muh-RASS
(noun) A complicated or confusing situation; literally, a swamp.
They found themselves in a legal morass with no clear way forward.
Fun Fact
Originally a term for a literal bog, “morass” now often describes bureaucratic, emotional, or political messes. It’s a favorite of journalists covering gridlocked governments or corporate chaos.
ih-BUHL-yunt
(adjective) Overflowing with enthusiasm, excitement, or energy.
Her ebullient personality lifted everyone’s spirits during the long, stressful week.
From Latin ebullire, meaning “to bubble out,” combining ex- (“out”) and bullire (“to boil”).
Fun Fact
The same root that gave us ebullient also produced boil and bubble—and that’s exactly what the word describes: energy that can’t be contained. In the 1600s, ebullient literally referred to liquids boiling over, but by the 1700s it evolved to describe people whose emotions or enthusiasm seemed to overflow. Psychologists today even note that highly ebullient people often influence group moods, “bubbling up” positivity that spreads naturally to others—like emotional heat radiating in a crowd.
Today's Word Malapropism mal-uh-PROP-iz-um Definition (noun) The mistaken use of...
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