Tag: leadership

Covetous means greedily desiring something, especially something belonging to someone else. It implies an intense, often wrongful desire to possess. The word comes from religious contexts (coveting thy neighbor's possessions) and describes avaricious or envious behavior.

To "cow" means to submit someone to one's wishes by intimidating or terrorizing them. Distractors like "wordy" (verbose) or "winding" (sinuous) are incorrect.

To cower means to shrink back or crouch in fear or submission. It describes a physical reaction to threat or terror - literally trembling and pulling away from danger. The image is of someone making themselves small and vulnerable due to fear.

Coy means shy, modest, or reluctant in a flirtatious or teasing manner. It describes behavior that is demure but with an underlying suggestiveness. Unlike simple shyness, being coy often involves playful or strategic reluctance, especially in romantic contexts.

To cozen means to deceive, trick, or cheat someone, often through persuasion or false pretenses. It implies gaining someone's trust or confidence dishonestly. The term is somewhat old-fashioned but refers to swindling or bamboozling people.

Crabbed means sour, peevish, or ill-tempered in disposition. It describes someone who is irritable, difficult, or cross. The word comes from the crab's perceived sideways, awkward movement and its association with pinching or grumpy behavior. It can also refer to handwriting that is cramped and difficult to read.

Craft refers to skill, especially skill involving manual dexterity or artistic technique. It can mean a specific trade or profession (like woodworking or pottery), or the skill itself (like 'he has great craft'). In modern usage, it contrasts with art - craft emphasizes technique and execution over pure creativity.

Crass means very unrefined, coarse, or lacking in taste, sensitivity, or intelligence. It describes behavior or language that is grossly insensitive, crude, or indelicate. A crass remark is bluntly offensive without subtlety, and crass behavior shows no awareness of social graces.

A credential is documented evidence of a person's qualifications, authority, or identity - such as a degree, license, or certification that proves you have the right to do something. 'Having many talents' describes a versatile person, not a credential. 'Pretend' means to fake something, which is the opposite of providing legitimate proof.

Credo is Latin for 'I believe' and refers to a creed - a formal statement of beliefs or principles. 'Having a backbone' describes vertebrate animals. 'Complete disorder' is chaos or bedlam. 'Having many talents' describes a versatile person.