ess-uh-TER-ik
(adjective) Understood or intended for only a small, specialized group with specific knowledge.
The engineer’s esoteric explanation left the rest of the team bewildered.
Fun Fact
From Greek esōterikos (“inner”), “esoteric” once referred to secret teachings reserved for a select group. It now describes any knowledge that’s niche, technical, or inaccessible to outsiders—whether in philosophy, quantum physics, or 2000s video game lore.
SANG-gwin
(adjective) Optimistic or positive, especially in a difficult situation; having a confident and cheerful outlook.
Despite the project being weeks behind schedule, Maya remained sanguine, convinced that the team would pull together and deliver something remarkable.
Sanguine comes from the Latin sanguis, meaning “blood,” and entered English through Old French in the 14th century. It originally referred to one of the four humors of medieval medicine — blood being the humor associated with a cheerful, confident temperament. Someone with a “sanguine” constitution was literally thought to have blood as their dominant bodily fluid, producing an optimistic and rosy disposition.
Fun Fact
The four humors — blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile — dominated Western medical thinking for nearly 2,000 years, and three common English words survive directly from that system: sanguine (optimistic), phlegmatic (calm and unemotional), and melancholy (from melas “black” + khole “bile,” meaning deep sadness). The fourth humor, yellow bile, gave us choleric, meaning easily angered. So the next time someone calls you sanguine, they’re technically commenting on your blood.