- Today's Word
Gallivant
[GAL-uh-vant]
Definition
- (verb) To wander or travel around for pleasure, often in a carefree or irresponsible manner. It implies roaming or gadding about, usually without any specific purpose or destination in mind.
Example
Instead of studying for their final exams, the college friends decided to gallivant across Europe, hopping from one city to another on a whimsical adventure.
Fun Fact
The word “gallivant” is thought to have originated in the early 19th century as a colloquial term. It may be derived from “gallant,” referring to a dashing young man, combined with the suffix “-vant” from words like “extravagant.” Initially, it often had a negative connotation, implying frivolous or irresponsible behavior.
(verb) To criticize someone or something severely and publicly, often with harsh or scathing language.
The columnist excoriated the company’s leadership for ignoring repeated safety warnings.
Excoriate comes from the Latin excoriare, meaning “to strip off the skin,” from ex- (“off”) and corium (“hide” or “skin”). While the word originally described physical abrasion, its meaning shifted metaphorically over time to describe verbal attacks so harsh they feel skin-deep, leaving nothing protected.