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.
noun
eager or excessive desire, especially to possess something; greed.
Explanation
- Cupidity originally comes from the Latin word cupiditās, meaning “eager, desirous.”
- Cupid, commonly represented as a winged being symbolic of love, comes from the same Latin root.
- Cupidity was first recorded in English between 1400-50.
- Their cupidity for power blinded them to the needs of their constituents.
- The CEO's cupidity led to unethical business practices.
noun
one’s reason for being, which in principle is the convergence of one’s personal passions, beliefs, values, and vocation.
Explanation
- Ikigai was first recorded in English between 1970–75.
- It comes from Japanese and translates literally as “the value of being alive.”
- Ikigai is formed from iki, meaning “life, living, being alive,” and kai, meaning “worth, value, benefit.”
- Many people find their ikigai through pursuing hobbies or creative endeavors that align with their personal values and interests.
- Your ikigai should not be solely focused on financial success but rather on finding a balance between your passion, purpose, and profession.
noun
pull; strong influence.
Explanation
- Clout comes from the Old English word clūt, meaning "piece of cloth or metal."
- The slang meaning of clout appears as early as the 1860s, apparently based on a centuries-old sense of clout meaning “punch” or “force,” which came from the verb form clūtian, "to patch" and "to strike with the hand."
- Clout got new life again in the 2000s with the rise of social media and spread in the 2010s as a more general slang term meaning popularity and coolness.
- Despite being a newcomer to the industry, she was helped by her father's clout in securing a high-profile job.
- Many of the world leaders seek to gain diplomatic clout by forming alliances with other countries.
noun
a string or chain of flowers, foliage, ribbon, suspended in a curve between two points.
Explanation
- Festoon can also be a verb meaning "to adorn with festoons."
- Festoon entered English between 1670–80.
- It comes via French from the Italian word festone, meaning "decoration for a feast."
- The wedding arch was a festoon made of delicate white flowers that swayed in the gentle breeze.
- For the music festival, the decorators had strung a festoon with bright neon lights across the stage to illuminate the performers and audience alike.
noun
a protagonist who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose, and the like.
Explanation
- Antihero entered English at the turn of the 18th century and is formed from the Latin prefix anti, meaning "opposite of" and hero, originally from the Greek word hḗrōs, meaning "protector" or "defender."
- Hero and its counterpart antihero were first used almost exclusively to refer to a man.
- Although the corresponding word heroine and its counterpart antiheroine were—and still are—reserved for women, hero and antihero are now considered to be gender-neutral words.
- Despite his questionable methods and morally ambiguous choices, the antihero of the story captivated audiences with his complex personality and unconventional approach to justice.
- In a refreshing departure from traditional heroes, the antihero's flawed nature allowed for a more realistic and relatable depiction of human struggles, resonating with a generation seeking characters who defy conventions.
