The word for today is… fracking (noun): : the injection of fluid into shale beds at high pressure in order to free up petroleum resources (such as oil or natural gas) Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Hydraulic fracturing is a technique in which a liquid is injected under high pressure into a
The word for today is… fascism (noun): 1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and
The word for today is… mendacious (adjective): : given to or characterized by deception or falsehood or divergence from absolute truth Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Mendacious and lying have very similar meanings, but the two are not interchangeable. Mendacious is more formal and literary, suggesting a deception harmless enough to be
The word for today is… succour (noun, verb): noun 1: relief, also : aid, help 2: something that furnishes relief verb : to go to the aid of : relieve Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Middle English speakers adapted "socour," the predecessor of "succour," from the Anglo-French sucors, which essentially
The word for today is… unconscionable (adjective): Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Something that can't be done in good conscience is unconscionable, and such acts can range from betraying a confidence to mass murder. For a five-syllable word, unconscionable is actually quite common. This is partly because it isn&
The word for today is… ethos (noun): Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In Greek, ēthos means “custom” or “character.” As originally used by Aristotle, it referred to a person’s character or personality, especially with respect to a balance between passion and caution. In English, ethos is used today to refer
The word for today is… ambivalent (adjective): : having or showing simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings toward something or someone : characterized by ambivalence Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The words ambivalent and ambivalence entered English during the early 20th century in the field of psychology. Though they were introduced in German
The word for today is… memento (noun): : something that serves to warn or remind also : souvenir Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Memento comes from the imperative form of meminisse, a Latin verb that literally means "to remember." (The term memento mori, meaning "a reminder of mortality," translates
The word for today is… replete (adjective): 1: fully or abundantly provided or filled 2a: abundantly fed b: fat, stout 3: complete Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Given that one of the roots of replete is the Latin verb plēre, meaning "to fill," it isn't surprising that
The word for today is… ensconce (verb): 1: shelter, conceal 2: establish, settle Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : You might think of a sconce as a type of candleholder or lamp, but the word can also refer to a defensive fortification, usually one made of earth. Originally, then, a person who
The word for today is… incandescent (adjective): 1a: white, glowing, or luminous with intense heat b: strikingly bright, radiant, or clear c: marked by brilliance especially of expression d: characterized by glowing zeal : ardent 2a: of, relating to, or being light produced by incandescence b: producing light by incandescence Source
The word for today is… skirl (verb, noun): verb of a bagpipe : to emit the high shrill tone of the chanter noun : a high shrill sound produced by the chanter of a bagpipe Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Not every musical instrument is honored with its very own verb. But then,
The word for today is… propinquity (noun): 1: nearness of blood : kinship 2: nearness in place or time : proximity Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Propinquity and its cousin "proximity" are related through the Latin root prope, which means "near." That root gave rise to "proximus"
The word for today is… clement (adjective): 1: inclined to be merciful : lenient 2: mild - especially of weather Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Weather reporting being what it is, one is more likely to encounter the word inclement (“stormy”) in a forecast than its opposite, clement. But both words, naturally,
The word for today is… newfangled (adjective): 1: attracted to novelty 2: of the newest style or kind Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Newfangled is actually a pretty old word. It dates all the way back to the 15th century, and likely developed from the even older adjective newfangle, which probably
The word for today is… dearth (noun): 1: scarcity that makes dear, specifically famine 2: an inadequate supply : lack Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The facts about the history of the word dearth are quite simple: the word derives from the Middle English form derthe, which has the same meaning as
