Pretty Words

Pretty Words

Ailurophile- A cat-lover. Assemblage-A gathering. Becoming- Attractive. Beleaguer- To exhaust with attacks. Bucolic- In a lovely rural setting. Bungalow- A small, cozy cottage. Chatoyant- Like a cat’s eye. Comely- Attractive. Conflate- To blend together. Cynosure- A focal point of admiration. Dalliance- A brief love affair. Demesne- Dominion, territory. Demure- Shy and reserved. Denouement- The resolution of a mystery. Desuetude- Disuse. Desultory- Slow, sluggish. Diaphanous- Filmy. Dissemble- Deceive. Dulcet- Sweet, sugary. Ebullience- Bubbling enthusiasm. Effervescent- Bubbly. Efflorescence- Flowering, blooming. Elision- Dropping a sound or syllable in a word. Elixir- A good potion. Eloquence- Beauty and persuasion in speech. Embrocation- Rubbing on a lotion. Emollient- A softener. Ephemeral- Short-lived. Epiphany- A sudden revelation. Erstwhile- At one time, for a time. Ethereal- Gaseous, invisible but detectable. Evanescent- Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time. Evocative- Suggestive. Fetching- Pretty. Felicity- Pleasantness. Forbearance- Withholding response to provocation. Fugacious- Fleeting. Furtive- Shifty, sneaky. Gambol- To skip or leap about joyfully. Glamour- Beauty. Gossamer- The finest piece of thread, a spider’s silk Halcyon- Happy, sunny, care-free. Harbinger- Messenger with news of the future. Imbrication- Overlapping and forming a regular pattern. Imbroglio- An altercation or complicated situation. Imbue- To infuse, instill. Incipient- Beginning, in an early stage. Ineffable- Unutterable, inexpressible. Ingénue- A naïve young woman. Inglenook- A cozy nook by the hearth. Insouciance- Blithe nonchalance. Inure- To become jaded. Labyrinthine- Twisting and turning. Lagniappe- A special kind of gift. Lagoon- A small gulf or inlet. Languor- Listlessness, inactivity. Lassitude- Weariness, listlessness. Leisure- Free time. Lilt- To move musically or lively. Lissome- Slender and graceful. Lithe- Slender and flexible. Mellifluous- Sweet sounding. Moiety- One of two equal parts. Mondegreen- A slip of the ear. Nemesis- An unconquerable archenemy. Offing- The sea between the horizon and the offshore. Opulent- Lush, luxuriant. Palimpsest- A manuscript written over earlier ones. Panacea- A solution for all problems Panoply- A complete set. Pastiche An art work combining materials from various sources. Penumbra- A half-shadow. Petrichor- The smell of earth after rain. Plethora- A large quantity. Propinquity- An inclination. Pyrrhic- Successful with heavy losses. Quintessential- Most essential. Ratatouille- A spicy French stew. Ravel- To knit or unknit. Redolent- Fragrant. Riparian- By the bank of a stream. Scintilla- A spark or very small thing. Sempiternal- Eternal. Seraglio- Rich, luxurious oriental palace or harem. Serendipity- Finding something nice while looking for something else. Summery- Light, delicate or warm and sunny. Sumptuous- Lush, luxurious. Surreptitious- Secretive, sneaky. Susquehanna- A river in Pennsylvania. Susurrous- Whispering, hissing. Talisman- A good luck charm. Untoward Unseemly, inappropriate. Vestigial- In trace amounts. Wafture- Waving. Wherewithal- The means. Woebegone- Sorrowful, downcast.