by Kevin Burton
In my early studies in journalism I heard or read somewhere that a news reporter should write at a 10th-grade level. I never did that. I wouldn’t.
I was very aware that I was talking to everyone, “broadcasting,” in the print news sense of the word, with the emphasis on “broad.”
But to always cap the level of sophistication at sophomore levels didn’t seem right to me. There were times to write at different levels. I hope I navigated all that appropriately.
It’s not something I ever wrestled down completely, or brought up as an agenda item in any editorial meetings. It was and is, more of a feel.
So now I get this list of words from Merriam-Webster, and it’s proposed as ten ways to “improve” your vocabulary. I don’t know that these words are improvements across the board, though growing your list of usable synonyms is never a bad thing.
More tools for the toolkit? Great!
What if we said, “expand” your vocabulary, rather than “improve”?
But the words below, that the dictionary suggest could be replaced, I wouldn’t just drop them. They are fine, useful words which can stay in the toolkit.
Here’s how Merriam-Webster puts it:
“Long and exotic words (like defenestration or sesquipedalian) are often more fascinating than useful. By comparison, this list offers words that can enrich a conversation without sounding ridiculous.”
OK, I can live with that.
So with that as preamble, here is the Merriam-Webster list:
1-Demure:
not attracting or demanding a lot of attention; not showy or flashy; quiet and polite
Words It Might Replace:
modest; unassuming; shy; coy
Example:
From demure Oberlin alumna to socialist organizer, she embodied a praxis of revolutionary change that profoundly inspired W.E.B. Du Bois’ last years.
— Philadelphia Tribune, 2 Sept. 2022
2-Cavalier: having or showing no concern for something that is important or serious
Words It Might Replace:
thoughtless or careless, especially when you’re describing a disregard for consequences
Example:
That’s precisely the kind of pain the Fed is tasked with preventing, and Powell should not be so cavalier about potentially making that outcome a reality.
— Boston Globe, 19 Sept. 2022
3-Glib: said or done too easily or carelessly; marked by ease in speaking to the point of being deceitful
Words It Might Replace:
careless; insincere
Example:
Often, I wanted to say something glib but true, like: “This response was fine but nothing in it convinced me that the student spent any time considering the play outside of what we already discussed in class.”
— Amanda Parish Morgan, The American Scholar (Washington, DC), Autumn 2022
4-Lurid: causing horror or revulsion; involving sex or violence in a way that is meant to be shocking
Words It Might Replace:
shocking; sensational; gruesome
Example:
Baptist minister Ed Decker, a former Mormon, attracted attention in the 1980s with a book and film called the “God Makers,” presenting LDS history and beliefs in the most lurid light possible.
— Matthew Bowman, The Washington Post, 25 Sept. 2022
5-Maudlin: showing or expressing too much emotion especially in a foolish or annoying way
Words It Might Replace:
sappy; schmaltzy; overly emotional
Example:
Daniel’s wistful vocals and insightful lyrics were the cherry on top. Yet their maudlin songs of lost love came with buoyant drumming and irresistible melodies.
— Garry Bushell, the Daily Mirror (London, Eng.), 8 Oct. 2021
6-Caustic: marked by sharp or biting sarcasm; very harsh and critical
Words It Might Replace:
critical, hostile, snarky; nasty; sarcastic
Example:
In 1955, the economist John Kenneth Galbraith published a slim volume entitled The Great Crash 1929, a history of the Wall Street crash. In it, he chronicled, with his customary caustic wit, the rampant speculation that led to the catastrophe and its striking resemblance to all speculative bubbles in one key respect: speculators’ endearing belief that they can become rich without doing any work.
— John Naughton, The Observer (London, Eng.), 2 Jul. 2022
7-Stoic: showing no emotion especially when something bad is happening
Words It Might Replace:
unemotional; uncomplaining; cold
Example:
Bryan underscored the dilemma with what sounds like self-deprecation but is in fact a kind of stoic pragmatism.
— Jon Caramanica, The New York Times, 25 Sept. 2022
8-Volatile: likely to change in a very sudden or extreme way; having or showing extreme or sudden changes of emotion
Words It Might Replace:
unstable; emotional; unpredictable
Example:
Every time he solos he explodes from the ensemble. Posi-Tone producer Marc Free made a bold decision when he brought a player this edgy and volatile into such a refined band.
— Thomas Conrad, Jazz Times, Oct. 2022
9-Austere: marked by rigorous restraint, simplicity, or self-denial
Words It Might Replace:
simple or plain, especially when you’re describing something that is strict or without comfort
Example:
His cookbook title reflects classical philosophers’ praise of moderation, although the reader of today will be unlikely to consider the recipes austere.
— Paul Freedman, Natural History (New York, NY), Oct. 2022
10-Lucid: very clear and easy to understand; able to think clearly
Words It Might Replace:
clear, logical, orderly (describing an explanation); rational (describing a person). The word’s original meaning, by the way, is “suffused with light.”
Example:
Softly spoken and thoughtful, with a keen sense of intellectual curiosity, when we meet for an hour in a London hotel, Kogonada is at some pains to explain that he’s not convinced he will make any sense in his current jet-lagged state. But actually, he’s more lucid and perceptive than most people when they’ve had their full eight hours, something I try not to hold against him.
— Catherine Bray, The Guardian (London, Eng.), 23 Sept. 2022
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