EnglishDict - Free Online English Dictionary

enrapture Pronunciation:⁄ ɪnˈraptʃə, ɛn- ⁄ verb [with object] ·               give intense pleasure or joy to: Ruth was enraptured by the sleeping child

polemic Pronunciation: ⁄ pəˈlɛmɪk ⁄ noun ·               a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something: his  polemic against  the cultural relativism of the Sixties[mass noun]:a writer of feminist polemic ·    (usually  polemics )  the practice of engaging in controversial debate or dispute: the history of science has become embroiled in religious polemics

extenuate Pronunciation: ⁄ ɪkˈstɛnjʊeɪt, ɛk- ⁄ verb [with object] ·               1  (as adjective  extenuating )  (of a factor or situation) acting in mitigation to lessen the seriousness of guilt or an offence: hunger and poverty are not treated by the courts as  extenuating circumstances ·               2  (usually as adjective  extenuated )  literary  make (someone) thin: drawings of extenuated figures

delve Pronunciation: ⁄ dɛlv ⁄ verb [no object] ·               1 reach inside a receptacle and search for something: she  delved in  her pocket ·    research or make painstaking enquiries into something: the society is determined to  delve  deeper  into  the matter ·               2  archaic  dig; excavate: when Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?[with object]:the approach from the surface above had awed her, so hugely delved were the tunnels

revelry Pronunciation: ⁄ ˈrɛvlri ⁄ noun   (plural revelries) [mass noun]  (also  revelries ) ·               lively and noisy festivities, especially when these involve drinking a large amount of alcohol: sounds of revelry issued into the nightNew Year revelries

platitude Pronunciation: ⁄ ˈplatɪtjuːd ⁄ noun ·               a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful: she began uttering liberal platitudes

perfidious Pronunciation: ⁄ pəˈfɪdɪəs ⁄ adjective literary ·               deceitful and untrustworthy: a perfidious lover

incongruity Pronunciation: ⁄ ˌɪnkɒŋˈgruːɪti ⁄ noun   (plural incongruities) [mass noun] ·               the state of being incongruous; incompatibility: the incongruity of his fleshy face and skinny body disturbed her[count noun]:the movie presents numerous incongruities and reversals

staunch Pronunciation: ⁄ stɔːn(t)ʃ, stɑːn(t)ʃ ⁄ verb [with object] ·               stop or restrict (a flow of blood) from a wound: he staunched the blood with whatever came to handfigurativethe company did nothing to staunch the tide of rumours ·    stop the flow of blood from (a wound).

blatant Pronunciation: ⁄ ˈbleɪt(ə)nt ⁄ adjective ·               (of bad behaviour) done openly and unashamedly: blatant lies ·    completely lacking in subtlety; very obvious: she forced herself to resist his blatant charm

quip Pronunciation: ⁄ kwɪp ⁄ noun ·               a witty remark: Peter ate heartily with a quip about being a condemned man ·    archaic  a play on words: tricks of controversy and quips of law verb   (quips, quipping, quipped) [no object] ·               make a witty remark:  [with direct speech]:‘Flattery will get you nowhere,’ she quipped

grisly Pronunciation: ⁄ ˈgrɪzli ⁄ adjective   (grislier, grisliest) ·               causing horror or disgust: the town was shaken by a series of grisly crimes

threadbare Pronunciation: ⁄ ˈθrɛdbɛː ⁄ adjective ·               (of cloth, clothing, or soft furnishings) becoming thin and tattered with age: tatty rooms with threadbare carpets ·    (of a person, building, or room) poor or shabby in appearance: we huddle round a cassette deck in a threadbare rehearsal room ·    (of an argument, excuse, idea, etc.) used so often that it is no longer effective: the song was a tissue of threadbare clichés

  vair Pronunciation: ⁄ vɛː ⁄ noun [mass noun] ·               1 fur obtained from a variety of red squirrel, used in the 13th and 14th centuries as a trimming or lining for garments. ·               2  Heraldry  fur represented by interlocking rows of shield-shaped or bell-shaped figures which are typically alternately blue and white, as a tincture.

larder Pronunciation: ⁄ ˈlɑːdə ⁄ noun ·               a room or large cupboard for storing food.