Word of the Day

Intendiment is a noun that refers to consideration or attention.  Our word of the day shares its Latin roots with words like ‘intention’ and ‘intend.’ Intendiment, however, is a synonym for words like ‘attention.’ Here’s an example: When the TV commercial announced a buy one, get one free sale, they had my intendiment right away. But when I saw they were selling private jets, they lost me. 

Abulia is a noun that refers to an absence of willpower.  The Greek word boule (boo LEE) means ‘the will.’ By adding an ‘A’ to our word of the day, we get a word that means ‘without will.’ Abulia has been with us since the mid 19th century. Here’s an example of it in use: Last night there was no time for abulia. I know we were hungry, but to me, when a restaurant refuses to give us free fortune cookies, that’s when it’s time to choose another restaurant. 

Syncope is a noun that refers to the temporary loss of consciousness caused by a fall in blood pressure.  Our word of the day comes almost directly from a Greek word that means ‘strike’ or ‘cut off.’ By the Late Middle English period, syncope had been adopted into English. Here’s an example: Having a significant drop in blood pressure may not seem like a huge problem. But frankly, it would terrify me to experience the syncope that often comes with it. I can’t imagine anything scarier than losing consciousness. 

Sternutation is a noun that refers to the act of sneezing.  The Latin word ‘sternuere’ (stern you AIR ay) means ‘to sneeze.’ After a few modifications, this word moved into the English language in the Late Middle English period. Here’s an example of sternutation in use. After my eye surgery, the doctor told me to avoid sternutation if possible for a few days. As you can imagine, it was quite a challenge. I mean, how do you avoid something as natural and inescapable as a sneeze?

Villatic is an adjective that means rural.  The Latin word villa (WILL uh) has given birth to English words ‘village’ and our word of the day villatic. It’s been around since the late 16th century. Here’s an example of it in use: The villatic surroundings of my uncle’s home were a little unusual for me. But after about three months, living in a small town began to feel perfectly normal. 

Ballyrag is a verb that means to intimidate by bullying.  The origin of our word of the day is unclear, but you can think of it as a synonym for words like ‘berate,’ ‘scold,’ and, of course, ‘bully.’ Here’s an example: I tried to ballyrag everybody in the office into allowing me to listen to non-stop polka music. It didn’t work out so well. I guess there are some things people just can’t get bullied into.

Eclat is a noun that refers to a brilliant display or effect.  Our word of the day comes almost directly from the French word for ‘burst out.’ Since the late 17th century, it’s been used as a noun to refer to anything that bursts out in a prominent or audacious way. Here’s an example of it in use: Say what you will about George, but he sure has eclat. When he showed up for work in a sequined tuxedo, he caught everybody’s eye immediately. 

Misbegotten is an adjective that means badly conceived or planned.  The Middle English word ‘beget’ means ‘to produce offspring.’ Our word of the day originally referred to people who were born out of wedlock. But more recently, it refers to ideas or things that weren’t planned well. For example: My plans to have an office party were horribly misbegotten. Not only did I not properly plan the entertainment, but I didn’t realize that a pool party in December wouldn’t make much sense in Minnesota. 

Obnubilate is a verb that means to darken or obscure.  The Latin word obnubilare (ob new be LAR ay) means ‘to hide’ or ‘to obscure.’ Since the late 16th century our word of the day has been carrying out the same function in English. Example: People thought the scarf I was wearing was an attempt to be fashionable. But in truth, I was just hoping to obnubilate that coffee stain on my shirt. You’d be surprised how much of my clothing choices are really just attempts to mask my clumsiness.

Zhuz is a verb that means to make something more lively.  Our word of the day has been around since the 1960s, but nobody knows for certain where it came from. Here’s an example of it in use: I was hoping my ten-gallon hat would zhuzh up my swimming trunks. But it just made me look like a really confused cowboy.