News from March 14–March 20, 2026
Each week, we scan the latest headlines to spot words in action. From major news stories to pop culture buzz, this feature highlights language as it’s unfolding. Stories about crystal-gazing chimps, a lava planet, and robot battles all contributed to the vocabulary from this week’s news.
abysmal
adjective: exceptionally bad or displeasing
From the headlines: A remake of War of the Worlds was a major winner/loser at the 46th Annual Golden Raspberry Awards. It picked up Razzies for worst screenplay, actor, director, and remake, along with the ultimate dishonor of worst picture. Starring Ice Cube as a DHS analyst, the film was widely panned as abysmal, with some reviewers likening it to “a 90-minute Zoom call” made worse by an incoherent plot. The dubious accolades were decided by a voting group of about 1,200 film fans and industry insiders.
aristocrat
noun: a member of the nobility
From the headlines: Britain’s Parliament voted to remove hereditary aristocrats from the unelected House of Lords. There are currently ninety-two earls, dukes, and viscounts whose parliamentary seats came with their inherited titles. These nobles will leave the legislative body at the end of its current session in May. The House of Lords reviews and amends legislation passed by the elected House of Commons.
enthrall
verb: to captivate or charm
From the headlines: Spanish researchers are suggesting that chimpanzees can be just as captivated by crystals as people can. In a study, the gleaming stones appeared to enthrall a group of nine chimps. They handled quartz crystals with intense curiosity, lifting them to eye level and organizing them based on qualities like clarity and shine. Early findings suggest that this attraction may have evolutionary roots.
impresario
noun: a sponsor who books and stages public entertainment
From the headlines: A Detroit impresario stages elaborate shows in which performers in metal robot costumes fight in front of a live audience. These productions, called Robowars, have become extremely popular and lucrative for Art Cartwright, the showman behind them. His organization, The Interactive Combat League, taps local robotics talent to present spectacular performances, protecting viewers behind bulletproof glass as giant robots battle, firing exploding projectiles at each other.
levee
noun: an embankment built to prevent a river from overflowing
From the headlines: Iceland’s “lava cooling manager” is planning the country’s defense against its next big volcanic eruption. Helgi Hjorleifsson is leading an experiment to direct lava away from specific sites using levees. These dams consist of 26-foot tall defensive barriers built from soil. Like river levees guiding water, they work by diverting the flow of lava, moving it away from power plants, roads, and homes.
mosaic
noun: design made of small pieces of colored stone, ceramic, glass, or the like
From the headlines: Activists in Moldova are working to preserve the country’s Soviet-era mosaics by documenting and mapping them. Many Moldovans overlook these artworks, which are found in ordinary places like bus stops and public buildings around the country. The works are composed of small glass or ceramic tiles pieced together into scenes from folklore, space exploration, portraits, and more. As the mosaics age, the colorful fragments are chipping off, making their preservation urgent.
purloin
verb: to make off with belongings of others
From the headlines: A diamond ring stolen from actress Lily Collins three years ago has turned up at a Chicago jewelry store. Collins, known for her role in Emily in Paris, had left her engagement ring in a locker at a Los Angeles spa in May 2023 when a thief purloined it. A Chicago jeweler who purchased the ring at a recent trade show later recognized it and sent it back to Collins.
strait
noun: a narrow channel joining two larger bodies of water
From the headlines: The ongoing military conflict with Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz to most of its usual traffic, including tankers that carry about 20 percent of the world’s oil from the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. President Trump has urged European countries, South Korea, and China to send warships to protect the narrow waterway from Iranian attacks, but so far foreign nations have declined to do so.
virologist
noun: a scientist who studies viruses and diseases caused by them
From the headlines: A team of Chinese virologists is exploring a novel way to immunize bats against dangerous diseases by using mosquitoes to deliver vaccines. Because bats can harbor pathogens such as coronavirus, Ebola, and rabies, vaccinating them in the wild could help limit the spread of these illnesses to humans. So far, the virologists have tested the method in the lab and reported encouraging results, but the research is still in its early stages.
viscous
adjective: (of a liquid) having a relatively high resistance to flow
From the headlines: Astronomers have discovered a new planet about thirty-five light-years from Earth that appears to be made entirely of molten lava. The planet, known as L98-59d, has a thick, viscous surface described as being “like molasses,” with waves of 3,500-degree magma rolling across it. The finding is notable for establishing a new category of planets, which are being called “liquid planets.”
