- Today's Word
Aquatude
[ah-kwuh-tood]
Definition
- (noun) This captivating term combines “aqua,” representing water or aquatic activities, with “attitude,” signifying a confident and often sassy manner or style. It’s used to describe the spirited and confident demeanor that individuals adopt when they’re in or around water, such as at the beach, the pool, or even while engaging in water sports.
Example
Imagine being at a beach party where someone confidently struts their stuff, embracing the fun and carefree atmosphere while showing off their beach attire and dance moves. You might say, “She’s got serious Aquatude. Her energy is infectious, and she’s the life of the beach party.”
Fun Fact
“Aqua” is Latin for water, often associated with all things aquatic, and “attitude” represents one’s outlook and style. “Aquatude” cleverly blends these concepts to celebrate the spirited and confident attitude people adopt when they’re enjoying water-related activities.
(adjective) Devoid of intelligence, substance, or meaningful content; empty in a way that is made worse by the appearance of fullness.
The panel discussion was so vacuous — four articulate people saying nothing of substance for ninety minutes — that the audience left feeling vaguely cheated by their own attention.
Vacuous derives from the Latin vacuus, meaning “empty” or “void,” rooted in vacare — “to be empty” or “to be free.” The same root gives us vacuum, vacant, vacation — all words built around the idea of emptiness or absence. It entered English in the 17th century, initially used in scientific contexts to describe a literal vacuum before acquiring its cutting figurative sense of a mind or expression that contains nothing worth engaging with.