strife n. A condition of antagonism or discord; contention, dispute. Etymology: French: estriver (to quarrel) Synonyms: altercation, fracas Romeo & Juliet, prologue: “A pair of star-cross'd lovers…//Do with their death bury their parents' strife.” The New York Times, 7/24/2008: “After centuries of strife, the people of Europe have formed a Union of promise and prosperity.”

adversary n. One who, or that which, takes up a position of antagonism, or acts in a hostile manner. Etymology: Latin : advertere, from ad- (towards) + vertere (to turn) Related Forms: adversarial, adverse, adversity Synonyms: antagonist, enemy, foe, opponent Romeo & Juliet, 1.1: “Here were the servants of your adversary, / And yours, close fighting ere I did approach.” The New York Times, 8/8/2007: “When Mr. Olbermann asked if China should be viewed as a friend or an adversary, most candidates said China was neither, but rather a competitor.”

augment v. To make greater in size, number, amount, degree, etc. Etymology: Latin: augmenta (to increase) Related Form: augmentation Synonyms: increase, enlarge, extend Romeo & Juliet, 1.1: “With tears augmenting the fresh morning’s dew…” The New York Times, 3/7/2008: Even the cleverest use of time- management techniques is powerless to augment the sum of minutes in our life (some 52 million, optimistically assuming a life expectancy of 100 years), so we squeeze as much as we can into each one.

bliss n. Perfect joy or felicity; supreme delight. Etymology: Anglo-Saxon (related to blithe and bless) Related Form: blissful Synonyms: blitheness; ecstasy Romeo & Juliet, 1.1: “To merit bliss by making me despair.” The New York Times, 7/13/2008: “Scalloped potatoes with a blistered topping of Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses push the dish into a blissful zone in which you’ll feel well marbled, at least for the night.”

exquisite adj. Of such consummate excellence, beauty, or perfection, as to excite intense delight or admiration.. Etymology: Latin: exquirere (to search out) Synonyms: impeccable, refined Romeo & Juliet, 1.1: “Benvolio: Examine other beauties. Romeo: 'Tis the way / To call hers, exquisite, in question more” The New York Times, 1/9/2008: “Looking at these exquisite scarlet plum-size strawberries gave me a Snow White moment. Would I slip into a magical coma after just one bite?”

languish v. To weaken or wither; to fail to make progress. Etymology: French: languir (to droop in spirits) Related Form: languid Synonyms: decline, stagnate, wallow Romeo & Juliet, 1.2: “Tut, man, one fire burns out another's burning, One pain is lessen'd by another's anguish; Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning; One desperate grief cures with another's languish” The New York Times, 12/24/2006: “Inmates convicted of petty crimes languish at the Freetown Approved School for juveniles in Sierra Leone.”

obscure adj. Of words, texts, or writers; difficult to grasp. Of a place; remote from observation. Of a person or group; not illustrious or famous. Of a thing; unnoticed, little known. v. To conceal from observation or analysis. Etymology: Latin: obscurus (dark, dim, hidden) Related Form: obscurity Synonyms: adj. cryptic, humble, inscrutable; v. blur Romeo & Juliet, 1.3: “And what obscured in this fair volume lies / Find written in the margent of his eyes.” The New York Times, 3/20/2008: “…federal figures obscure a dropout epidemic…”

boisterous adj. Abounding in rough but good- natured activity bordering upon excess, such as proceeds from unchecked exuberance of spirits. Etymology: Of uncertain etymology. Synonyms: rowdy, unrestrained, disorderly, unruly Romeo & Juliet, 1.4: “Is love a tender thing? / It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous / and it pricks like thorn. The New York Times, 7/13/2008: “While the university crowd may have quit the boisterous MySpace for the wittier and more austere Facebook, bands don’t have that option; it’s imperative that they also have a MySpace presence.”

disparage v. To speak of or treat slightingly; to treat as something lower than it is. Etymology: French: desperager (to marry one of unequal rank) Related Form: disparagement Synonyms: slight, vilify Romeo & Juliet, 1.5: “I would not for the wealth of all the town / Here in my house do him disparagement.” The New York Times, 2/1/2008: “He was careful not to disparage his former team, but his feelings were clear.”

profane adj. Characterized by a disregard or contempt for sacred things; offensive. v. To treat something sacred with disrespect. Etymology: Latin: pro- (before; thus outside of)+ fanum (temple) Related Form: profanity Synonyms: adj. coarse, indecent; v. desecrate Romeo & Juliet, 1.5: “If I profane with my unworthiest hand / This holy shrine…” The New York Times, 8/24/2007: “Their humor was rough and profane, locker room stuff but affectionate in a way.”

