“Nuance” means a subtle difference in implication, or a hidden meaning, and can refer to the use of a single word, or to the effect of the entire communication.

Example: “Many traditional forms of Japanese poetry use specific, symbolic words to create nuances of meaning, and the reader must be aware of Japanese history and culture in order to appreciate the full effect.”

“Syntax” refers to using words in the right place – that is, where a word appears in a sentence, and the rules of language that determine how it relates to the other words in that sentence. The syntax of a language is the set of rules that tell you how to construct grammatically-correct sentences.

Example:  “Even though Karl has been living in Australia for more than a decade, his mistakes in English syntax have led to frequent misunderstandings with customers taking his charter dive tours.”

Someone who is generous, noble, understanding, and tolerant is said to be “magnanimous.” This word comes from the Latin roots “magnus”, meaning “great”, and “animus”, meaning “spirit.” A magnanimous person has a good heart and a noble spirit.

Example: “The two top contenders in the decathlon were very closely matched, and when the Italian athlete finally won by just one-tenth of a point, he made the magnanimous gesture of inviting the second-place Spanish athlete to stand on the winner’s podium with him.”

“Ineffable” is a word that describes this lack of words. It means beyond words, unable to be expressed.

Example: “Her clothes were always well-fitting and attractive, but it was her confident and gracious manners that gave her an ineffable air of elegance and refinement.”

“Ascendancy” means being on top, being in control, or dominating others.

Example: “As the manufacturing centers continue to move to China and India, many economists are commenting on the ascendancy of these countries in the world political arena. They are beginning to overshadow the formerly robust American and European markets.”

“Eminent” means distinguished, important, or great.

Example: “My grandfather was diagnosed with cancer of the bladder, but we were fortunate that the local university hospital had an eminent physician on staff who specialized in treatment for that type of cancer.”

“Substantive” means making up a large part of something, or being present in quantity, having weight.

Example: “The counsel for the defence brought in enough witnesses that she was able to create a substantive argument for dismissing the case.”

“Contemporary” means “of the same time period.” If you’re speaking of the present day, “contemporary” can be the same as “modern.”

Example: “I enjoy listening to The Beatles and Elvis Presley, but prefer contemporary groups like The Shins or Smashing Pumpkins.”

Some things take a lot of practice to master, but you’ve probably heard of people who seem to require no practice at all, who are extremely talented, perhaps from a young age. You might describe such a person as a “prodigy.” A prodigy is someone who excels at doing something, and is often used in the term “child prodigy” to describe an amazing talent in a very young person.

Example: “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a true musical prodigy: he began playing keyboard at age three and writing music at age five, and by the time he was fourteen years old, his operas were being performed to great success.”

“Arduous” means something needing endurance, requiring  an expenditure of energy and time. Some synonyms include demanding, strenuous, and exhausting.

Example: “The team spent seven days living off the land, and concluded their endurance testing with an arduous climb up the south face of the mountain.”