HAP-liss
(adjective) Unfortunate or unlucky.
The hapless tourist kept losing his belongings in every city he visited.
Fun Fact
Derived from the word “hap” meaning “luck” or “chance,” hapless appears frequently in novels, often to describe characters we’re meant to pity. Think of sitcom underdogs or tragic figures who just can’t catch a break.
rih-SID-ih-viz-um
(noun) The tendency to relapse into previous behavior, especially criminal behavior after punishment or treatment.
The program’s success was measured not by graduation rates but by lower recidivism among participants two years later.
From Latin recidivus, meaning “falling back, relapsing,” derived from recidere — re- (“back”) + cadere (“to fall”). The same root cadere gives us “cadence,” “accident,” “decay,” and “cascade” — all words involving some form of falling. Recidivism is, literally, falling back.
Fun Fact
In behavioral psychology, the pattern has a name: “extinction burst” — the tendency for old behaviors to actually intensify briefly before disappearing, which explains why relapse often happens just when change seems most within reach. The word is increasingly used beyond criminal justice — addiction medicine, mental health treatment, and even diet research all track recidivism rates. In the United States, studies have shown that over two-thirds of released prisoners are rearrested within three years, making recidivism one of the most debated statistics in criminal justice reform.
Today's Word Recidivism rih-SID-ih-viz-um Definition (noun) The tendency to relapse...
Read MoreToday's Word Chimerical ky-MAIR-ih-kul Definition (adjective) Wildly unrealistic or fanciful;...
Read MoreToday's Word Unconscionable un-KON-shun-uh-bul Definition (adjective) Shockingly unfair or unethical;...
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