| Jaundiced | tending to dislike, criticize, or resent something | The well-known conspiracy theorist was jaundiced against the government. |
| Jaunt | a short excursion or journey made for pleasure. | We jumped into Gregg’s old jaguar for a fun jaunt through the streets of Milan. |
| Jeer | ridicule, taunt, scoff at | When the basketball bounced off the rim for the second time, Nolan knew that the crowd would probably jeer at him. |
| Jejune | insubstantial/dull/immature, unsophisticated | While my peers laughed at my dress and called it jejune, my instructor gave my design the highest grade in the class. |
| Jeopardize | to put at risk | Do not jeopardize your good grade by failing to turn in your assignment. |
| Jest | words that are spoken as humor | I only spoke in jest so please forgive me for hurting your feelings. |
| Jibe | gibe; make fun of, agree | When I interview a candidate for a position in my company, I try to find out if he or she will jibe with the others who work in the office. |
| Jingoistic | Overly patriotic or nationalistic | Suddenly, rational people, rational newspapers, were becoming jingoistic |
| Jockey | one who rides racehorses competitively | The less a jockey weighs, the faster his horse can run. |
| Jocular | meant as a joke | The jocular man is known for his funny punchlines. |
| Jollity | lively and cheerful activity or celebration | sometimes, a person’s attempts at jollity are very funny |
| Jovial | warm and friendly | Because Janet was not jovial at her party, many guests left early. |
| Jubilant | filled with joy | I am jubilant to learn that my sister is finally having a baby. |
| Judicious | sound in judgment; wise | Without judicious planning, we will not be able to complete the project on time. |
| Jurisprudence | The part of philosophy that focuses on the origins of the law and the decisions made by the judicial systems | Even in high school, Evan read a great deal on jurisprudence because he knew he wanted to become a lawyer. |
| Juxtapose | place or deal with close together for contrasting effect | black-and-white photos of slums were starkly juxtaposed with colour images |
| Kibosh | block, halt, stop | The strict and grouchy neighbor would always put the kibosh on any fun the neighborhood kids had by stealing their toys and refusing to give them back. |
| Kindle | to motivate or inspire | The mother hoped the prison inmate’s speech would kindle her son to change his rebellious ways. |
| Knit | draw together; unite firmly | After her husband’s affair, the heartbroken wife looked for ways to knit her fractured marriage back together. |
| Knotty | full of knots, tangles, or lumps, extremely difficult | The girl’s hair was always knotty and hard to comb out after she went swimming. |
| Labile | easily or frequently changed | My body’s response to dairy products is labile and usually hurts worse when I exercise after consumption. |
| Labyrinth | a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one’s way; a maze. | After a day of searching inside the castle’s labyrinth, the prince was able to find his princess. |
| Labyrinthine | to entangle the state of affairs, complicated | Ms Rehman be able to influence labyrinthine foreign policy |
| Laceration | a deep cut or tear in skin or flesh | Because the laceration was so deep and ugly, Dick was rushed to the emergency room by an ambulance. |
| Lachrymose | causing tears; tearful, easily brought to tears | After her husband died, my aunt became a lachrymose woman who couldn’t stop crying. |
| Lackluster | lacking brilliance and shine; dull; not exceptional; not worthy of special merit, attention, or interest | In spite of heavy advertising, the new product only achieved disappointing, lackluster sales. |
| Laconic | brief, Using as few words as possible; | If you were laconic with your lectures, then we could leave class 15 minutes early. |
| Lacuna | a gap or missing part | The story’s plot was missing, creating a lacuna in the middle of the text. |
| Lam | a hasty escape; flight. hit hard; strike | I’ll lam you in the mouth in a minute |
| Lambaste | attack verbally, to criticize someone harshly | Even with its success, harsh party leaders continued to lambaste the plan for healthcare reform |
| Lament | show feeling of great sorrow | The least you could do is lament for hurting my mother’s feelings! |
| Lampoon | publicly mock or ridicule | Because Freddy posted an uncomplimentary lampoon of his boss on his Facebook page, he soon found himself looking for new employment. |
