Pixilated

slightly eccentric or mentally disordered

Having a few pixilated people in your life makes things interesting and entertaining.

A better word than:

eccentric
flighty
neurotic

Glabrous

smooth; especially; having a surface without hairs or projections

Although Samuel has a mustache and full beard, the top of his round head is glabrous.

A better word than:

smooth
bald
hairless
bare

Solatium
Officinal
Meme
Epistolary
Kludge
Chivy
Georgic
Splenetic
Redoubt
Amuse-bouche
Cybarian

Compunction

uneasiness of the mind because of wrongdoing; pricking of conscience; regret; remorse

Compunction is always a present danger for surgeons with poor coping skills.

A better word than:

regret
remorse
scruple

Eupeptic

1. of, relating to, or having good digestion

2. cheerful, optimistic

Hearing so many people encourage me to write my own book makes me eupeptic about my dreams of becoming a writer.

A better person than:

cheerful
optimistic
delighted

Longueur

a dull and tedious passage or section (as of a book)

Once you get through the exhaustive longueur dealing with the main character's childhood, the rest of the book is a brisk and compelling read.

A better word than:

?

Any suggestions?

Querulous

1. full of complaints; complaining

2. characterized by or uttered in complaint; peevish: a querulous tone; constant querulous reminders of things to be done.

My querulous nature is a habit I've made an effort to kick especially ever since I started living alone.

A better word than:

complaining
contentious
disagreeable

Obfuscate

to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy

I, sometimes, find math obfuscating.

A better word than:

confuse
bewilder
stupefy
stumped
puzzle
perplex
confound

Effeminate

(of a man or boy) having traits, tastes, habits, etc., traditionally considered feminine, as softness or delicacy

I have many effeminate friends.

A better word than:

womanly
womanlike
delicate

Supercilious

haughtily disdainful or contemptuous; as a person or a facial expression

I felt so betrayed when my principal who always regarded me so highly quickly shifted her opinion and was supercilious towards me.

A better word than:

disdainful
contemptuous
scornful

Ebullience

high spirits; exhilaration; exuberance

Josh's ebullience after surviving an eighty foot fall of a cliff was contagious.

A better word than:

exhilaration
exuberance
excitement
joy

Nihilistic

total rejection of established laws and institutions

A nihilistic approach to the government's failure isn't the solution.

A better word than:

anarchist
antagonist
nonconformist

Aplomb

imperturbable self-possession, poise, or assurance

An aplomb woman is a rarity.

A better word than:

self-confidence
self-possessive
poise
assurance

Imperturbable

incapable of being upset or agitated; not easily excited; calm: imperturbable composure

My ex's imperturbable exterior intimidates or falsifies an emotionally-disconnected impression.

A better word than:

calm
cool
collected
composed

Lackadaisical

without interest, vigor, or determination; listless; lethargic: a lackadaisical attempt

My studies were handled very lackadaisically in high school.

A better word than:

listless
lethargic
lack of effort
lack of determination
careless
lazy
halfhearted

Insouciant

free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant

I can't imagine myself even for a second being insouciant.

A better word than:

carefree
nonchalant
worry-free
unconcerned

Discombobulate

to confuse or disconcert; upset; frustrate: The speaker was completely discombobulated by the hecklers.

When Paul's inebriated, he speaks to me in a very discombobulated manner.

A better word than:

confuse
disconcert
upset
frustrate
anger
irritate

Derision

ridicule; mockery: the inept performance elicited derision from the audience

Paris Hilton's vacuous actions induces derision from whoever pays any attention to her. But is the media any better? They advertise her behavior. What an unproductive way to utilize their resources.

A better word than:

ridicule
mockery
insult
make fun of
contempt
disrespect

Meander

to proceed by or take a winding or indirect course: The stream meandered through the valley.

Unexpected circumstances are making college a meandering experience.

A better word than:

indirect
wander
roam
drift

Repudiate

to reject as having no authority or binding force: to repudiate a claim.

Colom's rights were repudiated by the police.

A better word than:

no authority
no jurisdiction
reject
denied

Staid

marked by self-control; settled; sober

I lack the staid mentality and discipline that others possess.

A better word than:

settled
sedate
serious

Rabid

irrationally extreme in opinion or practice: a rabid isolationist, a rabid baseball fan

Rabid protesters, sometimes, convey their messages through acts of violence.

A better word than:

irrational
extreme
fanatical
radical

Perfidious

deliberately faithless; treacherous; deceitful: a perfidious lover

Why some people openly display and pride themselves on such perfidious behavior baffles and offends me.

A better word than:

unfaithful
deceitful
dishonest
untrustworthy
treacherous
disloyal

Pugnacious

inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent; combative

Older brothers often behave pugnaciously towards their sisters' new boyfriends.

A better word than:

ready to fight
quarrelsome
combative
aggressive
confrontational
argumentative

Placid

pleasantly calm or peaceful; unruffled; tranquil; serenely quiet and undisturbed: placid waters

Being a city girl, I don't think I was ever meant to lead a placid life.

A better word than:

calm
peaceful
serene

Mundane

found in the ordinary course of events; "a placid everyday scene"; it was a routine day"; "there's nothing quite like a real...train conductor to add color to a quotidian commute"

I want more than what a mundane life can offer.

A better word than:

ordinary
routine
usual
regular
common
average

Abysmally

extremely or hopelessly bad or severe

It pains me to see my friend view the world through such abysmally eyes.

A better word than:

bleak
severe
bad
awful
depressing

Spurious

not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claim, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit

I found spurious items sold at on eBay that I stayed away from.

NOTE: This word is a shining example of a word that can easily replace a poor substitute. Rather than saying fake, I can say spurious.

A better word than:

fake
unauthentic
counterfeit
not genuine
false
bogus
imitation

Paucity

smallness of quantity; scarcity: a country to a paucity of resources.

I shamefully admit that my vocabulary shows an extreme paucity, which I plan to change.

A better word than:

little
limited
small
lack of
rarity
scarcity

Celerity

swiftness; speed

I'd like to achieve the celerity that professional athletes possess.

A better word than:

speed
swiftness
fast

Myopic

a visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred because images are focused in front of the retina rather than on it, nearsightedness. Also called short sight.

Myopic roads have the highest accident ratings.

A better word than:

nearsightedness
up close vision

A Word A Day

I wanted to name this blog, A Word a Day, but I don't want to commit to something I can't keep. I feel overburdened in my life as it is. I don't want something insignificant and trivial to guilt me. My goal is, nonetheless, to learn a new word a day and incorporate it into my vocabulary. After all, just because I didn't name my blog, A Word a Day, doesn't mean that I can't learn a new word a day. I want to find words that are unique, uncommon, and rarely used because where else would I find the opportunity to learn such words? At the same time, I want words that I can add to my vocabulary because I'll have an opportunity to practice them. And, unfortunately, we live in a society where many of us don't know words beyond the basic level. I'd be lying if I said that I was an exception to the rule, which is why some words may seem too simple for some readers, but I intend to include them in my list. We are all given an opportunity to use more refined words but rarely do. I want to change that by offering more sophisticated words that can replace an overused word. I'll provide the word, definition, put it in a sentence, and offer a list of simple words that the word of the day can replace. I hope that others will find inspiration in this blog.