prodigious adj. Causing wonder or amazement; Of great size, extent or amount. Etymology: Latin: prodigium (extraordinary thing) + -ous (of the nature of) Related Form: prodigy Synonyms: colossal, extraordinary Romeo & Juliet, 1.5: “Prodigious birth of love it is to me, / That I must love a loathed enemy. ” The New York Times, 1/8/2008: “A white marble bust, complete with prodigious whiskers (this was an age of big facial hair), stares at us. It’s Herbert Spencer, autodidact…” Herbert Spencer’s prodigious whiskers.

discourse n. Verbal expression or exchange. v. To communicate thoughts orally. Etymology: Latin: dis- (division in two) + currere (to run) Related Form: discursive Synonyms: discussion, dialogue Romeo & Juliet, 2.2: “Her eye discourses; I will answer it.” The New York Times, 11/21/2007: “…childishness infects a lot of political discourse.”

enmity n. Feelings characteristic of an enemy. Etymology: French: enemestie (like an enemy) Synonyms: hatred, rancor Romeo & Juliet, 2.2: “look thou but sweet / And I am proof against their enmity.” The New York Times, 11/27/2007: “As they expand their facilities, he explained, many wealthy people with friends on both sides of the ‘rivalry, even enmity,’ have had difficulty choosing where to donate.”

chide v. To scold, rebuke, or find fault with; to express disapproval of. Etymology: Anglo-Saxon Synonyms: reprove, rebuke, blame Romeo & Juliet, 2.3: “I pray thee chide me not.” The New York Times, 5/25/2008: “Some of my blog’s readers were my friends in real life, and even the ones who weren’t acted like friends when they posted comments or sent me . They criticized me sometimes, but kindly, the way you chide someone you know well.”

rancor n. Inveterate and bitter ill-feeling. Etymology: Latin: rancorum (rancidity) Related Form: rancorous Synonyms: animosity, spite Romeo & Juliet, 2.3: “…this alliance may so happy prove, / To turn your households' rancor to pure love.” The New York Times, 2/7/2008: “By a single vote, Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a bill championed by Democrats, as partisan rancor engulfed the effort to inject a quick burst of spending into the slowing economy.”

feign v. To make a show of, put on an appearance of. Etymology: Latin: fingere (to form or mold) Synonyms: pretend, simulate Romeo & Juliet, 2.5: “But old folks, many feign as they were dead; / Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead.” The New York Times, 7/23/2006: “While it may be tempting to feign illness for a day at the beach, lying isn’t a skill you should practice at work.”

unwieldy adj. Difficult to control, guide, move, manipulate, etc., by virtue of size, shape, or weight; clumsily massive, awkwardly large; unmanageable. Etymology: Anglo-Saxon, possibly related to Latin: valere (strength) Synonyms: awkward, cumbersome Romeo & Juliet, 2.5: “But old folks, many feign as they were dead; / Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead.” The New York Times, 7/29/2007: “In much the same way, the robots being built today, still unwieldy and temperamental even in the most capable hands, probably offer only hints of the way we might be using robots in another 30 years.”

dexterity n. Skill in using the hands, body or mind. Etymology: Latin: dexter (right-handed) Related Form: dexterous Synonyms: agility, cunning, deftness Romeo & Juliet, 3.1: “(Mercutio) with one hand beats / Cold death aside, and with the other sends / It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity, / Retorts it…” The New York Times, 7/19/2008: “Performed by João P. Pereira Dos Santos, an acrobat and Chinese-pole master, the solo showcased his astounding Spider- Man dexterity.”

amorous adj. Of persons: inclined to love; Of action: showing love or fondness. Etymology: Latin: amor (love) + -ous (full of) Related Form: enamored (of) Synonyms: affectionate, loving, fond Romeo & Juliet, 3.2: “Lovers can see to do their amorous rites / By their own beauties.” 5.3: “Shall I believe / That unsubstantial Death is amorous…” The New York Times, 4/6/2004: “The plot is a classic tangle of amorous attachments. King Xerxes and his brother, Arsamene, love the same woman, Romilda.”

garish adj. Obtrusively or vulgarly bright in color. Etymology: Uncertain– possibly from ME gaure (to stare) Related Form: garishness Synonyms: gaudy, showy Romeo & Juliet, 3.2: “…he will make the face of heaven so fine / That all the world will be in love with night / And pay no worship to the garish sun.” The New York Times, 2/3/2008: “The carnations and zinnias were mismatched and garish, the cheapest arrangements on the market in a budget-cutting age.”

