Exacerbate

Exacerbate: to irritate; to exasperate; to inflame angry passions; to make a problem worse. Complaining about you problems rarely improves your plight.  In fact, complaining usually exacerbates the problem. Exacerbate comes from the Latin verb exacerbare (to irritate,...

I am often asked… “Should I memorize the Latin endings?” Maybe. Maybe not. If you decided to do so, the new chalkboard series “Memorizing the Latin Endings” will...

Acrimonious

Acrimonious: angry, bitter, acerbic; bitterness of expression proceeding from anger. From Latin acer, acris (bitter, pungent, sharp, sour) and the suffix monium (state, or condition).  Acrimony, then, is the “condition of being sour.” Example: After the acrimonious...

Abscond

Abscond: to escape; leave hurriedly and secretly; run away; hide.  From Latin abscondere (to hide; to conceal). Example:  The marmot absconds in the winter.  Another example, from a lousy chapter in my own life:  He absconded with the funds.