mellow, auspicious, vestigial, pellucid, flustered: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Proficient Plus set 56. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. mellow · adjective/ˈmɛloʊ/

   soft and relaxed in character or quality

   The mellow music made everyone feel calm and happy.

   Synonyms: soft, calm, relaxed

   Origin: Middle English, from the Old English 'melow,' meaning 'soft, ripe, or calm'

2. auspicious · adjective/ɔˈspɪʃəs/

   conducive to success; favorable

   The sunny weather made it an auspicious day for the picnic.

   Synonyms: favorable, promising, advantageous

   Origin: Latin 'auspicium', meaning 'divination from birds'

3. vestigial · adjective/vɛsˈtɪdʒ.i.əl/

   referring to a body part or organ that has lost its original function through evolution

   The human appendix is a vestigial organ that no longer plays a major role in digestion.

   Synonyms: rudimentary, residual, remnant

   Origin: from Latin 'vestigialis', meaning 'of a footprint or trace'

4. pellucid · adjective/pəˈluː.sɪd/

   clear and easy to understand

   The teacher explained the topic in a pellucid manner, making it easy for all the students to understand.

   Synonyms: clear, transparent, lucid

   Origin: from Latin 'pellucidus', meaning 'clear, transparent'

5. flustered · adjective/ˈflʌstərd/

   agitated or confused due to a sudden disturbance or pressure

   She felt flustered during the job interview when the questions were very difficult.

   Synonyms: agitated, confused, disturbed

   Origin: The word 'flustered' comes from the root 'fluster,' which is of unknown origin but may be influenced by conflating it with 'flurry' or 'fluster.'