| Lance | a long, thin pole with a sharp point carried by horsemen | Every tribesman carries around a lance whose tip is so sharp that it pierces the flesh at the slightest touch |
| Languid | very slow and relaxed | I always get my rest when I take a languid cruise vacation. |
| Languish | to be or become weak or dull; lose strength or vigor; fail to make progress or be successful | When the judge sentences the murderer, I hope he gives him a lifetime to languish in prison. |
| Larceny | unlawful taking of personal property | arceny is one of those things that should never be acceptable in a civilized society. |
| Largess | money or gifts given generously | the distribution of largesse to the local population |
| Lassitude | weariness; tiredness, tiredness and a lack of energy | After the long race, Jack experienced a feeling of lassitude. |
| Lasso | a rope with a noose at one end, used especially in North America for catching cattle. | at last his father lassoed the horse |
| Latent | present but not yet active; developed or visible | if Janet is anything like her mother, she will show a latent skill for singing when she reaches her teenage years. |
| Latitude | having the choice to do something | My father gave me the latitude to choose my own curfew on prom night. |
| Laud | to praise or glorify | The critic will laud the popular movie as one of the best of its time. |
| Laudatory | expressing or giving praise | The laudatory announcement praised the team’s efforts during the championship game |
| Lava | Hot molten or semi-fluid rock erupted from a volcano or fissure, or solid rock resulting from cooling of this. | tablelands of lava came out |
| Lavish | giving or producing freely liberally or generously | Every room in the five-star hotel was filled with lavish furnishings. |
| Lax | relaxed and not strict | The lax entry requirements let just about anyone in. |
| Leaven | a substance, typically yeast, that is added to dough to make it ferment and rise. | leaven is added to the dough and the dough is left to rise |
| Legacy | Bequest or inheritance | Though none of his family was famous, he intended to leave a mark on the world, creating a legacy that would be remembered around the world. |
| Legion | a large number or a large army | Our military attacked the enemy legion from the rear. |
| Lethargic | feeling sluggish or lacking energy | During the hottest days of summer I feel so lethargic that all I want to do is drink iced tea and paint. |
| Levee | formal reception/embankment | A levee was created out of dirt and sandbags to keep creeping water from the Mississippi from flooding the fields. |
| Levity | lack of seriousness, a lack of seriousness | After battles, some soldiers try and add levity to their days by telling jokes around the campfire |
| Levy | to impose (a tax or fine) | All countries that I am aware of maintain that the government has a right to levy taxes on its citizens. |
| Libel | statement that damages reputation | I told Troy that I would sue him for libel if he posted that embarrassing picture of us on his Facebook page. |
| Liberality | free giving; generosity | The wealthy young man always treated his friends with liberality and gave them money whenever they needed it. |
| Libertarian | a person who believes in free will | And Tuesday’s decision drew little protest from civil libertarians. |
| Libertine | immoral person | My Uncle Charles is a libertine who lives with his four girlfriends. |
| Lien | legal claim until a debt on it is repaid | Bill will have a lien on his house until he pays his federal taxes. |
| Ligneous | woody; looking like wood. | My father doesn’t like the look of ligneous houses, but my mother is fond of homes made out of wood. |
| Limerick | a humorous five-line poem with a rhyme scheme aabba. | A limerick is a humorous poem consisting of five lines |
| Limn | depict or describe in painting or words, paint portray | Miss Read limns a gentler world in her novels |
| Limp | lacking strength; walking unevenly | After the strong storm, the once strong tree limbs are now limp |
| Limpid | see-through; clear | Because the sky was not limpid, we could not see the stars. |
| Linen | cloth woven from flax, articles such as sheets or clothes made, or originally made, of linen | the linen cupboard |
| Liniment | a topical solution used to alleviate stiffness or pain | The trainer applied liniment to the football player’s aching back. |
| Lint | short, fine fibres which separate from the surface of cloth or yarn during processing. | some fabrics leave tiny specks of lint on the glass |
