- Today's Word
Appetence
AP-uh-tuhns
Definition
- (noun) A strong craving or natural inclination toward something.
Example
Her appetence for knowledge drove her to read every book she could get her hands on.
Fun Fact
“Appetence” comes from the Latin appetere, meaning “to strive after” or “to seek.” Once commonly used in literature to describe passionate desires or instincts, it has fallen into relative obscurity in modern English. Despite its rarity, it beautifully conveys the deep, instinctive yearnings that drive human behavior, from curiosity to ambition.
(adjective) Failing to act or resist; passive and yielding, especially when action is urgently needed.
The board’s supine response to the mounting crisis — endless meetings, no decisions, no accountability — allowed a manageable problem to become a catastrophic one.
Supine derives from the Latin supinus, meaning “lying face upward” or “thrown backward,” rooted in the same base as sub- (“under”). It entered English in the 15th century with both its literal meaning — lying flat on one’s back — and its figurative sense of moral or intellectual passivity. The physical image is the etymology: a person flat on their back, facing the sky, unable or unwilling to rise and meet what’s coming.