laud vb. (LAWD) to acclaim or praise. The teacher loved to laud the accomplishments of her star pupil.
lavish adj. (LAV ish) generous, bountiful; rich. The Thanksgiving table was covered with a lavish array of dishes.
left-handed compliment n. a compliment that is intended or can be perceived as an insult. My instructor told me I could write for preschoolers, which I took as a left-handed compliment.
left-wing adj. (LEFT WING) liberal; leftist; radical. "We don't need any left-wing factions telling us what we can and cannot cut down in the forest," a spokesman for the paper company was quoted as saying.
legacy n. (LEG uh see) something passed down to following generations. Michael Jordan's legacy of championship basketball will be difficult to match.
lethargic adj. (leth ARJ ik) listless, sluggish. The
children were as lethargic as sloths until I promised to take them out for ice cream.
levity n. (LEV i tee) light or humorous behavior, particularly at an inappropriate time. If I may inject some levity into this funeral, I will now tap-dance with the deceased.
libel n. (LI bul) published statements that are both untrue and malicious or damaging. To prevent being sued for libel, newspapers must check and double- check facts and sources.
liberal adj. (LIB ur ul) tolerant and open-minded. His philosophy was liberal; he believed nobody should have the right to discriminate against a person for their race, gender, or sexual orientation.
Lilliputian adj. (lil uh PYOO shun) tiny; miniature, as the people of Lilliput in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. I watched my children as they gleefully built a Lilliputian village out of Popsicle sticks.
lip service n. talk of doing something but failing to follow through and actually do it. Our local politicians paid lip service to the environmental movement; their words were empty promises, however, as nothing was ever done.
literati n. (lit uh RAH tee) literary intellectuals as a group. The local literati were lambasting the famous author's new book.
litigate vb. (LIT uh gayt) to sue in court. If your children continue to break our windows, we'll be forced to litigate.
litigious adj. (li TIJ us) highly contentious and prone to threatening with and filing lawsuits. In our litigious society, you can climb a ladder when you're drunk, fall off and break a leg, and then sue the ladder company for damages.
lobby vb. (LOB ee) to try and persuade those in legislative power to vote in a certain way. Lawnmower manufacturers will lobby Congress to prevent passage of a bill that would require small engines to run with fifty percent fewer emissions.
logistics n. (luh JIS tiks) management, including procurement of supplies, distribution, transport, and maintenance, of any large-scale operation. The logistics involved in sending troops overseas is nightmarish.
loose cannon n. one who is out of control or unpredictable, either verbally or physically. The ace pitcher was characterized as something of a loose cannon; he often shot his mouth off with the press and threatened management whenever they benched him.
loquacious adj. (loh KWAY shus) talkative. Radio talk-show hosts must be loquacious and quick- thinking.
lucid adj. (LOO sid) clear; clear-headed. I'm not quite as lucid when I've had a couple of drinks as when I'm sober.
lucrative adj. (LOO kruh tiv) profitable. The personal computer business continues to be highly lucrative.
ludicrous adj. (LOO di krus) laughable. The organization's continued attempts to prove the earth is flat are ludicrous.
lukewarm adj. (LUHK WARM) unenthusiastic; tepid. A few people in the audience applauded, but the overall response to the play was lukewarm at best.
lurid adj. (LUR id) horrifying and gruesome; sensational or shocking. The tabloid television program featured lurid accidents involving automobiles, airplanes, and trains.
macabre adj. (muh KAHB ruh) ghastly, as scenes of death. The horror writer was a master at depicting the macabre.
Machiavellian adj. (mak ee uh VEL ee un) deceitful and crafty, so-named after Niccolo Machiavelli of the 16th century, who believed that in politics, morality should take a back seat to wiliness. The senator's backdoor, Machiavellian politics may have accomplished what he wanted, but his reputation is now permanently tarnished.
machination n. (mak uh NAY shun) a scheme or design, especially of a sneaky nature. His covert machinations won him several converts as well as a formal nomination.
magnanimous adj. (mag NAN uh mus) noble, unselfish, and quick to forgive. My boss is unusually magnanimous and rarely says anything when I'm late for work.
magnate n. (MAG nayt) a very successful and powerful businessperson. The oil magnate arrived in town this morning to discuss the drilling of a new well in the Atlantic Ocean.
magnum opus n. (MAG num OH pus) a masterpiece. Every weekend I work on my magnum opus in progress, but it won't be ready for at least ten years.
malaise n. (muh LAYZ) a physical or mental fatigue and uneasiness, especially stemming from an illness. I went to the doctor about a general malaise I was experiencing, and he said it was probably the start of the flu.
malevolent adj. (muh LEV uh lent) malicious. The
malevolent dictator needed little excuse to punish those who disagreed with him.
malice n. (MAL iss) a desire to hurt others; maliciousness. The defendant had apparently harbored great malice toward his victim.
malignant adj. (mal IG nunt) deadly; harmful. Unfortunately, the tumor was found to be malignant.
malingerer n. (mah LIN gur ur) one who tries to get out of work or responsibility, especially by feigning illness. One of my employees calls in sick almost every Monday; he is a chronic malingerer and probably should be fired.