Jul 21 2007
Resonances
This site is about writing from word to world-building: eight categories of specificity from micro to macro, which I call The Gamut. As part of analyzing words I look for resonances. These are words which are idea onomatopoeias. (Before you jump down to give me a comment: I know of at least one term that already refers to this type of word: ideophone. But this word seems too cold and scholarly to itself be an ideophone, so I decided on resonance.)
In a related page, I’ve included discordances, which are the opposite kind of words: ones for which the meaning of each word seems in conflict with the way the word sounds.
If you have suggestions for this page, please send them to me or leave a comment, but be careful to keep definitions short, as I’m truncating at two lines in the definition column per word. Likewise, if you think one of the items on the list does not deserve to be there, please leave a comment. Since I’ve been staring at these words until my eyes bug out, they may only resonate for me because I’ve been unable to disassociated the sounds of the words from the meanings I associate with them. (Does ‘panorama’ seem like a wide-open word to other people, too? Is ‘maggot’ an inherently ugly word?) Suggestions are welcome!
Resonances
The table can be sorted in ascending or descending order by each of the columns by clicking on the appropriate column header once or twice, respectively. The table key is at the end of the page.
Resonances
| Word (159) | Def. | Quick Definition | PoS | Cts | Add | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| abhor | Wik | loathe, regard with horror | v (t) | - | 08-01 | MS |
| abomination | Wik | hateful, shamefully vile and disgusting | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| abstemious | Wik | temperate in diet and drink | adj | ~ | 08-01 | MS |
| addle | Wik | confused or muddled | v (t) | - | 08-01 | GW |
| adroit | Wik | dexterous, skillful | adj | + | 08-01 | MS |
| agape | Wik | asexual, spiritual love | n | + | 08-01 | MS |
| aggro | Wik | aggressive, aggressive behavior | n, adj | - | 08-01 | MS |
| airy-fairy | Wik | insubstantial, impractical | adj | - | 08-01 | MS |
| aplomb | Wik | self-confidence, poise | n | + | 07-07 | WO |
| bane | Wik | cause of destruction or ruin | n | - | 08-01 | GW |
| batrachomyomachy | - | a fuss about nothing | n | - | 07-12 | GW |
| bauble | Wik | cheap and showy plaything | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| bawd | Wik | a lewd person or whorehouse owner | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| beguile | Wik | deceive or charm | v | - | 08-01 | GW |
| bilgewater | Wik | stupid talk, nonsense | n | - | 08-05 | WN |
| bloviate | Wik | speak pompously | v (i) | - | 07-07 | OE |
| brackish | Wik | salty, distasteful (of water) | adj | - | 08-01 | MS |
| brouhaha | Wik | fuss or uproar | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| burlesque | Wik | mocking and sexually explicit drama (parody) | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| cacophony | Wik | mix of dischordant sounds | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| cadaverous | Wik | corpse-like | adj | - | 08-01 | MS |
| cark | WN | a burden or difficulty | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| casuistry | Wik | questionable argument using rationalization | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| churl | Wik | lout, boorish person | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| cloying | Wik | treacly, overly sweet (usually tastes, smells) | adj | - | 08-01 | MS |
| coquette | Wik | a flirt | n | ~ | 08-01 | MS |
| corpulent | Wik | fat, obese | adj | - | 08-01 | MS |
| curvaceous | Wik | shapely, voluptuous | adj | ~ | 08-01 | MS |
| deluge | Wik | a great rain, flood of something | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| demagogue | Wik | orator who incites passions | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| demiurge | Wik | autonomous creative force or god | n | ~ | 08-01 | MS |
| desiccate | Wik | to dry | v | ~ | 08-01 | MS |
| diaphanous | Wik | of fine, transparent texture | adj | + | 08-01 | MS |
| dross | Wik | impure metal or matter | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| dulcet | Wik | soothing, melodious (of voices and tones) | adj | + | 08-01 | MS |
| elan | Wik | spirit, zeal | n | + | 08-01 | MS |
| elucidate | Wik | to make clear | v | + | 08-01 | MS |
| emblazon | Wik | to inscribe or adorn with prominent markings | v (t) | + | 08-01 | MS |
| evanesce | Wik | to dissipate to vapor | v (i) | + | 08-01 | MS |
| eviscerate | Wik | disembowel or destroy | v (t) | - | 08-01 | MS |
| expunge | Wik | eliminate utterly | v (t) | ~ | 08-01 | GW |
| fervid | Wik | zealous, feverishly passionate | adj | - | 08-01 | MS |
| fetid | Wik | foul-smelling | adj | - | 08-01 | MS |
| fleshpot | Wik | place of prostitution or sensual entertainment | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| flibbertigibbet | Wik | skittish person or gossip | n | - | 07-07 | DD |
| florid | Wik | rosy-colored, overly ornate | adj | - | 08-01 | GW |
| fluke | Wik | a lucky occurrence | n | - | 07-07 | WO |
| flummox | Wik | confuse or fluster | v | - | 08-01 | GW |
| forthy | - | open and affable | adj | + | 08-01 | GW |
| garrulous | Wik | excessively outgoing or friendly | adj | - | 08-01 | MS |
