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,…
| synonyms: | rascal, scamp, monkey, imp, devil, rogue |
| synonyms: | liking, fondness, preference, partiality, taste, penchant, weakness, soft spot, fancy, inclination, leaning, bias, propensity, bent, proclivity, predisposition, appetite
“a predilection for shellfish”
|
“Agog!”
| synonyms: | eager, excited, impatient, keen, anxious, avid, in suspense, on tenterhooks, on the edge of one’s seat, on pins and needles, waiting with bated breath
“tell us what happened—we’re all agog!”
|
| synonyms: | perfect example, shining example, model, epitome, archetype, ideal, exemplar, nonpareil, embodiment, personification, quintessence, apotheosis, acme |