Source: Oxford Dictionaries

There are many words out there to define the bitter, the critical, and the downright mean. As a writer, you may often find yourself in need of a variety of these words to keep your descriptions of villains and conflicts fresh and vivid. Today’s vocabulary post features one such word that I feel adds a poetic touch to otherwise coarse writing. Why call certain acts “sour” or “cruel” when you can call them “vitriolic”?

To be “vitriolic” is to be filled with bitter malice or criticism. The word is the adjective form of the noun “vitriol“, meaning “cruel and bitter criticism”. This noun arose in late Middle English as a reference to the sulfate of various metals and comes from the Latin noun vitriolum “sulphuric acid”, which in turn stems from the Latin noun vitrum “glass”.

As noted above, “vitriolic” derives from a word that was once a chemistry term for “sulfuric acid” but has since become dated in this sense. Today, the noun “vitriol” mostly refers to abusive language, so by extension, the adjective “vitriolic” also refers primarily to caustic and malicious speech. However, I’ve also seen it used to describe violent actions, so I assume it’s up to a writer’s discretion how best to use it. If your characters often engage in harsh and spiteful speech or actions, “vitriolic” may be a good word to add to your vocabulary!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Thanksgiving is this week, so I thought it would be fun to share a vocabulary word that fits the occasion. I researched synonyms for “thankful”, but most of the words that came up were pretty common, such as “grateful”, “appreciative”, and “obliged”. However, I did manage to find a word that I wasn’t yet familiar with, and though it may not qualify as an exact synonym of “thankful”, it’s at least related enough to have made it into the latter’s thesaurus entry. Still, I can see why this word isn’t as common; while it’s good to be “grateful” for what you have, you don’t necessarily want to be “beholden” to others for it!

To be “beholden” is to owe thanks or have a duty to someone in return for help or a service. The word arose in late Middle English and is the former past participle of an otherwise unrecorded definition of the verb “behold”, in the sense “bound”. This verb stems from the Old English verb bihaldan “to retain”, which comprises the prefix bi- “throughout” and the verb haldan “to hold”.

While “beholden” is listed as a word related to “thankful”, it’s really more of a synonym for “obliged”, which means to “make someone legally or morally bound to an action or course of action”. Of course, to “be obliged” also means to “be indebted or grateful”, so “beholden” could probably be used politely in this sense as well. At the very least, being an uncommon word, I would recommend it for historical or even technical writing. If your characters often feel indebted to each other for help or services exchanged, “beholden” may be a good word to add to your list!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

So it’s been almost a week since the next American president was elected, and honestly, I was… shocked, to say the least. Though a part of me is glad this election is finally over because I’m tired of hearing about politics, I couldn’t resist picking up one more vocabulary word from the articles flooding my news feed over the past several weeks. The irony is that it doesn’t really fit the theme of this election season, as relatively few national polls correctly predicted the outcome. The people who saw this result coming from a long way off must be a “prescient” bunch indeed!

To be “prescient” is to show or have knowledge of events before they happen. The word arose in the early 17th century and comes from the Latin verb praescire, meaning “to know in advance”. This verb comprises the preposition prae “before” and the verb scire “to know”.

While the word “prescient” may appear to be related to “clairvoyant“, it seems to apply more to knowledge and educated guessing than to supernatural psychic abilities. Those who prove themselves “prescient” tend to have a greater understanding of facts and make correct predictions based on past events. Also noteworthy is the noun form of this adjective, “prescience”, meaning “the fact of knowing something before it takes place”. If the people in your stories are good at predicting the outcomes of events, you’re certainly writing some “prescient” characters!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

It’s been a great month for French and political vocabulary words, hasn’t it? Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past several months, you know that tomorrow is the day that one of the most highly contentious American presidential races in history finally draws to a close. Regardless of which candidate you support (or even if you never cared), I’m sure there’s one thing we can all agree on: it’ll be nice when the tension from this election season finally dissipates! Granted, that likely won’t happen until well after Election Day, but we can still dream of some sort of near-future “detente”, right?

