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.
adjective
slender and long-limbed.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1865–70.
- Comes from the noun range, which refers to an open region for grazing livestock.
- Range comes from the Old French word renge, meaning “row,” which is a derivative of renc, “line," related to rank, "a row or line of people."
- Sign up for more Word of the Day!
- The rangy horse galloped gracefully across the open field.
- The team's star player was known for his rangy build and his ability to cover a lot of ground on the basketball court.
noun
a feeling of vexation, marked by disappointment or humiliation.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1650–60.
- Comes from the French word chagrin, meaning "melancholy, anxiety, vexation."
- The French word chagrin is of unknown origin.
- Sign up for more Word of the Day!
- Much to his chagrin, it was evident that he had forgotten his lines in the school play.
- She tried to hide her chagrin when her presentation didn't go as planned.
noun
the quality or state of having or showing a lack of experience or judgment; natural or artless simplicity.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1665–75 from French.
- As the adjective naive, comes via the Old French word naif, meaning "natural, instinctive," from Latin nātīvus "natural."
- Sign up for more Word of the Day!
- Despite his age, there was a certain charm in his naiveté that reminded others of simpler times.
- As she grew older, her naiveté gave way to a more cautious and skeptical outlook on life.
noun
a sugarcoated nut or candy.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1850–55.
- Comes from French, ultimately from the Greek word tragḗma, “dried fruit eaten as dessert, confection.”
- Also related to the cooking term dredge, "to sprinkle or coat with some powdered substance, especially flour."
- Sign up for more Word of the Day!
- The pastry chef carefully arranged the dragées on top of the cake to add a touch of elegance and sweetness.
- Guests at the wedding reception delighted in the crunchy texture and sugary coating of the almond dragées.
adverb
in a way that is characterized by melancholy or longing; pensively.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1660–70.
- Comes from the word wistful, with the obsolete word wist, “quiet, silent, attentive” as the stem.
- Sign up for more Word of the Day!
- The musician played a haunting melody on his violin, making the audience sway wistfully to its melancholic tune.
- Walking through the deserted park, she smiled wistfully at the faded graffiti that reminded her of past adventures.
