sanguine

This adjective will aptly describe a cheerful and confident person, an optimist.

Its origin is reflected in an adjunct meaning, someone of ruddy appearance, being red-cheeked and consistently flushed with red in their skin.

It arises from Latin sanguis meaning ‘blood’ and taken, via 14 Century Latin sanguineus, meaning ‘bloody’, into English.

violate

Used in general contexts, violate means to break, disregard or infringe an agreement or the law.

Specifically it can meak to sexually assault or rape a person, or to break in upon and disturb a sanctuary, a holy or revered place.

From 15 Century Latin violare means to use strength to do violence to something or someone.

lugubrious

This adjective arises from 17 Century Latin lugubris from lugere meaning ‘to grieve’.

Common synonyms are ‘doleful’ or ‘mournful’.

impede

This verb means to restrict something from happening, to slow down an action’s progress, to hinder and even obstruct action. Again there is a sense of ‘degree’ in the word which is gathered from the context.

The source of the word is 17 Century Latin, impedare which means to hinder (literally, via shackles on the feet).

impel

Contrast this verb with the previous one and you’ll find opposites at work.

'Impel' arises earlier, from 15 Century Latin impellere, meaning to push against, to drive forward.

It means to urge or force into action, to motivate people to action.

Once again, we take degree into account from the context.

Be aware that ‘impel’ can be used in a negative sense to force a person into an action that they do not desire to take.

The resulting outcome (against their well-being) is what motivates them to take the action.

decry

I’ve noticed that newspaper journalists favour this verb when space is tight.

It smoothly replaces longer words like disparage or disapprove.

In specific contexts, 'to decry' means to publicly denounce a person or an event via a formal proclamation.

Feculent and fetid (foetid)

Feculent is an adjective that is sometimes misused.

It refers to fluid that is contaminated; filthy, muddy, scummy and foul … extending in some contexts to having excrement or faeces within it.

Fetid (also spelt as foetid) is particular in its meaning. It applies to something that is foul-smelling; offensively stale and nauseating.