Author Topic: Darkstorme's Word of the Day (Read 5322 times)

Chazzler · « **Reply #80 on:** October 07, 2010, 10:58:07 am »

Do the word "Weird", especially it's olden meaning, so people can learn why the 9th circle phantasm is called Weird

Alatriel · « **Reply #81 on:** October 07, 2010, 11:05:56 am »

Quote from: Chazzler

Do the word "Weird", especially it's olden meaning, so people can learn why the 9th circle phantasm is called Weird

Well... there's weird... and there's wyrrd (sp?)

darkstorme · « **Reply #82 on:** October 08, 2010, 02:49:43 am »

I may yet do weird, particularly since it's an exception to a spelling rule, but for now I have a list that I must move relentlessly through. Hmm... it's like I'm...

Inexorable

Grimly relentless, unstoppable, inevitable. Unswerving, unmoved, and unyielding. Inexorable (inn-ex-ore-uh-bull) means all these things, and usually puts a somewhat fatalistic or terrifying spin on whatever is so described.

The word can be changed to an adverb with inexorably, which is likely the most common use of the word. There is also inexorableness, the quality of being inexorable, but that may be stretching things a bit too far.

Usage:

The ceiling ground down towards them inexorably. Finn's throat was dry, but he swallowed anyway as he watched the oaken quarterstaves used as last-ditch props splinter and snap.
The inexorable march of the golems lent a terror to them almost greater than any they could have had if they were able to move quickly. The sense here was of something unstoppable - something that could not be held at bay, only fled.

References:

Pseudonym · « **Reply #83 on:** October 08, 2010, 03:13:53 am »

Quote from: darkstorme

Hmm... it's like I'm...

Inexorable

Grimly relentless, unstoppable, inevitable. Unswerving, unmoved, and unyielding. Inexorable (inn-ex-ore-uh-bull) means all these things, and usually puts a somewhat fatalistic or terrifying spin on whatever is so described.

Yes, you did just put a terrifying spin on yourself *shivers*. From hereon, I will stop assigning the adjectives to you I had been using that are so obviously no longer applicable (such as this, or this, or even this, or my fave) and describe you as inexorable.

darkstorme · « **Reply #84 on:** October 09, 2010, 02:53:16 am »

Foreboding

A sense that something terrible or evil is about to occur, or an omen of same. In literary terms, foreshadowing can give characters a sense of foreboding (four-bo-ding).

Usage:

A flight of ravens was disturbed in the otherwise still woods, flying above the party, away from their destination. The cleric felt a chill sense of foreboding drop over her like an icy cloud.
A dark feeling of foreboding closed over the youthful fighter as they entered the tomb. He had the uneasy feeling that the tomb was likely to be their own.

Reference:

darkstorme · « **Reply #85 on:** October 10, 2010, 02:46:03 am »

Useful for those who spend their time hunting Dark Elves:

Chthonic

All things that live beneath the surface of the earth are chthonic (thaw-nick), as are the areas in which they dwell.

In real life, the word derived from the greek, and was usually used to refer to the gods and spirits of the underworld. The word chthonian can be used interchangeably with chthonic.

(It's also a safe bet that Lovecraft borrowed some spelling from this word.)

Usage:

The chthonic depths of the Deep are not for the unwary... or for any but the foolhardy. Happily, adventurers who fit the latter description aren't precisely rare.
Vast chthonian worms burrow sightlessly through the earth... until that is, something on the surface attracts their mindless, destructive attention.

Reference:

darkstorme · « **Reply #86 on:** October 12, 2010, 01:14:15 am »

Time for another two-for-one day:

Morbid

A useful little word, morbid (more-bid) can mean one of several things:

Most commonly, it can be used to refer to someone who has an unhealthy fascination with death, disease, and other unpleasant circumstances. Most Corathites could probably be described as morbid, as would many vampire fans before the advent of Twilight. (When vampires became no longer animate corpses with an unholy hunger for blood, but rather sparkly conflicted people.)
Anything that itself relates to death and disease can also be described as morbid. Derived from this, morbidity is the instance of disease in a population. (It has since been borrowed as a term for the state of mind a morbid individual often occupies.)
Things that are gruesome or ghastly can also be described as morbid.

Usage:

Stygian watched with morbid fascination as the fungus ate its way up through the farmer's legs with unnatural speed.
With the emphasis on black paint, and with coffins and other accoutrement of death everywhere, the undertaker's shopfront was a morbid place for a cup of tea.

References:

And once in the grave...

Putrefaction

Putrefaction (pew-truh-fack-shun) is the process by which something putrefies, or rots. Putrefaction differs from decomposition or rotting in that it usually implies unpleasantness - the word is most commonly associated with the decomposition of animal flesh, with the resultant unpleasant odours that accompany the breakdown of the proteins therein.

The smell of putrefaction is strongly repulsive to most animals (with the exception of carrion-eaters), because of its linkage with disease and death.

