staid adj. (STAYD) serious and restrained; sober. It's hard to get my boss to laugh at anything; he's just too staid.
stalemate n. (STAYL mayt) deadlock or draw. Management and union cut off their negotiations after reaching a stalemate.
stalwart adj. (STALL wurt) strong and resolute. I am and always will be a stalwart supporter of equal rights.
status quo n. (STAT us KWO) the present state of affairs. The president has no interest in changing his policies; he's happy with the status quo.
staunch adj. (STAWNCH) strong and loyal. Sally is a staunch supporter of gay rights.
steadfast adj. (STED fast) constant and resolute; steady; loyal. Don't let anyone talk you out of our plans; remain steadfast at all costs.
stereotype n. (STAIR ee uh type) a broad and skewed characterization that ignores individuality. The assessment that "men are pigs" is an unfair stereotype; in reality, only a certain percentage of men qualify as such.
stigma n. (STIG muh) that which brands one with a negative reputation; that which causes shame. The stigma of his criminal record stayed with the murderer long after he had been released from prison.
stigmatize vb. (STIG muh tyze) to brand one with a negative or shameful characterization. Society will continue to stigmatize criminals long after they've been released from prison.
stipulate vb. (STIP yuh layt) to specify formally, especially in a contract. Be sure to stipulate exactly what you require in the contract.
stoic adj. (STOH ik) indifferent or apparently indifferent to pain, grief, pleasure, etc. My brother once stepped on a nail, but he was surprisingly stoic about it and never even winced.
strident adj. (STRI dunt) shrill and harsh. The rock musician's guitar solo was blistering and strident.
stringent adj. (STRIN junt) strict; rigorous. This school maintains stringent rules prohibiting swearing and verbal abuse.
stymie vb. (STYE mee) to impede; to put up obstacles. Environmental regulations may stymie production at some companies, but the long-term benefits are worth the trade-off.
suave adj. (SWAHV) gracious, diplomatic; smooth in social settings. We need someone who is exceptionally suave to host this year's award ceremonies.
subjective adj. (sub JEK tiv) as seen or experienced through one individual; personal; not objective. My opinion of my own writing is subjective and is therefore unreliable.
subjugate vb. (SUB juh GAYT) to dominate, control, or make subservient. The dictator hatched a scheme that would allow him to subjugate millions of uneducated citizens.
sublime adj. (sub LYME) grand, exalted; majestic. I thought Carl Sagan's views of the universe were absolutely sublime.
subliminal adj. (sub LIM in ul) that which may be sensed unconsciously but not consciously. The company often employed subliminal advertising and would often imbed hundreds of barely perceptible dollar signs throughout its art work.
subordinate adj. (suh BORD in et) secondary; under or lesser than another. In a court setting, the bailiff is in an obviously subordinate position to that of the judge.
subpoena n. (suh PEE nuh) a written order to appear in court. The witness to the bank robbery will receive a subpoena today to appear in court.
subservient adj. (sub SERV ee unt) submissive and servile. My younger brother was subservient toward me until he was five years old, at which time he loudly asserted his independence.
substantiate vb. (sub STAN shee ayt) to provide evidence or testimony to prove something true. Thousands of scientists have substantiated Darwin's theory of evolution with studies and findings of their own.
subterfuge n. (SUB tur fyooj) trickery or deception used to cover up one's true actions. Swindlers employ clever subterfuge to separate their victims from their money.
subversive adj. (sub VUR siv) working toward the overthrow of a government. The protester was questioned by the police for distributing subversive literature to the public.
succinct adj. (suk SINKT) concise and to the point.
As we have only two hours to make the award presentations, please keep your speeches succinct.
superficial adj. (soo pur FISH ul) on the surface only; lacking depth. To judge someone by their appearance alone is terribly superficial.
superfluous adj. (suh PUR floo us) extraneous; unnecessary. The editor used her blue pencil to scratch out all of the manuscript's superfluous words and sentences.
surreal adj. (sur RE ul) having a dreamlike or nightmarish quality. The abstract painter's otherworldly images were hauntingly surreal.
surrogate adj. (SUR uh GIT) a substitute. A nanny serves as a surrogate parent when mother and father go off to work.
svelte adj. (SVELT) slender; lithe. Don't even think about becoming a model unless you have a svelte figure.
Svengali n. (sven GAHL ee) one who has the uncanny ability to brainwash or persuade others to do his bidding, often for evil purposes. Originating from the musician-hypnotist in the George du Maurier novel Trilby. The cult leader was a Sven- gali who convinced thousands of followers that the world would end unless they donated everything they owned to him.
swan song n. a final appearance, performance, or work. Originating from the myth of a song sung only once in a lifetime, by a swan as it dies. This book will be the famed novelist's swan song, as he has officially announced his retirement.
sycophant n. (SYKE uh fant) one who constantly flatters and is servile toward another in order to gain praise or acceptance. The boss likes hard-working employees, but he has no respect for sycophants.
symbiotic adj. (sim bee OT ik) mutually beneficial.
Bees and flowers have had a symbiotic relationship for millions of years.