First Five F Words
a complete, ignominous failure; a debacle
Due to a sudden storm, the outdoor wedding was a total _______.
fiasco
fee-A$$-co
Morphology:
Monomorphemic in English.
Origin:
Italian (fiasco meaning "flask" or "bottle").
The linguistic shift from a bottle to a (theatrical) failure likely stems from the Italian phrase far fiasco ("to make a bottle"), a theater slang expression for a performance that falls flat. Could have originated with Venitian blown glass; if the glass blowing went badly, the art piece instead became an everyday bottle -- thus the art was ruined, and instead of art the glassblower "made a bottle".
1) to excite or inspire a person or group into taking action
2) to coat iron or steel with a protective layer of zinc
The general's rousing speech ________ the soldiers.
galvanize
GAL-vuhn-eyes
Morphology:
galvan- (eponymic root) +
-ize (productive verb-forming suffix)
Origin:
Named after Italian scientist Luigi Galvani, entering English via French (galvaniser). Galvani discovered that applying an electrical spark could cause a dissected frog's leg to twitch.
refering to an imaginary or theoretical situation
Speaking _________, what would happen if we suddenly quit our jobs?
hypothetical(ly)
high-puh-THEH-tih-cul
Morphology:
hypo- (prefix: "under") +
the- (root: "to place/put") +
tic- (adjectival suffix) +
-al (adjectival suffix).
Origin:
Greek (hypothetikos), literally meaning "placed under" or serving as a foundation.
unable to be appeased, calmed or pacified; inexorable; impossible to influence or change
implacable
ihm-PLACK-uh-buhl
Morphology:
im- (negative prefix: "not") +
-plac- (root: "to please/appease") +
-able (adjectival suffix)
Origin:
Latin (implacabilis), from placare ("to soothe")
to praise highly, especially publically; to extol; to tout; to acclaim
laud
lawd
Morphology:
Monomorphemic root.
Origin:
Latin (laudare), meaning "to praise", entering Middle English via Old French (lauder).
passing swiftly; vanishing quickly; ephemeral
Happiness is _________ when based on ephemeral situations.
fleeting
FLEET-ing
Morphology:
fleet: base verb +
-ing: inflectional suffix forming a present participle/adjective
Origin:
Old English: flēotan, meaning "to float, swim, or flow"
*******************************
BONUS WORD
ephemeral
uhf-EM-uh-ruhl
Morphology:
ephemera- root meaning temporary from the Greek "a fever that lasts only one day" +
-al suffix forming adjectives from nouns
to manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party
Due to the opposing party's _________, they gained several seats in Congress.
gerrymander(ing)
jerry-MAN-duhr
Morphology:
gerry- (eponymic blend) +
-mander (blended bound morpheme).
Origin:
An eponymous American-English blend combining the surname of Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry with the ending of salamander, describing the shape of an oddly contorted voting district created in 1812.
a person who rejects or attacks established beliefs or institutions
The hippies of the 1960s were social _________.
iconoclast
eye-KAHN-uh-claast
Morphology:
icono- (combining form: "image") +
-clast (bound root: "breaker")
Origin:
Greek (eikonoklastēs), from eikōn ("image") + klan ("to break").
humorous, cheerful and friendly
Everyone loved the party because the host was so _________.
jovial
JOE-vee-uhl
Morphology:
jovi- (eponymic root) +
-al (adjectival suffix).
Origin:
Latin (Jovialis), relating to the Roman god Jupiter (Jove). Astrologers believed that people born under the sign of Jupiter were naturally good-humored.
very generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or someone less powerful
The powerful knight proved himself _________ by declining to slay his weaker rival.
magnanimous
mag-NAA-nih-muhs
Morphology:
magn- (root: "great") +
-anim- (root: "soul/mind") +
-ous (adjectival suffix)
Origin:
Latin (magnanimus), from magnus ("great") + animus ("mind/spirit")
mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation
fortitude
FOUR-tih-tood
Morphology:
fort- (root: "strong") +
-itude (abstract noun suffix)
Origin:
Latin (fortitudo), from fortis ("strong").
denoting [precisely describing or indicating] a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful
Some people think the 1950s were _________ days, but for people who didn't confirm to a certain narrow demographic, the 1950s were not ________ at all!
halcyon
HAL-see-on
Morphology:
Monomorphemic root.
Origin:
Latin (halcyon) from Greek (alkuōn) referring to a mythical kingfisher bird believed to calm the winter seas to nest.
a situation in which no progress is possible, especially because of a disagreement; deadlock
Barrett and Eris reached an unfortunate _________ when trying to decide on a vacation destination.
impasse
IHM-pass
Morphology:
im- (negative prefix: "not") +
-passe (base: "pass/passage")
Origin:
French; coined by writer Voltaire as an alternative to "cul-de-sac", which describes a road with no exit at the other end
fond of or characterized by joking; humorous or playful
The _________ comedian entertained the crowd for hours.
jocular
JOCK-you-luhr
Morphology:
jocul- (base: "joke/jest") + -ar (adjectival suffix)
Origin:
Latin (jocularis), from joculus (the diminutive of jocus, meaning "joke")
an unreasonably strict disciplinarian, especially referring to a commander of armed forces
The former drill sergeant was a consummate _________. That is to say, he was the epitome of an extremely demanding commander.
martinet
martin-ETTE
Morphology:
Monomorphemic eponym
Origin:
French. Named after Jean Martinet, a 17th-century French army colonel notorious for his exceptionally demanding drill systems.
