The word for today is… bespoke (adjective): 1a : custom-made b : dealing in or producing custom-made articles 2 dialect : engaged Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :In the English language of yore, the verb bespeak had various meanings, including “to speak,” “to accuse,” and “to complain.” In the 16th century, bespeak
The word for today is… litotes (noun): : understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary (as in “not a bad singer” or “not unhappy”) Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Even if you’ve never heard the word litotes, chances are you’ve encountered this figure of
The word for today is… hyperbole (noun): : extravagant exaggeration Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :In the 5th century B.C. there was a rabble-rousing Athenian politician named Hyperbolus. Since Hyperbolus is known to history as a demagogue, i.e. “a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims
The word for today is… noel (noun): 1 : a Christmas carol 2 capitalized : christmas Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :English speakers borrowed the word noel from French. It can be traced further back to the Latin word natalis, which can mean “birthday” as a noun or “of or relating to birth”
The word for today is… frenetic (adjective): : marked by fast and energetic, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :In modern use, frenetic can describe a focused and intense effort to meet a deadline, or dancing among a hyped-up crowd, but the word’s Middle English predecessor,
The word for today is… cadence (noun): 1a : the beat, time, or measure of rhythmical motion or activity b : a rhythmic sequence or flow of sounds in language c : a regular and repeated pattern of activity 2a : a falling inflection of the voice b : a concluding and usually falling strain
The word for today is… subpoena (noun, verb): noun : a writ commanding a person designated in it to appear in court under a penalty for failure verb : to serve or summon with a writ of subpoena Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :If you think you recognize the sub- in subpoena as
The word for today is… transmogrify (noun): : to change or alter greatly and often with grotesque or humorous effect Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :We know that the prefix trans-, meaning “across” or “beyond,” appears in many words that evoke change, such as transform and transpire, but mogrify is a bit
The word for today is… decorous (noun): : marked by propriety and good taste Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :One of the earliest recorded uses of decorous appears in a book titled The Rules of Civility (1673): “It is not decorous to look in the Glass, to comb, brush, or do any
The word for today is… rabble (noun, verb): noun 1 : a disorganized or confused collection of things 2a : a disorganized or disorderly crowd of people : mob b : the lowest class of people verb : to insult or assault by or as a mob Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Rabble has been with
The word for today is… avuncular (adjective): 1 : suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality 2 : of or relating to an uncle Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Not all uncles are likeable fellows (Hamlet’s villainous Uncle Claudius, for example, isn’t exactly Mr. Nice Guy in Shakespeare’s
The word for today is… spiel (verb, noun): verb 1 : to play music 2 : to talk volubly or extravagantly noun : a voluble line of often extravagant talk Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Spiel is well-known as a noun, and you may also be aware that spiel can be used as
The word for today is… disparity (noun): : a noticeable and usually significant difference or dissimilarity Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Disparity contains the Latin dis, meaning “apart” or “non-“, so a disparity is a kind of “nonequality”. The word is often used to describe a social or economic condition that’s
The word for today is… defamation (noun): : the act of communicating false statements about a person that injure the reputation of that person Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Harming someone’s reputation in speech with falsehoods is known as slander, and doing the same thing in writing is known as libel
The word for today is… atone (verb): : to make amends : to provide or serve as reparation or compensation for something bad or unwelcome —usually + for Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Atone has its roots in the idea of reconciliation and harmony. It grew out of the Middle English phrase at on
The word for today is… proffer (verb): : to present for acceptance Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :As rhyming synonyms, proffer and offer are quite the pair, and we can proffer an explanation as to why: both come ultimately from Latin offerre, meaning “to present, tender, proffer, offer.” Offer had been part
