Avowed — A Vocabulary Story
The Avowed Enemy of Broccoli
Ahmad was an avowed enemy of broccoli. He had announced it at breakfast, repeated it at lunch, and once written it on a poster for the fridge: NO BROCCOLI. NOT NOW. NOT EVER.
Avowed means openly acknowledged or declared.
"I avow," he declared, standing on a kitchen chair with one hand on his heart, "that no broccoli shall ever pass these lips."
His big sister Amira rolled her eyes but said nothing. Ahmad climbed down with great dignity.
On Friday, Dad made his famous crispy noodles. Ahmad gobbled a huge forkful. It was crunchy, garlicky, absolutely delicious. He ate another. And another.
"Good?" asked Dad, with a suspicious twinkle.
"The best," said Ahmad, mouth full.
Amira leaned over and pointed at a small green tree hiding among the noodles. Ahmad froze mid-chew. Broccoli. He had eaten broccoli. Worse — he had enjoyed it.
"You avow a lot of things," said Amira sweetly. "Last week you were an avowed hater of baths, and now you smell of strawberry bubbles."
"That was different," Ahmad mumbled. He swallowed slowly, thinking of his poster, his speeches, his solemn avowal on the kitchen chair. A true gentleman, he decided, keeps his word. But a true gentleman also finishes delicious noodles.
"I remain an avowed enemy of broccoli," he announced grandly, spearing another green tree, "except on Fridays. In noodles. When nobody mentions it."
Amira grinned. Dad quietly added broccoli to Saturday's shopping list, and Ahmad pretended, very hard, not to notice.
Word Definition
avowed
meaning
openly acknowledged or declared
synonyms
affirmed · declared · professed · admitted · sworn
antonyms
denied · ignored · neglected
example sentence
He is an avowed supporter of environmental causes.