Building a Better Vocabulary

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ż Tenderfoot was coined in the
1800s to refer to new immigrants
to the United States who weren’t
used to the hardships of ranching
and mining. The word can be used
for any beginner, but in particular,
it refers to one unused to the
hardships of the outdoors.

ż Greenhorn refers to an
inexperienced person, particularly
one who is gullible.

z It’s not uncommon to confuse tyro and
dilettante, but the two are not exact
synonyms. Remember, a dilettante
is a dabbler in different subjects,
and the word can carry the pejorative connotation of someone
who is a pretender or a poser. Tyro does not carry this same
“pretender” connotation.

Ingénue (noun)



  1. An innocent, naïve girl or young woman.

  2. A stock innocent character in a movie or play or the actress playing
    such a character.


Puerile (adjective)


Juvenile, childishly silly, foolish.

z Puerile is often used in a negative, pejorative sense to describe
juvenile humor, antics, or silliness, as in: “After sitting on a
whoopee cushion and hearing inappropriate noises made by his
students, the teacher called for an end to the puerile humor, warning
of severe consequences.”

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