The word for today is… hagiography (noun) – 1 : biography of saints or venerated persons 2 : idealizing or idolizing biography Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Like “biography” and “autograph,” the word hagiography has to do with the written word. The combining form “-graphy” comes from Greek graphein, meaning “to write.” “Hagio-” comes
The word for today is… expropriate (verb) – 1 : to deprive of possession or proprietary rights 2 : to transfer (the property of another) to one’s own possession Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : If you guessed that expropriate has something in common with the verb appropriate, you’re right. Both words ultimately
The word for today is… guttural (adjective) – 1 : articulated in the throat 2 : being or marked by utterance that is strange, unpleasant, or disagreeable Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Though it is now used to describe many sounds or utterances which strike the listener as harsh or disagreeable, the adjective guttural
The word for today is… attenuate (verb) – 1 : to lessen the amount, force, magnitude, or value of : weaken 2 : to reduce the severity, virulence, or vitality of 3 : to make thin or slender 4 : to make thin in consistency : rarefy 5 : to become thin, fine, or less Source : Merriam -Webster
The word for today is… capricious (adjective) – governed or characterized by caprice : impulsive, unpredictable Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The noun caprice, which first appeared in English in the mid-17th century, is a synonym of whim. Evidence shows that the adjective capricious debuted about sixty years before caprice; it’s
The word for today is… torpor (noun) – 1a : a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility b : a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals 2
The word for today is… omniscient (adjective) – 1 : having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight 2 : possessed of universal or complete knowledge Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : One who is omniscient literally knows all. The word omniscient, which has been part of English since at least the beginning of the 17th century,
The word for today is… flounder (noun, verb) – noun : flatfish especially any of various marine fishes (families Pleuronectidae, Paralichthyidae, and Bothidae) that include important food fishes verb : 1 : to struggle to move or obtain footing : thrash about wildly 2 : to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology
The word for today is… shibboleth (noun) – 1a : a word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning b : a widely held belief c : truism, platitude 2a : a use of language regarded as distinctive of a particular
The word for today is… cataract (noun) – 1 a clouding of the lens of the eye or of its surrounding transparent membrane that obstructs the passage of light 2 a obsolete : waterspout b : waterfall especially : a large one over a precipice c : steep rapids in a river Source : Merriam -Webster
The word for today is… hoodlum (noun) – 1 : thug : a violent criminal 2 : a young ruffian Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : A hoodlum can be anyone from a dangerous thug to a young person who’s just up to no good. The exact origins of the word are not known, but
The word for today is… vapid (adjective) – : lacking flavor, zest, interest, animation, or spirit Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : ‘Then away goes the brisk and pleasant Spirits and leave a vapid or sour Drink.‘ So wrote John Mortimer, an early 18th-century expert on agriculture, orchards, and cider-making, in his
The word for today is… acerbic (adjective) – : sharply or bitingly critical, sarcastic, or ironic in temper, mood, or tone Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : English speakers created “acerbic” in the 19th century by adding “-ic” to the adjective “acerb.” “Acerb” had been around since the 17th century, but for most of
The word for today is… nonplus (verb) – : to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do : perplex Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Some people believe the “non” in nonplus means “not” and assume that to be nonplussed is to be calm and poised when just
The word for today is… ruthless (adjective) – : having no pity : merciless, cruel Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Ruthless can be defined as “without ruth” or “having no ruth.” So what, then, is ruth? The noun ruth, which is now considerably less common than ruthless, means “compassion for the misery of another,
The word for today is… emprise (noun) – an adventurous, daring, or chivalric enterprise Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Someone who engages in emprises undertakes much, so it’s no surprise that “emprise” descends from the Anglo-French word emprendre, meaning “to undertake.” It’s also no surprise that “emprise” became established