| Lionize | treat as a famous person, to treat (a person) as if they were important, or a celebrity | We ought to lionize our military men and women because they place themselves in harm’s way, so others can live. |
| Lithe | bending; twisting, | While Corinne has the lithe, agile body that would be perfect for gymnastics, she is too tall to manage some of the events. |
| Liturgy | preset practices that are carried out during a religious service or event | The priest has performed the baptismal liturgy over five hundred times. |
| Livid | Furiously angry, enraged | Boris was livid with fury when he learned his wife’s killer was being released from prison. |
| Lizard | a reptile that typically has a long body and tail, four legs, movable eyelids, and a rough, scaly, or spiny skin, girgit | I killed lizard today |
| Lobbyist | an individual hired to convince a legislator to act in a specific manner | As a lobbyist for a gun manufacturer, Harry tries to persuade legislators to vote against strict gun control bills. |
| Lofty | great and worthy of praise | The football players have set a lofty goal in their bid to win all their home games this year. |
| Loll | rest to sit or stand in a lazy way hang (dog’s tongue) | My sister allows her children to loll in front of the television when they should be doing their homework. |
| Longevity | the duration of time that something or someone persists | Tom’s career longevity has allowed him to become a millionaire. |
| Loom | to impend; to threaten or hang over, machine fabrics | When the storm begins to loom over the horizon, we will head back to the car. |
| Lope | move along with long strides | Sprinters usually will lope in their lanes in order to ensure victory at the finish line of the race. |
| Loquacious | talkative; garrulous, who talks too much | After drinking four beers, my normally quiet wife becomes quite loquacious. |
| Lucid | easy to understand or thinking clearly | After staying up for twenty hours, I was far from lucid. |
| Lucubrate | write in scholarly fashion | I have often lucubrated for your Magazine |
| Luculent | easily understood; lucid; clear | he did luculent speech |
| Ludicrous | something viewed as humorous because of its ridiculousness | The ludicrous movie is about a dog that becomes the president of a country. |
| Lugubrious | mournful; excessively sad, looking or sounding sad and gloomy | Just because I’m a bit down today doesn’t mean I’m in a lugubrious mood! |
| Lull | become quiet or less active, to put to sleep, soothe, or quiet | Soft and cool, the breeze succeeded in its task to lull the man to sleep. |
| Lumber | move in a clumsy/noisy way, pieces of straight wooden | Once the logging company finished the order, the workers would pile the lumber into a truck headed for the paper mill. |
| Luminary | star; light-giving body, a person who influences or motivates other people | Since the pope is a luminary who wants to make the world a better place, he deserves to win the Nobel Peace Prize. |
| Lummox | someone who is clumsy or regarded as unintelligent | My best friend is definitely a lummox, since he is always off doing stupid things that will probably get him hurt. |
| Lurk | the act of repeatedly committing crimes | Hungry lions lurk in the tall grass and wait for unsuspecting gazelles to cross their path. |
| Luscious | extremely appealing in smell, taste, or appearance | I wanted to take a bite of the luscious apple. |
| Lustrous | being bright; polished | His lustrous tawny hair streams upward crowned with a crossed vajra. |
| Lynch | (of a group of people) kill (someone) for an alleged offence without a legal trial, especially by hanging | her father had been lynched by whites |
| Macabre | gruesome; suggesting death, gruesome, shocking, disturbing, terrifying | Since even the scariest of horror movies only made her laugh, Sofia supposed that she had a macabre sense of humor. |
| Mace | an irritant chemical used in an aerosol to disable attackers, weapon | three individuals were Maced by an unknown male. He killed her with mace |
| Macerate | make or become soft by soaking in water | macerate the mustard seeds in vinegar |
| Machination | plot; scheme (esp. evil), a scheme that is usually created for bad reasons | After being caught running a machination against his political rival, the ruthless candidate lost the election. |
| Maculated | mark with a spot or spots; stain | a dirty white T-shirt maculated with barbecue sauc |
