opprobrious, posthumous, rudimentary, picayune, sidereal: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Word Master set 88. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. opprobrious · adjective/əˈproʊ.bri.əs/

   expressing scorn or criticism

   The teacher received opprobrious remarks from students after grading their tests harshly.

   Synonyms: scornful, disparaging, insulting

   Origin: Latin 'opprobrium' meaning 'infamy or disgrace'

2. posthumous · adjective/ˈpɑːstʃəməs/

   occurring or published after the death of the person

   The author received a posthumous award for her outstanding writing after she passed away.

   Synonyms: postmortem, afterdeath, late

   Origin: from Latin 'posthumus' meaning 'after burial'

3. rudimentary · adjective/ˌruːdəˈmɛnˌtɛri/

   basic or fundamental; elementary in nature

   We learned the rudimentary skills of reading and writing in our first year of school.

   Synonyms: basic, fundamental, elementary

   Origin: From Latin 'rudimentum', meaning 'a beginning or first principle'.

4. picayune · adjective/ˌpɪk.əˈjun/

   of little value or importance

   She was upset over such picayune details instead of focusing on the big picture.

   Synonyms: trivial, insignificant, petty

   Origin: The word 'picayune' comes from the 18th-century Spanish term 'pica' meaning a small coin, which also has roots in the French word 'picayune', referring to something of little value.

5. sidereal · adjective/saɪˈdɪr.i.əl/

   relating to the stars or constellations

   The sidereal day is the time it takes for the Earth to rotate once on its axis, measured by the stars.

   Synonyms: stellar, astral, heavenly

   Origin: from Latin 'siderealis', which comes from 'sidus', meaning 'star'