Thesaurus Treasury

Nigh [ˈnī]
1. Near in place, time, or relationship; close by (archaic, poetic)
2. Nearly; almost (often followed by on or onto)
3. To approach (archaic)

● Usage:
Repent, the end is nigh!
He talked for nigh onto 2 hours.
He stopped talking, as the hour of his death was nighing.

First known use: before 10th century. Comes from Middle English nigh(e), neye.
As an adjective, nigh is an older form of the word "near" both of which are rooted in the Old English words nēah, nēh. It's most common to use nigh today when you're trying to sound poetic or referencing the archaic or biblical uses of the word.
Akin to Dutch na, German nahe, Old Norse nā-, Gothic nehw, nehwa.

Riposte [ri-ˈpōst]
1. A fencer's quick return thrust after parrying a lunge
2. A quick, sharp retaliatory return in speech or action

● Usage:
He swiftly riposted the attack, thrusting with his weapon towards the opponent's chest.
Her own comment yesterday was the perfect riposte.

First known use: early 18th century. In the sport of fencing, a riposte is a counterattack made after a successfull parry. This word was borrowed from French in the 18th century. It was a modification of an Italian word risposta, which means answer.
Ultimately these words come from the Latin verb respondēre meaning to respond.

Rampart [ˈram-pärt, ˈram-pərt]
1. Fortification, a protective barrier
2. Anything serving as a bulwark or defense
3. To fortify or surround with (verb)

● Usage:
Take the track to the left of the castle ramparts.
Yes, everyone watched as Ned's head was very clearly severed from his body and placed on a spike on the ramparts of King's Landing.
The city was ramparted and surrounded with a ditch.

First known use: 1536. Came from Middle French 'remparer' - 'to fortify'. From Old Occitan 'emparar', Old Provençal 'amparer, antparar', from Latin 'ante' - 'before' + 'parāre' - 'to prepare'.

Glower [ˈglau̇(-ə)r, ˈglō(-ə)r]
1. To look or stare with sullen annoyance or anger
2. A look of dislike, discontent

● Usage:
The librarian glowered at us when she heard us laughing.
Large, black rain clouds glowered (looked likely to produce rain) in the sky.

First known use: late 14th century. Came from Middle English (Scots) 'glowren' - 'to glower'; akin to Middle Low German 'glūren' - 'to be overcast', Middle Dutch 'gloeren' - 'to leer'
The well-established part of its story leads us to Scotland, where 'glower' (or 'glowren', to use the older Scottish form of the word) has been used since the late Middle Ages.
Originally, the word meant simply 'to look intently' or 'to stare in amazement' but by the late 1700s, glowering stares were being associated with anger instead of astonishment. Beyond that the history of the word is murky.

Fecund [ˈfe-kənd, ˈfē-kənd]
1. Fruitful in offspring or vegetation, prolific
2. Intellectually productive or inventive to a marked degree

● Usage:
In the Northwest, summer is short and sweet, with picture-perfect sunny days, hot but not broiling temperatures, fecund gardens, and fewer mosquitoes and bugs than other regions.
Here was one of her fecund mind’s most enduring creations.

First known use: late 14th century. Came to late Middle English from Latin 'fēcundus' - 'fertile' and from Middle French 'fécond' - 'fruitful'.
Fecund and its synonyms 'fruitful' and 'fertile' all mean producing or capable of producing offspring or fruit-literally or figuratively. 'Fecund' applies to things that yield offspring, fruit, or results in abundance or with rapidity ('a fecund herd'; 'a fecund imagination').
'Fruitful' emphasizes abundance, too, and often adds the implication that the results attained are desirable or useful ('fruitful plains'; 'a fruitful discussion').
'Fertile' implies the power to reproduce ('a fertile woman') or the power to assist in reproduction, growth, or development ('fertile soil'; 'a fertile climate for artists').

Fretful [ˈfret-fəl]
1. Feeling or expressing distress or irritation
2. Habitually complaining
3. Having or showing a bad temper

● Usage:
I doubt not that our conduct had much to do with making him appear awkward, and of consequence fretful.
She had never spoken a word to her sister-in-law for three days; but she had likewise dropped her fretful complaining, and we found it a great comfort.
The blogosphere has been fretful about it.

First known use: 1594. From 'fret' + -ful. First known use of 'fret' is before 900. Comes from Middle English 'freten', from Old English 'fretan' which means 'consume'. Related to Old Saxon 'fretan', Gothic 'fraitan', Old High German 'frezzan' (now 'fressen').