- Today's Word
Laudatory
LAW-duh-tor-ee
Definition
- (adjective) Expressing praise, admiration, or approval.
Example
The critic’s laudatory review helped propel the new author’s book to bestseller status.
Fun Fact
“Laudatory” comes from the Latin laudare, meaning “to praise,” the same root as “applaud” and “laudable.” The word is often used in formal contexts, such as speeches, reviews, and historical tributes. From glowing award ceremony speeches to heartfelt toasts, laudatory words remind us of the power of recognition and appreciation.
(adjective) Lacking substance, interest, or mature thought; naive and simplistic in a way that reveals inexperience.
The critic dismissed the debut novel as jejune — competently written, technically adequate, and utterly devoid of anything worth remembering.
Jejune derives from the Latin jejunus, meaning “fasting” or “empty” — literally describing a stomach that has not been fed. The same root gives us jejunum, the section of the small intestine named for its tendency to be found empty after death. It entered English in the 17th century carrying its literal sense of emptiness before acquiring its figurative meaning of something intellectually or creatively hollow — content that has the form of nourishment without any of the substance.