Descriptionary

jaundiced adj. (JON disd) prejudiced, hostile, and envious. The bigot regarded the minorities dominat­ing his city's baseball team with a jaundiced eye.

je ne sais quoi (je ne say KWA) French term for "I know not what"; "a certain something." People with charisma have that certain je ne sais quoi that attracts others like a magnet.

judicious adj. (joo DISH us) prudent, fair, and sound in judgment. By splitting the profits evenly three ways, we made the most judicious choice possible.

juggernaut n. (JUG ur not) a powerful force or institution, sometimes followed blindly by devotees. The company had become a juggernaut, wiping out competing mom and pop shops all over the country.

juxtapose vb. (juks tuh POHZ) to place side by side. Juxtapose the pieces of a puzzle to expedite assembly.

Kafkaesque adj. (KAHF kuh ESK) nightmarish or otherworldly, as the writings of Franz Kafka. His drug-induced hallucinations took on a Kafkaesque quality.

kinetic adj. (kin ET ik) in motion; active; energetic. The kinetic properties of electricity are difficult to comprehend.

kismet n. (KIZ met) destiny; fate. My wife thinks it was kismet that brought us together, but I say it was just dumb luck.

kudos n. (KOO dohs) acclaim; praise. She is win­ning kudos for her gourmet cooking.

lackadaisical adj. (lak uh DAYZ uh kul) listless; careless; indifferent; unspirited. The children's efforts to rake the yard were lackadaisical at best; even after three hours of work, the lawn remained covered in leaves.

lackluster adj. (LACK lus tur) dull; bland; colorless. The home team has been rather lackluster lately; as a result, they've lost four games in a row.

laconic adj. (luh KON ik) terse; using few words.

The laconic gentleman rarely answered us with more than a grunt.

laissez-faire n. (LESS ay FEHR) any noninterfering or "hands-off" policy; allowance to act as one pleases without control or regulation. The government's lais­sez-faire economic policy allows for natural cycles of growth and recession.

lampoon vb. (lam POON) to ridicule, satirize, or parody. Every week, the comedy show would lam­poon the president and his behind-the-scenes antics.

languid adj. (LAN gwid) weak; lacking in energy. On hot days, the workers tend to grow languid.

languish vb. (LAN gwish) to grow weak, listless, or neglected. The company is letting its typewriter busi­ness languish in favor of its word processor division.

lascivious adj. (lah SIV ee us) expressing lust; lewd.

She eyed the cake hungrily and gave a lascivious moan of desire.

latent adj. (LAY tunt) hidden beneath the surface. Parents always wonder what latent abilities reside within their children.