Redolent (adjective) Something redolent either carries a rich scent or vividly calls to mind another time, place, or feeling.
Example: The kitchen was redolent of cinnamon and baked apples, instantly reminding her of her grandmother's house.
Mnemonic: Hidden inside redolent is something close to 'odor' - a redolent room is full of a memorable smell.
Redress (verb) To redress a wrong is to set it right, often by providing compensation or restoring fairness.
Example: The court ordered the company to redress the harm caused by years of underpaying its workers.
Mnemonic: Redress sounds like 're-dress' - you're dressing the wound of an injustice again, this time properly.
Refute (verb) To prove that a statement or argument is false or mistaken by using evidence or logic.
Example: The scientist presented new data to refute the claim that the medication had no side effects.
Mnemonic: Picture a courtroom 're-fight' where new evidence knocks out the other side's argument entirely.
Relegate (verb) To relegate something is to push it down in rank or importance, often dismissively.
Example: After the merger, the once-central research department was relegated to a small office in the basement.
Mnemonic: A legate was once sent off on distant assignments - to relegate is to send something down and away, out of the main picture.
Relinquish (verb) To give up a right, position, or possession, often reluctantly.
Example: The aging king was finally forced to relinquish his throne to his daughter.
Mnemonic: Sounds like 're-link-quit' — you unlink your grip on something even though part of you still wishes you could keep it.
Repartee (noun) Repartee is an exchange of sharp, humorous remarks traded back and forth between people in conversation.
Example: The two comedians' rapid-fire repartee kept the audience laughing throughout the entire interview.
Mnemonic: Repartee sounds like 're-party' - think of witty banter bouncing back and forth like the liveliest part of a party.
Satiate (verb) To satiate a craving is to fill it so completely that no more is wanted, at least for the moment.
Example: No amount of applause could satiate the performer's hunger for the audience's approval.
Mnemonic: Satiate contains 'sate,' meaning to fill up completely - think of a satiated stomach after a huge meal, unable to hold another bite.
Saturnine (adjective) A saturnine person tends to be sullen, withdrawn, and slow to show warmth or cheer.
Example: The saturnine professor rarely smiled, delivering even good news in the same flat, joyless tone.
Mnemonic: Saturnine comes from the planet Saturn, once thought by astrologers to make people born under it cold, slow, and gloomy.
Savant (noun) A savant possesses a remarkably deep and specialized expertise, often standing out as exceptional in that one area.
Example: Friends jokingly called him a music savant, since he could identify any song within its first three notes.
Mnemonic: Savant comes from the French 'savoir,' to know - a savant simply knows an extraordinary amount about their subject.
Scathing (adjective) Extremely harsh and critical in a way that feels painfully sharp.
Example: The film received a scathing review that called it the worst release of the year.
Mnemonic: Sounds like 'scarring' — a scathing remark can feel sharp enough to leave a mark, like a scar.
Sedulous (adjective) A sedulous worker applies steady, painstaking effort to a task over a long period without giving up.
Example: Through sedulous practice every morning before dawn, she eventually mastered the entire violin repertoire.
Mnemonic: Sedulous sounds like 'settle-us' - someone sedulous settles in for the long haul, refusing to quit until the work is done.
Servile (adjective) Servile behavior shows an exaggerated eagerness to please or obey, often out of fear or desire for favor.
Example: The assistant's servile agreement with every one of the director's ideas made honest feedback impossible.
Mnemonic: Servile clearly contains 'serve' - a servile person acts like a servant, bowing to every whim.
Solicitous (adjective) A solicitous person pays close, caring attention to another's comfort or needs, sometimes to the point of hovering.
Example: The solicitous host kept checking whether every guest's plate and glass were full.
Mnemonic: Solicitous contains 'solicit,' to ask or seek - a solicitous person is constantly seeking out ways to help you.
Somnolent (adjective) A somnolent state or atmosphere is marked by heavy drowsiness, whether in a person or in a quiet place.
Example: The somnolent hum of the classroom fan made it nearly impossible to stay awake during the afternoon lecture.
Mnemonic: Somnolent contains 'somn-,' the Latin root for sleep found in insomnia - somnolent simply means sleepy.
Sophistry (noun) Sophistry is an argument built to sound convincing while actually resting on flawed or dishonest logic.
Example: The lawyer's closing argument was pure sophistry, dazzling the jury with clever wordplay rather than solid evidence.
Mnemonic: Sophistry comes from the Greek Sophists, paid teachers famous for winning arguments through clever tricks rather than truth.
Sophomoric (adjective) Sophomoric behavior displays the overconfidence of someone who has learned just enough to think they know everything.
Example: His sophomoric jokes about the professor's research revealed he hadn't actually read any of it.
Mnemonic: Think of a sophomore, a second-year student who often acts like they know it all despite still being inexperienced.
Sporadic (adjective) Happening occasionally and at irregular intervals rather than continuously.
Example: The region experiences sporadic rainfall throughout the dry season.
Mnemonic: Picture spores scattered randomly by the wind - sporadic events pop up here and there unpredictably.
Spurn (verb) To spurn an offer or a person is to refuse it forcefully, making clear one considers it beneath consideration.
Example: She spurned every peace offering he sent, still furious about how he had betrayed her trust.
Mnemonic: Spurn sounds like 'spur on' - imagine kicking something away with a spur, forcefully rejecting it.
Surfeit (noun) A surfeit is so large a quantity of something that it becomes overwhelming or even harmful.
Example: A surfeit of holiday desserts left the whole family too sluggish to move from the couch.
Mnemonic: Surfeit sounds like 'sir, enough' - someone politely announcing there's now far too much of something.
Tawdry (adjective) Something tawdry looks flashy or gaudy on the surface but is actually low in quality or moral value.
Example: The souvenir shop was stuffed with tawdry plastic trinkets painted to look like gold.
Mnemonic: Tawdry traces back to cheap lace once sold at old English fairs honoring St. Audrey - tawdry means cheaply flashy, just like that lace.
Tenable (adjective) A tenable position is one solid and well-supported enough to withstand serious challenge or criticism.
Example: Her thesis remained tenable even after the toughest questions from the review committee.
Mnemonic: Tenable contains 'ten-,' related to hold as in tenant - a tenable idea is one you can hold onto and defend.
Tirade (noun) A tirade is an extended outburst of harsh, emotional criticism directed at someone or something.
Example: The coach launched into a five-minute tirade after the team missed three easy shots in a row.
Mnemonic: Tirade sounds like 'tire-raid' - a furious speech that tires everyone out, raiding their patience with endless complaints.
Torrid (adjective) Something torrid burns with intense heat, whether that heat is literal weather or overwhelming passion.
Example: Their torrid romance burned brightly for a summer before fading as quickly as it had begun.
Mnemonic: Think of torrid as 'torch' plus hot - a torch's scorching flame represents overwhelming heat or passion.
Tortuous (adjective) A tortuous path or process winds and bends so much that it becomes difficult to follow or complete directly.
Example: The tortuous mountain road forced drivers to slow to a crawl around each hairpin turn.
Mnemonic: Tortuous looks like 'tortoise' - picture a winding trail so twisted that even a tortoise would have trouble following it straight.
Transgress (verb) To transgress is to go beyond an accepted limit, violating a rule or standard of behavior.
Example: The novel's protagonist transgresses every social norm of her era in pursuit of independence.
Mnemonic: Transgress contains 'trans-' (across) and 'gress' (to step, as in progress) - to transgress is to step across a line you shouldn't.