- renege on an agreement / promise / deal
- to not do something that one has agreed to do
- Example: George Bush Sr. reneged on his promise to help the rebels.
Monday, March 30, 2009
renege
derelict
- derelict
- abandoned or deserted
- Example: Utility Building is an example of a derelict government-owned building.
dereliction
- dereliction
- intentional neglect
- Example: To believe something absurd just because one doesn't have an explanation for something is intellectual dereliction.
deference
- out of deference to
- to do something out of respect for someone's opinions
- Example: Many people go to church out of deference to their parents wishes.
dichotomy
- dichotomy
- division into two parts that are opposite in nature or cannot both be true
- Example: You are either for us or against us. That is a false dichotomy.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
scoff
- scoff
- to mock someone or someone's idea by laughing or talking in a way that shows your contempt
- Example: He scoffed at the idea that he should take someone's help.
nihilism
- nihilism
- the idea that nothing has any meaning or value
- Example: Some people think that atheism leads to nihilism.
- total rejection of established social and political institutions
- a philosophy the rejects the idea of objective ground
- Example: Is nihilism a defensible philosophy?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
specious
- specious
- seeming to be true, but actually false
- Example: Intelligent Design is a good example of a specious theory.
- superficially pleasing
- having deceptive attraction
dogma
- dogma
- a set of beliefs held by a group of people that is not open to questioning or criticism
- Example: Sam Harris said that the real problem is dogma.
arena
- arena
- a place or a stage used for sports
- a field of conflict or activity
- Example: Atheists have finally started asserting themselves in the political arena.
frantic
- frantic
- desperate
- Example: As her car was sinking in the lake, she frantically tried to open the door.
exception
- take exception to something
- to take offense at something
- Example: He took exception to the comments made by the speaker about his daughter.
predatory
- predatory
- using someone's weakness for one's own benefit
- Example: Microsoft has a history of engaging in predatory pricing.
wince
- wince
- to change the expression on one's face in reaction to mental or physical pain
- Example: When she mentioned his divorce, he winced.
- Example: She winced when she caught sight of him approaching her.
bat
- bat
- right off the bat
- to do something immediately
- Example: The lecturer began discussing Electronics right off the bat.
- like a bat out of hell
- to move very fast
- Example: When he heard that his wife was in the hospital he ran like a bat out of hell.
- not bat an eyelid
- to seem not to be shocked or embarrassed
- Example: When question about the corruption scandal, the hardened politician didn't bat an eyelid.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
contend
- contend
- to compete or struggle against
- Example: In the North-East of the country, rival separatist groups are contending for power.
- to argue or strongly assert that something is true
- Example: Bible literalists contend that the earth is only 6000 years old.
- to contend with — to have to deal with an unpleasant thing
- Example: You will have to contend with official apathy if you try to educate the public about the bureaucracy.
fortuitous
- fortuitous
- lucky; fortunate
- Example: I had a fortuitous meeting with a web design expert in the supermarket.
strident
- strident
- of a sound, harsh and irritating
- criticizing harshly or offensively
- Example: A critic of religion is often characterized as strident.
canard
- canard
- a false story or report or idea deliberately created to mislead or to disparage
- Example: Intelligent Design is a canard that has gained wide currency.
harangue
- harangue
- a ranting speech or writing
- Example: It can sometimes be flattering to be the subject of someone's harangue.
agency
- agency
- a force or power that brings about something
- Example: They are some who claim to feel the agency of Providence throught their life.
- by or through the agency of somebody
- something that has happened with someone's help
- Example: It is through the agency of schools that we become aware of mankind's achievements.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
snide
- snide
- unkind in a clever way
- Example: It is sometimes fun to engage with the snide commentators in an audience.
vanguard
- vanguard
- the foremost position in an army that is advancing into battle
- in / at the vanguard — the forefront of a movement
- the leaders who are at the forefront
- Example: The Four Horsemen are at the vanguard of the atheist movement.
affect
- affect
- to produce an affect
- Examples: The economic downturn has negatively affected the real estate market.
- to move someone emotionally
- Example: I was deeply affected by her story.
