Definition
Ephemeral
Lasting for a very short time.
“The beauty of the sunset was ephemeral, disappearing as quickly as it came.”
Conundrum
A confusing and difficult problem or question.
“I find it a real conundrum to choose between two equally good options.”
Sycophant
A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
“He surrounded himself with sycophants who only agreed with him to maintain their positions.”
Inexorable
Impossible to stop or prevent.
“The inexorable march of time waits for no one.”
Propensity
An inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way.
“She has a propensity for kindness that makes her popular with everyone.”
Ubiquitous
Present, appearing, or found everywhere.
“Smartphones are ubiquitous in today’s society.”
Aberration
A departure from what is normal or expected.
“The sudden change in weather was an aberration from the usual spring pattern.”
Lugubrious
Looking or sounding sad and dismal.
“The movie’s lugubrious tone made it difficult to watch without feeling depressed.”
Recalcitrant
Stubbornly disobedient or resistant to authority.
“The recalcitrant employee refused to follow the new company policies.”
Sagacious
Wise or shrewd, often with experience or sound judgment.
“His sagacious advice helped me make the right decision.”
Serendipity
The occurrence of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
“It was pure serendipity that we met at the coffee shop.”
Pernicious
Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.
“The pernicious influence of social media can’t be underestimated.”
Tantamount
Equivalent in seriousness to; virtually the same as.
“His silence was tantamount to an admission of guilt.”
Pusillanimous
Lacking courage or determination; timid.
“His pusillanimous behavior during the debate showed he wasn’t ready for the challenge.”
Ambivalent
Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
“I’m ambivalent about moving to a new city; I’m excited but also nervous.”
Cacophony
A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
“The city street was filled with the cacophony of honking cars and shouting vendors.”
Vicissitude
A change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.
“He faced the vicissitudes of life with grace and perseverance.”
Mellifluous
(Of a voice or words) sweet-sounding.
“The mellifluous tones of the singer’s voice captivated the entire audience.”
Obfuscate
To deliberately make something unclear or difficult to understand.
“The technical jargon in the report seemed to obfuscate the main points.”
Effervescent
Vivacious and enthusiastic, bubbly personality.
“Her effervescent personality brightens up any room she enters.”
Eloquent
Fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing.
“She gave an eloquent speech that moved the audience.”
Quixotic
Extremely idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
“His quixotic pursuit of perfection often leads to frustration.”
Esoteric
Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with specialized knowledge.
“The lecture on quantum physics was so esoteric that only a few students grasped the concepts.”
Nefarious
Wicked, villainous, or criminal.
“The villain in the movie had a nefarious plan to take over the world.”
Disparate
Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.
“Their disparate backgrounds made it difficult for them to agree on anything.”