opuscule (noun)

An opuscule (oh-PUSK-yool) is a work of art or music that is considered to be minor or insignificant. Some critics might, for example, describe Shakespeare’s King John or Pericles as an opuscule.

misogyny (noun) 

Misogyny (mih-SAH-uh-nee) is a dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women. As I used it today: “Saudi Arabia, traditionally one of the world’s most misogynistic countries, has granted women the right to travel overseas without male permission.”

parsimonious (adjective) 

Parsimonious (par-sih-MOH-nee-us) means stingy or frugal; restrained. As I used it today: “So that was something else to think about – the fact that we are each parsimonious with the one thing we want for ourselves.”

venerate (verb) 

To venerate (VEN-uh-rate) is to revere; to regard with great respect. As I used it today: “With respect to your career, what’s more important: being admired for your character… or venerated for your success?

proscribe (verb) 

To proscribe (proh-SKRIBE) is to formally forbid, denounce, or condemn. (Not to be confused with prescribe, which means recommend.) As I used it today: “Dictonary.com has published many insanely dumb essays proscribing language before, but this has to be one of the dumbest.”

pragmatic (adjective) 

Pragmatic (Prag-MAT-ik) describes a way of dealing with things realistically, in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations. As I used it today: “There’s a pragmatic benefit to being admired.”

slavish (adjective) 

Slavish (SLAY-vish) means like a slave; abjectly submissive. As I used it today: “If I thought that everyone that listened to me would always do exactly what I recommend, slavishly, I’d give no advice at all!”

abstruse (adjective) 

Something that’s abstruse (ab-STROOS) is hard to understand; obscure. As I used it today: “Once we located a fast-growing market, we studied it. But again, we didn’t rely on abstruse market analysis to figure out what sort of products to offer.”

churlish (adjective) 

Churlish (CHURL-ish) means rude, vulgar, surly. As used by Christopher Morley: “Happiness is surely the best teacher of good manners: only the unhappy are churlish in deportment.”

predilection (noun) 

A predilection (preh-dih-LEK-shun) is a preference or special liking for something. As used by Erik Pevernagie: “All incidents which we experience are warily interpreted and translated in the dark chamber of our mind. They inspire us how to behave, how to think, how to act and prompt our predilections and our way of visualizing the world.”