Word of the Day
enervate
verb
to deprive of force or strength; destroy the vigor of; weaken.
learn about the english language
Why Dictionary.com chose enervate
More about enervate
- Enervate was first recorded in 1595–1605.
- Enervate is from the Latin word ēnervātus, meaning “weakened.”
- Ēnervātus is formed from ē-, meaning “from, out of,” and nerv(us), “sinew, tendon.”
EXAMPLES OF ENERVATE
- The monotonous routine of his desk job enervated his motivation, making it difficult for him to stay focused.
- The heatwave and high humidity enervated the athletes, hindering their performance on the field.
vertiginous
adjective
liable or threatening to cause the dizzying sensation of vertigo.
learn about the english language
Why Dictionary.com chose vertiginous
More about vertiginous
- Vertiginous entered English around 1600–10.
- Vertiginous comes from the Latin word vertīginōsus, meaning “dizzy.”
- Vertiginous shares the same stem as vertigo, “a dizzying sensation of tilting within stable surroundings or of being in tilting or spinning surroundings.”
EXAMPLES OF VERTIGINOUS
- Looking out from the observation deck, the city’s skyscrapers seemed to rise endlessly into a vertiginous skyline.
- The towering roller coaster offered a vertiginous thrill to its riders as it plunged from dizzying heights.
learn about the english language
Why Dictionary.com chose smithereens
More about smithereens
- Smithereens was first recorded in 1820–30.
- Smithereens may come from the dialectal variant smithers, “tiny pieces.”
- Smithereens also contains the suffix –een similar to Irish –ín, which is used to emphasize the small size of something.
- Smithereens is always used in the plural form.
EXAMPLES OF SMITHEREENS
- She tore up the letter into tiny smithereens of paper before throwing them in the trash.
- The old building was demolished, reducing it to smithereens in a matter of seconds.
Word of the Day Calendar
