Urbane
Definition:
notably polite or polished in manner
Example:
"At first, I was a little thrown by the subtitle of Adam Gopnik’s new book, 'The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery.' Since Gopnik, a longtime staff writer at The New Yorker, has written so urbanely on what seems like every aspect of human creation but in particular those creations called art, I assumed that the mystery he wanted to investigate would be that of the mastery displayed by our most bravura artists."
— Adam Thirwell, The New York Times, 14 Mar. 2023
About the Word:
Would you rather be urbane or suave? Here's the difference: urbanetypically suggests composed cultivation and wide social experience, while suavetends to emphasize smooth frictionless dealings.
Urbane and urban both come from the Latin urbanus, meaning "of the city; refined."
Sagacious
Definition:
having or showing an ability to understand difficult ideas and situations and to make good decisions
Example:
"Dr. Manjushree, a distinguished astrologer hailing from Guwahati, Assam, boasts an impressive acumen in the field of astrology. The erudite sage is often called upon to analyze horoscopes and provide sagacious counsel to the masses."
— The Hindustan Times, (New Delhi, Ind.), 23 Mar. 2023
About the Word:
The earliest, 17th century sense of sagacious was applied to people (or animals): "quick or keen in sense perceptions." Over time, the meaning of the word shifted and became high praise for the human intellect.
Intrepid
Definition:
feeling no fear : very bold or brave
Example:
"When our intrepid reporter interviewed globally renowned relationship expert, Esther Perel, she didn’t expect an hour-long counselling session. But that’s exactly what she got."
— Sunday Telegraph (Surry Hills, Aus.), 19 Mar. 2023
About the Word:
Intrepid shares an ancestor with trepidation (from the Latin word trepidare, "to tremble") - but the in- prefix negates the trembling and fear.
Magnanimous
Definition:
having or showing a generous and kind nature
Example:
"It is not too late to change course. As the sitting head of state, William Ruto has a duty to be magnanimous and bend over backwards for the sake of stability. He should show leadership by taking the initiative to wave the olive branch."
— The East African (Nairobi, Ken.), 25 Mar. 2023
About the Word:
A magnanimous person shows great spirit, and the word itself refers to those qualities: magnanimous comes from the Latin magnus, "great" + animus, "spirit."
Indefatigable
Definition:
able to work or continue for a very long time without becoming tired : tireless
Example:
"The indefatigable Michaels just returned from an '80s-themed cruise where he loved playing bartender (Coke and whiskey or vodka and cranberry juice are his simple specialties) as much as playing music."
— Melissa Ruggieri, The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), 26 Mar. 2023
About the Word:
The grandeur of this word has long been recognized (and enhanced) by the British Royal Navy, which used the word indefatigable to name a class of battle cruisers in World War I.
Valiant
Definition:
having or showing courage : very brave or courageous
Example:
"Garrett Turner makes a valiant attempt to amplify the man, but that’s difficult to accomplish when the character is one note.
— Barbara Vitello, Daily Herald(Arlington Heights, IL), 17 Mar. 2023
About the Word:
Hal Foster's classic comic strip Prince Valiant (in full, Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur) rightly suggests that valiant might be an old word. Valiant dates to the days of Middle English and has its origins in a Latin word meaning "to be strong."
Toothsome
Definition:
Agreeable; attractive
Example:
"Of course, I always smiled when I asked. I had a great and easy smile back then. I was a toothsome young man."
— Sterling HolyWhiteMountain, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2021
About the Word:
Toothsome has more than one meaning; in addition to its 'attractive' sense, the word may also be used to mean "delicious, of palatable flavor and pleasing texture." In recent years it has also begun to see occasional use with the meaning "having or showing prominent teeth," but it is uncertain if this sense will become widespread enough to merit an entry in the dictionary.
Ruthful
Definition:
Tender
Example:
"Solskjær’s side are too ruthful in attack and defence, but can offset these weaknesses by dominating opponents in midfield."
— The Guardian (London, Eng.), 1 Jan. 2021
About the Word:
The most obvious meaning that ruthful has is "full of ruth" (and _ruth in this case means "pity, mercy, or compassion"). However, ruthful can also mean "full of sorrow," or "causing sorrow"; so while you may use it as a compliment you should also take care to ensure that it is not misinterpreted.
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