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Word of the day

risible

[ riz-uh-buhl ] [ ˈrɪz ə bəl ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

adjective

causing or capable of causing laughter; laughable; ludicrous.

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Why Dictionary.com chose risible

More about risible

  • Entered English around 1550–60.
  • From Late Latin rīsibilis, “that can laugh.”
  • Risible can also mean “having the ability, disposition, or readiness to laugh.”
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EXAMPLES OF RISIBLE

  • The cartoonist masterfully depicted the world’s leaders in a risible manner, providing a satirical critique of their actions.
  • The absurd plot of the movie made it thoroughly risible, leaving the viewers in stitches.
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Word of the day

cavil

[ kav-uhl ] [ ˈkæv əl ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

verb

to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily.

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Why Dictionary.com chose cavil

More about cavil

  • First recorded in 1540–50.
  • From Latin cavillārī “to jeer, scoff, quibble.”
  • Cavillārī is a derivative of cavilla “jesting, banter.”
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EXAMPLES OF CAVIL

  • Instead of appreciating the effort put into the event, he chose to cavil about the choice of music, claiming it ruined the entire experience.
  • She tends to cavil about grammar mistakes in online forums, often derailing discussions with her pedantic comments.
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Word of the day

imponderabilia

[ im-pon-der-uh-bil-ee-uh ] [ ɪmˌpɒn dər əˈbɪl i ə ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

plural noun

things that cannot be precisely determined, measured, or evaluated.

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Why Dictionary.com chose imponderabilia

More about imponderabilia

  • First recorded in 1920–25.
  • From Medieval Latin imponderābilis, “not ponderable.”
  • Imponderābilis comes from Latin ponderāre, “to weigh, reflect on,” a derivative of pondus, “weight.”
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EXAMPLES OF IMPONDERABILIA

  • Throughout history, artists have tried to capture the imponderabilia of human emotions.
  • The philosopher contemplated the imponderabilia of existence, pondering questions that had no easy answers.
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