Today's Word

Harangue

huh-RANG

Definition

(noun) A long, passionate, and often angry speech or lecture.
(verb) To deliver a forceful or critical speech.

Example

The coach harangued the team after their lackluster performance in the first half.

Fun Fact

“Harangue” traces back to medieval Latin and Old Italian, originally referring to a public speech before a crowd. While once neutral, the word evolved to imply a heated, critical lecture. Historically, great orators like Cicero and Martin Luther were known for their powerful harangues, influencing politics and social movements.

Previous Words

Parsimonious

Today's Word

Parsimonious

par-sih-MOH-nee-us

Definition

(adjective) Unwilling to spend money or use resources; extremely frugal to the point of stinginess.

Example

He was so parsimonious that he kept the thermostat at 58 degrees all winter and wore two sweaters instead.

Word Origin

From Latin parsimonia, meaning “frugality” or “thrift,” derived from parcere (“to spare, be sparing”). The word entered English in the 15th century through Old French. Its Latin root is also the ancestor of “sparse” — both words carry the idea of deliberate scarcity.

Fun Fact

“Parsimonious” has a philosophical sibling: Occam’s Razor — the principle that the simplest explanation is usually correct — is sometimes called the “principle of parsimony.” In science, parsimony means elegance and economy of explanation, which is considered a virtue. So the same word that describes a miser hoarding his pennies also describes one of the most respected principles in logic and scientific reasoning — the idea that less, truly, is more.

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Harangue

Definition

Example

Previous Words

Parsimonious

Parsimonious

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Parsimonious

Effervescent

Facetious

Capricious

Sedulous