm, peaceful, and untroubled, tranquil.

Servile (adj) – overly compliant, excessively willing to serve or please others. Of or characteristic of a slave.

Solidarity (n) – unity resulting from common interests, feelings, or sympathies.

Soliloquy (n) – is performed by one person in a play.

Squander (v) – waste in a reckless or foolish manner.

Stanza (n) – is a section of a sonnet.

Stellar (adj) – 1 relating to a star or stars. 2 of or having the quality of a star performer.

Stoical (adj) – enduring hardship without complaining.

Stolid (adj) – calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation.

Stride (n) – 1 step, progress, advance. 2 to walk with long steps, march. 3 to achieve a steady, effective pace. 4 to maintain a maximum level of competence.

Succinct (adj) – briefly and clearly expressed.

Tenable (adj) – 1 able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection.  to perplex or amaze, esp. by a sudden disturbance or surprise; bewilder; confuse: The complicated directions confounded him.

Tenacious (adj) – 1 holding firmly to something. 2 persisting in existence or in a course of action.

Tout (v) – attempt to sell (something, typically by a direct or persistent approach. Attempt to persuade people of the merits of.

Tyro (n) – a beginner in learning anything; novice.

Ubiquitous (adj) – present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Unassailable (adj) – unable to be attacked, questioned, or defeated.

Urbane (adj) – (especially of a man) suave, courteous, and refined.

Vacillate (v) – waver between different opinions or actions.

Veer (v) – 1 change direct suddenly. 2 suddenly change in opinion, subject.

Venerate (v) – regard with great respect.

Verbosity (adj) – using or expressed in more words than are needed.

Vilify (v) – speak or write about in an abusively disparaging manner.

Vindicate (v) –  1clear of blame or suspicion. 2 show to be right or justified.

Vitriol (n) – cruel and bitter criticism.

Vitriol (n) – extreme bitterness.

Waffle (v) – 1 speak or write at length in a vague or trivial manner.

Whimsical (adj) – playfully quaint or fanciful. Acting or behaving in a capricious manner.