- Mai Duc Nguyen
New English Words of the Month – May 2018
1. (v) splay: to stretch or spread something
Example: Doctors are now researching ways to artificially splay people’s body parts without causing physical discomfort.
2. (adj) theatrical: a very emotional or exaggerated behavior
Example: When actors are overly theatrical, they can distort the message of the movies or plays.
3. (adj) versatile: to have competency in many different areas
Example: He is seen as a versatile author, because his books cover a wide range of topics, from politics to business.
4. (n) affinity: a sympathy or connection between people
Example: Young people in this country have a particular affinity for travelling abroad, since it enables them to experience new things.
5. (adj) precocious: to be able to do something that others of the same age normally cannot
Example: That precocious child can play the piano very well at the age of four.
6. (v) extol: to praise someone or something very enthusiastically
Example: China’s local media often extol its government’s social and economic policy reforms.
7. (n) virtue: a good quality, habit or advantage that someone or something has
Example: Honesty is one of the important virtues that children should learn from their young age.
8. (v) dissect: to analyze something in detail to understand it deeply
Example: The executive board dissected our business proposal, before giving us the green light to implement it.
9. (v) scrutinize: to examine something very carefully
Example: Our event manager is scrutinizing the venue to make sure that the upcoming meeting will be successful.
10. (n) skirmish: a physical fight or a verbal argument
Example: The politicians had an intense skirmish over whether they should increase national spending on healthcare.
What new words have you learned in May 2018? Please share them by leaving a comment.