Word of the Day
Learn a new word every day! The Dictionary.com team of language experts carefully selects each Word of the Day to add some panache to your vocabulary.
work of little or no value done merely to keep or look busy
A boondoggle is busywork dressed up as meaningful effort. Anyone who's ever been involved with a pointless work task or project knows the feeling. If you want a word that's all show and no substance, go for boondoggle.
The three-hour meeting to discuss the company's free coffee policy felt like a complete boondoggle.
a surface from which writing has been erased to make room for another text
A palimpsest is a surface rewritten over time, where earlier layers have been erased but still faintly show through. Old manuscripts with edits, historic documents on parchment, or walls with layered graffiti can be palimpsests. From a Greek term meaning "scraped again," the word is about both memory and reinvention.
Faint traces of old writing appeared beneath the new ink on the ancient palimpsest.
to convert into or regard as a concrete thing
To reify is to make something abstract feel real. The word comes from a Latin root meaning "thing," emphasizing the act of turning thought into substance. We might talk about an economy as "healthy" or "unhealthy," as though it were a person rather than an invisible network of complex forces. That's reifying something!
Through vivid storytelling, the novelist reified the notion of memory, making it feel almost tangible.
marked by lavishness and richness; sumptuous
Lucullan describes something lavish or indulgently rich. The word hails from Lucullus, a Roman general famous for throwing feasts so extravagant that they became legendary. Looking for a word to describe that fancy restaurant or five-star hotel? Try Lucullan.
The guests were amazed by the Lucullan feast served at the billionaire's wedding reception.
a small gift given with a purchase to a customer
A lagniappe is a little something extra a customer receives with a purchase. It could be a brownie slipped into the takeout bag or a handwritten thank-you note. In Louisiana, giving a lagniappe is a cherished tradition that shows how small gestures can make a big impression.
The baker added a free cupcake to my order as a sweet lagniappe.
