- Today's Word
Cantankerous
[kan-TANG-ker-us]
Definition
- (adjective) Someone who is bad-tempered, argumentative, and difficult to deal with. A cantankerous person is often grumpy, irritable, and prone to complaining or disagreeing with others.
Example
The cantankerous old man on the corner was known for shouting at children who dared to step on his lawn and arguing with anyone who tried to engage him in conversation.
Fun Fact
The origin of “cantankerous” is uncertain, but it’s believed to have emerged in the late 18th century. Some linguists suggest it might be related to the Middle English word “contack,” meaning “quarrel,” or possibly derived from a combination of the words “cank” (to cackle like a goose) and “rancorous.” Regardless of its exact origins, it has become a colorful and expressive way to describe someone with a consistently difficult personality.
(noun) A form of irony in which a person pretends to refuse or show disinterest in something they actually desire
His accismus was obvious to everyone at the table — he waved off the dessert menu three times before finally ordering the chocolate cake.
Accismus comes directly from the Greek akkismos, meaning “prudery” or “affectation,” derived from Akkō, the name of a foolish woman in Greek legend known for her coy, affected behavior. It entered English as a formal rhetorical term, classified among the figures of speech used in classical oratory and persuasion.