The Words You Should Know

Lots of people need a quick and authoritative way to identify and define the most troublesome common words. The usual approach- stalling for time until you can grasp the context of what the person has just said-has its limits. If only there were a list, not of every word (after all, reading dictionaries is no one's idea of fun) but of the right words, the ones that are used frequently but don't quite register when you come across them. The Words You Should Know features straightforward, succinct definitions and sentence examples of over 1200 tough-but-common words. It's the kind of book that can get you out of a jam, improve your performance at school, and help advance your career. And that's no hyperbole, rigmarole, or embellishment.

A togue-in-cheek guide to vocabulary enhancement introduces words to be slipped into everyday conversation, including autodidactic, descant, and disestablishmentarianism.

Ever wanted to ameliorate your atavistic lexicon, engage in a little intellectual badinage or been discombobulated by tricky diction? 500 Words You Should Know has you covered. Words are beautiful and versatile things, but when used incorrectly they can lose a lot in transition, and the more complex the word, the more misused it can become. And as words eternally evolve in their everyday use, they can begin to be interpreted as something other than their original meaning. 500 Words You Should Know will inspire the reader to use uncommon words in their correct context, to utilize the English language to its full potential, and to test themselves on the words they think they already know.

"A dictionary of "big and intellectual" words"--

Do you know what "quatrefoil" and "impolitic" mean? What about "halcyon" or "narcolepsy"? This book is a handy, easy-to-read reference guide to the proper parlance for any situation. In this book you will find: Words You Absolutely Should Know (covert, exonerate, perimeter); Words You Should Know But Probably Don't (dour, incendiary, scintilla); Words Most People Don't Know (schlimazel, thaumaturgy, epergne); Words You Should Know to Sound Overeducated (ad infinitum, nugatory, garrulity); Words You Probably Shouldn't Know (priapic, damnatory, labia majora); and more. Whether writing an essay, studying for a test, or trying to impress friends, family, and fellow cocktail party guests with their prolixity, you will achieve magniloquence, ebullience, and flights of rhetorical brilliance.

Gives the pronunciation, definition, and a sample sentence for 1500 common but frequently confused words.

Ceilling. Beleive. Scissers. Do you have trouble spelling everyday words? Is your spell check on overdrive? Well, this easy-to-use dictionary is just what you need! Organized with speed and convenience in mind, it gives you instant access to the correct spellings of more than 12,500 words. Also provided are quick tips and memory tricks, like: Help yourself get the spelling of their right by thinking of the phrase ?their heirlooms.? Most words ending in a ?seed? sound are spelled ?-cede? or ?-ceed,? but one word ends in ?-sede.? You could say the rule for spelling this word supersedes the other rules. No matter what you’re working on, you can be confident that your good writing won’t be marred by bad spelling. This book takes away the guesswork and helps you make a good impression!

CRESTFALLEN at CHICANERY and CIRCUMLOCUTION? Have no TRUCK with TOMFOOLERY and TRUMPERY? Or OMNISCIENT about OBLOQUIES and OPSIMATHS? Whether you've answered yes, no or 'sorry, I didn't catch that', 500 Beautiful Words You Should Know is for you. It offers words that flow EXQUISITELY off the tongue; words that are just perfect for their meaning, like the lazy-sounding SLOTH and the heavy-footed GALUMPH; words that will make you sound clever, like DEUTERAGONIST and LETHOLOGICA; and words that are just fun to say, like LIQUEFACTION and LUXURIATE. It'll tell you where they come from, how to use them and whether you're likely to BAMBOOZLE anyone who's listening to you. With occasional special features on great words for colours, words from the Classics and words that make you laugh, this is a book to delight BIBLIOPHILES and BLATHERSKITES alike.