- Today's Word
Solipsistic
so-lip-SIS-tik
Definition
- (adjective) Excessively self-centered or focused on oneself, often to the exclusion of external realities.
Example
His solipsistic worldview made it difficult for him to empathize with others’ struggles.
Fun Fact
“Solipsistic” originates from the Latin solus (“alone”) and ipse (“self”), forming the philosophy of solipsism, which argues that only one’s mind is certain to exist. While the term often has a negative connotation today, it reflects a deeper philosophical question about the nature of reality and perception.
(adjective) Light, delicate, and translucent; so fine in texture as to be nearly transparent
The diaphanous curtains billowed in the breeze, letting the morning light pour softly into the room.
Diaphanous comes from the Medieval Latin diaphanus, itself from the Greek diaphanes — from dia (“through”) + phainein (“to show” or “to appear”). It entered English in the early 17th century, originally used to describe fine fabrics and minerals that allowed light to pass through them visibly.