- Today's Word
Effulgent
ih-FUL-juhnt
Definition
- (adjective) Radiating brilliance, light, or joy.
Example
Her effulgent smile brightened even the gloomiest room.
Fun Fact
“Effulgent” comes from the Latin effulgere, meaning “to shine forth.” Though often used to describe literal light, such as the glow of the sun or a dazzling stage performance, it can also describe an inner radiance. Historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Princess Diana were often described as effulgent, not for physical light, but for their presence and ability to uplift others with their energy and charisma.
(noun) A complicated and confusing situation that is extremely difficult to escape or make progress through.
What began as a simple contract dispute had become a morass of litigation, counter-claims, and procedural delays that no one involved could see the end of.
Morass derives from the Dutch moeras, meaning “marsh” or “swamp,” itself from the Old French marais — “marsh.” It entered English in the 17th century with its literal meaning of boggy, waterlogged ground before quickly acquiring its figurative sense of any situation that traps and exhausts in the same way a physical swamp does — something that looks passable until you’re already in it and discovering that every step forward costs more than the last.