- to assume; to pretend to be
- Example: When people affect a foreign accent, they usually annoy people.
a priori
- a priori
- knowledge obtained solely by reasoning, without study or examination
- Example: Is a priori knowledge possible?
polemic
- polemic
- a highly critical or defensive argument
- Example: There is a place for polemics in public discourse.
intractable
- intractable
- an intractable problem is one that is very difficult to solve
- Example: There are many who believe that India's poverty is intractable.
tractable
- tractable
narrative
- narrative
- the representation in art of an event or story
- Example: Books like God is Not Great have created a contraversial narrative of religion.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
discourse
- discourse
- a lengthy piece of writing or spoken discussion of something
- communication of thought by words
- Example: Relgion is a topic that should not excluded from social discourse.
umbrage
- umbrage
- to take umbrage at something is to take offense without good reason
- Example: He took umbrage at the questions raised about his religious beliefs.
kowtow
- kowtow
- to kneel and touch the forehead to the ground, as done in ancient China
- to be too eager to obey or to be too polite to authority
- Example: I have a strong dislike for people who kowtow to their bosses.
delve
- delve
- Archaic - to dig
- to discuss in detail
- to find more information
- Example: We shall delve deep into this concept because it is important.
import
- import
- importance
- Example: Every week the members of the club met and discussed matters of little import.
- meaning, implication
- Example: It was only later that evening that the full import of what she said struck him.
jettison
- jettison
- to make a vehicle lighter by throwing things out of it
- to get rid of something or an idea
- Example: If religion is ever going to serve a beneficial purpose to society, it has to jettison all supernatural claims.
highbrow
- highbrow
- difficult to understand
- Example: I don't enjoy some of the highbrow comedy shows on TV.
- someone with intellectual or cultural pretensions
- Example: Why do we get annoyed with highbrows?
incur
- incur
- to get or acquire
- Example: His business caused him to incur a huge debt.
- to be subject to something due to one's actions
- Example: If you go against her advice, you'll incur her disapproval.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
steward, stewardship
- steward
- someone who takes care of something and is responsible for it
- Example: Daniel Dennett is like a chief steward of the Bright movement
- stewardship
- the control and protection of something by someone
- Example: Under the stewardship of Mr. Smith, the school flourished.
Monday, March 16, 2009
heuristic
- heuristic
- something based on trial-and-error methods or experimentation
- helping you in the process of learning
- Example: A heuristic approach to the problem is too costly.
frisson
- frisson
- a shudder of emotion
- a sudden feeling
- Example: When the cashier ignored me, I felt a frisson of anger come over me.
culmination
- culmination
- something that happens after a long period of effort
- to reach the highest point
- Example: This website is the culmination of 2 years of hard work.
allegorical
- allegorical
- a representation of an abstract idea in a material form
- a story or painting that teaches a moral lesson or similar idea
- Example: Most allegorical stories deal with the ultimate sacrifice.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
tenuous
- tenuous
- of a situation, changeable or uncertain
- Example: The relationship between the various political parties of the government is tenuous.
- of an argument, vague or weak
- Example: The tenuous arguments of theists don't stand a chance in a debate.
pallid
- pallid
- pale and unhealthy in appearance
- uninteresting
- Example: We attented a pallid fund-raising play.
Friday, March 13, 2009
ordained
- ordain
- to order by virtue of superior authority
- Example: The Bishop ordained that the book should not be read.
- To make someone a priest.
innate
- innate
- an innate ability is one that you are born with
- Is genius due to innate ability or is genius gradually developed?
- part of the essential character of something
- Example: Human beings are innately irrational.
- ideas or notions produced by thinking rather than experience
- Example: We all probably have an innate sense of what is right and wrong.
contingency
- contingency
- a possible event that could cause problems
- Example: We should be prepared for every contingency.
- a contingent event is one that is dependent on chance
Thursday, March 12, 2009
contingent
- contingent
- dependent on
- Example: Our going to the party is contingent on us receiving a proper invitation.
- a group of people of a particular kind
- Example: The Swedish contingent arrived without much fanfare.
equivocal
- equivocal
- to be deliberately unclear in giving information
- Example: The BJP's stand on the mixing of government and religion is equivocal.
- not supporting any particular side in a report etc.
- Example: The evidence for the health benefits of coffee is equivocal.
entail
- entail
- to involve by neccessity
- Example: Religion entails irrationality.
- Example: Getting a college education entails spending a lot of money.
foray
- foray
- a quick, sudden attack
- a short attempt
- Example: His forays into new fields have been quite successful.
- Example: At the age of 35, she made a successful foray into politics.
vagaries
- vagaries
- unexpected changes
- Example: Traveling by motorcycle makes one subject to the vagaries of the weather.
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