penchant, malediction, prune, esoterica, animosity: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Proficient Plus set 30. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. penchant · noun/ˈpɛnʃənt/

   a strong liking or inclination for something

   She has a penchant for painting colorful landscapes.

   Synonyms: liking, taste, inclination

   Origin: French, meaning 'to lean towards'

2. malediction · noun/ˌmæl.ɪˈdɪk.ʃən/

   a curse or the uttering of a curse

   The witch shouted a loud malediction, making everyone feel scared.

   Synonyms: curse, swear, hex

   Origin: from Latin 'maledictio', meaning 'a speaking evil' or 'to curse' (from 'male' meaning 'badly' and 'dicere' meaning 'to speak')

3. prune · verb/pruːn/

   to trim a tree or bush by cutting away dead or overgrown branches

   In spring, we need to prune the rose bushes to help them grow better.

   Synonyms: trim, cut back, clip

   Origin: from Old French 'pruna', from Latin 'pruna' meaning 'plum' (fruit), which is related to the act of cutting branches.

4. esoterica · noun/ˌɛsəˈtɛrɪkə/

   specialized knowledge or information intended for a small or select group

   The book contained some interesting esoterica about ancient magic that only a few people understood.

   Synonyms: specialized knowledge, secret information, inner teachings

   Origin: from Greek 'esoterikos' meaning 'inner' or 'within'

5. animosity · noun/ˌæn.ɪˈmɑː.sə.ti/

   strong hostility or hatred towards someone or something

   There was a lot of animosity between the two rival teams during the game.

   Synonyms: hostility, hatred, enmity

   Origin: From Latin 'animositas', meaning 'spirit' or 'soul', derived from 'animus', meaning 'mind' or 'soul'.