| gauche | Wik | tactless, bumbling | adj | - | 08-01 | MS |
| glean | Wik | pick over the leavings (esp. of grain) | v | ~ | 07-12 | OE |
| glitterati | Wik | monied celebrities | n | ~ | 08-01 | GW |
| glut | Wik | an excess, to fill past capacity | n, v | - | 08-01 | MS |
| gormless | Wik | unintelligent, naive | adj | - | 08-01 | GW |
| gossamer | Wik | fine, tenuous film or strand, as of spiderwebs | n | + | 08-01 | MS |
| grandiloquence | Wik | pompous, bombastic speech | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| gregarious | Wik | outgoing, friendly | adj | + | 08-01 | MS |
| highfalutin | Wik | arrogant, show-offish | adj | - | 08-01 | GW |
| huzzah | Wik | expression of joy, excitement | intrj | + | 08-01 | MS |
| ichor | Wik | bloodlike, fetid liquid | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| iconoclast | Wik | rebel against orthodoxy | n | ~ | 08-01 | MS |
| imbroglio | Wik | entanglement, complicated situation | n | - | 08-01 | MS |
| incandescent | Wik | shining brightly, emotionally showy | adj | + | 08-01 | MS |
| indolent | Wik | lazy | adj | - | 08-01 | MS |
| invidious | Wik | eliciting envy and ill-will, envious | adj | - | 08-01 | MS |
| jubilant | Wik | elated, joyful | adj | + | 08-05 | MS |
| kakistocracy | Wik | government by the least-qualified | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| labyrinthine | Wik | maze-like | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| languish | Wik | lose strength, pine away, be neglected | v (i) | - | 08-05 | MS |
| lascivious | Wik | wanton, lewd, lustful | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| leer | Wik | (give a) lecherous or malicious look | n, v | - | 07-12 | WO |
| lithe | Wik | flexible, limber (also mild and calm) | adj | + | 08-05 | MS |
| loam | Wik | soil composed of sand, clay, silt and organic matter | n | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| logorrhea | Wik | diarrhea of the mouth, excessive use of words | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| loom | Wik | threaten, hang over | v (i) | - | 08-01 | GW |
| loquacious | Wik | talkative, given to excess conversation | adj | + | 08-05 | MS |
| lugubrious | Wik | gloomy, dismal | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| maggot | Wik | worm or fly larvae | n | - | 07-12 | WO |
| mawkish | Wik | excessively sentimental | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| mellifluous | Wik | sweet and smooth (of speech) | adj | + | 07-12 | GW |
| miasma | Wik | noxious, swamplike atmosphere | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| mooch | Wik | beg, sponge, wheedle; sponger | v, n | ~ | 07-12 | WO |
| opulent | Wik | ostentatious, extravagant | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| ort | Wik | leftover scraps of food or other materials | n | ~ | 08-01 | GW |
| pablum | Wik | bland, simplistic writing | n | - | 07-12 | DD |
| panorama | Wik | a wide view or vista | n | ~ | 07-12 | WO |
| perfidious | Wik | traitorous | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| pettifogger | Wik | quibbler, unscrupulous lawyer | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| phantasmagoria | Wik | dreamlike state mixing real and unreal | n | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| pithy | Wik | concise, full of meaning | adj | + | 07-07 | ~ |
| plummet | Wik | to fall quickly | v (i) | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| pontificate | Wik | speak or say something dogmatically, pompously | v | - | 08-05 | MS |
| popinjay | Wik | conceited, garralous, dandy | n | - | 08-01 | GW |
| prattle | Wik | to talk or babble in a childish manner | v | - | 08-05 | MS |
| preen | WN | primp, plume one's feathers, congratulate oneself | v | - | 08-05 | MS |
| pule | Wik | to whine | v (i) | - | 07-07 | DD |
| punctilio | Wik | fine point of conduct | n | ~ | 07-12 | DD |
| pungent | Wik | having a strong stinging (acidy or spicy) odor | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| pustule | Wik | pus-filled pimple | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| quaff | Wik | to drink vigorously | v | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| quisling | Wik | a traitor or collaborator | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| rambunctious | Wik | energetic and hard to control | adj | ~ | 08-01 | GW |
| rancor | Wik | deep-seated malice, inveterate hatred | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| rankle | Wik | irritate, embitter | v | - | 07-07 | GW |
| raucous | WN | strident (harsh and loud), rowdy | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| ravenous | WN | starving, having wolfish cravings for food | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| resonant | WN | reverberating sound or idea, echoing, evocative | adj | + | 08-05 | MS |
| revivify | Wik | resuscitate or reinvigorate | v | + | 08-05 | MS |
| ribald | Wik | coarse, vulgar | adj | - | 07-07 | GW |
| ruminate | Wik | to chew cud or meditate | v | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| sanctimonious | WN | hypocritically pious, holier-than-thou | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| savvy | Wik | shrewd, perceptive; to understand | adj, v | + | 08-05 | MS |
