- Today's Word
Lassitude
LASS-ih-tood
Definition
(noun) A state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy.
Example
After weeks of stress, he sank into a kind of emotional lassitude.
Fun Fact
Lassitude is often used in literary writing to evoke more than just fatigue—it suggests a kind of defeated sluggishness that feels heavy and existential. It shares roots with “latitude” (from Latin latus, meaning wide), as if your energy is stretched too thin. Think more post-burnout melancholy than “just need a nap.”
(adjective) Showy but cheap and of poor quality; lacking good taste.
The room was filled with tawdry decorations that looked like they came from a discount bin.
Mid 17th century: contraction of St. Audrey’s lace, which referred to cheap lace sold at fairs in honor of St. Audrey. Over time, the lace was seen as gaudy and tasteless, and St. Audrey became tawdry.