“Proselytize” means to preach or talk about something, with the goal of converting other people to your way of thinking. Missionaries proselytize to convert people to their religion. Members of a political party sometimes proselytize to get more people to … Continue reading…
“Harbinger” means “a sign of things to come.” Some synonyms for harbinger are “portent” and “omen.” It’s not always negative, though – the things to come can be good as well as bad. Example: “Thought nearly covered by the two … Continue reading…
“Aegis” means “protection” or “shield.” The word originally referred to the armored breastplate worn by the goddess Athena, the Greek goddess of knowledge and military power. Example: “The star football player saw the other students teasing the new boy, so … Continue reading…
A word you might be familiar with in a religious sense is “trinity.” But as a general term, it merely refers to three things or people that are considered as a unit, inseparable. Example: “Germany, Italy, and Japan formed the … Continue reading…
“Catholic” is an adjective meaning “broad in scope” and “comprehensive.” Example: “Her reading list is quite catholic; she has books on everything from astrology to zoo-keeping, and the complete ‘Harry Potter’ series.”
“Negligible” means “so small it doesn’t matter.” Something that’s negligible is easy to ignore because it has little impact on the situation. Example: “The monthly total of all staff salaries is a huge sum, but compared to the rest of … Continue reading…
If someone has a habit of talking down to others and insulting them, they’ll probably get a reputation for being not a very nice person. They’ll be infamous. “Infamous” is an adjective meaning “having a bad reputation” or “notorious.” Example: … Continue reading…
Sometimes people make mistakes or act foolishly because they are so new to a situation they haven’t had a chance to learn the correct information. A person like this is a “neophyte” – literally “newly planted,” from the Greek root … Continue reading…
Some people have no problem believing false flattery. They’re completely unaware of the fact that they’re making fools of themselves. They’re “fatuous.” They see themselves as absolute perfection, completely oblivious to their flaws. Not only that, fatuous people tend to … Continue reading…
A “sycophant” is someone who hangs around powerful people, using flattery to advance themselves Example: “A good leader relies on people who question her decisions, not on sycophants who praise every word she says.”