| Maelstrom | a situation in which there is great confusion, violence, and destruction, or a very powerful whirlpool | Most heavy metal rock concerts are a maelstrom of energy with maximum noise and visual effects. |
| Magnanimous | very generous or forgiving; unselfish | Because she was kind and generous, the magnanimous queen was loved by all. |
| Magnate | a wealthy and influential business person | Due to his status as a political magnate, many people were eager to vote for him in the next election |
| Maladroit | tactless; clumsy, awkward and somewhat incompetent | The maladroit robber locked himself inside of the bank vault. |
| Malady | an illness | After the surgery, my physical malady should not bother me anymore. |
| Malapropism | misuse of a word (for one that resembles it) | In class, everyone laughed at Bill’s malapropism when he complained about electrical votes instead of electoral votes. |
| Malediction | an evil speech or curse upon someone or something | Sometimes my luck is so bad I believe someone has placed a malediction upon me. |
| Malefactor | one who does evil | The dictator was a merciless malefactor who tortured his subjects for fun. |
| Malevolence | wishing to do evil | Because of their malevolent purposes, hand grenades are not allowed on commercial flights. |
| Malevolent | malicious; evil; having or showing ill will | With a malevolent look on the man’s face, Leah knew she was in danger. |
| Malign | to say unpleasant things about someone or something, usually unfairly | By spreading the cruel rumor, my sister hoped to malign her ex-boyfriend. |
| Malinger | to fake illness or injury in order to shirk a duty | The lazy student tried to malinger when it was time to work on his essay. |
| Malingerer | a person who malingers; a shirker. | the doctor said my son was a malingerer |
| Malleable | yielding easily shaped; moldable; adapting | Once I make up my mind about a person, my feelings are not malleable. |
| Mallet | a hammer with a typically wooden head that is used for hitting a chisel | A mallet is usually a tool for sculpting, but there is also a metal variant that is used to pound raw meat in cooking. |
| Manacle | chains for the hands or feet | The manacle will keep the dog from leaving the front yard. |
| Manifest | easy to understand or recognize; obvious | The love on Amy’s face was manifest and obvious to everyone. |
| Manipulation | the action of manipulating something in a skilful manner | the format allows fast picture manipulation |
| Manipulative | exercising unscrupulous control or influence over a person or situation | she was sly, selfish, and manipulative |
| Marred | spoiled or damaged | The rowdy college boys marred the hotel room. |
| Marshal | assemble and arrange (a group of people, especially troops) in order, highest rank officer | the general marshalled his troops |
| Marsupial | mamal | a mammal of an order whose members are born incompletely developed and are typically carried and suckled in a pouch on the mother’s belly. Marsupials are found chiefly in Australia and New Guinea, and also in America. |
| Martial | associated with a military way of life | Since my father brings his job as a colonel home, he runs our family in a martial way by assigning everyone a rank and duties. |
| Martinet | an individual who emphasizes discipline | As a colonel in the army, John is a martinet who believes discipline is the only path to success |
| Masochist | an individual who gets pleasure from suffering, Someone who enjoys pain | Sarah does not like enduring or observing pain so she is definitely not a masochist. |
| Massacre | cruel killing of a large number of people | The French massacre was particular bloody, with over one hundred lives lost. |
| Matriarchy | a family unit, group, or administration managed by a single woman or a team of women | Women elders leading an Indian tribe is a good example of a matriarchy. |
| Matriculation | be admitted enter a university as a student | matriculation done by me |
| Maudlin | sentimental in a silly or tearful way, showing or expressing too much emotion especially in a foolish or annoying way | Sarah is such a drama queen that she behaves in a maudlin way to even the smallest incident. |
| Maul | hurt by rough handling | The lion chose to maul the man we received at the hospital today, inflicting all sorts of gashes and cuts on him that we had to stitch up. |
| Maverick | rebel; nonconformist, tending to choose a different path from everyone else | My maverick boss has made his fortune by using a selling strategy different from that of his competitors. |
