- Today's Word
Nimrod
[NIM-rod]
Definition
- (noun) A word used sarcastically to refer to a foolish or stupid person. However, this usage is a misinterpretation of the word’s original meaning.
Example
After Dave accidentally locked his keys in the car for the third time this week, his friend jokingly called him a nimrod.
Fun Fact
The term “Nimrod” originally referred to a mighty hunter in the Bible, described as “a mighty hunter before the Lord.” However, its current slang usage as an insult is believed to have originated from a Bugs Bunny cartoon. In it, Bugs sarcastically called Elmer Fudd, the incompetent hunter, “nimrod,” referencing the biblical hunter. Many viewers, unfamiliar with the biblical reference, assumed it was a general insult meaning “idiot.” This misunderstanding spread, leading to the word’s current slang usage. It’s a fascinating example of how popular culture can dramatically change the meaning of a word.
(noun) A person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure and sensory enjoyment is the highest good and chief aim of life
A self-proclaimed hedonist, she planned her entire sabbatical around exceptional food, warm weather, and long afternoons with nothing to do.
Hedonist derives from the Greek hedone, meaning “pleasure” or “delight,” from hedys (“sweet”). The philosophical school of Hedonism was formally developed in ancient Greece — most notably by Epicurus, who argued that pleasure, properly understood, was the foundation of a good life. The word entered English in the 19th century as both a philosophical term and a descriptor for those who live purely for sensory gratification.