mehr-ih-TOR-ee-us
(adjective) Deserving of praise, recognition, or reward.
Her years of meritorious service were recognized with a public award.
Fun Fact
Meritorious is often seen in formal settings like military commendations, academic scholarships, and public service awards. But it also shows up in HR evaluations, theater reviews, and grant proposals—anywhere someone has done work that isn’t just good, but exceptionally worthy of notice.
up-BRAYD
(verb) To scold or criticize someone severely or angrily.
The coach upbraided the team for their lack of effort during practice.
Old English: from “upbregdan,” literally meaning “to bring up against,” from “up” + “bregdan” meaning “to move quickly or snatch.”
Fun Fact
Upbraid suggests criticism that comes from above—a superior scolding a subordinate, making the power dynamic clear in the word itself. Unlike casual criticism, upbraiding carries moral weight and disappointed authority. The “braid” element originally meant to snatch or brandish, giving upbraid a sense of someone wielding their disapproval like a weapon. Biblical texts frequently use upbraid when describing divine or parental reproach. While we’ve mostly replaced it with simpler words like scold or criticize, upbraid maintains its useful specificity for those moments when ordinary criticism isn’t harsh enough.
Today's Word Multitudinous mul-tih-TOO-dih-nus Definition (adjective) Very numerous; existing in...
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