| Meager | very small or too small in amount | My daughter is quick to complain about what she considers to be a meager allowance. |
| Meander | to move slowly without any real purpose | The film was boring because the plot seemed to meander along with no resolution. |
| Meddle | to interfere in something that is not your concern | The machine is working fine so please do not meddle with the settings. |
| Mediocre | average; not great or extraordinary | The mediocre dinner was adequate but not worth the extravagant prices charged by the restaurant. |
| Mellifluous | sweetly flowing, having a smooth, flowing sound | The singer with the mellifluous voice will win the talent contest. |
| Mellow | to become calm and easy-going due to being older or having more practice | At ten years old, the mellow dog would lay on the couch all day with little regard to the annoyances around him. |
| Menagerie | a different collection | The president expected a menagerie of questions from the group of reporters. |
| Mendacious | lying; habitually dishonest | Chuck is mendacious about his vegetarianism because he eats chicken. |
| Mendacity | dishonesty | Since honesty is very important to me, I was deeply offended by my ex-husband’s mendacity. |
| Mendicant | a beggar | The mendicant hoped pedestrians would drop money in his bucket. |
| Mephitic | Poisonous; noxious, Bad-smelling; having a foul odor especially of gas or vapor | Passing by the mephitic industrial hole, the children held their noses to avoid the stench. |
| Mercenary | motivated by private gain, regardless of ethics or laws; greedy | Because James is a mercenary, he is motivated by financial gain. |
| Mercurial | quick changeable in character fleeting, unpredictable | While my uncle is as predictable as the sunrise, my aunt is very mercurial. |
| Meretricious | attractive on the surface but of little value | Because of Christie’s meretricious style of dressing, she has often been mistaken for a prostitute and has received a number of indecent proposals. |
| Merge | to come together into one unit | The car began to merge onto the interstate from the entrance ramp by fitting his car in between two cars. |
| Mesmerize | hypnotize | Because Jennifer was mesmerized by the author’s writing style, she purchased all of his books. |
| Metaphorically | In a metaphoric manner; not literally; by means of metaphor. | speaking metaphorically, my dad said I’d just won the lottery |
| Metaphysics | the branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, identity, time, and space. | metaphysics means abstract theory with no basis in reality |
| Meticulous | giving great attention to details | Because Haley is a meticulous cleaner, every inch of her house is spotless. |
| Mettle | quality of endurance or courage | To prove his mettle and show that he was daring enough to join the club, Timmy had to spend an hour alone in the haunted house on the hill. |
| Mettlesome | courageous; high-spirited | My brother is a mettlesome boy whose free-spirit always leads him to some type of adventure. |
| Middling | fairly good but not very good, mediocre | Because Janice does not apply herself in school, she is a mediocre student. |
| Mien | demeanor, manner or conduct especially indicating one’s mood or character | The toddler had such a joyful mien that he brought smiles to the faces of everyone he came in contact with. |
| Milieu | the environment in which one experiences life | As the son of a legendary pianist, Henry grew up in a musical milieu. |
| Millinery | women’s hats | her designer millinery |
| Minatory | menacing; threatening | My boss’s minatory emails always seemed to be a mix of threatening and intimidating. |
| Mince | pronounce or speak affectedly euphemize, cut up (food, especially meat) into very small pieces, typically in a machine. | he is eating minced beef |
| Minion | an individual who obeys the commands of another person | At work, I’m a minion who does everything my boss says. |
| Minuscule | quite small | Many fast food workers are quitting their jobs because of minuscule salaries. |
| Minutiae | tiny unimportant details | The students ignored their teacher as she told them minutiae about her boring life. |
| Mire | a situation or circumstance from which it is difficult to escape | Because the girl chose to become friends with a drug dealer, she now finds herself in a mire of suspicion. |
| Misanthrope | person who hates mankind | The old man was a misanthrope who surrounded his entire yard with barbed wire to keep his neighbors at bay. |