| scofflaw | Wik | habitual committer of misdemeanors | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| scourge | WN | whip, bane, terror | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| self-empretzelment | - | act of getting in a convoluted situation | n | - | 08-01 | GW |
| seredipity | WN | good luck, unexpected and fortunate discovery | n | + | 08-05 | MS |
| sesquipedalian | Wik | polysyllabic word, inclined to use such words | adj | ~ | 08-01 | GW |
| shambolic | Wik | chaotic, disorganized | adj | - | 08-01 | ~ |
| shenanigan | Wik | trick or mischief | n | - | 07-12 | WO |
| shrike | Wik | hook-billed birds that impale their prey on thorns | n | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| skulk | Wik | to hide, sneak around something | v | - | 07-12 | DD |
| slag | Wik | impurities from melting metal or refining ore | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| slink | Wik | sneak furtively, give birth prematurely | v (i) | - | 08-05 | MS |
| smarmy | Wik | smug, ingratiating | adj | - | 08-01 | GW |
| smolder | Wik | burn without flame, show signs of suppressed anger | v (i) | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| smug | Wik | irritatingly self-satisfied | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| snool | - | toady | n | - | 07-07 | GW |
| soign? | Wik | fashionable, elegant, well-groomed | adj | + | 08-05 | MS |
| somber | Wik | dark, joyless, grim | adj | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| squalor | Wik | filthiness | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| surreptitious | Wik | furtively, stealthy | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| swanky | Wik | posh, ritzy | adj | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| swashbuckler | Wik | daring swordsman | n | + | 08-05 | MS |
| sylph | Wik | slender, graceful girl; air spirit, wood nymph | n | + | 08-05 | MS |
| tang | Wik | piquancy, offensive flavor, unpleasant twanging sound | n | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| tarradiddle | Wik | trivial lie, silly talk | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| tartuffe | WN | religious or pious hypocrite | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| tatterdemalion | WN | bedraggled ragamuffin | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| tawdry | Wik | cheap, gaudy | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| timorous | Wik | fearful, timid | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| torrent | Wik | heavy rain, overwhelming flow | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| trumpery | Wik | gaudy bric-a-brac | n | - | 07-07 | GW |
| tumult | Wik | the noise of a crowd | n | ~ | 07-12 | WO |
| undulate | Wik | to move in a wavelike motion | v | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| unguent | Wik | medicinal cream, salve | n | ~ | 07-12 | DD |
| urbane | Wik | courteous, refined | adj | + | 08-05 | MS |
| urchin | Wik | mischievous or homeless child, hedgehog | n | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| venal | Wik | corrupt | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| vicissitude | WN | variation in circumstance over time | n | ~ | 08-05 | MS |
| vivacious | Wik | lively; (rarely) difficult to kill | adj | + | 08-05 | MS |
| voluptuous | Wik | curvaceous, sexy | adj | + | 08-05 | MS |
| vulcanize | Wik | to harden with heat and sulfur | v | + | 08-05 | MS |
| wan | Wik | pale, sickly, faint, bland | adj | - | 08-05 | MS |
| willowy | Wik | tall, slender, graceful | adj | + | 08-05 | MS |
| winsome | WN | charming in an innocent, childlike way | adj | + | 08-05 | MS |
| wrath | Wik | fury | n | - | 08-05 | MS |
| zeal | Wik | tireless devotion to a cause, diligent enthusiasm | n | + | 08-05 | MS |
| zephyr | Wik | light, refreshing wind, gentle breeze | n | + | 08-05 | MS |
Table Key
Searchable Headings
- Word: number in parentheses is the current total number of words
- Def: A link to the full definition either from Wiktionary or the Princeton WordNet, where present
- Quick Definition: my attempt at an abbreviated definition (based on the Wiktionary entry, if available, or a few public dictionaries, if not) in no more than two lines
- PoS: Part of Speech (possible options are n, v, v(i), adj, intrj or a combination)
- Cts: Connotations (+, -, or ~ if neutral); I’ve tried to guess at the connotations based on how I’ve heard the word used. For example, I consider iconoclast neutral, because while it was originally negative, I’ve heard it used both ways, and mostly with positive connotations.
- Add: Date Added (Careful, this is in an unconventional YY-MM format so that the sort-by-column functionality will work properly)
- Src: Source (the source that brought this word to my attention when I was adding entries to the table)
Sources
These links are my best-effort attempt to give credit to the mailing lists and other online or digital source that either reminded me or made me aware of each word (the definitions come from Wiktionary).
- GW: GoodWord, word-of-the-day emails from alphaDictionary.com
- DD: Doctor Dictionary, word-of-the-day emails from Dictionary.com
- OE: Oxford English Dictionary Word List
- WN: Princeton WordNet; an online dictionary
- WO: Word Origins, a calendar of word etymologies
- MS: Microsoft Bookshelf Dictionary (1994) - which I combed for good words in college, because I’m I nerd