literary geek: words of the week

Posted 3 months ago at 10:45 am. 1 comment

this weeks words are:

ca·thar·tic [kə thrtik]
adjective
purifying: producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic technique

pa·thos [páy thòss, páy thàwss]
noun
1. quality that arouses pity: the quality in something that makes people feel pity or sadness
2. expression of pity: feelings of pity, especially when they are expressed in some way

e·the·re·al [i three əl]
adjective
1. exquisite: very delicate or highly refined
ethereal beauty
2. airy: very light, airy, or insubstantial
Her fragrance lingered in the room, an ethereal reminder of her presence.
3. heavenly: belonging to the sky or the celestial sphere

ef·fi·gy [éffəjee]
(plural ef·fi·gies)
noun
1. dummy representing somebody disliked: a dummy, often roughly made and intentionally amusing or insulting, representing somebody disliked or despised
2. carving: a carved representation of a person, used as an architectural decoration or a monument

quix·ot·ic [kwik sóttik]
adjective
1. excessively romantic: tending to take a romanticized view of life
2. impractical: motivated by an idealism that overlooks practical considerations
3. impulsive: tending to act on impulses

es·o·ter·ic [èssə térrik]
adjective
1. restricted to initiates: intended for or understood by only an initiated few
2. abstruse: difficult to understand
3. secret: secret or highly confidential

pet·u·lant [péchələnt]
adjective
sulky: ill-tempered or sulky in a peevish manner

*all definitions taken from Microsoft Encarta 2009