Word of the Day

A robustious person or event is full of energy and hard to ignore. Imagine a rowdy celebration where the crowd keeps getting louder as the evening goes on. A robustious character certainly doesn't sit around waiting to be noticed.

A nettlesome issue is irritating enough to bother you, but it's usually not a truly serious problem. The word is related to the stinging nettle, a plant whose leaves cause an unpleasant and sometimes lingering prickling sensation when touched. A squeaky cabinet hinge can become surprisingly nettlesome once it starts getting under your skin.

A trice is an instant or a moment. The word appears most naturally in the phrase "in a trice," meaning that something happens almost at once. Parents know that if you turn your back, the last cookie may disappear in a trice.

Something untrammeled is free to move or grow without restriction. It's based on trammel, an old word that could refer to a net, so untrammeled carries the sense of escaping whatever holds you back. An untrammeled sense of adventure can be as unstoppable as a wild horse running free.

To sough is to make a low rustling or murmuring sound, like wind slipping through tall grass or gentle waves lapping the shore. When something soughs, it's making the kind of quiet noise you might not even notice until you stop and listen for it.