Words

Too many fine words have been so misused that their original meaning is lost, and the words have lost their value. Think of words like awesome, cool, gay, brilliant. But there is hope --- this page contains words I like, words that haven't been hijacked and that still convey their message with impact. I've provided sentences that use the words, perhaps in ways you would not have considered. Use the examples to expand not only your vocabulary, but how you USE words in your written messages.

If you'd like me to add any of your favourite words, send me an e-mail at helen@masteringbusinesswriting.com

Absurd:incongruous, unreasonable, ridiculous, silly

• "Apple" and "Moon" are examples of the absurd names some movie stars give their children.

Serenity: the quality of being serene, calm, tranquil, unperturbed

• Since Pam had exceeded her sales target for the month, she was the picture of serenity as the sales meeting began.

Splendid: magnificent, sumptuous, glorious, excellent

• The splendid array of food was a highlight of the wedding celebrations.
• The team did a splendid job of launching the new product.

Bombastic: full of pompous, pretentious language with little meaning

• He subjected the staff to a long, bombastic speech about the importance of communication, but his own communication skills left a lot to be desired.

Spectacular: dramatically beautiful; impressive

• Every turn in the mountain road revealed another spectacular vista.
• The launch of our new product was a spectacular success.

Elegant: graceful, tasteful, stylish; simple but effective

• Maria's elegant home exactly suited her own style and personality.
• The team came up with an elegant solution to its most complex challenge.

Impecunious: having little or no money

• Even though he came from an impecunious family, he had a circle of wealthy friends.
• The young woman emigrated to escape the impecunious circumstances of her country.

Dismay: consternation, distress or discouragement; dismayed: filled with these feelings

• The coach's decision to leave the team was greeted with dismay by the players.
• I was dismayed to learn I was not offered the job.

Ubiquitous: pervasive, universal, found everywhere

• In every country we visited,  the "golden arches" of McDonald's were ubiquitous.
• Students on campus were seemingly all plugged in to the ubiquitous IPod.

Silo: literally, a tall cylinder or tower for storing grain. In business, it refers to departments or teams that keep strictly to themselves and don't exchange information with other groups.

• The company culture has created silos, resulting in employees who know nothing about their colleagues in other departments.
• It's difficult to foster strong teams when people have a silo mentality.

Vicarious:  experienced or enjoyed by imagining one's own participation in the experiences of another.

• Although I have never visited Paris, I took vicarious pleasure in my daughter's trip there last summer.
• Bob experienced a vicarious thrill when his son scored the winning goal in the championship game.

Grueling: extremely tiring or demanding

• Although David enjoyed studying for his degree, it did add to his already grueling schedule.
• I am an avid runner, but the marathon is too grueling for me.

Peak: summit

• I could see the peak of the mountain through the mist.

Peek: surreptitious glance

• The child couldn't resist taking a peek at his birthday gift.

Pique: (French origin) resentment, or to stimulate

• He left in a fit of pique.
• The candidate's resume piqued my interest.

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