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(Pronounced deh-fuh.ren-shl)

Meaning: This adjective means polite and showing respect.

Origin: Originating in the 17th Century, it meant ‘bearing off or away’, from the French word deferent, which, in turn, was from, Latin deferentem- the present participle of deferre, meaning "to carry down or away". In Middle English, it was used as a word in Ptolemaic astronomy to explain the apparent motion of planets.

 Example: People were always deferential to her.

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(Pronounced dau.ti)

Meaning: An adjective, doughty means brave, dauntless or intrepid. It is also used to describe someone who is unwilling to stop trying to achieve something. In other words, the term refers to fearless resolution.

Origin: Doughty is said to have a Germanic origin dyhtig, meaning "competent, strong". It came to be used in Middle English to mean "brave, valiant" from Old English dohtig, a variant of dyhtig.

Usage: She has been for decades a doughty campaigner for children's rights.

They have been stifled by their doughty opponents.

Despite her illness, her doughty spirit kept her going.

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(pronounced as faw.sl)

Meaning: The word fossil corresponds to the remains or impression of a prehistoric animal or plant that is embedded in rock and preserved in petrified form. In a humorous, and sometimes derogatory sense it can also be used to refer to a person or thing that is outdated or resistant to change

Origin: The word has been around since 1610s meaning "anything dug up”. It is derived from French fossile from Latin fossilis “dug up". The restricted noun sense of "geological remains of a plant or animal” that is most popular now has been around from 1736 Despite having some ups and downs, the word has been fairly popular over the last two centuries or so.

Usage: When she grows up, she wants to become a palaeontologist and study fossils.

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(Pronounced: im pla ca·ble)

Meaning: An adjective, implacable means not placable, that is not capable of being appeased, easily calmed or pacified.

Origin: The word is derived from the Latin word implacabilis which means unappeasable or irreconcilable. The word was first used in the 15th century.

Usage: For King Edward, the new friendship between the reigning powers of the neighbouring kingdoms loomed as an implacable threat to his crown.

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(pronounced as nig.ael)

Meaning:  The word niggle is used to denote things that cause slight but persistent annoyance, discomfort, or anxiety. It is also used to refer to criticising or annoying someone in a petty way.

Origin: The word, which is of uncertain origin, has been around since the 1590s. It is possibly from a Scandinavian source and compared with Norwegian nigla. The current sense of the word dates back to the late 18th Century.

Even though the word has been around for hundreds of years, it has grown hugely popular in terms of usage in the last few decades. This can perhaps be attributed to its usage in sports, as it is often employed to convey minor injuries of sportspersons.

Usage: Some players were rested for the tour as the selectors did not want to risk aggravating their niggles.

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(Pronounced teh-nyoo-uhs)

Meaning:  This adjective refers to what is weak and possibly does not exist.

Origin: In use since the 16th Century, it formed irregularly from the Latin word tenuis, meaning "thin, drawn out, meager, slim, slender' and figuratively referred to "trifling, insignificant, poor, low in rank". The correct form with respect to the Latin is tenuious. The figurative sense of "having slight importance, not substantial" is found from 1817 in English.

Example: They had a tenuous grip on reality.

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(Pronounced: conundrum)

Meaning: A noun, conundrum means a difficult problem. It also means a problem that has only a conjectural or hypothetical answer.

Origin: While the word was first used in 1645, the origin of the word is not known.

Usage: Ensuring water supply throughout the year in the kingdom was one of the biggest conundrums the king faced.

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