- Today's Word
Moxie
[MOK-see]
Definition
- (noun) Courage, determination, and energy. It describes a person’s ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage, often implying a combination of nerve, skill, and confidence.
Example
Despite being new to the company, Sarah showed real moxie when she stood up to the CEO and pointed out the flaws in his proposed strategy.
Fun Fact
The word “moxie” originated as a brand name for a soft drink created in 1876 by Dr. Augustin Thompson in Lowell, Massachusetts. The carbonated beverage was marketed as a nerve tonic and claimed to cure various ailments. The drink’s advertising emphasized its ability to build courage, thus the word “moxie” gradually entered the American lexicon as a term for courage and verve. Interestingly, Moxie was one of the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States, predating Coca-Cola by about a decade.
(noun) A profound transformation of mind and character; a fundamental change in one’s values, outlook, or way of life.
The diagnosis wasn’t a death sentence — for her it was a metanoia, a complete reorientation of everything she had previously decided mattered.
Metanoia derives from the Greek metanoia, meaning “change of mind,” built from meta- (“beyond” or “after”) and nous (“mind”). In classical Greek philosophy it described a shift in perspective so fundamental it altered the entire orientation of a person’s thinking. In early Christian theology it acquired the specific meaning of repentance — not merely feeling sorry but undergoing a complete transformation of character. Both meanings persist in modern usage, the secular and the spiritual versions of the word describing the same essential experience from different angles.