“Detente” (also spelled “détente”) refers to the easing of strained relations or hostility, especially between nations. The word arose in English in the early 20th century and is originally a French noun, literally meaning “loosening” or “relaxation”. This noun stems from the Latin verb detendere, which means “to loosen” or “to relax”.

Naturally, the word “detente” first came to my attention recently while reading yet another political article, in this case about the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner that takes place in New York on the third Thursday of October and which U.S. presidential candidates have traditionally attended since 1960. Being a typical stop for the candidates during “debate season”, it makes sense that this event, treated as a roast, would serve as an outlet for easing some of the tension in the race. Note that “detente” is normally used in a political context, though I suppose it could be used in any reference to an alleviation of strained relationships. If you write political fiction heavy with tension between nations or parties, it may be worth throwing the occasional “detente” into your stories!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Ah, the bat. Ambassador of darkness, flitting out of his cave like a winged messenger, sightless specter of the macabre.

– San Diego Zoo Janitor, Friends (Season 2, Episode 12 – The One After The Superbowl)

It’s Halloween, and what better day of the year for horror writers to add a sinister new word to their vocabulary? In the above scene from Friends, Ross is talking to a janitor in the nocturnal house at the San Diego Zoo about Marcel, the monkey he donated the year before and who he was told by the zoo administrator had passed away. The creepy janitor, who’s supposed to be explaining that Marcel is still alive and was actually stolen, instead keeps getting distracted by the nocturnal animals around him, such as the bat he regards as a spirit of death. Horror writers and gothic poets would probably agree with this description; historically feared and misunderstood, bats do have a reputation as “macabre” creatures!

Anything described as “macabre” is horrifying and disturbing due to its depiction of or involvement with injury or death. The word arose in English in the late 19th century and is originally a French adjective, as in Danse Macabre (“Dance of Death”). This adjective possibly derives from the biblical name Macabé “Maccabees”, a reference to a miracle play depicting the slaughter of the Maccabees.

Though I don’t use it much myself because I don’t particularly care for the horror genre, I admit that I find the word “macabre” fascinating. Muck like the word “oeuvre“, it appeals to me for its French pronunciation and origin as well as for its poetic tone. After all, doesn’t a medieval artistic genre about the universality of death sound much more poetic when referred to as “Danse Macabre” than “Dance of Death”? If you like reading gruesome scenes or descriptions that involve death in any way, you may enjoy writing some “macabre” details into your own stories! Good luck, and Happy Halloween!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Here’s another word I learned from reading political news articles. I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of using phrases like “not to mention…”, “I’m not saying that [X], but…”, and others along those lines. Such phrases are not uncommon to hear or even to say ourselves, as they make use of a popular rhetorical device, but it seems one of the current American presidential candidates in particular tends to use it in excess. It’s no wonder this device is so popular in politics; I suppose if you really want to say something out loud without being held accountable for it later, “paralipsis” is a strategy worth considering!

“Paralipsis” is a rhetorical device for giving emphasis to a subject by claiming to say little or nothing about it. The word arose in the late 16th century and comes from the Greek noun paráleipsis, meaning “omission”. This noun stems from the verb paraleípein “to pass over”, which in turn comprises the preposition pará “beside” and the verb leípein “to leave”.

Having used “paralipsis” many times myself, I confess I had never appreciated the irony of the device before I started writing this post. Think about it: is there a more oxymoronic way of saying something than by explicitly stating you won’t say it? In my opinion, the Ancient Greeks were brilliant to have a word in their vocabulary for this device, which is also known as “apophasis“. If your characters like to emphasize points by ironically claiming they won’t say anything about them, you may be making good use of “paralipsis” in your stories!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

I maintain that I don’t like to get political on my blog, but with Election Day in the US drawing ever nearer and all the articles drifting through my news feed about the American presidential race, it’s hard not to find interesting new words to add to my vocabulary list! This week’s word seems to come up in every other political news article I read these days, as many of these mention expert opinions on a given topic. This is hardly surprising, of course: in a field as volatile and confusing as politics, the input of “pundits” is important to keep an element of truth in the news!

A “pundit” is an expert in a specific field or subject who is often invited to give opinions on it to the public. The word is also a variant spelling of “pandit”, meaning “a Hindu scholar learned in Sanskrit and Hindu philosophy and religion”. Both words derive from the Sanskrit adjective paṇḍitá, which means “learned”.

