tedious adj. Tiresome by reason of length or slowness. Etymology: Latin: tædium (weariness, disgust) + -ous (filled with) Related Form: tedium Synonyms: boring, wearisome Romeo & Juliet, III,ii: “…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, III,iii: “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, III,iii: “…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: fician (to deceive) Synonyms: capricious, inconstant Romeo & Juliet, III,v: “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, IV,i: “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: Past participle of verb distract from Latin: dis- (divide, apart) + trahere (to drag) Synonyms: deranged, upset Romeo & Juliet, IV,iii: “…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: despondent, woebegone Romeo & Juliet, IV,v: “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, V,iii: “And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars…” The New York Times, 5/2/2008: “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, V.iii: “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, V,iii: “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.”