Kindred (adjective) Sharing similar qualities, beliefs, or origins with someone else.
Example: She felt an instant connection with him, like meeting a kindred spirit who truly understood her passions.
Mnemonic: Kindred contains kin, meaning family. Kindred people feel like family because they share the same values.
Keen (adjective) Having a strong interest, desire, or enthusiasm for something, or very sharp and sensitive.
Example: He showed a keen interest in marine biology from a very young age.
Mnemonic: Keen sounds sharp and quick, like a keen blade. A keen interest cuts straight to the point, showing real enthusiasm.
Laborious (adjective) Needing a great deal of time and hard work, often in a slow or tiring way.
Example: Translating the entire manuscript by hand was a laborious process that took over a year.
Mnemonic: Laborious contains labor, meaning work. Anything laborious demands a great deal of labor.
Lavish (adjective) Given or spent in great, extravagant abundance.
Example: They threw a lavish wedding with a live orchestra and a five-course meal.
Mnemonic: Lavish sounds like 'lush' — an overflowing, luxurious abundance of everything.
Legitimate (adjective) Allowed by law or by accepted standards and rules; genuine and reasonable.
Example: She raised a legitimate concern about the safety of the new factory equipment.
Mnemonic: Legitimate contains legit, meaning genuine and legal. Legitimate businesses operate legit, following the rules.
Liable (adjective) Legally responsible for something, or likely to experience or do something.
Example: The company was found liable for the damage caused by its faulty product.
Mnemonic: Liable sounds like lie able. If you are liable, you cannot lie your way out of responsibility.
Linger (verb) To stay somewhere or remain present for longer than necessary or expected.
Example: The smell of fresh bread lingered in the kitchen long after breakfast had ended.
Mnemonic: Linger sounds like longer. To linger is to stay a little longer than you actually need to.
Lofty (adjective) Very high, either physically or in terms of ambition and ideals; sometimes overly proud.
Example: She set lofty goals for her first year running the nonprofit.
Mnemonic: A 'loft' is a high space — lofty ideas and lofty towers both reach way up high.
Magnitude (noun) The great size or importance of something.
Example: It took officials several weeks to fully understand the magnitude of the flood damage.
Mnemonic: Magnitude contains magni, meaning large, as in magnify. Magnitude is all about how large or significant something is.
Mediate (verb) To help two opposing sides reach an agreement by talking with both of them.
Example: A neutral counselor was brought in to mediate the dispute between the two neighbors.
Mnemonic: Mediate contains a root meaning middle. A mediator stands in the middle, helping both sides meet.
Merge (verb) To combine two or more things so that they become one.
Example: The two small banks decided to merge in order to compete with larger companies.
Mnemonic: Picture cars merging into one lane on a highway. Two things merge into a single path.
Meticulous (adjective) Showing great attention to detail; very careful.
Example: The editor was meticulous, catching every misplaced comma.
Mnemonic: Picture someone measuring twice before cutting once — meticulous people double-check every detail.
Modest (adjective) Not talking much about your own abilities or achievements, or moderate in size or amount.
Example: Despite winning the award, she remained modest and thanked her whole team instead.
Mnemonic: Modest sounds like a moderate mode. A modest person keeps things at a humble, moderate level.
Muster (verb) To gather up strength, courage, or support in order to do something.
Example: It took all the courage she could muster to speak in front of the large crowd.
Mnemonic: Muster sounds like must stir. You must stir up all your energy to muster the courage you need.
Mutual (adjective) Shared or felt equally by two or more people or groups.
Example: The two companies signed the contract based on mutual trust built over many years.
Mnemonic: Think of mutual as belonging to all sides equally. A mutual feeling is shared by everyone involved.
Negligent (adjective) Failing to give something or someone the care or attention that is properly required.
Example: The report blamed the factory's poor safety record on negligent managers who ignored repeated warnings.
Mnemonic: Negligent contains 'neglect' - if you neglect your duties, you are being negligent.
Niche (noun) A specialized position or area of activity that particularly suits a person's or organization's skills and interests.
Example: The small bakery found its niche by selling only gluten-free bread to a loyal group of customers.
Mnemonic: Think of a niche as a small 'nook' carved out just for you, cozy and specific.
Nominal (adjective) Existing in name only, or so small in amount that it is barely worth mentioning.
Example: Because she was a family friend, the landlord charged her only a nominal fee to rent the apartment.
Mnemonic: Nominal comes from 'name' - a nominal charge is a fee that exists mostly in name, not in real value.
Nostalgic (adjective) Feeling a sentimental longing for a happy time in the past.
Example: Walking past her old primary school made her feel nostalgic for the simplicity of childhood.
Mnemonic: Nostalgic sounds like 'no-stalgic' - imagine saying no to today and wishing to go back in time.
Notwithstanding (preposition) In spite of a particular fact, without letting that fact prevent something else from happening.
Example: Notwithstanding the harsh criticism, the director refused to change the film's ending.
Mnemonic: Break it apart as not with standing - the obstacle is standing right there, yet the outcome happens not with it stopping anything.
Obligatory (adjective) Required by a rule, law, or custom; compulsory.
Example: Wearing a helmet is obligatory for every construction worker on the site.
Mnemonic: Obligatory shares a root with 'obligation' - if it is obligatory, you have an obligation to do it.
Oblivious (adjective) Completely unaware of what's happening nearby.
Example: Absorbed in his headphones, he was oblivious to the fire alarm blaring down the hallway.
Mnemonic: Shares a root with 'oblivion,' a state of being forgotten — someone oblivious has mentally checked out, missing everything around them.
Obstruct (verb) To block a path, road, or process so that movement or progress becomes difficult or impossible.
Example: A fallen tree obstructed the main road after the storm, forcing drivers to take a detour.
Mnemonic: Picture an obstacle that 'structs' (builds and blocks) your way forward - that is what obstruct means.
Onerous (adjective) Burdensome; requiring great effort and difficult to bear.
Example: The onerous paperwork required for the visa application took weeks to complete.
Mnemonic: From Latin 'onus,' meaning burden or load — onerous tasks carry a heavy weight.
Opaque (adjective) Not able to be seen through; by extension, difficult to understand or interpret.
Example: The company's opaque pricing policy left customers unsure what they were actually being charged for.
Mnemonic: Picture a solid oak door: light can't pass through it, just as understanding can't pass through something opaque.