Though lately I’ve been reading the word “pundit” exclusively in political contexts, I’m sure it can refer to an expert in any given field who frequently contributes opinions to public discussions. Notably, the word “pandit”, from which “pundit” derives, is an Indian word that, aside from the main definition given above, can also be used as a term for a wise man or teacher or as a respectful title for a talented musician. If you write characters who are experts in their fields and who could frequently be invited to deliver their opinions, you may have fun calling on the “pundits” in your stories!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

I’ll be honest: at the time of writing this post, I’ve known today’s vocabulary word for less than a week. It came up while I was researching my last post on Romeo & Juliet, and as soon as I read it, I knew I had to add it to my Word of the Week queue. Maybe it’s the French pronunciation or its association with works of art, but something about this word just appeals to me as a writer. Who among us budding artists doesn’t dream about having a respectable “oeuvre” someday?

An “oeuvre” is the complete collection of an artist’s works, typically a painter, composer, or author. The word arose in English in the late 19th century and is originally a French noun meaning “work”. This noun derives from the Latin noun opus, which also means “work”.

Aside from its main definition, the word “oeuvre” can also refer to a single work of art, music, or literature. As far as how to use it, I’d say it works equally well in reference to all forms of art, though for some reason I find myself envisioning paintings and other visual works of art when I read it (perhaps I’m associating it with the Louvre?). If you write artistic characters with an extensive body of work (or you simply want a fancy way to refer to another artist’s, or even your own, creative collection), “oeuvre” may be a good word to include in your vocabulary list!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Have you ever watched a movie or musical play and noticed that some pieces of the musical score always played when certain characters were on-screen/stage? This use of recurring themes is a popular trope in works that use music to convey ideas or represent characters. One of my favorite examples of such works is the video game Undertale, which makes heavy use of recurring and remixed musical themes to hint at connections between characters in the story. This has led to the common consensus among fans that creator Toby Fox is a genius when it comes to using “leitmotifs”!

A “leitmotif” is a theme that recurs throughout a musical or literary work and is associated with a particular person, idea, or situation. The word arose in English in the late 19th century and comes from the German noun Leitmotiv, meaning “leading motive”. This noun comprises the verb leiten “to lead” and the noun Motiv “motive”.

The word “leitmotif” was originally used in reference to Richard Wagner‘s operas and is a device most commonly associated with musical scores and soundtracks, as evidenced by its Wikipedia and TV Tropes pages, though its modern usage seems to be expanding its definition into literature. Note that “leitmotif” can also be spelled the original German way: “leitmotiv” (though it needn’t be capitalized in English as all nouns are in German). You may not find this word particularly useful if you only write literature, but if you compose music for stories (or write characters who do), “leitmotif” could be a handy addition to your vocabulary!

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Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Have you ever tried having a discussion with someone who insisted on stalling the conversation to no end or using a thousand words for something that could have been said in three? I’m sure we’ve all met people like that before, but while some simply like to hear themselves talk, others deliberately use this practice as an evasive maneuver to avoid an unpleasant topic. The way they see it, when verbal confrontation is inevitable, a good escape route is “circumlocution”!

“Circumlocution” is the use of many words where fewer would suffice, typically in an attempt to be evasive or vague. The word arose in late Middle English and comes from the Latin noun circumlocutio, meaning “indirect speech”. This noun comprises the adverb circum “around” and the verb loqui “to speak”.

Fun fact: I learned this word while reading about the same video game character who inspired my post on the word “nihilism“, as he tends to be vague about the reason behind his laziness for fear of upsetting his loved ones with his discovery. Interestingly, the Latin word for “circumlocution” is probably a translation of the Greek noun periphrazein “periphrasis”, defined as “the use of indirect and circumlocutory speech or writing”. Because of this, these two words are possibly interchangeable, though notably the latter’s definition makes no reference to a deliberate use of indirect speech to be evasive. If your characters try to avoid unpleasant topics of discussion with long and vague speeches, you may enjoy pointing out the “circumlocution” in your stories!

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