acquiesce Connotation Negative Etymology L acquiescere to become
acquiesce Connotation: Negative Etymology: L. acquiescere "to become quiet, remain at rest, " thus "be satisfied with"
allure Connotation: Positive Etymology: O. Fr. aleurer "to attract, captivate, " from à "to" + loirre "falconer's lure, " from a Frankish word (see lure)
Askew Connotation: Negative Etymology: 1570 s, probably lit. "on skew. " Middle English skewen to slip away, swerve
blithe Connotation: Positive Etymology: O. E. bliþe "joyous, kind, cheerful, pleasant, " from P. Gmc. *blithiz "gentle, kind" (cf. O. S. bliði "bright, happy“)
contentious Connotation: Negative Etymology: L. contentiosus "quarrelsome, " from contendere to compete, strive, draw tight
covet Connotation: Negative Etymology: Old French coveitier, from coveitié eager desire, ult. from L. cupiditas "passionate desire"
crestfallen Connotation: Negative Etymology: 1580 s, pp. adj. , but crestfall (v. ) is recorded only from 1610 s, in ref. to diseased horses, and is rare. It's possible that the image behind the use of the word is of horses, not cocks.
disheveled Connotation: Negative Etymology: O. Fr. descheveler "to disarrange the hair, " from des- "apart" + chevel "hair, " from L. capillus "hair. "
exponent Connotation: Positive Etymology: 1706, from L. exponere "put forth" (see expound). A mathematical term at first; the sense of "one who expounds" is 1812.
garrulous Connotation: Negative Etymology: 1611, from L. garrulus "talkative, " from garrire "to chatter"
insuperable Connotation: Positive Etymology: c. 1340, from L. insuperabilis "that cannot be passed over, unconquerable, " from in- "not" + superabilis "that may be overcome, " from superare "to overcome, " from superus "one that is above, " from super "over"
lamentable Connotation: Negative Etymology: L. lamentabilis, from lamentatio "wailing, moaning, weeping"
misnomer Connotation: Neutral Etymology: M. Fr. mesnomer "to misname, " from mes"wrongly" + nomer "to name, " from L. nominare "nominate" Guinea Pigs are not pigs and are not from New Guinea
profess Connotation: Positive Etymology: L. professus "having declared publicly, " pp. of profitieri "declare openly, " from pro- "forth" + fateri "acknowledge, confess. "
respite Connotation: Positive Etymology: O. Fr. respit "delay, respect, " from L. respectus "consideration, recourse, regard"
retribution Connotation: Negative Etymology: retribuere "hand back, repay, " from re- "back" + tribuere "to assign, allot" (see tribute). Sense of "evil given for evil done" is from day of retribution (1526) in Christian theology, the time of divine reward or punishment.
sinuous Connotation: Positive Etymology: L. sinuosus "full of folds or bendings, " from sinus "curve, fold, bend. "
sonorous Connotation: Positive Etymology: L. sonorus "resounding, " from sonor "sound, noise, " from sonare "to sound"
vanguard Connotation: Positive Etymology: M. Fr. avant-garde, from avant "in front" + garde "guard. "
wastrel Connotation: Negative Etymology: 1847, from waste (v. ) with pejorative suffix (cf. mongrel, scoundrel, doggerel).
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