vapid This word refers to something that is uninteresting or unchallenging, something uninspired or dull. Unlike many of the words I’ve shared, there is nothing “fun” about this one. It represents a lack of effort, a casualness that simply couldn’t be bothered to try. It is often used to refer to a performance or a …
doughty This word has long been a favorite of mine. I can’t remember exactly when I first heard it, but I’m sure it was in a sentence something like, “he was a doughty fighter.” The word means persistent or brave or tough. In my mind in connotes a sort of “stick-to-it-ness”. I suppose one of …
reeve Here’s a word you might not be familiar with – unless you’re from Canada (and even then, maybe not). It is the title given to the mayor of a village or the leader of a town. The only place I believe it is still used today is in Canada, in small rural villages in …
limpid So at first glance this word hardly looks that special. It seems to suggest something wilting, like a flower that has spent too long in a vase and needs to be tossed out. It’s hard to imagine anything starting with the word limp and coming up smelling like roses but that is just the …
Viand This is another uncommon word and again, I simply love the sound of it. It means food, or a piece of food. It’s usually used in the plural in the way we’d use foodstuffs or provisions. For example: The viands of the king were always abundant and delicious. The word comes to us, rather appropriately, …
Predilection. One of my favorite words (see what I did there?) Because it lets me talk about some of my Favorite Things! Check it out.
Welkin This word means simply “sky” or “the heavens”. It is an antiquated word that descends from the Old English wolcen. I doubt you’ll get much practical use out of it, but it is occasionally used in the phrase, “the ringing of the welkin” to signal when something momentous is occurring or is about to occur. …
Scrivener A scrivener is a scribe, copyist, or clerk, someone who deals with paperwork or words. I’ve always liked this word because of the sound of it. It sounds like ‘scribble’ which is what I imagine most scriveners doing. Indeed scribe, scribble, and scrivener all trace their origin from the same latin roots, scribere ‘to …
