The verb eat, though tremendously useful, says very little about the manner in which one partakes in a meal. Slowly? Quickly? With gusto? That’s where big, flavorful verbs like gormandize come in handy: to gormandize is to eat greedily or ravenously. Gormandize comes from the noun of the same spelling, which originally skewed negative to refer to excessive eating, but in the 1800s picked up a degree of refinement, suggesting unrestrained enjoyment of fine foods, wines, and the like. When not gobbling up food, gormandize may be found devouring books, knowledge, or gossip.

The adjective serene means calm, peaceful, or tranquil. It is most commonly used to describe people who display a notably unruffled manner, or natural surroundings that are fair and calm. When applied to people, serene suggests dignity, composure, and graciousness. When applied to nature, it suggests mellowness. Unlike peaceful, serene is not used to describe relations, as between nations, or processes, such as transitions of power. In fact, serene, when not describing an individual's expression or demeanor, is more likely to turn up in descriptions of settings where people are scarce!

Someone who is intrepid stays their course regardless of obstacles that arise. This bold adjective is a close synonym for fearless, but intrepid suggests a degree more resolve and daring. Adventurers, explorers, and travelers are all commonly described as intrepid; reporters, too, though not scaling mountains and traversing seas, are often described as intrepid, surmounting obstacles of a different variety. The phrase intrepid soul is used to refer to an individual who dares to do something to the surprise, delight, or admiration of others.