Poseur

Word: Poseur

Part of Speech: Noun.

Definition: A “poser”, or in other words, a person who feigns a visage in order to impress or influence others. 

Synonyms: Imposter, mimic, pretentious. 

Antonyms: N/a.

Sentences: 

Some say that in high society, extravagant flaunting of one's wealth is expected as a means to prevent poseurs from penetrating such exclusive groups. 

“There's a difference between being a poseur and being someone who's so emotionally challenged they're kind of just doing their best to show you what they've got.”

“While Obama, the olive-branch poseur, has called for a restoration of 'civility' in Washington and liberal elites whine and whinny about the need for 'no labels,' class-warfare demagoguery has metastasized unchecked.”

Insouciant

Word: Insouciant

Part of Speech: Adjective.

Definition: Carefree.

Synonyms: Happy-go-lucky.

Antonyms: High strung.

Sentences: 

The insouciant man had a childish appeal to him. 

The pop-rock band's insouciant tone made their new single be coined as the perfect song for breezy summer rides in a convertible. 

Menial

Word: Menial 

Part of Speech: Adjective. 

Definition: Servile or lowly. 

Synonyms: Obsequious.

Antonyms: Skilled.

Sentences: 

It's common for new hires to be forced to do menial tasks. 

Because of the hard times, Bob was willing to take even the most menial job. 

"There are no menial jobs, only menial attitudes." -William J. Brennan, Jr. 

Prosaic

Word: Prosaic 

Part of Speech: Adjective.

Definition: Dull, or like prose.

Synonyms: Ordinary.

Antonyms: Exciting, unusual. 

Helpful hints to remember:

Sentences: 

The shopkeeper knew such rhythm-less, prosaic poetry wouldn't sell.

Nobody wants to listen to a prosaic speech. 

“France is not poetic; she even feels, in fact, a congenital horror of poetry. Among the writers who use verse, those whom she will always prefer are the most prosaic.”

Gaunt

Word: Gaunt

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition: Extremely thin (for people) or barren (for places, things). 

Synonyms: Scrawny.

Antonyms: Plump.

Sentences: 

The monster was horrifically gaunt and gangly. 

In some parts of the world it's common to see gaunt children begging in the streets.

“When I see a woman who is all gaunt and emaciated, I don't think she's beautiful. She reminds me of a Chihuahua that's freezing and shaking.” -Rosario Dawson

Asylum

Word: Asylum

Part of Speech: Noun. 

Definition: Traditionally “asylum” refers to any refuge. 

Synonyms: Haven, sanctuary.

Antonyms: N/a.

Helpful hints to remember: “Insane” asylums were originally intended to be refuges for the mentally ill. Also consider “right of asylum”. 

Sentences: 

Although border security believed the man trying to enter the country illegally was a terrorist, he pleaded that he was actually just trying to seek asylum. 

For the little birds, the thick, thorny bush served as an asylum from the hungry fox.

"Our contest is not only whether we ourselves shall be free, but whether there shall be left to mankind an asylum on earth for civil and religious liberty." -Samuel Adams 

Cornucopia

Word: Cornucopia

Part of Speech: Noun.

Definition: Traditionally a horn filled with an endless supply of food (“Horn of Plenty”), but also refers to any abundant supply. 

Synonyms: Bounty, plenty.

Antonyms: Dearth.

Helpful hints to remember: The Cornucopia is a common Thanksgiving motif. 

Sentences: 

There was a cornucopia of offerings from agents after the amateur model suffered a wardrobe malfunction onstage. 

The tome was a cornucopia of information about ancient beasts. 

Dowdy

Word: Dowdy

Part of Speech: Adjective.

Definition: Plain, disorganized, or not in style. 

Synonyms: Shabby, tacky. 

Antonyms: Chic.

Note: As a noun this word refers to a woman who is dowdy, or in other words, unattractive.

Sentences: 

Nobody wanted to date Frank's dowdy sister. 

Paul was horrified when his blind date turned out to be a dowdy. 

"You don't have to be dowdy to be a Christian." - Tammy Faye Bakker

Phrenic

Word: Phrenic

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition: Relating to the mind or the diaphragm.

Synonyms: Cerebral

Antonyms: Ignorant

Helpful hints to remember: Your phrenic nerve reaches from your neck (think mind) to your diaphram. “Phren” is also the ancient Greek word for mind, which is where we get the word “phrenology” from, which is a psudoscientific field of study that predates modern psychology. 

Note: This word is rather rare, and is more likely to show up on the MCAT verbal section. 

Sentences: 

There are many websites that offer computers games to increase your phrenic capabilities. 

At first, the mother was most concerned about the horrible bruise on her son's head, but once he started slurring his speech, she began to fear that his injury might be more phrenic in nature. 

Banal

Word: Banal

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition: Cliché, trite, or unoriginal. 

Synonyms: Hackneyed.

Antonyms: Fresh.

Sentences: 

The film critic mused to himself that he was not going to sit through another banal film at the festival, or else he would go mad. 

“You can control and censor a child's reading, but you can't control her interpretations; no one can guess how a message that to adults seems banal or ridiculous or outmoded will alter itself and evolve inside the darkness of a child's heart.”

Every patient hated the banal “smooth jazz” that pervaded the physician's waiting room.

Canard

Word: Canard

Part of Speech:

Definition: A rumor with no basis or “hoax” that is often meant to be damaging.

