The word for today is… wormhole (noun): 1 : a hole or passage burrowed by a worm 2 : a hypothetical structure of space-time envisioned as a tunnel connecting points that are separated in space and time Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology: If you associate “wormhole” with quantum physics and sci-fi,
The word for today is… grisly (adjective): 1 : inspiring horror or intense fear 2 : inspiring disgust or distaste Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : An angry grizzly bear could certainly inspire fear, so “grizzly” must be a variant of “grisly,” right? Yes and no. The adjective “grisly” is indeed sometimes spelled “grizzly,
The word for today is… qualm (noun): 1 : a feeling of uneasiness about a point especially of conscience or propriety 2 : a sudden feeling of usually disturbing emotion (such as doubt or fear) 3 : a sudden attack of illness, faintness, or nausea Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Etymologists aren’t sure
The word for today is… edify (verb): 1 : to instruct and improve especially in moral and religious knowledge 2 archaic a : build b : establish Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The Latin noun aedes, meaning “house” or “temple,” is the root of aedificare, a verb meaning “to erect a house.” Generations of
The word for today is… steadfast (adjective): 1a : firmly fixed in place : immovable b : not subject to change 2 : firm in belief, determination, or adherence Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Steadfast has held its ground in English for many centuries. Its Old English predecessor, stedefæst, combined stede (meaning “place” or “stead”
The word for today is… bevy (noun): 1 : a large group or collection 2 : a group of animals and especially quail Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : What do you call a group of crows? Or swine? Or leopards? Well-educated members of the medieval gentry seem to have been expected to
The word for today is… truncate (verb, adjective): verb 1 : to shorten by or as if by cutting off 2 : to replace (an edge or corner of a crystal) by a plane adjective : having the end square or even Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Truncate descends from the Latin verb truncare,
The word for today is… demagogue (noun): 1 : a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power 2 : a leader championing the cause of the common people in ancient times Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : When the ancient Greeks used demagogos (from
The word for today is… soporific (adjective, noun): adjective 1a : causing or tending to cause sleep b : tending to dull awareness or alertness 2 : of, relating to, or marked by sleepiness or lethargy noun : a soporific agent Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : “It is said that the effect of eating too
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
