contentious is another word for controversial
The adjectives controversial and contentious both describe something that provokes differences of opinion or disagreements. A controversial issue, statement, or decision is one about which the public has strong and divergent opinions, often longstanding and much-discussed, and not likely to be reconciled any time soon. Euthanasia, for example, is a controversial issue, and an essay that took a position on the issue would also be controversial. A contentious issue or topic is one that causes conflict or strife, whether in congress, in court, or at the dinner table. A contentious debate or election, or a contentious relationship with your supervisor, would be marked by hard-fought disagreements, as would a contentious divorce or contentious custody dispute. A controversial figure is a public figure who does or says controversial things. Contentious people are simply argumentative types.
Commonly found as:
contentious issue At family reunions we all tiptoe around the contentious issue of which side of the family makes cornbread the right way.
contentious debate It was the kind of contentious debate we expect from young law students, but it never crossed the line into incivility.
profound is another word for deep
For talking about things physically extending far down or far back in space, deep is almost always the appropriate word (a deep well, deep shelves, a deep cut), while profound is more elevated diction reserved for awe-invoking depths (profound depths of the sea). Both adjectives can also be used figuratively, of feeling and thought–we admire the deep thinkers and profound poets for their ability to penetrate beyond surface impressions and discover truths inaccessible to most of us. However, deep is more informal and used in this way can come off as a bit sophomoric (Wow, that’s a deep poem.) Profound suggests with more authority something’s intellectual significance (profound ideas or insights). In general usage, profound is most frequently used to describe change and its effects. In this context, profound implies far-reaching, transformative, significant, fundamental, or lasting (profound change, profound impact, profound influence).
Commonly found as:
profound effect/impact The study concluded that experiences in early childhood can have a profound effect on an individual’s ability to thrive later in life.
profound change The way the average American accesses information has undergone a profound change with the rise of digital communication generally, and the internet in particular.
ennui is another word for boredom
There is nothing more ordinary than boredom, the restless or weary state that comes from having no interest in any of the pursuits available to you, including the one you’re engaged in (reaching peak summer break boredom; the boredom of a long commute; ).
Ennui, a borrowing from French, is boredom taken rather more seriously. Ennui can suggest a more profound philosophical or spiritual condition than boredom’s mere lack of interest (existential ennui; suburban ennui; adolescent ennui). Dissatisfaction or disgust with conditions, Angst, frustration, despair, and loneliness are some of the most frequent companions of ennui.
procure is another word for obtain
Obtain and procure both refer to getting something, or gaining possession of it, through some effort or process. Obtain is the more common and general word of the two (obtained a ticket for the show; obtain permission), but it is a step or two above get in formality and specificity. Procure suggests making a special effort to get something that may be difficult to obtain. Thus, it is frequently used of necessities that conditions have made difficult to get (procure organs to save lives, procuring food during wartime) and of illegal or illegally-obtained items, such as drugs or weapons.
Commonly found as:
manage to procure A few lucky holiday shoppers managed to
procure the popular toy before it was sold out.
procure food It was the practice of hunter-gatherers to eat
immediately upon procuring food.
galvanize is another word for motivate
Both verbs suggest prompting or encouraging a person or group to undertake something or to pursue something. Motivate refers to giving a person or group a reason or a desire to do a thing, or to pursue it with more drive (players motivated by a monetary prize; the teacher who motivated her to go to college). Galvanize refers to stimulating or energizing a person or group into action, particularly by provoking a response. The typical object of galvanize is a large group—the public, voters, the community, a movement—or the collective sentiment, opinion, efforts or actions of a group (a speech that galvanized public opinion).
Commonly found as:
galvanize support The campaign galvanized support in the community for making several of the residential blocks a pedestrian zone.
issue + galvanize Lack of access to healthcare may be an issue that galvanizes voters in this election.
august is another word for majestic
Both words describe people and things that affect us with their powerfully impressive or imposing presence of the highest dignity and grandeur. Majestic can refer to size, scope, or beauty, and suggests an exalted dignity (a majestic cathedral), but it is the natural world that most frequently inspires writers’ use of this word: majestic mountains; a majestic view; majestic creatures. August, the less common word, is most often applied to institutions, their members, and the associated architectural structures (the august halls of the U.S. Supreme Court). An august institution, body, assembly, or publication, inspires respect or reverence for its lofty purpose and the distinction and eminence of its members.
Commonly found as:
august body This august body is gathered here today to select the winner of one of the most prestigious international prizes for medical research.
august institution He was feeling proud, but slightly intimidated, to have been accepted by such an august institution of higher learning.
ballyhoo is another word for publicity
Both words refer to activities engaged in by businesses or other enterprising organizations to gain public attention, such as advertising campaigns or press junkets. However, businesses do not have ballyhoo departments. Publicity is the official and neutral term. Ballyhoo refers specifically, and usually dismissively, to a noisy style of promotion that is blatant, excessive, or extravagant. It’s commonly paired with the word “hype” and often appears preceded by “much” or “all the”: the play premiered amid much ballyhoo. Ballyhoo has a deprecating connotation. You’ll find that whatever is said to receive ballyhoo does not merit the clamor surrounding