veracious, hackneyed, rampant, cognizant, perfunctory: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Proficient set 55. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. veracious · adjective/vəˈrāSHəs/

   speaking or representing the truth

   A veracious account

   Synonyms: true, accurate, veritable

   Origin: late 17th century: from Latin verax, verac- (from verus ‘true’) + -ious

2. hackneyed · adjective/ˈhækniːd/

   lacking significance through having been overused

   The story became boring because it had a hackneyed plot that everyone already knew.

   Synonyms: trite, clichéd, overused

   Origin: The word 'hackneyed' originates from the word 'hackney' which refers to a horse for hire, indicating something common or available.

3. rampant · adjective/ˈræm.pənt/

   growing or spreading unchecked

   The weeds in the garden grew rampant, making it hard to see the flowers.

   Synonyms: widespread, uncontrolled, unchecked

   Origin: from Middle English 'rampaunt', meaning 'rearing up or standing on hind legs', from Old French 'ramper', meaning 'to rear up'.

4. cognizant · adjective/ˈkɑɡ.nɪ.zənt/

   having knowledge or awareness of something

   She is cognizant of the rules, so she always follows them.

   Synonyms: aware, conscious, informed

   Origin: from Middle English 'cognizant', from Anglo-French 'cognaissant', from Latin 'cognoscens', present participle of 'cognoscere', meaning 'to know'

5. perfunctory · adjective/pərˈfʌŋk.tə.ri/

   performed merely as a routine duty without interest or enthusiasm

   Her perfunctory smile showed that she was not really happy to see him.

   Synonyms: casual, superficial, indifferent

   Origin: from Latin 'perfunctorius', meaning 'performed merely as a duty'