myriad n. (MEER ee ud) a great number; also, an infinity. The restaurant had a myriad of menu choices.
naivete n. (ni EEV uh TAY) innocence and inexperience; lack of sophistication and knowledge. When visiting a big city, take care to prevent street swindlers from taking advantage of your naivete.
narcissistic adj. (nar si SIS tik) vain and self- absorbed. She stood in front of the mirror for more than an hour with a narcissistic need to preen.
nebulous adj. (NEB you lus) cloudy, unclear. The future of America's energy sources is nebulous; nobody knows if we'll be using mostly solar or nuclear power in the next century.
nefarious adj. (ni FAIR ee us) evil. The nefarious pirates threw their captain overboard and sailed away laughing.
neophyte n. (NEE uh fite) an amateur or beginner. We were told to be patient with neophytes because they hadn't acquired many skills yet.
nepotism n. (NEP uh tiz um) favoritism toward relatives, in work, politics, etc. Nepotism was widely practiced in the family business, as relatives were always hired over strangers.
nihilism n. (NYE uh liz um) the belief that morals are a human invention and do not exist in the real world. Also, the advocacy of positive change through anarchy. If you don't believe in religion or gods or morals you may be an advocate of nihilism.
nirvana n. (nur VAHN uh) a state of spiritual enlightenment or bliss. The achieve nirvana, Mary meditated faithfully for two hours every day.
nocturnal adj. (nok TURN ul) active at the night.
Skunks are, for the most part, nocturnal animals, at least when human beings are around.
nonchalant adj. (non shuh LAUNT) cool and indifferent. You'd never guess he had just won an Academy Award by his nonchalant attitude.
nostalgia n. (nuh STAL juh) a longing for the past; sentimental feelings toward the past. Also, homesickness. Whenever I think of my boyhood, my heart aches with nostalgia.
notorious adj. (no TOR ee us) infamous; known for something bad. I wouldn't buy that car if I were you; it's notorious for breaking down in cold weather.
novice n. (NOV is) a beginner; a neophyte. Snow- boarding isn't easy; if you're a novice, we suggest you try one of our bunny trails.
noxious adj. (NOK shus) harmful. The noxious fumes spewing from the bus made us gag.
nuance n. (NOO ahns) a subtle distinction, difference, or variation. This gemstone has a particular nuance that makes it less valuable than the others.
nullify vb. (NULL uh fye) to cancel out; to make null and void. Although it's difficult to nullify a judge's ruling, we can appeal to a higher court.
obfuscate vb. (OB fuh skayt) to make confusing or impossible to comprehend. Critics contend that politicians sometimes obfuscate the issue of tax hikes in order to prevent an uproar.
objective adj. (ob JEK tiv) uninvolved and unbiased. It's impossible to be objective when reviewing your own writing; you need a disinterested second party to give you feedback.
oblivion n. (uh BLIV ee un) the state of being utterly forgotten or lost. Save for a few classics, many of the popular novels of the 19th century have faded into oblivion.
obnoxious adj. (ub NOK shus) offensive, unpleasant, revolting. Everyone was glaring at the street thugs for their obnoxious behavior.
obsequious adj. (ub SEE kwee us) overly compliant and servile. I need an assistant who will do as I ask, but that doesn't mean I require you to be obsequious.
officious adj. (uh FISH us) meddlesome or offering suggestions or directions when none are wanted. Many backseat drivers are as officious outside of a car as they are in one.
olive branch n. a peace offering. After arguing with my spouse all day, I offered her an olive branch by asking her out to dinner.
ominous adj. (OM un us) foreboding; indicative of impending disaster. When sailing in the middle of the ocean, dark clouds on the horizon are particularly ominous.
omnipotent adj. (om NIP uh tent) all-powerful.
Many people believe that God is omnipotent; that is, God can do anything.
onerous adj. (OH nur us) burdensome; laborious.
Shoveling out a driveway after a blizzard is an onerous task.
opaque adj. (oh PAYK) impossible to see through; impenetrable by light. It was impossible to spy on the people inside, because the windows were opaque.
opportunist n. (op ur TOON ist) one who aggressively pursues and exploits any kind of opportunity, regardless of ethical considerations. The ambulance chaser has given lawyers the reputation of being opportunists.
oppression n. (uh PRESH un) the unjust keeping down of an individual or population. The dictator ruled his citizenry with an iron fist; his oppression of the masses kept any opposition forces down.
optimism n. (OP tuh miz um) the belief or outlook that things will turn out well; a positive attitude. In
order to invest in the stock market, you should have a strong degree of optimism.
opulence n. (OP yuh lens) wealth and luxury. The
people of Beverly Hills live in great opulence.
orthodox adj. (ORTH uh DOKS) following approved or traditional standards. Our children worship God in an orthodox way; every Sunday they attend church, and every night they say their prayers.
ostensible adj. (uh STEN suh bul) referring to an outward appearance which may be misleading. His ostensible reason for judging the beauty contest was philanthropic, but I suspect his real reason was to flirt with the contestants.
ostentatious adj. (aws ten TAY shus) showy, ornate, loud. The peacock is by far the most ostentatious bird in the world.
ostracize vb. (AWS truh size) to exclude; to banish. The cult would ostracize anyone who failed to follow their rules.