Useful Words of the Day 2023

Useful words of the Day (2023) is an online resource to enrich English vocabulary, its words are selected from MIT News or other similar media, active on campus and Internet; you can study them with flexible review patterns.
Free Online Vocabulary Test
K12, SAT, GRE, IELTS, TOEFL
 Word of the Day
While extreme working culture and grueling hours have been glamorized in some cases, the conversation has largely shifted to recognize its seriousness. - BBC News
New word picture
grueling   Speak
a.  extremely tiring and demanding

glamorize   Speak
v.  to make something seem desirable, especially spuriously so
Added on: 2023-03-19
 Review ListLatest 30 Words   Latest 100 Words  
30 Words list: 2023-03-17, 2023-02-04
burnout   Speak
n. a physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress
perk   Speak
n. money, goods, or other benefits to which one is entitled as an employee
Conversations around burnout have increased, and companies seem more willing to offer employees perks such as gym memberships and home-office expenses. BBC News
languish   Speak
v. to lose or lack vitality; grow weak or feeble
sleuth   Speak
n. a person who investigates crimes; a detective
odyssey   Speak
n. a long and eventful or adventurous journey or experience
There, they would languish, untouched, until the 1980s when a pair of amateur sleuths began an odyssey almost as colossal as The Ten Commandments itself. BBC News
cheeky   Speak
a. boldly rude, impudent, or disrespectful in usually a playful or appealing way
cryptically   Speak
ad. in a way that is mysterious and difficult to understand
over drinks   Speak
n. sitting around and talking and having drinks
Over drinks one night, Cardozo shared a short, somewhat cheeky passage in the autobiography in which the director cryptically confirmed the burial. BBC News
motif   Speak
n. a decorative design or pattern
sleek   Speak
a. having a smooth well-groomed look; having trim graceful lines
set piece   Speak
n. a scene, depiction, speech, or event that is obviously designed to have an imposing effect
His main set piece was an enormous Egyptian temple that took a few historical liberties by melding Egyptian motifs with a sleek 1920s aesthetic. BBC News
speakeasy   Speak
n. a place where alcoholic beverages are illegally sold
prohibition   Speak
n. the prevention by law of the manufacture and sale of alcohol
hop   Speak
v. to ride surreptitiously and without authorization
As filming took place during prohibition, some actors borrowed camels to hop a ride into town, where they frequented the local speakeasies. BBC News
stipulation   Speak
n. a condition or requirement that is specified as part of an agreement
dune   Speak
n. a mound or ridge of sand formed by the wind, especially on the sea coast or in a desert
The land was rented to DeMille for $10 with the stipulation that he would leave the dunes exactly as he had found them once production was complete. BBC News
captivate   Speak
v. attract and hold the interest and attention of; charm
buff   Speak
n. a person who is enthusiastically interested in and very knowledgeable about a particular subject
It is the remnants of this first iteration that have come to captivate the imaginations of archaeologists, film buffs, and the just plain curious. BBC News
ornate   Speak
a. made in an intricate shape or decorated with complex patterns
effigy   Speak
n. a sculpture or model of a person
inter   Speak
v. place (a corpse) in a grave or tomb, typically with funeral rites
She looked in the direction of an ornate stone effigy in the graveyard; depicted on the flat gravestone was a man referencing the interred person's charitable nature. BBC News
estate   Speak
n. a large, privately owned area of land, often with a large house
parishioner   Speak
n. an inhabitant of a parish, especially one who belongs to or attends a particular church
Among those resting eternally here are early inhabitants of the estate and parishioners of the church. BBC News
lurk   Speak
v. to be or remain hidden to wait in ambush for someone or something
pounce   Speak
v. to spring or swoop suddenly to catch prey
While she had not been spotted in the exact area we were hiking, I still felt uneasy; was she lurking somewhere behind the thick forest cover, waiting to pounce? BBC News
nomadic   Speak
a. roaming about from place to place aimlessly, frequently, or without a fixed pattern of movement
soul   Speak
n. person, a member of the human race
We had barely seen a soul except for a group of semi-nomadic yak herders who had recently come down to lower elevations for the winter. BBC News
brazen   Speak
a. bold and without shame
disregard   Speak
v. pay no attention to; ignore
lead the charge   Speak
v. to be one of the first to do something and lead them to do it too
Basic Words of Day Middle Words of Day
Road to My Dream Universities
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mind and Hand

University of Illinois at Chicago
Teach, research, serve, care.

University of Maryland, College Park
Strong deeds, gentle words.