The word for today is… knackered (adjective): : tired, exhausted Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :An apt synonym for knackered might be the phrase “dead tired” for more than one reason. Knackered comes from the past participle of knacker, a slang term meaning “to kill,” as well as “to tire, exhaust, or
The word for today is… marginalia (plural noun): 1: marginal notes or embellishments (as in a book) 2: nonessential items Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :In the introduction to his essay titled “Marginalia,” Edgar Allan Poe wrote: “In getting my books, I have always been solicitous of an ample margin; this
The word for today is… balkanise (verb): 1: to break up (a region, a group, etc.) into smaller and often hostile units 2: divide, compartmentalize Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :The Balkan Peninsula of southeastern Europe is lapped by the Adriatic Sea in the west and the Black Sea in the
The word for today is… endemic (adjective, noun): adjective 1a: belonging or native to a particular people or country b: characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment 2: restricted or peculiar to a locality or region noun : an organism that is restricted or peculiar to a
The word for today is… short shrift (compound noun): 1: barely adequate time for confession before execution 2a: little or no attention or consideration b: quick work—usually used in the phrase make short shrift of Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :A rare entry this morning, a compound noun. The earliest
The word for today is… exacerbate (verb): : to make more violent, bitter, or severe Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :The Latin adjective acer, meaning “sharp,” forms the basis of a number of English words. Acerbic (“having a bitter temper or sour mood”), acrid (“having a sharp taste or odor”), and acrimony
The word for today is… vulpine (adjective): 1: of, relating to, or resembling a fox 2: foxy, crafty Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :In Walden (1854), Henry David Thoreau described foxes crying out as they hunted through the winter forest, and he wrote, “Sometimes one came near to my window, attracted
The word for today is… misanthrope (noun): : a person who hates or distrusts humankind Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Misanthrope comes from the Greek misanthropos “hating humankind” and was very likely popularized by the French playwright Moliere’s Le Misanthrope, which depicts a bitter critic of society who chooses exile over
The word for today is… implacable (adjective): : not placable : not capable of being appeased, significantly changed, or mitigated Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Implacable is rooted in Latin placare, meaning “to soothe,” but its im- prefix is a variant of the negating prefix in- (as in inactive) and it signals that
The word for today is… hoodwink (verb): 1: to deceive by false appearance : dupe 2 archaic : blindfold 3 obsolete : hide Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :We usually use the word wink to refer to a brief shutting of one eye, but hoodwink draws on an older and more obscure meaning of
The word for today is… paladin (noun): 1: a trusted military leader (as for a medieval prince) 2: a leading champion of a cause Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Rome was founded on the Palatine Hill (known as Palatium in Latin), site of the cave where Roman legend tells us Romulus
The word for today is… recondite (adjective): 1: difficult or impossible for one of ordinary understanding or knowledge to comprehend 2: of, relating to, or dealing with something little known or obscure 3: hidden from sight : concealed Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Recondite is one of those underused but useful words
The word for today is… ethic (noun): 1a: a set of moral principles : a theory or system of moral values b ethics (plural in form but singular or plural in construction) : the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group c: a consciousness of moral importance d: a guiding
The word for today is… countenance (noun, verb): noun 1a: look, expression b: mental composure c: calm expression 2: face, visage – especially : the face as an indication of mood, emotion, or character 3: bearing or expression that offers approval or sanction : moral support 4: obsolete : bearing, demeanor verb : to extend
The word for today is… bombast (noun): : pretentious inflated speech or writing Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Bombast settled softly into English in the mid-late 16th century as a textile term used to refer to cotton or other soft fibrous material used as padding or stuffing (its ultimate source is
The word for today is… teleological (adjective): : exhibiting or relating to design or purpose especially in nature Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :The word, along with its close relative teleology, comes to us by way of New Latin, from the Greek root telos, meaning “end or purpose.” Both entered English in
