ubiquitous It’s everywhere! It’s everywhere! When something seems like it’s present in all places at the same time, reach for the adjective ubiquitous. “Cities like Singapore aim to cloak themselves in ubiquitous, free Wi-Fi in the next few years,” The Wall Street Journal reported recently — meaning that those savvy Singaporeans will find a…
inconceivable If something is inconceivable, it doesn’t seem possible, it’s hard to imagine, or it can’t be true. It might seem inconceivable that a society would choose to pay bankers more than teachers, but it’s true. When an idea or event is inconceivable, it’s so outlandish, amazing, or horrible that it’s hard to believe. The horrible…
brouhaha Brouhaha is something that people think is really important that’s actually not important at all, like the brouhaha over some new celebrity gossip. Brouhaha seems like a big deal, but it’s a bunch of baloney. Brouhaha has two meanings, and tons of funny-sounding synonyms. The title of the Shakespeare play gives one meaning: “Much Ado about Nothing.” The…
sage Use the word sage for someone or something wise and judicious. Thanks to the sage advice of your friend, you didn’t write your teacher an angry e-mail! Although you might think of a wizard when you hear the word sage, really it means a wise man. Today you see it used to refer to someone who has…
frolic A frolic is a light-hearted, fun, often silly activity. To frolic is to cavort, romp, or run around — to have fun. Ever see two puppies playing in the park, wrestling, chasing, and just having a ball with each other? You could say they’re having a frolic or frolicking. When we frolic, we’re having a fun…
subterfuge If you want to surprise your mom with a sweatshirt, but don’t know her size, it might take an act of subterfuge, like going through her closet, to find it out. Subterfuge is the use of tricky actions to hide or get something. It’s pronounced “SUB-ter-fyooj.” As a countable noun, a subterfuge is a tricky action or device: She…
capricious Capricious is an adjective to describe a person or thing that’s impulsive and unpredictable, like a bride who suddenly leaves her groom standing at the wedding altar. You can criticize a fickle-minded person as capricious, but it could just as well describe quickly changing weather, as in “capricious spring storms.” It’s the adjective form of the noun caprice,…