The word for today is… sycophant (noun): a servile self-seeking flatterer Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In ancient Greece, sykophantes meant “slanderer.” It derives from two other Greek words, sykon (meaning “fig”) and phainein (meaning “to show or reveal”). How did fig revealers become slanderers? One theory has to do with
The word for today is… schadenfreude (noun – often capitalised): : enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Schadenfreude is a combination of the German nouns Schaden, meaning “damage” or “harm,” and Freude, meaning “joy.” So it makes sense that schadenfreude means joy over some harm or misfortune
The word for today is… jettison (verb): 1 : to get rid of as superfluous or encumbering : omit or forgo as part of a plan or as the result of some other decision 2 : to drop (cargo) to lighten a ship’s load in time of distress 3 : to drop from
The word for today is… bona fides (noun): 1 : good faith : sincerity 2 : the fact of being genuine —often plural in construction 3 : evidence of one’s good faith or genuineness —often plural in construction 4 : evidence of one’s qualifications or achievements —often plural in construction Source : Merriam -Webster
The word for today is… obsequious (adjective): : marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : According to the origin of the word, an obsequious person is more likely to be a follower than a leader. The word comes from Latin sequi, meaning “to follow”; the prefix ob-
The word for today is… litany (noun): 1 : a prayer consisting of a series of invocations and supplications by the leader with alternate responses by the congregation 2a : a resonant or repetitive chant b : a usually lengthy recitation or enumeration c : a sizable series or set – e.g. a litany
The word for today is… factoid (noun): 1 : an invented fact believed to be true because it appears in print 2 : a briefly stated and usually trivial fact Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : We can thank Norman Mailer for factoid: he used the word in his 1973 book Marilyn (about Marilyn
The word for today is… idiot (noun): 1 : a foolish or stupid person 2 dated, now seen as offensive by some: a person affected with extreme intellectual disability Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : We had ‘fool’ a year ago, so a synonym this year. The Greek adjective idios means “one’s
The word for today is… homologous (adjective): 1a : having the same relative position, value, or structure: such as a biology : having the same or allelic genes with genetic loci usually arranged in the same order homologous chromosomes b chemistry : belonging to or consisting of a chemical series whose successive members
The word for today is… imminent (adjective): : happening very soon Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Imminent bears a close resemblance to eminent, and native English-speakers can be excused if they sometimes have to check their spelling. No surprise, really, since the two, despite their very distinct meanings, come from near-identical sources.
The word for today is… myopic (adjective): 1 medical : not able to clearly see objects that are far away 2 disapproving : only thinking or caring about things that are happening now or that relate to a particular group rather than things that are in the future or that relate to
The word for today is… ziggurat (noun): : an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower consisting of a lofty pyramidal structure built in successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : French professor of archaeology Francois Lenormant spent a great deal of time poring over ancient
The word for today is… bamboozle (verb): 1 : to deceive by underhanded methods 2 : to confuse, frustrate, or throw off thoroughly or completely Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In 1710, Irish author Jonathan Swift wrote an article on “the continual Corruption of our English Tongue” in which he complained of “the
The word for today is… accede (verb): accede usually appears with addition ‘to’ – he accedes to….. 1 formal a : to express approval or give consent : to agree to a request or demand b : to become a party to something (such as an agreement) 2 formal : to enter upon an office
The word for today is… banshee (noun): : a female spirit in Gaelic folklore whose appearance or wailing warns a family that one of them will soon die Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In Irish folklore, a bean sídhe (literally “woman of fairyland”) was not a welcome guest. When she was seen
The word for today is… juggernaut (noun): 1 : a massive inexorable force, campaign, movement, or object that crushes whatever is in its path 2 chiefly British : a large heavy truck Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In the early 14th century, Franciscan missionary Friar Odoric brought to Europe the story of an