| Mischievous | harmful; causing mischief | The police warned us not to engage in any kind of mischievous behavior on the boardwalk. |
| Misconstrue | interpret (a person’s words or actions) wrongly. | my advice was deliberately misconstrued |
| Miseenscene | the stage setting or scenery of a play | the arrangement of the scenery, props, etc. on the stage of a theatrical production or on the set of a film. |
| Miser | person who loves wealth and spends little | To save money, the miser ate only one meal a day. |
| Misnomer | a name or description that is incorrect or inappropriate | Since Fred is very skinny, calling him Fat Fred is indeed a misnomer. |
| Misogynist | one who hates women/females | The women’s basketball team refused to work with their coach because of his misogyny and his rude behavior. |
| Misrepresentation | the action or offence of giving a false or misleading account of the nature of something. | she is seeking damages on allegations of misrepresentation |
| Mistrust | a feeling of doubt or suspicion | The woman’s mistrust of politicians has kept her away from the polls. |
| Mite | A very small amount, portion, or particle | My friend is only a mite funny, but he thinks he is the most humorous among us, even though his jokes are average at best. |
| Mitigate | make less severe or painful | The doctor gave me a prescription to mitigate the pain. |
| Moat | a thin stream of water that completely surrounds right outside a large house or fortress | Since the dragon could not swim, he dared not cross the moat to any window or door of the castle. |
| Moderation | the act of restraining oneself from doing something excessively | Eating fatty foods is acceptable as long as you do it in moderation without overdoing it. |
| Modest | of moderate amount | With our modest incomes, my wife and I can usually afford two vacations a year. |
| Modicum | a small portion | Because the man was not sober, he did not have even a modicum of control over his car. |
| Mollify | make calmer or quieter | Perhaps a warm glass of milk will mollify my upset stomach. |
| Mollycoddle | to handle someone or something in a shielding or indulging way | The older sister would always mollycoddle her younger brother by never letting him out of her sight. |
| Molt | lose hair/feathers before new growing, to peel off the outside coat or level of skin, feathers, or fur | About once a year, birds molt their feathers so that the old ones are replaced with new ones. |
| Momentous | of huge significance | It was a momentous occasion when the development team finished the project on time. |
| Monolithic | large in size and challenging to alter | Unfortunately there was no way to make the monolithic project smaller. |
| Monotonous | dull, tedious, and repetitious; lacking in variety and interest | Everyone complains about my science teacher’s uninteresting and monotonous lectures. |
| Moot | open to discussion or debate; doubtful | Since the judge has decided the child will live with her mother, the custody argument between the parents is moot. |
| Moralistic | quick to judge others based on a narrow view of what is right and wrong | The conversation took a moralistic turn as my mother began to scold me for living a lifestyle she felt to be immoral. |
| Moratorium | the pausing of an ongoing activity | An avid fisherman, Billy was upset when he learned of the fishing moratorium. |
| Morbid | associated with subjects that are unpleasant, like death | The boy’s morbid fascination with death led him to collect dead animals. |
| Moribund | in a dying state; near death | Because the wounded man has lost a great deal of blood, he is moribund and probably will not make it through the night. |
| Morose | ill-tempered; unsocial, feeling sad, in a bad mood, and not wanting to talk to anyone | When her dog died, the little girl was morose for months. |
| Muffler | cloth worn round the neck; silencer | It has no mufflers; that would add too much weight, |
| Mulct | the extort money from someone, to deprive (someone) of something, as by fraud, extortion, etc. | The unethical reporter managed to mulct $500,000 from the corrupt police department. |
| Multifarious | varied; motley; greatly diversified | While the school has a multifarious student population, it is actually located in an African American part of town. |
| Mundane | worldly as opposed to spiritual commonplace everyday, lacking interest or excitement; dull. | If you want to escape from the mundane, get out of this boring town! |
