Descriptionary

venerable adj. (VEN ur uh bul) esteemed due to age or character. The venerable judge Jacob Jones will preside over tomorrow's murder trial.

venturesome adj. (VENT chur sum) courageous and adventurous; enterprising. Don't try to stop Sally from attempting to climb Mt. Everest; she's always had venturesome blood.

veracity n. (vur ASS uh tee) truthfulness and accu­racy. The officer doubted the veracity of the drunk's statements about seeing a pink elephant.

verbatim adj. (vur BAYT um) word for word; exactly as spoken or written. I will not quote from his speech verbatim.

vernacular n. (vuh NAK yuh lur) everyday or infor­mal language. Her vernacular was rich in regional slang.

viable adj. (VYE uh bul) workable; doable; capable of surviving. Your invention is not only viable but also has a ready market; let's patent it immediately.

vicarious adj. (vi KAIR ee us) experienced indi­rectly or imagined through the experiences of others. I never rode the roller coaster myself, but I get a vicarious thrill hearing others describe its twists and turns.

vicissitudes n. (vi SIS i TOODS) the ups and downs and changes experienced in life. Don't be caught off guard by the vicissitudes of life; learn to expect them and be prepared.

Victorian adj. (vic TOR ee un) of the period of Queen Victoria's reign in the second half of the 19 th century, characterized by its prudishness and puritani­cal viewpoints. Also, an ornate style or architecture from this time. Mary is so prim and proper, she is positively Victorian.

vigilance n. (VIJ uh lens) attentiveness and watch­fulness. To catch a deer munching in your garden requires great vigilance.

vilify vb. (VIL i FYE) to defame and put down harshly. This newspaper will not vilify any politician without sound reasons.

vindicate vb. (VIN di kayt) to clear or absolve one of guilt or blame. This new evidence should vindicate my client.

vindictive adj. (vin DIK tiv) seeking revenge. Just because you lost the race doesn't mean you should throw eggs at the winner's house; that's being child­ishly vindictive.

visceral adj. (VISS uh rul) intuitive, instinctive; from one's gut. The predator's drive to hunt is purely visceral.

vitriolic adj. (vi tree OL ik) bitter and sarcastic. I know Joe lost the race, but if he continues to be so vitriolic I'm going to have to leave.

vivacious adj. (vi VAY shus) lively. Her vivacious personality lit up the room every time she entered.

vociferous adj. (voh SIF ur us) loud, noisy. The workers made a vociferous complaint about too much overtime work.

vogue n. (VOHG) in vogue; in fashion. Nose rings aren't likely to stay in vogue long, or are they?