Vocabulary Mnemonics

March 29, 2025

Matt’s words

Ostentatious (adj):  designed to attract notice; showy

The Jones’s house is so ostentatious.

She had driven to Prague from the Netherlands in her Porsche, telling friends she didn’t give a hoot how ostentatious she might appear to the comrades. —Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, 4 Aug. 1986

Mnemonic: Think of “awes tent.”

Peruse (v): to read something in detail; to skim.Contronym: a word with two contradictory meanings. Bolt, sanction.

Colorful family scrapbooks line the shelves, ready to be perusedin one of the Lee Industries chairs. —Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 19 Mar. 2025

Would you mind perusing this document for mistakes?

Mnemonic: You have a “pair” of eyes and you’re going to “use” them.

Sardonic (adj): derisively mocking; scornful

A sardonic smile…

They have that brand of sardonic humor special to people up against it: black and wry and shocking …—Doris Lessing, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 1987

Mnemonic: Combination of sarcastic and ironic.

Hubris (n):pride; exaggerated self confidence

Icarus flying too close to the sun. That’s hubris.

When conceived it was a project of almost unimaginable boldness and foolhardiness, requiring great bravura, risking great hubris. —Simon Winchester, The Professor and the Madman, 1998

Mnemonic: A random guy named Hugh thinking he can perform at a bris.

Verbose (adj):wordy; given to wordiness

His verbose texts go on forever.

A verbose response…

Mnemonic: Instead of saying “verb” someone says “verbose” just to make it longer.

Dr. Mom’s words

Desultory (adj): lacking a definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; aimless; occurring randomly or occasionally; disappointing in progress, performance, or quality 

I sometimes meander in a desultory fashion when searching for a destination without a map.

The things the Yankees need correcting were on full display in a desultorysweep by the Tampa Bay Rays.
— Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2021

Mnemonic: From Merriam Webster, “The Latin adjective desultorius was used by the ancients to refer to a circus performer (called a desultory) whose trick was to leap from horse to horse without stopping. It makes sense, then, that someone or something desultory “jumps” from one thing to another. 

With that background, think of someone “Desul” who sells diesel gas at his gas station. He additionally sells a huge variety of products inside. When Desul does his inventory, it can appear as if he jumps from one type of product to another, seemingly aimless and random.

Yen (v): to have a strong desire for something (also, the basic monetary unit of Japan)

Matt loves living inland, but occasionally he still yens for easy access to the ocean.

Mnemonic: Yen sounds like “yearn,” which means a longing for something.

Interesting note from Merriam Webster: At one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble: the first meaning of yen was an intense craving for opium. The word comes from Cantonese yīn-yáhn, a combination of yīn, meaning “opium,” and yáhn, “craving.” In English, the Chinese syllables were translated as yen-yen.

Prosaic (adj): characteristic of prose as opposed to poetry; everyday, routine, common; more recently it has taken on a negative connotation implying something dull, unimaginative, lackluster

In addition to the prosaic essentials of life—wheat, rice, and salt—the Portuguese found exotic stores of pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and other spices. —Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers, 1983

Prosaic language fails to touch the heart the way poetry does.

Mnemonic #1: “Prose” is at the beginning of prosaic. Think of the dichotomy of poetry vs. prose.

Mnemonic #2: A mosaic is a piece of art created by combining perhaps prosaic pieces of stone, glass, or ceramic to form a colorful, interesting work.

Mentation (n): mental activity

My mentation is severely diminished when I’m sleep deprived.

Mnemonic: Mentation and mentate begin like “mental,” in this case, mental activity.

Acuminate (adj): a sharpening or tapering to a point, like some feathers

The leaves are elliptical with an acuminate tip. Wikipedia

I’ve always preferred an acuminate skyscraper to a boxy-topped one.

Mnemonic: Acuminate shares the same root as acumen, which could be thought of as someone who is sharp or perceptive. They get the “point” quickly.  

COLOSSAL COMPILATION:

My neighbor, bless his heart, is unfortunately desultory in his daily habits in that he divides his time between perusing, then mentating on, prosaic texts describing exclusively verbose, sardonic, ostentatious, hubristic characters from the past and then satisfying his yen for collecting acuminate turkey feathers.