| Munificent | very generous | The munificent woman is a well-known philanthropist who funds many university scholarships. |
| Muse | something or someone that inspires | The model was the artist’s muse for his famous sculpture. |
| Mutinous | not following orders; rebelling against authority | Can you believe the bodyguard was the head of the mutinous plot to kill the king? |
| Myriad | very great number | Because Jason is recovering from a stroke, he has myriad prescriptions to take. |
| Nadir | lowest; weakest point | Since the relationship between the two warring nations has reached its nadir, world leaders are greatly concerned about the risk of nuclear war. |
| Narcissism | Self-love | The narcissistic teenager cannot walk more than fifty feet without checking her appearance in her pocket mirror. |
| Narcotic | an addictive drug affecting mood or behaviour, especially an illegal one | cultivation of a plant used to make a popular local narcotic |
| Nary | not any; no; | Unfortunately, nary a restaurant was open at two o’clock in the morning. |
| Nascent | coming into existence; emerging | Online dating has gone from a nascent idea to an established concept that helps millions of people find love. |
| Natty | smart and fashionable | a natty blue blazer |
| Navigable | controllable or maneuverable | The only navigable boat the teenager was legally permitted to drive at his young age was a small fishing boat |
| Nebulous | cloud-like; hazy; vague; indistinct, Unclear, vague; not clearly defined | It was not difficult to realize her answer to the question was nebulous. |
| Nefarious | very evil and wicked | How nefarious of you to fling dog crap on my car! |
| Negate | to cause something to be ineffective; to nullify | Be careful when shopping because you do not want unnecessary purchases to negate the value of the coupons you are using. |
| Negligence | neglect; inattention | The parent’s negligence resulted in their children being taken from their care and placed in a safer home. |
| Negligent | taking too little care | I felt negligent for leaving Jean’s toddler alone in the car. |
| Nemesis | an enemy who is constantly causing problems | Kara was not happy when her nemesis won the contest. |
| Neologism | a new term or phrase recently added to a person or group’s vocabulary | The neologism became so popular it was added to most dictionaries. |
| Neophyte | someone who is just learning to do something | Because I have very little computer experience, I am a neophyte when it comes to working with most software programs. |
| Nettle | to cause someone to become annoyed or angry | My brother will often nettle me by reading my diary |
| Neuralgia | is pain in the distribution of a nerve or nerves, | Leaving him in extreme pain, facial neuralgia gave way to severe discomfort in the patient’s face. |
| Nexus | a connection or link, point | Today Facebook seems to be the nexus of communication. |
| Nibble | show some inclination to accept (an offer), to take small bites | As he continued to nibble on the small piece of cheese, the mouse did not see the sneaky cat coming up behind him. |
| Niggardly | miserly; extremely stingy | Stop being so niggardly and at least give a dollar to charity! |
| Nihilism | the idea that societal rules are worthless and should be eliminated, total rejection of all religious and moral beliefs | The rebels urged the people to grab hold of nihilism and remove all government officials from office. |
| Noisome | offensive; disgusting (smell), disgusting in smell | Janice refuses to ride in her boyfriend’s car until he cleans it with something that will eliminate the noisome smell. |
| Nomadic | living the life of a nomad; wandering. | The nomadic tribe moved their camp several times a year. |
| Nonchalance | the state of being calm, the state of being nonchalant. | an air of nonchalance |
| Nonchalant | not having interest, relaxed and calm in a way that shows you do not care or are not worried about anything | Surprisingly, the woman was nonchalant about her husband’s death. |
| Nondescript | without qualities that make a thing or person interesting | The man dressed in such a nondescript manner that no one remembered seeing him at the party. |
| Nonentity | a person who is not important | The celebrity cut in front of me like I was a nonentity. |
| Nonplused | greatly surprised, filled with bewilderment; “at a loss to understand those remarks”; “puzzled that she left without saying goodbye” at a loss, nonplussed, puzzled. | filled with bewilderment; “at a loss to understand those remarks”; “puzzled that she left without saying goodbye” at a loss, nonplussed, puzzled. |
