SAT Word of the Day – fatuous
fatuous – (adj) silly and pointless.
synonyms – silly, foolish, stupid, inane, nonsensical, childish, puerile, infantile, idiotic, brainless, mindless, vacuous, imbecilic, asinine, witless, empty-headed, hare-brained
fatuous – (adj) silly and pointless.
synonyms – silly, foolish, stupid, inane, nonsensical, childish, puerile, infantile, idiotic, brainless, mindless, vacuous, imbecilic, asinine, witless, empty-headed, hare-brained
sagacity – (n) the quality of being sagacious.
synonyms – wisdom, (deep) insight, intelligence, understanding, judgement, acuity, astuteness, insight, sense, canniness, sharpness, depth, profundity, profoundness, perceptiveness, penetration, perception, percipience, perspicuity, discernment, erudition, learning, knowledgeability, thoughtfulness
vitriolic – (adj) filled with bitter criticism or malice.
synonyms – acrimonious, rancorous, bitter, caustic, mordant, acerbic, astringent, acid, acrid, trenchant, virulent, spiteful, crabbed, savage, venomous, poisonous, malicious, malignant, malign, pernicious, splenetic
aver – (v) state or assert to be the case.
synonyms – maintain, assert, avouch, claim, contend, declare, emphasize, insist, justify, predicate, proclaim, prove, state, swear, verify
rococo – (adj) denoting furniture or architecture characterized by an elaborately ornamental late baroque style of decoration prevalent in 18th-century continental Europe, with asymmetrical patterns involving motifs and scrollwork.
synonyms – gaudy, ornate, flamboyant, arty, extravagant
adventitious – (adj) happening as a result of an external factor or chance rather than design or inherent nature.
synonyms – unplanned, unpremeditated, accidental, unintentional, unintended, unexpected, unforeseen, involuntary, chance, fortuitous, serendipitous, coincidental, casual, random, fluky, unlooked-for, unhoped-for, not bargained for, out of the blue, without warning
nugatory – (adj) of no value or importance.
synonyms – worthless, of no value, of no importance, unimportant, inconsequential, of no consequence, valueless, trifling, trivial, insignificant, meaningless
mollify – (v) appease the anger or anxiety of (someone).
synonyms – appease, placate, pacify, conciliate, humour, soothe, calm, calm down,still, quieten, propitiate; square someone off
circumlocution – (n) the use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive.
synonyms – periphrasis, circuitousness, indirectness; tautology, repetition, repetitiveness, repetitiousness, diffuseness, discursiveness, long-windedness, verbosity, wordiness, prolixity, verbiage, redundancy, superfluity; euphemism; informalbeating about the bush; rarepleonasm, perissology
legerdemain – (n) skilful use of one’s hands when performing conjuring tricks.
synonyms – sleight of hand, juggling, conjuring, magic, prestidigitation, wizardry, illusion, dexterity