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David Theobald

The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… propitiate (verb): : to gain or regain the favour or goodwill of Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Like its synonym “appease,” propitiate means “to ease the anger or disturbance of,” but there are subtle differences between the two terms as well. “Appease” usually implies quieting insistent demands

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… camaraderie (noun): : a spirit of friendly good-fellowship Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Camaraderie made its first appearance in English in the middle of the 19th century. It comes from camarade, the French word whose Middle French ancestor was also the source for our word comrade.

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… lenient (adjective): 1 : of mild and tolerant disposition or effect : not harsh, severe, or strict 2 : exerting a soothing or easing influence Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Lenient is a word with a soothing history. It derives from the Latin verb lenire, meaning “to soothe” or

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… inane (adjective, noun): adjective 1 : lacking significance, meaning, or point 2 : empty, insubstantial noun : void or empty space Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The adjective “inane” is now most commonly encountered as a synonym of “shallow” or “silly.” But when this word first entered the English

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… doppelganger (noun): 1a : double b : alter ego c : a person who has the same name as another 2 : a ghostly counterpart Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : According to age-old German folklore, all living creatures have a spirit double who is invisible but identical to the

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… misdemeanor (noun): 1 : a crime less serious than a felony 2 : misdeed Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Misdemeanor comes from demeanor, which means “behavior toward others” or “outward manner” (as in “his quiet demeanor”), itself derived from the verb demean, which means “to conduct or behave

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… eloquent (adjective): 1 : marked by forceful and fluent expression 2 : vividly or movingly expressive or revealing Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Since “eloquent” can have to do with speaking, it makes sense that it comes from the Latin verb loqui, which means “to speak.” “Loqui” is

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… facile (adjective): 1a(1) : easily accomplished or attained (2) : shallow, simplistic b : used or comprehended with ease c : readily manifested and often lacking sincerity or depth 2 archaic : mild or pleasing in manner or disposition Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Would you have guessed that “facile”

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… hector (noun, verb): noun 1 : capitalized : a son of Priam, husband of Andromache, and Trojan champion slain by Achilles 2 : bully, braggart verb : to behave in an arrogant or intimidating way : to play the bully : swagger : to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… placebo (noun): 1a : a usually pharmacologically inert preparation prescribed more for the mental relief of the patient than for its actual effect on a disorder b : an inert or innocuous substance used especially in controlled experiments testing the efficacy of another substance (such as a

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… mirage (noun): 1 : an optical effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, that may have the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… bogus (adjective): not genuine : counterfeit, sham Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : You may know bogus as a slang word meaning “uncool” or simply “no good,” but did you know that bogus has actually been a part of English since the early 1800s? Not only was the

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… devotion (noun): 1a : religious fervor : piety b : an act of prayer or private worship —usually used in plural c : a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate 2a : the act of dedicating something to a cause, enterprise, or activity b : the fact or

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… untoward (adjective): : difficult to guide, manage, or work with : unruly, intractable Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : More than 700 years ago, English speakers began using the word toward for “forward-moving” youngsters, the kind who showed promise and were open to listening to their elders. After

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… venal (adjective): 1 : capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration : especially open to corrupt influence and, especially, bribery 2 : originating in, characterized by, or associated with corrupt bribery Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : If you are given the choice between acts

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… batten (verb, noun, verb): verb 1a : to grow fat b : to feed gluttonously 2 : to grow prosperous especially at the expense of another —usually used with on noun 1a British : a piece of lumber used especially for flooring b : a thin narrow strip of lumber

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