Gangrene is an instance of putrefaction before death - and all the more horrible because of it.

Usage:

Argos opened the door and gagged. The charnel stench of putrefaction hit him like a mace, nearly visible in the clear air outside. This was definitely the house.
Panting, the rangers drew to a halt, gathering by the stream. They took inventory, their quivers nearly empty, and looked to their leader. He held up a hand and sniffed at the air, then shook his head. The others could smell it now too: the hint of putrefaction. They hadn't lost the zombies yet.

Reference:

Pseudonym · « **Reply #87 on:** October 12, 2010, 01:47:01 am »

Inexorable one, you've done a word about which I have a question.

I have always used 'putrification' - is it interchangeable with putrefaction or have I been, brace for it, misinformed?

darkstorme · « **Reply #88 on:** October 13, 2010, 01:43:41 am »

I'd actually never heard of "putrification" before this post, Pseudo. Firefox's built-in dictionary says it's not a word, Webster's says it is, but directs the user immediately to putrefaction. Collins' says it isn't. Haven't had time to consult the OED, but I'd say that, if it is an officially recognized word, it's interchangeable.

To continue in this diseased vein:

Pestilence

A pestilence (pess-till-ence) is a particularly virulent plague or disease, causing death or devastation. It can also be a term for anything else that's particularly destructive or injurious - and difficult to overcome.

In Christian mythology (and pop culture), Pestilence is also held to be one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Usage:

The pestilence that settled over Hurm as evidence of the Black Plague's displeasure was horrible to behold, with victims lying dead in the streets.
After the betrayal by one of their own, suspicion was a pestilence in the hearts of the party.

References:

darkstorme · « **Reply #89 on:** October 14, 2010, 02:48:24 am »

Pernicious

If something is pernicious (per-nish-us), it is harmful, hurtful, injurious, or lethal. It is also often (but not always) subtle in its workings, doing quiet harm that is far more difficult to pin down and stop.

If a person is described as pernicious, this often means that they are wicked and evil - as might be implied by the above meaning.

Usage:

The party continued on, but the pernicious lie continued to echo in their heads. Obviously the monster hadn't been telling the truth, but... - and there it was: "but...".
The disease was pernicious; highly contagious before any symptoms started to show, and then sufferers broke out in sores all over their bodies, their joints began to swell and soon they were unable to breathe without a hacking cough.

References:

darkstorme · « **Reply #90 on:** October 15, 2010, 02:56:51 am »

Darkstorme's Word of the Day is...

Insidious

Something insidious (in-sid-ee-us) is usually either subtle or enticing, yet ultimately harmful or fatal; usually, by the time the harmful effect has been realized, whatever the described item is has so firm a hold over the person or thing being harmed that it's difficult to get away from it.

Usage:

The curse was insidious - most people didn't even notice when they started sleeping a few minutes more each night, or even an hour or two. When their sleeping hours eclipsed their waking hours, most noticed, but by then it was often too late.
Sophia scowled. That little twit was insidious. Sophia had only been away for no more than a few weeks, and already the girl had wormed her way into his good graces.

References:

darkstorme · « **Reply #91 on:** October 16, 2010, 03:00:02 am »

A dark and stormy Friday night... just right for a little...

Iniquity

Iniquity (in-ick-wit-tea) is sin, wickedness, immorality, and evil. Straight-up nastiness across the board, with a lot of nice consonants.

Usage:

There were bars in Arnax that were nothing but venal pits of iniquity. And then there were the bad bars.
Iniquity, in a goblin cave, is just business as usual.

Reference:

darkstorme · « **Reply #92 on:** October 17, 2010, 02:48:29 am »

The best kind of glare...

Baleful

If something is baleful (bail-full), it's either ominous and portentous of some upcoming and sinister event, or actively harmful and malevolent in its own right.

Usage:

The witch fixed a baleful glare on the party, her eyes fixing on the sorceress. 'Very well. I'll bide my time. And as for you, just try to stay out of my way! I'll get you, my pretty, and your familiar too!'
The baleful spell took effect, and Haley gasped as she felt her life energy draining away.

References:

darkstorme · « **Reply #93 on:** October 18, 2010, 01:21:11 am »

Ugh, what's that smell? Is it time for the annual changing of Pseudo's socks again?

Miasma

A miasma (my-az-ma) is a heavy vapour or atmosphere believed to be harmful, usually emanating from a swamp, some sort of unpleasant fire, garbage, etc.

It can be (but needn't be) vision-obscuring, and it can be immediately noxious, or only gradually perceptible. The word can also be employed to describe a situation, rather than an actual physical emanation.

Usage:

As the sewer grate came open, the stench was like a physical thing. The miasma billowed out of the hole in visible waves - and they were expected to go in there?
The fireball went awry and struck the moss-laden trees, setting them afire. A miasma of choking smoke descended over the area, setting eyes to tearing and leaving the party coughing, barely able to see.

