- Today's Word
Luminescence
[loo-muh-NES-uhns]
Definition
- (noun) A person who radiates positivity, charisma, and an infectious energy that lights up any room they enter. It’s about having a glowing personality that naturally attracts others and makes them feel uplifted and inspired.
Example
As soon as Jada walked into the party, her luminescence captivated everyone’s attention, and people couldn’t help but gravitate towards her warm and inviting presence.
Fun Fact
In scientific terms, luminescence is the emission of light by a substance without the need for heat. Some examples of luminescence in nature include fireflies, glow-in-the-dark mushrooms, and certain species of jellyfish that produce their own light. Just like these fascinating creatures, a person with luminescence has a unique ability to shine brightly and stand out in a crowd.
(adjective) Excessively eager to please or obey; fawning and submissive to the point of being insincere.
The new intern was so obsequious — laughing at every joke, volunteering for every errand, agreeing with every opinion — that even the managers who enjoyed the flattery found it unsettling.
Obsequious derives from the Latin obsequiosus, meaning “compliant” or “accommodating,” rooted in obsequium, meaning “compliance” or “dutiful service,” from obsequi — “to follow after” or “to comply with.” It entered English in the 15th century originally without negative connotation, simply describing dutiful service. By the 17th century, writers began using it specifically to describe excessive, servile flattery — and the negative undertone has stuck ever since.