| Nonplussed | confused about how to behave or respond | When the politician was questioned about his position on a tough issue, he appeared nonplussed and took a long time to respond to the reporter. |
| Nostalgia | a longing for a time or event that has passed | My grandmother says the jazz music triggers nostalgia for her youth. |
| Nostrum | a quack remedy; an untested cure, a plan or remedy that is unlikely to work | Although my sister is not a doctor, she thinks she can cure any illness and is quick to suggest a nostrum to her friends. |
| Notion | an inkling to do something, Inking=A slight suspicion or hint, A sentiment; an opinion | When Jim realized he would not receive many votes, he dropped the notion of entering the student council race. |
| Notoriety | being known for something bad | The notoriety of violence in the downtown area keeps many tourists from visiting that part of the city. |
| Novel | unique; origina | The studio is looking for novel concepts to turn into original television series. |
| Novice | inexperienced | When it came to coding complicated functions, the inexperienced coder was a novice. |
| Noxious | harmful | Besides being annoying, the mosquito is a noxious insect that can carry and transmit a number of potentially fatal diseases. |
| Nuance | a subtle distinction or variation | Please be quiet so I can hear every nuance of the song! |
| Nugatory | trifling/worthless | Jim’s nugatory comments contributed nothing to the class discussion. |
| Nullify | make of no use or value; cancel out | Since the highest court in the land has said states cannot nullify gay marriages, many homosexuals have gotten married to celebrate the decision. |
| Nuzzle | to touch softly with the nose | My husband will often nuzzle my neck during our intimate moments. |
| Obdurate | hardened and unrepenting; stubborn; inflexible | Sometimes, you are too obdurate for your own good! |
| Obfuscate | to darken; make obscure; muddle, to deliberately make something confusing or difficult to understand | Because I am a sympathetic teacher, I avoid using language which will obfuscate my students. |
| Obligate | to be required or forced | All citizens of the United States must obligate to vote in every election as their civic duty. |
| Oblique | not in a straightforward manner | To avoid worrying his wife, the man made an oblique statement about the seriousness of his medical condition. |
| Obliterate | to destroy | If a plane lands on your home, it will obliterate your property. |
| Oblivious | unaware; having no memory, unaware of what is present or occurring | The huge dog closed its eyes and appeared oblivious to the crawling baby |
| Obloquy | abusively; detractive language; sharp criticism; vituperation | After being released from prison, Kurt lived in obloquy and rarely left his apartment. |
| Obscure | relatively unknown | Because the millionaire was a shy man, he enjoyed living an obscure life in the country. |
| Obsequious | too eager to obey or serve, Excessively submissive; overly obedient | When he receives obsequious service, Lawrence always leaves a huge tip. |
| Obsession | the control of one’s thoughts about something or someone | Billy’s ex-girlfriend was deemed a stalker due to her obsession with him by always watching, calling and thinking about him. |
| Obsolete | no longer of use | Many people believe the Internet has made the postal service obsolete. |
| Obstreperous | noisy; loud | because my nephew is obstreperous, he often gets in trouble at school. |
| Obtain | to be established accepted or customary | My daughter must obtain a copy of her immunization records before she can start school. |
| Obtrusive | projecting; prominent; undesirably noticeable | During the test, the clock on the wall was obtrusive as it ticked unusually loud. |
| Obtuse | blunt/stupid, not able to think clearly or to understand what is obvious or simple | Are you so obtuse that you will give away all your money to a fake charity? |
| Obviate | to make unnecessary get rid of, to prevent or eliminate | Nowadays, parents are able to obviate the stresses of a long road trip with children by entertaining them with all sorts of technological gadgets. |
| Obvious | noticeable and likely to be determined | When the child touched the hot stove with his hand, his obvious reaction would be to never touch the stove again. |
| Occluded | blocked up | The police officers have blocked off the road to occlude the bomb from the public. |