Stem Words – List #22

1. Stem Words – List #22

2. mollify • verb • moll = soft ify = to make • to make soft/to pacify • We need to mollify the crying baby.

3. polyglot • noun • poly = many glot = tongue • multi-linguist • Rafael is a polyglot ; he speaks five languages.

4. somniferous • adjective • somni = sleep if(y) = to make ous = full of • bringing sleep • That music is having a somniferous effect on me; I can barely stay awake!

5. soliloquy • noun • soli = alone loqu = speech • speech to oneself • In Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, he talks about taking his own life.

6. adherent • noun • adhere = to stick to ent= one who • a supporter/a follower • As an adherent of the Catholic faith, my aunt followed carefully the selection of Pope Francis.

7. caustic • adjective • caus = to burn ic = having the characteristic of • capable of burning living tissue • Be careful when handling those chemicals. Many of them are caustic.

8. confluence • noun • a flowing together • con = together flu = flow • The confluence of light beams created a spectacular image.

9. depose • verb • de = down pos = position • topple from power • The corrupt King was able to depose our current ruler.

10. egomania • noun • ego = self mania = obsession • self-obsession • He constantly talked about himself. His egomania got on my nerves.

11. egregious • adjective • blatantly wrong/serious • It was an egregiousexample of holding on a football field.

12. analgesic • noun • an = not alg =pain ic = having the characteristic of • painkiller • They gave me an analgesic before the surgery.

13. chiromancy • noun • chiro = hand mancy = foretelling the future • palm-reading • I don’t believe in chiromancy. What could you tell about the future from the lines in someone’s hand?

14. oligarchy • noun • olig = few archy = government • government by a few • The government of that small country is an oligarchy, with only a few people in control.

15. intractable • adjective • in = not tract = pull able = able • stubborn • My father is so intractable about me doing my chores; not once does he let me off the hook.

16. intransigent • adjective • in = not transige = come to an agreement • not compromising • Their intransigent attitudes made it hard to see how they were ever going to work together.

17. perfidious • adjective • per = through fid = faith ous= full of • treacherous/faithless/deceitful • The evil queen was perfidious in her dealings with those who opposed her.

18. ingenuous • adjective • in = in gen = born ous = full of • innocent and naïve • He was ingenuousand believed everything I said.

19. circumlocution • noun • circum = around loc = talk tion = act or state of being • talking in circles • Every time I asked her a question, all I got back was circumlocution.

20. gregarious • adjective • greg = flock ous = full of • sociable • It was hard to resist her gregarious personality. Everyone wanted to be around her.

21. discursive • adjective • dis = down curs = run • rambling • His superfluous talking was discursive and annoying.

22. ichthyologist • noun • ichth = fish olog = study of ist = one who • fish scientist • The ichthyologist specialized in saltwater fish.

23. sinecure • noun • sine = without cure = care • an easy, lucrative job • We all hope to have a sinecure one day: an easy job that makes us lots of money.

24. abjure • renounce • ab = away jure = swear • verb • It is wise of that teenager to abjure drugs.

25. diaphanous • semi-transparent • dia=across phan=transparent ous = full of • adjective • The butterfly’s wings were diaphanous.

26. perspicuous • brilliantly clear • per = through spic (spec) = see ous= full of • adjective • His argument on the subject was perspicuous. It was clear he was an expert.