tedious adj. Tiresome by reason of length or slowness. Etymology: Latin: taedium (weariness, disgust) + -ous (filled with) Related Form: tedium Synonyms: boring, wearisome Romeo & Juliet, 3.2: “…so tedious is this day As is the night before some festival To an impatient child that hath new robes And may not wear them.” The New York Times, 8/8/2008: “We are aware that this video is tedious, but it is not meant to be fun. It is meant to limit our liability in the event of lawsuits.”

calamity n. A grievous disaster, an event or circumstance causing loss or misery; a distressing misfortune. Etymology: Latin: calamite (damage, disaster) Related Form: calamitous Synonyms: tragedy, disaster Romeo & Juliet, 3.3: “Affliction is enamour'd of thy parts, / And thou art wedded to calamity.” The New York Times, 3/29/2008: “Many experts say the nation’s hodgepodge of financial regulatory agencies failed to recognize rampant excesses in mortgage lending until after they set off what is now the worst financial calamity in decades.”

reconcile v. 1. To reunite people or things in harmony. 2. To make discordant facts or statements compatible with one another. Etymology: Latin: re- (back again) + conciliare (to combine) Related Form: reconciliation Synonyms: Harmonize, restore, reunite Romeo & Juliet, 3.3: “…till we can find a time To blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends, Beg pardon of the prince, and call thee back…” The New York Times, 8/31/2008: “Isn’t a newspaper’s job to sift through rumors and reconcile official accounts?”

fickle adj. Of persons, their attributes, or their feelings: likely to change, unreliable. Etymology: Anglo-Saxon, from fician (to deceive) Synonyms: capricious, inconstant Romeo & Juliet, 3.5: “O fortune, fortune! All men call thee fickle…” The New York Times, 8/10/2007: “Consumer goods companies are using their products’ packages as 3-D ads to grab shoppers’ fickle attention.”

inundate v. 1. To flood with water. 2. To overwhelm. Etymology: Latin: in- (into) + undare (to flow) Related Form: inundation Synonyms: engulf, overrun Romeo & Juliet, 4.1: “her father counts it dangerous That she doth give her sorrow so much sway, And in his wisdom hastes our marriage, To stop the inundation of her tears.” The New York Times, 8/27/2008: “College students are inundated with new situations and sometimes need advice from others.”

distraught adj. Deeply agitated or troubled. Etymology: From past participle of verb distract Latin: dis- (divide, apart) + trahere (to drag) Synonyms: deranged, upset Romeo & Juliet, 4.3: “…if I wake, shall I not be distraught, / Environed with all these hideous fears?” The New York Times, 8/24/2008: “…he became mute as a child for 10 years because he was distraught at the death of his parents in a car crash.”

melancholy adj. Characterized by, or conducive to, sadness. n. A mood, state, or episode of sadness, dejection, or introspection. Etymology: Greek: melano- (black) + koler (anger) Synonyms: pensive Romeo & Juliet, 4.5: “All things that we ordained festival, / Turn from their office to black funeral; / Our instruments to melancholy bells…” The New York Times, 7/27/2008: “The choice is between Mirth and Melancholy. Certainly, literary ears have always seemed more attuned to the nightingale’s song than the lark’s.”

auspicious adj. Conducive to success; Giving promise of success Etymology: Latin: avis (bird) + specere (to observe) + -ous (characteristic of) Related Form: inauspicious Synonyms: advantageous, favorable, prosperous Romeo & Juliet, 5.3: “And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars…” The New York Times, 5/2/2008: “[Some] fear that China’s Olympic moment is being overshadowed by critics and that the country’s remarkable achievements are being ignored. Many Chinese say that will change on Aug. 8, 2008 — an auspicious date by traditional reckoning because 8 is a lucky number — as the world focuses on the Olympics and China’s undeniable accomplishments.”

detest v. to hate or dislike intensely; to abhor. Etymology: Latin: de- (down, against) + testari (to bear witness) Related Form: detestable Synonyms: abominate, despise Romeo & Juliet, 5.3: “Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death” The New York Times, 3/26/2008: “I detest war. It might not be the worst thing to befall human beings, but it is wretched beyond all description.”

ambiguous adj. Capable of being understood in two or more ways; not clearly defined. Etymology: Latin: amb- (both ways) + agere (to drive) Related Form: ambiguity Synonyms: doubtful, questionable; indistinct, obscure Romeo & Juliet, 5.3: “Seal up the mouth of outrage for a while, / Till we can clear these ambiguities.” The New York Times, 3/15/2008: “…people who have more ambiguous information about a product expect to be happier with what they have bought than those who have more specific details.”