- Today's Word
Hoodwink
[HOOD-wink]
Definition
- (verb) To deceive or trick someone, often by concealing the truth or misleading them. It implies a clever or cunning form of deception.
Example
The con artist tried to hoodwink elderly residents by posing as a charity worker, but alert neighbors caught on to the scheme and alerted authorities.
Fun Fact
The term “hoodwink” originated in the 16th century and has an interesting etymology. It comes from the practice of covering a person’s eyes with a hood or blindfold to deceive them. The “hood” part is clear, while “wink” in this context comes from an Old English word meaning “to close one’s eyes.” Over time, the meaning expanded from literally blindfolding someone to any form of trickery or deception. This word is a great example of how language evolves, with a literal practice becoming a metaphor for deception in general.
(noun) A profound transformation of mind and character; a fundamental change in one’s values, outlook, or way of life.
The diagnosis wasn’t a death sentence — for her it was a metanoia, a complete reorientation of everything she had previously decided mattered.
Metanoia derives from the Greek metanoia, meaning “change of mind,” built from meta- (“beyond” or “after”) and nous (“mind”). In classical Greek philosophy it described a shift in perspective so fundamental it altered the entire orientation of a person’s thinking. In early Christian theology it acquired the specific meaning of repentance — not merely feeling sorry but undergoing a complete transformation of character. Both meanings persist in modern usage, the secular and the spiritual versions of the word describing the same essential experience from different angles.