English Words in Action, Group J

Fast, short punches or blows: Roger's left jabs had just about finished the other boxer by the sixth round.

To make sudden poking or efforts to touch someone or something in a swift, unexpected manner: All during the game, Billy kept jabbing Mildred in the side.

Talking, or chatter, that is characterized as quick, incessant, and often foolish: Mona's endless jabber on her cell phone was infuriating the people sitting near her on the bus.

To speak in a rapid, aimless, often unfocused manner: Roger was jabbering on and on about nothing in particular and bored everyone during the dinner.

1. A coat typically extending only from the shoulders to the waist or slightly below it: Everyone should have a light jacket for the cool days of spring.
2. A covering for the outside of a book designed to protect it: The book was protected by a jacket of clear plastic.

1. Descriptive of something that is overused or worn out: James thought the movie dealt with the same old jaded themes of betrayal and revenge.
2. Relating to someone who is disinterested and bored: Janice told Glenda that the Parisians are jaded and not easily impressed by foreigners. © ALL rights are reserved.

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1. A long lamentation, sorrowful cry, or tale of woe: Joseph had a jeremiad when his young son suddenly died.
2. A mournful complaint about one's terrible situation: Mary wrote a jeremiad grieving about her present plight of losing her husband, about her children living so far away, and not hearing well at all. © ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.

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A very tired and unpleasant feeling which a person sometimes gets when he or she travels by aircraft somewhere far away: Gerda had bad jet lag after her last trip overseas.

Descriptive of being very tired and lacking physical energy after a long flight: Walter's jet lagged sister had to recuperate and readjust to her normal life after her flight home from Canada back to Germany.

Anyone who supports a policy that favors war: The leader of a country declared a jingo against another nation that has invaded parts of his own territory.

Don't confuse this jingo with another one that means ringing and tinkling, or singing a commercial tune or ditty.

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1. To bounce up and down and rock from side to side while moving, or to make someone or something move in this way: The truck was jouncing over the ruts in the road and upsetting Paul's stomach.
2. To move or to cause to move repeatedly by bouncing up and down: Marvin's grandfather was enjoying the opportunity to jounce his granddaughter on his knee.
3. Etymology: used from about 1440, of unknown origin; perhaps a blend of jump and bounce.

Moving up and down over and over again: It was difficult to ride in Jim's jouncy car because the shock absorbers needed to be replaced.

1. Something; such as, a belief or institution, which elicits blind and destructive devotion or to which people are ruthlessly sacrificed: Athena's parents were concerned about the juggernaut to which their daughter was devoted.

The fleet of trucks advanced on the pit mine like a juggernaut, inexorably powerful and unstoppable.

When capitalized, Juggernaut refers to the idol of the Hindu god Krishna, which was pulled around on a huge cart or wagon.

2. Origin: The Hindustani name for juggernaut was jaganath, "world-protector".

Devotees of the god are said to have thrown themselves under the wheels to be crushed to death in their frenzies of devotion; so, juggernaut came to mean anything to which we are blindly enslaved or as an irresistible crushing force.

Whether this was actually the practice or merely a misinterpretation of the deaths of those caught in the crush of people pulling the over-sized wagon, the British associated willful self-destruction with the Jagannath during the festival of Puri every year.

1. A stupid, lazy person; a blockhead: Sam's co-worker was considered at times to be a lurdan or an incompetent employee.
2. Etymology: Middle English, from Old French lourdin, "heavy". © ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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