vernacular -
(n.) everyday language people actually use in daily life, rather than formal, academic, or literary language.
- Teachers sometimes avoid vernacular in academic writing.
idiosyncrasy -
(n.) an unusual habit or mannerism
His idiosyncrasies made him memorable to everyone he met.
immutable -
(adj.) unchangeable
impervious -
(adj.) not affected or influenced
- She remained impervious to criticism and kept moving forward.
raincoat impervious to water
respite -
(n.) a delay or postponement; a rest
paragon -
(n.) a model of excellence or perfection usually a person
quintessence-
(n.) the perfect example of something
- His teaching style represents the quintessence of patience and care.
persona non grata -
(Lat. phr./n.) an unacceptable person
ostensible -
(adj.) appearing or stated to be true, but not necessarily actually true.
sequester -
(v.) to set something apart or isolate it from others.
The boys were sequestered from the girls
vicarious -
(adj.) taking the place of another; substitutionary
I lived vicariously through his travel stories.
raison d’etre -
(Fr. phr./n.) reason for being; justification for existence
Helping others is her raison d’être.
recalcitrant -
(adj.) refusing to obey the rules or follow orders; unmanageably resistant
quandary -
(n.) a state of uncertainty or doubt
opulent -
(adj.) wealthy; abundant
periphrasis -
(n.) a roundabout way of saying something
inscrutable -
(adj.) so mysterious that it cannot be understood
inundate -
(v.) to flood; to overwhelm
She was inundated with emails after the announcement.
pariah -
(n.) an outcast
pecuniary -
(adj.) related to money or financial matters
