Dictionary Vocabulary Words December 2025 List #9

Perfunctory

(adj.) hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough

(adj.) as a formality only

Philistine

(n.) a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits (synonym: anti-intellectual, lowbrow)

(adj.) smug and ignorant and indifferent or hostile to artistic and cultural values

Picayune

(adj.) (informal) small and of little importance (trivial)

Precocious

(adj.) characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude)

(adj.) appearing or developing early

Propriety

(n.) correct or appropriate behavior (properness)

Quid pro quo

(n.) something for something; that which a party receives (or is promised) in return for something he does or gives or promises

Quintessential

(adj.) representing the perfect example of a class or quality; embodying or possessing the essence of something

Red herring

(n.) any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue

(n.) a dried and smoked herring having a reddish color

(n.) a first draft of a prospectus; must be clearly marked to indicate that parts may be changed in the final prospectus

Revel

(v.) take delight in

(v.) celebrate noisily, often indulging in drinking; engage in uproarious festivities

(n.) unrestrained merrymaking (revelry)

Rhetoric

(n.) study of the technique and rules for using language effectively (especially in public speaking); using language effectively to please or persuade

(n.) high-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation (grandiosity)

(n.) loud and confused and empty talk