- Today's Word
Idiosyncratic
[id-ee-oh-sin-KRAT-ik]
Definition
- (adjective) Behaviors, habits, or characteristics that are unique to an individual. It describes peculiar or distinctive ways of doing things that are particular to one person, often involving unusual mannerisms or preferences that others might find quirky.
Example
The professor had an idiosyncratic teaching style, drawing elaborate diagrams in different colors and making odd sound effects to explain complex theories, but his students loved it because it made the material memorable.
Fun Fact
“Idiosyncratic” comes from the Greek words “idios” (meaning “one’s own, private”), “syn” (meaning “with”), and “krasis” (meaning “mixture” or “temperament”). The term was first used in ancient Greek medicine, where physicians believed that each person had a unique mixture of physical and mental characteristics that determined their response to different treatments. They called this individual mixture an “idiosynkrasia.” In the 1600s, doctors would create detailed “idiosyncratic profiles” for their wealthy patients, documenting their unique reactions to foods, medicines, and environmental factors. This medical origin is particularly interesting because it suggests that even ancient practitioners recognized the importance of personalized medicine. Today, while the word has broadened to describe any distinctive personal characteristic, it’s still used in medical contexts to describe unique reactions to medications or treatments.
(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.