A city is a large or important town, or, more specifically and in the United States, an incorporated municipality, usually governed by a mayor. The synonym metropolis is used of large, bustling cities, or of cities that are of particular importance, as seats of government or cultural centers. The word itself comes from Late Latin mētropolis, the see or center of authority of a metropolitan bishop, from Greek mētrópolis “a mother state or city,” as of an ancient Greek colony. If you are looking for the perfect word for an an even larger city, or an urban region that consists of several large cities and suburbs that adjoin each other, the even more fun-to-say synonym megalopolis may do the trick. 

The noun book is a general term for any work of fiction or nonfiction. But when the work in question is something as ponderous and time-consuming as War and Peace or Infinite Jest, the one-size-fits-all term book might feel insufficient. Tome is the synonym you’re looking for. A tome is an especially heavy, large, or learned book. Tome comes by way of Middle French from Latin tomus, meaning “a cut, slide, or bit” or “a piece of length of papyrus.” The Latin term is a borrowing of Greek tómos “a slice.” Tome entered English referring to a volume of a larger work, but nowadays tome is often used in a slightly humorous manner to emphasize the seriousness and importance of a work, especially in contrast to the ease (and possibly enjoyment) offered by more portable page-turners.

There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the English language—not even when reviewing the adjective dull. This descriptor is used many different ways; in the example we just gave, dull means boring or uneventful. It can also mean tedious or uninteresting (a dull sermon), listless, not bright (a dull day) not sharp (as in a dull knife). The synonym lackluster has two meanings: lacking brilliance or radiance (lackluster eyes) and lacking liveliness, vitality, spirit, or enthusiasm (a lackluster performance). The earliest instance of lackluster comes courtesy of William Shakespeare in the comedy As You Like It: “And, looking on it with lackluster eye …” In modern usage, lackluster is often used to talk about things that are unimpressive or underwhelming.