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Word of the day

mendacious

[ men-dey-shuhs ] [ mɛnˈdeɪ ʃəs ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

adjective

telling lies, especially habitually; dishonest; lying; untruthful

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Why Dictionary.com chose mendacious

More about mendacious

  • First used between 1610–20;
  • From Latin mendāci-, (see mendacity) + -ous.

EXAMPLES OF MENDACIOUS

  • The tabloids published a mendacious story about the celebrity’s personal life.
  • My mendacious behavior made it difficult for anyone to trust me.
20240103
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tweak

[ tweek ] [ twik ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

verb

to make a minor adjustment to

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Why Dictionary.com chose tweak

More about tweak

  • First recorded in 1595–1605; akin to twitch.

EXAMPLES OF TWEAK

  • After reviewing the report, I decided to tweak the conclusion to make it clearer.
  • The software engineer tweaked the program’s code to improve its speed.
20240103
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Word of the day

catawampus

[ kat-uh-wom-puhs ] [ ˌkæt əˈwɒm pəs ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

adjective

askew; awry

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Why Dictionary.com chose catawampus

More about catawampus

  • First recorded in 1830–40 for an earlier sense of “utterly,” (apparently the adverb catawampusly was used before the adjective).
  • Thought to be formed from cata-, “diagonally,” (see cater-cornered) + wampus, perhaps akin to wampish.

EXAMPLES OF CATAWAMPUS

  • The construction workers left the beam in a catawampus position, causing concern about the building’s stability.
  • The painting hung in a catawampus way, making it look out of place on the otherwise neat wall.
20240103
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