Reference:

darkstorme · « **Reply #94 on:** October 19, 2010, 02:45:45 am »

It's not just an evil organization...

Spectre

A ghost or ghostly apparition, or a mental image approximating the same thing, a spectre (speck-ter) is generally a frightening figure.

(It's also a D&D creature.)

Usage:

As he dug up the body for that student in Vehl, a spectre rose from the grave before him. Startled, he dropped his shovel; the apparition hissed and advanced.
Zardoc tossed and turned on the hard pallet, the spectre of his past keeping sleep at arm's length.

References:

darkstorme · « **Reply #95 on:** October 20, 2010, 02:19:01 am »

I take a certain ghoulish delight in these words. You might say it's a bit...

Macabre

Meaning ghastly, horrible, gruesome; representative of or referring to death - sometimes, specifically, the dance of the dead, the last frenzied jerking before life leaves the body - in any or all of its definitions, macabre (muh-kaw-bruh, or simply muh-kawb) is a grim word indeed.

It is also used to refer to certain works of art and literature (for example, the works of E.A. Poe or Munch's Scream) - mostly those works that leave the audience unsettled, unnerved, or disquieted.

An example from... ahem... literature:

A hatch opened up and the aliens said,
"We're sorry to learn that you soon will be dead.
"But though you may find this slightly macabre,
"We prefer your extinction to the loss of our job."
-Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

Usage:

Fr. Logan glanced at the necromancer's retreating back and grimaced. He knew that his Lady rejoiced in all uses of magic, but he still found the man's macabre practices deeply disturbing.
The unusual, the bizarre, the macabre... all were available at the Carnival.

Reference:

darkstorme · « **Reply #96 on:** October 21, 2010, 02:45:16 am »

The month draws nearer its close - the speed at which this has happened is a bit...

Unnerving

To be unnerved is to become nervous, to lose one's courage, impetus, or strength. To "lose one's nerve", in fact. So to describe something as unnerving (un-ner-ving) is to attribute to it the ability to unnerve either yourself or others.

Usage:

The two holy warriors stood back to back in the suddenly-silent tomb. Beyond the light of their glowing blades, nothing seemed to move. The stillness was unnerving.
There was something vaguely unnerving about the child's stare - it seemed to bore straight through your eyes and into your soul.

Reference:

darkstorme · « **Reply #97 on:** October 22, 2010, 01:54:18 am »

Grisly

If something is grisly (griz-lee), it is gruesome, disgusting, horrifying or frightening.

It is not, however, a bear. The bear is spelled "grizzly". To remember: "The grizzly bear made a grisly mess of the unwary adventurer."

Usage:

The painting was grisly, the woman's ruined face picked out in lurid red and white.
Mirrim had to turn away at the grisly sight before her.

Reference:

darkstorme · « **Reply #98 on:** October 24, 2010, 01:46:56 am »

Due to the server downtime, missed my Word yesterday. You should've seen me pale when I figured out that I'd missed my window. It was quite the...

Pallor

A pallor (pahl-lur) is a deficiency of colour in the skin, the face in particular. Usually when an individual goes pale, from illness, fright, or shock, they have a pallor. An individual who has a pallor can be described as pallid.

Usage:

The deathly pallor of the boy's face terrified his parents. Something was draining the life from their child, and they couldn't stop it.
A figure stepped from the shadows, and the ghastly pallor of her skin and the elongated canines in her smile revealed what she was.

Reference:

Charnel

Also known as a charnel house, a charnel (char-nell) is (or was) a building where dead bodies or bones are deposited and stored. Unlike a mortuary or morgue, preservation is seldom a goal of a charnel; so the sight and smell of decomposition often accompanies them, and their interiors tend to the horrific.

This is not always the case - some charnel houses IRL were/are used to store the bones of previous tenants of a cemetery that has limited space. In such places, there is no smell, but the presence of so many bones on display usually provides a somewhat morbid atmosphere.

Usage:

Steeling himself, Argos stepped into the charnel. The evidence had to be here somewhere. The search... was not going to be pleasant.
As the door to the basement opened, a charnel smell spilled out. Daniella descended the stairs, already grimly certain what she would see.

Reference:

darkstorme · « **Reply #99 on:** October 25, 2010, 01:49:37 am »

Simple, but causes problems:

Vile

Vile things are contemptible, disgusting, wretched, degrading, repulsive, despicable, abhorrent, and... well, bad. Not all evil things are vile, though many vile things are evil.

A quick note, however -a vile cannot contain things. A vial contains things. Presumably, then, a vile vial would contain disgusting things. A vile vial of unholy water. A vile vial of mucous.

Usage:

Tim clenched his fist in realization. Of course! Professor Maynard! That vile fiend, up to his usual machinations!
Alazira climbed out of the swamp, and looked down in dismay at her traveling leathers. The muck and ooze was vile - she'd never get all of it out!

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