Next 10Mogul, Vandal, Vapid, Firebrand, Honeymoon, Impunity, Protean, Gadfly, Corral, Debutante
Mogul [n. MOE-gul]
A mogul is a powerful person with great wealth or influence, or an important person in a particular field. Example: "Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is grooming his son to succeed him in the family business." Mogul is capitalized when it refers to a member of a dynasty of Muslim rulers that dominated Northern India from the 16th to the early 18th century. This dynasty was known for its great leaders, which prompted the 16th century English association of mogul with a person of power. Mogul is from the Persian mughul (mongol). Near synonyms include: magnate, potentate, personage, bigwig, tycoon, and heavyweight. Moguls are also bumps on ski hills, but this noun is derived from the German mugel (small hills). More about the Mogul Empire
Vandal [n. VAN-dl]
Someone who destroys or defaces public or private property either willfully or ignorantly is a vandal. Near synonyms include: wrecker, saboteur, hooligan, delinquent, plunderer, looter, destroyer, and pillager. The first vandals were a Germanic tribe, which in 455 A.D. sacked Rome. While this was perhaps the pinnacle of their destructive behaviors, the Vandals earned a reputation as destroyers of civilization for looting and sacking during this period. The word vandal appears in English in the mid-1500s. It commemorates the Vandals whose name was from the Late Latin vandalus, likely a Latinized tribal name derived from the word wanderer. The fall of the Roman Empire examined
Vapid [adj. VAP-id]
Vapid means lacking in imagination or interest, or devoid of spirit or animation. Near synonyms include dull, boring, sterile, inane, and tedious. Example: "Even before the appetizer was served, Sue had grown tired of her date's vapid conversation." Vapid can also mean lacking in sharpness or flavor. Near synonyms of this sense include flat, tasteless, and stale. This word is from the Latin vapidus, which is akin to the Latin vapor (steam). It first appeared in English in the mid-17th century.
Firebrand [n. FIRE-brand]
Literally, a firebrand is a piece of burning wood or other material. In the 13th century, firebrands were placed in the fire and then used for light or as weapons. It wasn't until the 14th century that the more figurative sense of firebrand came into use. Someone who kindles mischief or encourages unrest is a firebrand. A firebrand can also be someone who aggressively promotes a cause. Near synonyms include: agitator, troublemaker, incendiary, instigator, insurgent, rabble-rouser, and revolutionary.
Honeymoon [n. or v. HUN-ee-moon]
A honeymoon is a vacation or trip taken by a newly married couple. It can also refer to the month immediately following the wedding. It is meant to describe a period of blissful harmony. A honeymoon isn't distinct to a loving pair, though. Any relationship characterized by an initial period of goodwill can be called a honeymoon. Example: "The legislature was using its honeymoon period with the public and the press to quietly pass many controversial laws." The 16th century origins of the word honeymoon aren't particularly optimistic. It is believed to have come from the notion that love is initially as sweet as honey but this period of happiness soon wanes as a phase of the moon does. The verb honeymoon is usually followed by the word "in" or "at". For example, a newly married couple could honeymoon in Acapulco or at a cabin in the Rockies.
Impunity [n. im-PYOO-ni-tee]
Impunity is exemption from punishment, harm, or loss. To act illegally or immorally with impunity means to escape the negative consequences -- to get away with it. Example: "He knew his mother would never say a word against him, so he said and did whatever he wanted with impunity." This noun dates back to the 16th century, and is derived from the Latin impunitas, from poena (punishment), from the Greek poine (penalty). Poine is also the root for English words such as pain, penal (prescribing punishment), and punish (to inflict a penalty).
Protean [adj. PRO-tee-un or pro-TEE-un]
Protean means easily able to change shape or form. Near synonyms include versatile, changeable, polymorphous, and multiform. Example: "The comic book heroine never knew what she was up against when fighting her protean foe Silly Putty-man." In a theatrical sense, a protean actor is an extremely versatile person who can readily assume different characters. This adjective is particularly apt when an actor takes on varied roles within the same production. Protean is capitalized when it refers specifically to the Greek god Proteus. This ancient sea god was noted for his ability to take on different forms. It was from his name that the word protean was derived. More about Proteus
Gadfly [n. GAD-fly]
A gadfly is a person who is persistently annoying, or who goads others (often with provocative criticism). Near synonyms include pest, nuisance, pain, and bother. A gadfly is also a generic term for any of the various flies that bite and bother horses, livestock, or cattle. Gadfly was first seen in English in the late 1500s. The gad portion of the name is ultimately derived from the prehistoric Germanic gazdaz, which meant a pointed stick or sharp chisel.
Corral [n. or v. ku-RAHL]
A corral is an enclosure, stockade, or pen used to contain horses or cattle. It can also be the circling of covered wagons for defense against attack. The verb corral has two meanings as well. The first is to confine or gather something up as if in a corral. Near synonyms of this sense include enclose, mass, and fence in. In the informal form of the verb, found mainly in the United States, corral means to seize or capture. Near synonyms include collar, secure, apprehend, and trap. Example: "He wanted to corral all the suspects so that he could question them together." Corral came into the English language in the late 1500s from Latin, via the Spanish. Its root is the Vulgar Latin currale (enclosure) which is derived from the Latin word currus (wagon).
Debutante [n. DEB-yoo-tahnt]
A debutante is a young woman making her first official appearance in high society, or a young woman of high social rank who attends a number of social events in a season (the season of her "coming out") as a way of being introduced to other young people in the same class. The word debutante can also be used figuratively to mean a person who is new to a situation or activity. Debutante is derived from the French verb debuter (to make one's first appearance). The word has been used in English since about 1800.
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