40 words that you will never use

Whenever I’m reading and I come across a cool sounding word I didn’t know, I try to write it down. Here is a selection of the most interesting ones coming from the notes I made in the past 12 months. Funnily enough, I still have no idea what most of them mean. Come to think about it, should we really bother?

Precarious ● Implore ● Irascible ● Predicament ● Providence ● Assuage ● Furtive ● Drubbing ● Tempestuous ● Usurpation ● Castigated ● Febrile ● Haranguing ● Delineation ● Rudimentary ● Insipid ● Inebriated ● Germane ● Concision ● Elucidate ● Demarcate ● Inexorable ● Salubrious ● Ambivalence ● Steadfastness ● Newfangled ● Obsequious ● Scrupulous ● Pernicious ● Compulsion ● Extenuation ● Refractory ● Laudatory ● Corroborate ● Precipitate ● Nebulous ● Imperceptible ● Concomitant ● Condescending ● Tendentious

In case you are wondering, descriptions after the break.

1. Precarious — not securely held or in position
2. Implore — beg someone earnestly or desperately to do something
3. Irascible — easily made angry
4. Predicament — a difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation
5. Providence — the protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power
6. Assuage — make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense
7. Furtive — attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble
8. Drubbing —  a beating; a thrashing
9. Tempestuous — characterized by strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion
10. Usurpation — taking a position of power or importance illegally or by force
11. Castigated — reprimand someone severely
12. Febrile — having or showing the symptoms of a fever
13. Haranguing — lecturing someone at length in an aggressive and critical manner
14. Delineation — precise description or portrayal of something
15. Rudimentary — involving or limited to basic principles
16. Insipid — lacking flavor 
17. Inebriated — intoxicated
18. Germane — relevant to a subject under consideration
19. Concision — giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief but comprehensive
20. Elucidate — explain
21. Demarcate — set the boundaries or limits of
22. Inexorable — impossible to stop or prevent
23. Salubrious — healthy
24. Ambivalence — having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas
25. Steadfastness — resoluteness or dutiful firmness and unwavering
26. Newfangled — different from what one is used to; objectionably new
27. Obsequious — obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
28. Scrupulous — diligent
29. Pernicious — having a harmful effect
30. Compulsion — the action or state of forcing or being forced to do something
31. Extenuation — making guilt or an offense seem less serious or more forgivable
32. Refractory — stubborn or unmanageable
33. Laudatory — expressing praise and commendation
34. Corroborate — confirm or give support to a statement, theory, or finding
35. Precipitate — cause a bad or undesirable event or situation to happen suddenly
36. Nebulous — in the form of a cloud or haze
37. Imperceptible — impossible to perceive
38. Concomitant — naturally accompanying or associated
39. Condescending — acting in a way that betrays a feeling of patronizing superiority
40. Tendentious — expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, esp. a controversial one