Building a Better Vocabulary

Lecture 8: Words for Beginnings and Endings

feathers. This meaning has been extended to encompass the idea

of inexperience.

Dilettante (noun)

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sense.

z The word dilettante generally refers to an amateur who has only

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knowing more than he or she actually does.

z Synonyms and related words for dilettante include amateur,

dabbler, layperson, do-it-yourselfer, nonprofessional, URRNLH, and if

you want to emphasize the “imposter” aspect of a dilettante, poser

and pretender.

z When English borrowed dilettante from Italian in the early 1700s,

it originally meant “lover of music or painting.” However, the word

took on its current negative connotation by the late 1700s.

Tyro (noun)

A beginner or novice.

z Tyro seems to be an unfamiliar word for many people. Putting it

in a context sentence may help you to remember it: “Under the

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tyro like me would be able to land a trout in this stream.”

z Tyro can also be used as an adjective, as in: “The tyro teacher knew

her subject but lacked classroom management skills; her students

were completely unruly when the principal walked in for her

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z Synonyms and related words for tyro include beginner, URRNLH,

neophyte, abecedarian, tenderfoot, and greenhorn.