- Mai Duc Nguyen
New English Words of the Month – March 2019
1. (n) anecdote: a story that you tell people about something funny or unexpected that happened to you
Example: We were surprised by Mr. Lok’s endless anecdotes about his studies in the US.
2. (adj) semantic: to be related to the meaning of words
Example: The teacher praised Lee for the semantic accuracy and complexity of his essay.
3. (v) cleave: to cut or break something into two parts with huge physical strength
Example: The group of three young men failed to cleave a piece of wood in two.
4. (v) espouse: to support or show agreement to an idea or belief
Example: The new set of regulations to cut income tax rates is strongly espoused by the people of Takoda.
5. (adj) nimble: to be able to move and learn things quickly or to be clever
Example: The secretary is so nimble and experienced that the board of directors wants to keep her in their company for the next few years.
6. (v) squelch: to take a firm set of actions to fight against someone or stop something from happening
Example: The local government was heavily criticized for squelching its people’s protests using violence and force.
7. (v) preach: to argue for an idea formally, seriously or to give people advice but in a way that annoys them
Example: The couple preached for nearly three hours to their kids on the values of money and diligence.
8. (n) audacity: the confidence to do or say what you want despite challenges and risks
Example: The group of graduates is admired for their audacity to start a business in the midst of the 2008 global financial crisis.
9. (n) sage: someone who is wise, experienced and often heavily respected
Example: The businessman is considered a sage by many students who only look at his college dropout.
10. (adj) peripheral: something that is not the most important cause of a problem or most significant solution in a set of actions
Example: The talk only addressed the peripheral sides of a student’s university life, and therefore participants were not impressed by it.
What new words have you learned in March 2019? Please share them with others by leaving a comment.