Today's Word

Permeate

PUR-mee-ayt

Definition

(verb) To spread throughout or penetrate every part of something.

Example

The scent of freshly baked bread permeated the entire house, making everyone’s mouth water.

Fun Fact

Permeation is a fundamental concept in science, from how water seeps through soil to how ideas spread through culture. The term is often used metaphorically—love can permeate a story, tension can permeate a room, and innovation can permeate an industry. Interestingly, in physics and chemistry, permeability describes how easily substances (like gases or liquids) move through materials, which is why certain fabrics “breathe” better than others!

Previous Words

Belie

Today's Word

Belie

bih-LY

Definition

(verb) To give a false impression of something; to contradict or fail to reflect the true nature of something.

Example

Her calm expression belied the anxiety she felt as she waited for the verdict.

Word Origin

From Old English beleogan, meaning “to deceive by lying,” from be- (an intensifying prefix) + leogan (“to lie, tell falsehoods”). Over time the sense softened — “belie” no longer implies deliberate deception but simply a discrepancy between appearance and reality. It has been used in its modern sense since at least the 13th century.

Fun Fact

“Belie” is a word that grammatical purists quietly argue about. Its two accepted meanings are nearly opposite — it can mean “to give a false impression of something” or “to show something to be false.” So “her youth belied her experience” could mean either “her youth made her experience seem less than it was” or “her youth contradicted what experience would suggest.” This internal contradiction has led some usage guides to recommend avoiding the word entirely — which is quietly ironic, given that a word about misrepresentation has ended up misrepresenting itself.

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Permeate

Definition

Example

Previous Words

Belie

Belie

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Belie

Undaunted

Wont

Recidivism

Fallacy