Inimical (adjective) Harmful or actively hostile to someone's interests or well-being.
Example: Constant interruptions are inimical to deep, focused work.
Mnemonic: Hides the word 'enemy' inside it (both trace to Latin 'inimicus') — something inimical works against you like an enemy would.
Innocuous (adjective) Harmless; unlikely to cause offense or damage.
Example: He thought his comment was innocuous, but it accidentally offended half the room.
Mnemonic: 'In-' (not) plus 'nocuous' (harmful, related to 'noxious') — innocuous is the safe opposite of noxious.
Insular (adjective) Narrow-minded as a result of isolation, and unwilling to consider outside ideas or people.
Example: Growing up on a remote island made the community somewhat insular in its outlook.
Mnemonic: From Latin 'insula,' island — an insular person thinks as though they live on an isolated island, cut off from other views.
Intransigent (adjective) Refusing to compromise or change one's position, even under pressure.
Example: Both sides remained intransigent, and the negotiations collapsed after six hours.
Mnemonic: 'In-' (not) plus 'transigent' (willing to settle, from Latin 'transigere,' to come to an agreement) — intransigent people simply won't settle.
Irascible (adjective) Easily provoked to anger; quick-tempered.
Example: The irascible chef screamed at anyone who touched his knives.
Mnemonic: Shares a root with 'ire' (anger) — an irascible person is one spark away from an angry outburst.
Jaded (adjective) Worn out and cynical from having too much experience with something, especially something unpleasant.
Example: After ten years of covering scandals, the reporter had grown jaded about politicians' promises.
Mnemonic: Originally described a worn-out, exhausted horse called a 'jade' — a jaded person feels just as used-up and weary as that old horse.
Jocular (adjective) Fond of joking around; playfully humorous in manner.
Example: His jocular tone at the funeral reception helped ease the family's grief.
Mnemonic: Contains 'joc-,' the same root found in 'joke' — a jocular person is always cracking one.
Judicious (adjective) Showing sound, sensible judgment, especially in practical decisions.
Example: A judicious investor spreads risk across several different assets.
Mnemonic: Shares a root with 'judge' and 'judgment' — a judicious person weighs decisions the way a wise judge weighs a case.
Juxtapose (verb) To place two things side by side so that their differences or similarities become clear.
Example: The exhibit juxtaposed photos of the city from 1920 and today to show how much had changed.
Mnemonic: Latin 'juxta' means 'next to' — to juxtapose is literally to set things next to each other for comparison.
Kowtow (verb) To behave with excessive, submissive deference toward someone in authority.
Example: The new hire refused to kowtow to the office bully, even when it cost him favor.
Mnemonic: Borrowed from Chinese, where it named the act of touching one's forehead to the ground before an emperor — to kowtow is to grovel that low, if only figuratively.
Labyrinthine (adjective) Extremely complicated and winding, like the passages of a maze.
Example: Navigating the labyrinthine tax code required hiring a specialist.
Mnemonic: Comes straight from 'labyrinth,' the mythical maze built to trap the Minotaur — labyrinthine things twist and confuse just as badly.
Languid (adjective) Slow-moving and relaxed, lacking energy or urgency.
Example: They spent a languid afternoon drifting down the river with no destination in mind.
Mnemonic: Shares a root with 'languish' (Latin 'languere,' to grow weak) — a languid mood carries that same slow, drained-out energy.
Largesse (noun) Generous giving, especially of money or gifts, often from someone wealthy or powerful.
Example: The scholarship program exists thanks to the largesse of a single anonymous donor.
Mnemonic: Contains 'large' — largesse is generosity on a large, open-handed scale.
Latent (adjective) Present but hidden or undeveloped, not yet showing itself.
Example: The test revealed a latent talent for music that she had never had the chance to explore.
Mnemonic: From Latin 'latere,' to lie hidden — latent qualities are lying in wait just beneath the surface.
Laud (verb) To praise highly, especially in a formal or public way.
Example: Critics lauded the film for its unflinching portrayal of grief.
Mnemonic: Hides inside 'applaud' — to laud someone is to give them the praise that applause represents.
Lethargic (adjective) Sluggish and lacking energy, often due to tiredness or illness.
Example: The heavy lunch left everyone feeling lethargic through the afternoon meeting.
Mnemonic: Comes from 'lethargy' — picture the mythical river Lethe, whose waters were said to cause a drowsy, forgetful haze.
Levity (noun) A light, humorous treatment of a situation that might otherwise feel heavy or serious.
Example: He added a moment of levity to the tense meeting with a well-timed joke.
Mnemonic: Related to 'levitate' (to rise, be light) — levity lightens the mood, keeping things from becoming too heavy.
Loquacious (adjective) Very talkative, often to an excessive degree.
Example: The loquacious tour guide narrated every building we passed in exhausting detail.
Mnemonic: From Latin 'loqui,' to speak (also found in 'eloquent' and 'colloquial') — loquacious people just keep on speaking.
Lugubrious (adjective) Exaggeratedly or theatrically mournful, beyond what a situation calls for.
Example: The actor's lugubrious sighs at every setback made the tragedy feel almost comic.
Mnemonic: From Latin 'lugere,' to mourn — lugubrious sadness is mourning turned up to a theatrical, over-the-top volume.
Lucid (adjective) Clear and easy to understand; also, clear-headed and coherent in thought.
Example: Even in her nineties, my grandmother gave a lucid account of events from decades earlier.
Mnemonic: From Latin 'lux,' light — lucid thinking or writing lets light shine straight through, with nothing murky in the way.
Magnanimous (adjective) Generously forgiving or noble-spirited, especially toward a rival or someone with less power.
Example: The winning coach was magnanimous in victory, praising the losing team's effort.
Mnemonic: Latin 'magnus' (great) plus 'animus' (spirit) — a magnanimous person has a great, big-hearted spirit.
Malinger (verb) To fake or exaggerate illness in order to avoid work or duty.
Example: The sergeant suspected the recruit was malingering to skip the morning drill.
Mnemonic: Begins with 'mal-' (bad, as in 'malady') — a malingerer fakes a 'bad' condition just to dodge responsibility.
Malleable (adjective) Easily shaped, bent, or influenced.
Example: Gold is prized by jewelers because it is so malleable that it can be hammered into thin sheets.
Mnemonic: From Latin 'malleus,' hammer — malleable material can be hammered into a new shape without breaking.
Maverick (noun) An independent-minded person who breaks from convention rather than following the group.
Example: The company's founder was a maverick in the industry, ignoring every standard business model.
Mnemonic: Named after Samuel Maverick, a rancher who famously left his cattle unbranded — a maverick, like his cattle, refuses to be branded or grouped with the rest.
Mendacious (adjective) Habitually dishonest; prone to lying.
Example: The mendacious salesman promised features the product didn't actually have.
Mnemonic: From Latin 'mendax,' lying — you can never quite trust the words of a mendacious person.