Fiske WordPower Vocabulary Study

Vocabulary flashcards covering terms related to the physical elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water), lightness, verbal attacks, and styles of speaking from Fiske WordPower.

terrestrial

A Latin-derived adjective referring to the planet Earth or to land.

firmament

A noun referring to the sky or the heavens, usually used in a religious, historical, or poetic context.

ethereal

An adjective describing things that are heavenly, delicate, insubstantial, as if they were "of the air."

celestial

Deriving from the Latin word for "sky," an adjective describing things literally relating to the sky or the heavens, or taking the figurative meaning of extremely good ("heavenly").

conflagration

A noun that refers to a really big fire.

incendiary

An adjective describing substances that can cause a fire literally, or anything that figuratively inflames.

torrid

An adjective meaning intensely hot or burning, which may also be used figuratively.

febrile

Derived from the Latin word for "fever," an adjective describing something related to or characterized by fever, whether literal or figurative.

deluge

A noun referring to a flood or a heavy rain, either literal or figurative.

sodden

An adjective describing something literally soaked through, or something so dull and unimaginative that one might imagine a flood had carried away anything potentially good.

banter

A noun or verb referring to good-humored, playful conversation.

badinage

Lightweight conversation; an import into English that serves as a synonym—with a French twist—for banter.

repartee

A light exchange of conversation emphasizing the retort or reply of the person addressed, which may in turn inspire yet another clever remark.

gingerly

An adverb describing a cautious, delicate approach to something, either literally or figuratively.

lambent

An adjective describing the lightness of light, such as something flickering or glowing (a literal "lick" of light), or used figuratively.

leaven

A verb meaning to lighten, either literally by causing bread dough to rise or metaphorically by lightening up a figuratively heavy topic.

elucidate

A verb meaning to make clear through explanation, or to shed light on the subject.

epiphany

A noun referring to any instant perception, sudden comprehension, or spontaneous revelation; capitalized, it refers to the Christian holiday on January 6.

diaphanous

An adjective describing cloth so fine in texture as to allow one to see through it, or used figuratively to mean "easily seen through."

benighted

An adjective used figuratively to describe a person or an argument in moral or intellectual darkness, where the "night" of ignorance has descended.

diatribe

A noun meaning a bitter, abusive lecture, from a Greek root meaning "to consume or wear away."

harangue

A noun or verb referring to a long, pompous, public speech with a particular point of view.

tirade

A noun meaning an angry or violent speech denouncing someone or something.

rant

A noun or verb describing an angry or violent speech, or a piece of writing that is angry or inspires anger or violence.

vituperation

A noun meaning a sustained speech of harshly abusive language, with the emphasis on abusing rather than arguing or correcting.

castigate

A verb meaning to harshly scold, criticize severely, or punish.

fulminate

A verb meaning to issue an explosive verbal attack, either in speech or writing.

excoriate

A verb meaning literally "to remove the skin," or to censure strongly, as if flaying with words.

admonish

A verb meaning to gently caution someone or warn them against something.

invective

A noun describing harsh and abusive language.

bombast

A noun referring to padded, pretentious speech, and extended to use in writing.

pontificate

A verb meaning to speak in an over-authoritative manner.

stentorian

An adjective meaning extremely loud speech, derived from the herald Stentor in Homer's Iliad.

panegyric

Originally a speech of praise addressed to an assembled crowd, now extended to written praise as well.

eulogy

A noun meaning a speech of praise, restricted in modern usage generally to a speech made at a funeral.

histrionic

An adjective literally meaning "relating to actors or acting," but commonly used to describe an overly dramatic or emotional mode of speaking or writing.

grandiloquence

A noun literally meaning "grand speaking," denoting negative, pompous speech.

embellish

A verb meaning to decorate, presumably with the end of making something beautiful.

testimonial

A spoken or written statement of tribute given for a person, a faith, or a product.

sermonize

A verb used in a negative sense for a speech or bit of writing that inappropriately resembles a sermon by assuming an air of moral superiority over the listener or reader.