- Today's Word
Joyvency
[joi-vn-see]
Definition
- (noun) A portmanteau of “joy” and “juvenescence” (the state of being youthful or regaining youthful qualities), this term refers to a state of pure, childlike joy and exuberance that rejuvenates the spirit and awakens a sense of youthful vitality.
Example
As she danced barefoot in the rain, splashing in puddles and twirling with abandon, Sarah felt a surge of joyvency wash over her, transporting her back to the carefree bliss of childhood and filling her with an infectious sense of youthful glee.
Fun Fact
The concept of “joyvency” celebrates the idea that experiencing moments of pure, uninhibited joy can have a rejuvenating effect on the soul, awakening a sense of youthful exuberance and vitality that transcends age. It suggests that tapping into the well of childlike wonder and delight can be a potent elixir, revitalizing the spirit and reminding us of the simple joys that once filled our younger selves with boundless enthusiasm and zest for life.
(adjective) Characterized by a narrow-minded focus on one’s own group or environment; closed off to outside ideas or perspectives.
The company’s insular culture — promoting only from within, dismissing outside perspectives, and treating change as a threat — had quietly calcified into the biggest obstacle to its own growth.
Insular derives from the Latin insularis, meaning “of an island,” from insula — “island.” It entered English in the 17th century with its literal meaning of relating to islands before quickly acquiring its figurative sense of the psychological condition associated with island life — a worldview bounded by water on all sides, self-contained, and instinctively resistant to what lies beyond the shoreline. The British, as an island nation, have had a complicated relationship with the word ever since.