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reverent
(adj.) respectful; feeling or showing deep love, respect, or awe
The congregation was very reverent of its spiritual leader.
reverie
(n.) the condition of being unaware of one's surroundings, trance; dreamy
thinking or imagining, especially of agreeable things
As their anniversary neared, Lisa fell into a reverie as she recalled
all the good times she and Roscoe had had.
After spending the morning in reverie, I decided to work in the afternoon.
revile
(v.) to be abusive in speech
It is not appropriate for a teacher to revile a student.
rhapsodize
(v.) to speak or write in a very enthusiastic manner
Hearing the general rhapsodize about his time as a plebe sent a wave of
recognition through the academy grads.
rhetorical
(adj.) having to do with verbal communication; artificial eloquence
In posing a rhetorical question, he hoped to get people thinking.
The perception that Gary Hart was spouting rhetorical flourishes enabled
fellow Democrat Walter Mondale to score debate points by asking, "Where's
the beef?"
ribald
(adj.) vulgar joking or mocking
Some people find the comedian's ribald act offensive.
The ribald story proved an embarrassment to its audience.
rigor
(n.) severity
She criticized the planning board's vote with rigor.
rivet
(v.) to secure; to hold firmly, as in eyes
We can rivet the boat to the dock.
She could not look away from the morbid scene; she was riveted to it.
roseate
(adj.) rose-colored
The roseate sunset faded into the sky.
rout
(n.; v.) a noisy or disorderly crowd; a retreat or terrible defeat; to
dig up
The rout kept the police busy all morning with crowd control.
The Scarlet Knights beat the Fighting Irish in a rout, 56-14.
I need to rout the backyard in order to put in the pipes.
rudimentary
(adj.) elementary
Adding two plus two is a rudimentary activity.
ruffian
(n.) tough person or a hoodlum
Contrary to popular opinion, ruffians are nothing new in the city.
ruminate
(v.) to consider carefully
The doctor will ruminate on his diagnosis.
Facing a tough decision, he decided to ruminate before making his thoughts
known.
rummage
(v.) search thoroughly
Determined to find his college yearbook, he rummaged through every box
in the garage.
rustic
(adj.) plain and unsophisticated; homely; of or living in the country
The president enjoyed spending weekends at Camp David, a rustic retreat
in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland.
saga
(n.) a legend; any long story of adventure or heroic deed
The saga of King Arthur and his court has been told for generations.
sagacious
(adj.) wise
Many of her friends came to her with their problems because she gave sagacious
advice.
The old man gave sagacious advice.
salient
(adj.) noticeable; prominent
What's salient about the report is its documentation of utter despair
in the heartland of the richest nation on Earth.
His most salient feature is his nose.
His salient bruise will alert his mother to the altercation.
salubrious
(adj.) promoting good health
Salubrious food helps maintain an ideal weight.
Exercising frequently and eating healthy foods are salubrious habits.
salutatory
(adj.) of or containing greetings
Two messengers were sent to the new neighbors with a salutatory letter.
salvage
(v.) rescue from loss
The family tried to salvage their belongings after their home was destroyed
by a tornado.
sanction
(v.; n.) an act of giving authoritative permission; to give encouragement;
a blockade
The government has sanctioned the meetings as a worthy cause.
He did more than tolerate her actions, he sanctioned them.
Before committing troops to war, the president wanted to give the sanctions
a chance to work.
sanguine
(adj.) optimistic; cheerful; red
Even when victory seemed impossible, the general remained sanguine.
The dress was sanguine with a bright green border stripe.
With a sanguine nod the interviewee entered the office.
sapid
(adj.) having a pleasant taste
Yellow and blue icing covered the sapid pastry.
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