Synonyms: Sham

Antonyms: Fact

Helpful hints to remember: This is another French word that literally means “duck”. I am not sure why calling something a duck would equate to a hoax, 

Sentences: 

Rosie's rumor about her best friend being a slut was intended to make everyone hate Julia, but the canard ultimately worked against her when she was revealed to the lie's source.

"It has been my policy not to respond to each of the many canards which have been part of the campaign to discredit my investigation, nor to waste time trying to...”

Seminal

Word: Seminal

Part of Speech: Adjective.

Definition: Pertaining to seed or semen; able to create; or an original and influential forerunner that provides a basis for some form of future work.

Synonyms: Germinal.

Antonyms: Banal.

Helpful hints to remember: Germ cells are to germinal as semen is to seminal. 

Sentences: 

Andy Warhol is considered to be a seminal artist. 

“The seminal elements of what makes a story great - challenge, struggle, resolution - are the same whether we're talking about story content for a movie such as 'Rain Man,' or telling a purposeful story to forge new business relationships or conclude a fruitful transaction, such as acquiring an NBA franchise.”

The seminal fluid was the core piece of evidence in the rape case. 

Wax

Word: Wax

Part of Speech: Verb

Definition: To grow or increase 

Synonyms: Mount

Antonyms: Wane

Warning: I cannot stress enough how common this word is.  

Sentences: 

“Look, I don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive you've got to flap your arms and legs, you've got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully, or you're not alive.”

Even though the old woman was quite surely, her grandchildren were always able to wax her kindness.

Note: The rising moon is to wax as the setting moon to wane. 

Nigh

Word: Nigh

Part of Speech: Adjective (and adverb).

Definition: Near, almost, or direct.

Synonyms: Close.

Antonyms: Far.

Sentences:

• The end is nigh.
• It had been nigh onto forty minutes before the girl finally appeared on the path. Clearly she had not taken the nighest route to her grandmother's house.
• “By these and many histories more, it is most evident, that the more nigh salvation and deliverance approach, the more vehement is temptation and trouble.”

Adulation

Word: Adulation

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Excessive devotion to someone or obsequious flattery

Synonyms: Fawning

Antonyms: Criticism, debasement

Warning: People tend to confuse “adulation” for “adoration”, and erroneously use the two interchangeably. Note that “adulation” carries a negative connotation even though some sources will define it as “extreme admiration”, for it either refers to someone who is unreasonable or servile. Consider these three quotations:

• “If you're a movie star, there's a cycle you go through: adoration, adulation, you're used, and then you're discarded. And it happens again and again, always in that sequence.”
• “A passion for politics stems usually from an insatiable need, either for power, or for friendship and adulation, or a combination of both.”
• “I savour (sic) the adulation and love I have been getting from my fans and the blessings of elders in my family. Fourteen years have given me a lot and I can't thank God and the industry enough.”

Can you identify the improper usage?

Dour

Word: Dour

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition: Gloomy or severe.

Synonyms: Morose.

Antonyms: Cheery.

Helpful hints to remember: Dour looks like sour but rhymes with sore. See the sentence below.

Sentences:

• The sore whore's dour roar kept them coming back for more.
• Poor Isabelle could only endure so much dour criticism before bursting into tears.
• The wicked witch thought her dour home was perfect for all her evil doings. 

Ingrate

Word: Ingrate

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Someone who is ungrateful

Helpful hints to remember: “Ingrate” sounds like “ungrateful”.

Sentences:

• “You ingrate! How could you forget to say thank you to your grandmother?”
• Despite their begging, the man was reluctant to give them the much desired water, as he knew the ingrates would scatter the second they felt quenched.

Abase

Word: Abase

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition: To degrade or demote; generally means “to lower in value”.

Synonyms: Disgrace, shame

Antonyms: Boost, support, promote

Helpful hints to remember: Literally once meant “to lower”, which is why in old English texts you'll see phrases like “the jouster abased his lance”. This word is extremely similar to “debase”.

Sentences:

• The soccer players felt abased after the humbling loss.
• Though they had been friends since the fourth grade, the soldier knew that his comrade's attempt to expose his extramarital affair was an attempt to abase him.
• “The social principles of Christianity preach cowardice, self-contempt, abasement, submission, humility, in a word all the qualities of the canaille.”

Assay

Word: Assay

Part of Speech: Verb

Definition: To analyze or test.

Synonyms: Analysis or appraisal.

Antonyms: N/a.

Helpful hints to remember: See below.

Sentences:

• “It's a failure of national vision when you regard children as weapons, and talents as materials you can mine, assay, and fabricate for profit and defense.”
• The ELISA, or Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, is the most common form of HIV testing used today.
• While most politicians were nervous, Adam was overjoyed since he knew the assay results would redeem him.
• Question: Can you identify which definition of “assay” is used in each of the above sentences?

Epicure

Word: Epicure

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: A person who ''cultivates a refined taste''.

Synonyms: Connoisseur

Antonyms: Puritan

Helpful hints to remember: The magazine “Epicurious” has a title which is a portmanteau of “epicure” and “curious”.

Sentences:

• “Serenely full, the epicure would say, Fate cannot harm me,—I have dined to-day.”
• The rich, slim epicures thought nothing of spending small fortunes in order to taste every corner of the earth.