Welcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a great way to learn some new vocabulary. Visit Kathy at Bermuda Onion for links to more word nerdy words.
I have written and edited (and edited) a YA manuscript, and now it’s time to query agents. I entered the Query Kombat Contest for a chance to get agents to see my stuff. I didn’t get far in the contest, but I DID learn a new word from someone else’s entry. I also got some great feedback, so it was a worthwhile adventure.
I can’t remember the exact sentence from the entry, but it went something like:
Gwen made it her personal mission to purge the iniquitous crooks in Shadow Town.
I thought maybe the author meant “ubiquitous”, so I looked it up. Nope. She taught me a new word. Thank you fellow Query Kombatant!
iniquitous \i-‘ni-kwə-təs\ adj. from Latin iniquus, uneven, from in + aequus equal ; very unfair or evil; characterized by gross injustice
Of course I should have known from the “equal” root that this word meant unequal. I need more sleep.
Word Nerd Workout
Share a juicy synonym for iniquitous in the comments below. My example: nefarious.
Spread the word on Twitter: Word Nerd Word: iniquitous = grossly unjust; very unfair via @juliatomiak
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
Julia
“grossly unjust” crooks? That seems a strange use of the word. So does “unequal” crooks? Can it just mean evil, without the connotation of an “unfair and unjust” kind of evil?
I see your point – isn’t evil inherently unjust? But that’s how Webster defined it and how the contestant used it. Perhaps the crooks were particularly nasty or evil (that’s why I picked the Joker). Hitler could be an example of a villain with especially unjust practices.
Does this sentence work better for you:
Abraham Lincoln fought to end the iniquitous practice of slavery in the United States.
Thanks for digging into this word! Have a great weekend.
Great words!!! Happy you were challenged Julia, makes reading even more fun!
A new word for me, also.
Isn’t it great how our eyes now spot new words wherever we happen to be reading? I’ve been seeing the world through my nine-year-old granddaughter’s eyes lately. At this age she’s very aware of the inequities in the world. Her synonym for iniquitous is “NOT FAIR!” is a very firm voice. I have to agree with most of her pronouncements.
Yes Margot- it is great fun to find new words. How fun for you to get a new perspective with your granddaughter! Enjoy.
It’s so much fun to discover a new word in an unexpected place. My synonym is vile.
Vile is an excellent synonym. Thanks for playing.