wonk -
A person who takes an excessive interest in minor details of political policy
Rachel Maddow is a policy wonk on TV who walks her audience through the minor details of legislation and current events.
noun
518 of 901
Bad /
Powerless
audio
wimp -
A weak and cowardly or unadventurous person
Randy wanted to impress girls at the beach, but being a skinny wimp prevented him from doing so.
noun
519 of 901
Bad /
Dishonest
audio
guise -
A deceptive appearance that is intended to deceive
Using the guise of helping older women, the thief was initially friendly and then robbed them.
noun
520 of 901
Other /
Shape
audio
brink -
An extreme edge of land before a steep or vertical slope
Edwin stood on the brink of the cliff, only steps away from plummeting to the ground.
noun
521 of 901
Other /
Shape
Url
audio
groove -
A long, narrow cut or indentation, typically in a surface, often used for fitting or alignment.
The vinyl record has a groove where the needle sits to produce sound.
noun
522 of 901
Bad /
Small
Url
audio
excerpt -
A short part taken from a speech, book, film
After reading excerpts from the new novel, he went out and bought the book.
noun
523 of 901
Good /
Friendly
audio
camaraderie -
Mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together.
Sam liked his fraternity because of the feeling of camaraderie he felt with all his friends there.
noun
524 of 901
Bad /
War
Url
audio
bulwark -
A defensive wall
The soldiers had planned to attack, but the bulwark fortification that the enemy had built around themselves was too high to climb, and there didn't seem to be any way over, around, or through.
noun
525 of 901
Bad /
Pain
audio
pang -
A sudden sharp pain or painful emotion
The year was 1900, and Dmitri felt a pang of nostalgia and regret as he boarded the boat for America, knowing that he would probably never see his 'old world' again.
noun
526 of 901
Bad /
Mistake
audio
snafu -
A confused or chaotic state; a mess
A lack of funding led to the snafu of an incomplete bridge being built across the river.
noun
527 of 901
Good /
Smart
audio
gist -
The substance or essence of a speech or text
Very intelligent people can understand the gist of a topic even if they can't remember every word of it.
noun
528 of 901
Good /
Happy
Url
audio
festivities -
The parties, meals, and other social activities where people celebrate a special occasion
The coronation was followed by many days of festivities.
