phenomenal – remarkable or exceptional, unusual in a way that is very impressive – perceptible by the senses rather than through thought or intuition When something is so great, call it phenomenal. It’s a solid choice when you want to describe your new favorite thing with more syllables than just “cool.” From a Greek root…
enthral (or enthrall) – capture the fascinated attention of. – To hold spellbound; captivate: When something is so fascinating that it holds all your attention, it is said to enthrall. If you’ve even fallen under someone’s spell, it won’t surprise you to learn that when enthrall first entered the English language it carried the meaning…
magnanimous generous or forgiving, especially towards a rival or less powerful person having or showing a generous and kind nature. A magnanimous person has a generous spirit. Letting your little sister have the last of the cookies, even though you hadn’t eaten since breakfast, would be considered a magnanimous act. Origin: Magnanimous comes from Latin…
aubade song or poem appropriate to or greeting the dawn poem or song of or about lovers separating at dawn. Examples: He was usually still awake when the birds began to warble their aubade. — Christopher Buckley, “What was Robert Benchley?” National Review , 1997 He often came to listen to her evening vespers, the requiem that Liringlas sang for the sun as it sank…
Ephemera don’t stick around for very long. You might enjoy such ephemera as sunsets and rainbows, things appearing only briefly, and so enjoyed all the more. The Latin ephemera was a word for a fever that doesn’t last long. Today, ephemera is the plural form of ephemeron, which means something impermanent, lasting only a…
iota: a tiny or scarcely detectable amount (used usually with a negative) iota is the 9th and the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet. The expression “not one iota” comes from the Bible (Matthew 5:18): “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass…
mellifluous: pleasingly smooth, musical to hear Use the adjective mellifluous to describe something that sounds sweet and smooth, like the honeyed voice of a late-night radio DJ. You might think that that mell in mellifluous has something to do with mellow. Actually, it’s related to Melissa. In Greek mythology, Melissa was a nymph who discovered…
Something effulgent radiates light. On a clear day the sun can be quite effulgent. You might need a pair of shades. A light that is effulgent, shines out or radiates. A personality that is effulgent radiates warmth and goodness. When you’re in love, you have an effulgent or radiant look, as though sunlight were shining from your eyes.…