Bonus Words!
1) consummate (adj.) - complete and total in every way; can describe positive or negative traits
2) epitome (n.) - the best possible or most typical example of a particular quality, person, or thing
good fortune that happens by chance rather than planning
Meeting her future boss at a cocktail party was _________ for job-seeker Shramidhi.
fortuitous
fore-TOO-ih-tuhs
Morphology:
fortuit- (base: "casual/accidental") +
-ous (adjectival suffix meaning "full of")
Origin:
Latin (fortuitus), derived from fors ("chance" or "luck")
arrogantly superior and disdainful
The _________ restaurant hostess refused to seat the non-famous couple.
haughty
HAW-tee
Morphology:
haught- (base adjective) +
-y (adjectival suffix)
Origin:
Old French (haut, meaning "high"), derived from Latin (altus). The "g" and "h" were added in English to mirror words like caught or naught.
perfect or faultless
Guillaume was known for his _________ manners.
impeccable
ihm-PECK-uh-buhl
Morphology:
im- (negative prefix: "not") +
-pecc- (root: "sin/fault") +
-able (adjectival suffix)
Origin:
Latin (impecuniosus), from pecunia ("money"), which historically derived from pecus ("cattle," the original ancient measure of wealth)
a huge, powerful and overwhelming force or institution
Google is a _________ of the IT industry.
juggernaut
JUHG-uhr-naht
Morphology:
Monomorphemic in English
Origin:
From Sanskrit Jagannātha meaning "Lord of the World" and an avatar of Vishnu.
Notes:
During an annual festival in Puri, India, massive, unstoppable religious chariots carry Jagannatha through the streets. British observers saw this and brought the word (mispronounced) into English to describe a massive, unstoppable force.
self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often in relation to drunkenness
A _________ man at the bar would not stop crying about his ex-wife.
maudlin
MAHD-lihn
Morphology:
Monomorphemic eponym
Origin:
Late Latin (Magdalene) via Old French (Madeline). The word is a corruption of Mary Magdalene, who was historically depicted in Christian art and mystery plays as a weeping, tearful penitent.
incapable of producing any useful result; pointless
Sara's efforts to finish her homework proved _______; there was just too much for one evening.
futile
FEW-tuhl
Morphology:
Monomorphemic root
Origin:
Latin (futilis via French), originally meaning "leaky" or "that easily pours out," from fundere ("to pour")
a person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing in life
Dave was a dedicated _________; all he ever did was eat a lot, get drunk, flirt and party.
hedonist
HEE-duhn-ist
Morphology:
hedon- (root: "pleasure") +
-ist (noun suffix denoting an adherent)
Origin:
Greek hēdonē, meaning "pleasure".
having little or no money; bankrupt
Greg found himself _________ after a disasterous investment.
impecunious
ihm-peh-CUE-nee-uhs
Morphology:
im- (negative prefix: "not") +
-pecun- (root: "money") +
-ious (adjectival suffix).
Origin:
Latin (impecuniosus), from pecunia ("money"), which historically derived from pecus ("cattle," the original ancient measure of wealth).
using a minimum of words in speech or writing
Ernest Hemingway was a famously _________ writer.
laconic
luh-KAHN-ick
Morphology:
lacon- (toponymic root) +
-ic (adjectival suffix)
Origin:
Greek (Lakōnikos), referring to Laconia, the ancient region surrounding Sparta, whose citizens were legendary for their brief, blunt speech.
Bonus Word:
toponym
A word based on the name of a place.
sweet or musical; pleasant to hear; typically used to describe a voice or sound
The opera singer Amelita Galli-Curci was known for her particularly _________ voice.
mellifluous
mell-IH-floo-uhs
Morphology:
melli- (combining form: "honey") +
-flu- (root: "to flow") +
-ous (adjectival suffix meaning "full of" or "characterized by")
Origin:
Late Latin (mellifluus), from mel ("honey") + fluere ("to flow"). Literally translates to "flowing like honey"
a driving force, especially one that causes the start of an action; stimulus
A 42% military hospital death rate was Florence Nightingale's _______ for instituting strict hygiene standards among medical practitioners.
impetus
IHM-puh-tuhs
Morphology:
im- (prefix variant of in-: "into/upon") +
-petus (bound root: "to seek or rush at").
Origin:
Latin (impetus), meaning an attack, onset, or rapid motion, from petere ("to aim at" or "rush toward")
acting quickly and without thought or care; impulsive
An _________ ship captain caused a lethal shipwreck off the coast of Italy in 2012.
impetuous
ihm-PET-chew-uhs
Morphology:
impetu- (base: "force/impulse") +
-ous (adjectival suffix meaning "full of" or "characterized by")
Origin:
Late Latin (impetuosus) via Old French (impetueux). Stems from Latin impetus ("an attack, onset, or rapid motion") which itself derives from petere ("to aim at" or "rush toward"). It shares an immediate linguistic ancestor with the word impetus.