torpor
/ˈtôrpər/
noun
- a state of physical or mental inactivity; lethargy
Now I’m shaking off the torpor, powering through it, rising up and up — above the road, above the trees.
– Brenna Yovanoff, Places No One Knows
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propinquity
/prəˈpiNGkwədē/
noun
- the state of being close to someone or something; proximity
- [technical] close kinship
And, in spite of it all, Miss Browning and Miss Phoebe considered themselves as Mr Gibson’s most intimate friends, in right of their regard for his dead wife, and would fain have taken a quasi-motherly interest in his little girl, had she not been guarded by a watchful dragon in the shape of Betty, her nurse, who was jealous of any interference between her and her charge; and especially resentful and disagreeable towards all those ladies who, by suitable age, rank, or propinquity, she thought capable of ‘casting sheep’s eyes at master.’
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lassitude
/ˈlasəˌt(y)o͞od/
noun
- a state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy
During the days following Easter Sunday, he noticed a certain lassitude of spirit in himself.
– Jan Karon, At Home in Mitford
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intransigence
/inˈtransəjəns/ or /inˈtranzəjəns/
noun
- refusal to change one’s views or to agree about something
The dream receded and left him there, in his bed, alone — stranded in the merciless intransigence of reality, and it was as bleak a truth to his soul as the nothingness of the Elmuthaleth.
– Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
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depredation
/ˌdeprəˈdāSHən/
noun
- an act of attacking or plundering
His spirit, depleted by his own depredations, pulsed too fast through his veins, twinning with a whirr and discordant jangle of… of disbelief crashing against evidence, producing a sensation of disfaith.
– Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
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espalier
/əsˈpalyər/ or /esˈpälyər/
verb
- train (a tree or shrub) to grow flat against a wall
Flocks of brilliant butterflies moved through like schools of fish, and the upper levels of the amphitheater were espaliered with jeweled fruit trees.
– Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
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dolor
/ˈdōlər/
noun
- a state of great sorrow or distress
The little girl ghost, Bahar, dripping with river water and dolor, told her solemnly, “Sarai can’t play right now,” which sent a chill up her spine.
– Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
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flummery
/ˈfləmərē/
noun
- empty compliments; nonsense
- a sweet dish made with beaten eggs, milk, sugar, and flavorings
It sounded like a lot of flummery to Drave, but what did he know?
– Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
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circumlocution
/ˌsərkəmˌləˈkyo͞oSH(ə)n/
noun
- the use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive
He shuddered at his own craven circumlocution, using so meaningless a word to obscure so hideous a truth.
– Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
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pellucid
/pəˈlo͞osəd/
adjective
- translucently clear
- lucid in style or meaning; easily understood
- (of music or other sound) clear and pure in tone
Her lashes, he recalled, were golden red, her eyes pellucid blue.
– Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
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