Today's Word

Languid

LANG-gwid

Definition

(adjective) Displaying a lack of energy or vitality; slow and relaxed.

Example

She gave a languid wave from the hammock, too tired to move more.

Fun Fact

From Latin languere (“to be weak or faint”), “languid” has long been associated with lethargy, dreamy states, or gentle slowness. It can be negative (as in illness) or romanticized—Victorian poets used it to describe graceful repose or lazy summer days. Think soft music, slow dancing, or a warm breeze making you want to nap.

Previous Words

Harbinger

Today's Word

Harbinger

HAR-bin-jer

Definition

(noun) A person or thing that signals or foreshadows what is to come; a forerunner or omen of something approaching.

Example

The first robin of the season has always been considered a harbinger of spring.

Word Origin

From Old French herbergier (“one who provides lodging”), derived from herberge (“shelter, lodging”). In medieval England, a harbinger was a royal official who rode ahead of a traveling court to arrange accommodation. Over time, the meaning shifted from “one who goes ahead” to “one who announces what’s coming” — the literal advance man became a metaphorical one.

Fun Fact

In astronomy, the planet Venus was long called the “harbinger of dawn” because it rises in the sky just before the sun, reliably announcing the coming of morning. Ancient cultures across the world independently noticed this and assigned the planet a messenger role in their mythologies. The Romans named it after their goddess of love, but its function in the sky was always the same — arriving first, signaling what follows. Today Venus is still sometimes called the “morning star” for exactly this reason.

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Languid

Definition

Example

Previous Words

Harbinger

Harbinger

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Harbinger

Machination

Descry

Sardonic

Oblique