Advanced English Skills

Wordsmith.org: Today's Word anywhen adverb: At any time. ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day vamoose Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 7, 2025 is: vamoose • \vuh-MOOSS\  • verb Vamoose is an informal word that means "to depart quickly." // With the sheriff hot on their tails, the bank robbers knew they had better vamoose. See the entry > Examples: "... I spotted the culprit, a young racoon, attempting to dislodge one of my feeders. Caught in the act, he ran for his life when I opened the window and told him to vamoose." — Margaret Haylock Capon, The Picton County Weekly News (Ontario, Canada), 19 June 2025 Did you know? In the 1820s and '30s, the American Southwest was rough-and-tumble territory—the true Wild West. English-speaking cowboys, Texas Rangers, and gold prospectors regularly rubbed elbows with Spanish-speaking vaqueros in the local saloons, and a certain amount of linguistic intermixing was inevitable. One Spanish term that caught on with English speakers was vamos, which means "let's go." Cowpokes and dudes alike adopted the word, at first using a range of spellings and pronunciations that varied considerably in their proximity to the original Spanish form. But when the dust settled, the version most American English speakers were using was vamoose. ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Slang of the Day | Vocabulary | EnglishClub can (1) to reject or criticize something or someone ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Phrasal Verb of the Day | Vocabulary | EnglishClub set up (3) to make the necessary arrangements for an event or activity ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Word of the Day Word of the Day: invigorate This word has appeared in 31 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence? ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Idiom of the Day take no notice of (something or someone) To not pay any attention to someone or something; to ignore or disregard someone or something. Watch the video ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Word of the Day bumpkin Definition: (noun) A person who is not very intelligent or interested in culture. Synonyms: chawbacon, hayseed, hick, rube, yahoo, yokel. Usage: Many people take one look at Farmer Dan and assume he is an unsophisticated country bumpkin, but his lectures on sustainable agriculture teach them never to judge a book by its cover. Discuss ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Wordsmith.org: Today's Word ad nauseam adverb: To an excessive degree. ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day conciliatory Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 6, 2025 is: conciliatory • \kun-SILL-yuh-tor-ee\  • adjective Something described as conciliatory is intended to reduce hostility or to gain favor or goodwill. // As the customer’s voice rose, the manager adopted a soothing, conciliatory tone and promised that the situation would be remedied. See the entry > Examples: “When I was younger, and my father found me in bed after my mother had said or done something to send me there, he would sit for a moment by my feet and tell me, in an awkward, conciliatory way, that it wasn’t my mother’s fault. She was sad, and worried, and she had been sad and worried for a long time, so I had to try harder to be a good, thoughtful child.” — Farah Ali, The River, The Town: A Novel, 2025 Did you know? If you are conciliatory toward someone, you’re trying to win that person over to your side, usually by making them less angry. The verb conciliate was borrowed into English in the mid-16th century and descends from the Latin verb conciliare, meaning “to assemble, unite, or win over.” Conciliare, in turn, comes from the noun concilium, meaning “assembly” or “council.” Conciliatory, which appeared in English a bit later in the 16th century, also traces back to conciliare, and is used especially to describe things like tones, gestures, and approaches intended to turn someone’s frown upside down. Another word that has conciliare as a root is reconcile, the earliest meaning of which is “to restore to friendship or harmony.” ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Slang of the Day | Vocabulary | EnglishClub rap sheet a criminal record ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Phrasal Verb of the Day | Vocabulary | EnglishClub give out If you give something out, you distribute it to many people, usually by hand. ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Word of the Day Word of the Day: innocuous This word has appeared in 178 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence? ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Idiom of the Day take ill To be or become sick or unwell. Watch the video ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Word of the Day escargot Definition: (noun) Edible terrestrial snail usually served in the shell with a sauce of melted butter and garlic. Synonyms: snail. Usage: I ordered escargot in an attempt to appear sophisticated, but when the plate of snails was set down before me, I could not bring myself to choke down a single one. Discuss ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Wordsmith.org: Today's Word abreast adverb: 1. Side by side and facing the same direction. 2. Informed; up-to-date. ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day lout Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 5, 2025 is: lout • \LOUT\  • noun A lout is an awkward brutish person. // It was difficult for us to focus on the movie due to the noise coming from the group of louts seated in front of us. See the entry > Examples: “Fortunately for Vince, Jake is about to sell their mother’s house, and the proceeds should cover his deep debts. As is often the case with ne’er-do-wells, however, Vince doesn’t make anything easy, and [actor Jason] Bateman casts him as an arrogant lout ... who’s always playing the angles to his own benefit, damn the damage he causes to everyone else.” — Nick Schager, The Daily Beast, 18 Sept. 2025 Did you know? Lout belongs to a large group of words that we use to indicate a particular sort of offensive and insensitive person, that group also including such terms as boor, oaf, jerk, and churl. English speakers have used lout in this way since the mid-1500s. Well before the 12th century, however, lout functioned as a verb with the meaning “to bow in respect.” No one is quite sure how—or even if—the verb sense developed into a noun meaning “an awkward brutish person.” The noun could have been coined independently, but if its source was the verb, perhaps the awkward posture of one bowing down led over the centuries to the idea that the bowing person was base and awkward as well. ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Slang of the Day | Vocabulary | EnglishClub upfront honest, open ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Phrasal Verb of the Day | Vocabulary | EnglishClub depend on (1) If one thing depends on another, it cannot happen without the other, or it is greatly affected by the other. ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Word of the Day Word of the Day: foster This word has appeared in 1,086 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence? ➖ @EngSkills ➖

Idiom of the Day go for a spin (to some place) To go for a brief, leisurely drive (to some place). Watch the video ➖ @EngSkills ➖