(pronounced uh-MOR-fehs)

Remember this word by picturing an amoeba. You know – an ever-changing protozoan that you’ve seen either on the Discovery Channel, under a microscope in high school science class, or in creepy science fiction flicks. Yes, the word amorphous is an adjective meaning without a clearly defined form or shape – i.e., without structure. The term isn’t limited to microscopic organisms, though. It can be applied to other, more intangible things, describing them as unclassifiable / unknown or lacking unity and organization.

EXAMPLE: When she returned to work after only three sick days, Jackie was horrified to review the amorphous mess of a proposal that her project team submitted in response to the potential new client’s RFP.