Today's Word

Absquatulate

[ab-SKWOCH-uh-late]

Definition

(verb) To leave abruptly or quickly, often in a secretive or sneaky manner. It’s a fancy, humorous way of saying “to flee” or “to make off with haste.”

Example

When the police sirens started wailing, the pranksters decided to absquatulate from the scene before they got caught.

Fun Fact

“Absquatulate” is a playful American coinage from the 1830s. It blends “ab-” (meaning “away” in Latin) with “squat” and the verb-forming suffix “-ulate.” The word emerged during a period when Americans were inventing many humorously long words, often combining Latin-sounding elements with colloquial English. Despite its formal sound, it was considered slang and often used in a jocular context. The word’s unusual sound and spelling make it a favorite among logophiles (word lovers) and it’s occasionally used today for its comedic effect or to add a touch of old-fashioned flair to language.

Previous Words

Ennui

Today's Word

Ennui

on-WEE

Definition

(noun) A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement; world-weary boredom.

Example

She wasn’t unhappy exactly — just gripped by a creeping ennui that made everything feel slightly less vivid than it probably was.

Word Origin

Ennui comes directly from French, where it derives from the Old French enui, meaning “annoyance” or “worry,” rooted in the Latin in odio — literally “in hatred” — from the phrase mihi in odio est, meaning “it is hateful to me.” The word entered English in the 18th century largely through literary use, as English writers borrowed it to describe a particular quality of sophisticated dissatisfaction that ordinary boredom didn’t quite capture — the sense that the world has been fully sampled and found wanting.

Fun Fact

Ennui became the defining emotional condition of the Romantic era — so fashionable among 19th century European aristocracy and intellectuals that it was practically a status symbol. To be afflicted with ennui was to signal that you had experienced enough of life to be tired of it — a luxury available only to those with no practical concerns. The Byronic hero, epitomized by Lord Byron himself, made world-weary dissatisfaction into an aesthetic. Byron reportedly cultivated his ennui so deliberately that contemporaries noted he seemed bored by his own boredom — which is either the most Romantic thing imaginable or a very efficient use of a personality trait.

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Absquatulate

Definition

Example

Previous Words

Ennui

Ennui

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Ennui

Iniquity

Protean

Enervate

Veracity