- Today's Word
Rabblezest
[RAB-ul-zest]
Definition
- (noun) The contagious energy and excitement that spreads through a crowd, particularly at social gatherings, concerts, or sports events. It’s the collective enthusiasm that builds up and energizes everyone present, often leading to spontaneous cheering, dancing, or participation.
Example
The moment the home team scored, a wave of rabblezest swept through the stadium, with fans jumping to their feet and high-fiving complete strangers.
Fun Fact
The term “rabblezest” combines “rabble,” meaning a disorderly crowd, with “zest,” signifying enthusiasm or energy. This linguistic blend captures the phenomenon of collective effervescence, a concept introduced by sociologist Émile Durkheim. It describes the shared emotional excitement generated when people come together in groups. Research in social psychology has shown that this kind of collective enthusiasm can lead to increased feelings of social connection and even boost immune function. A study published in the journal “Emotion” found that participants who experienced collective emotions at a large gathering had elevated levels of feel-good hormones and showed increased pain tolerance, demonstrating the powerful physiological effects of “rabblezest.”
(adjective) Showy but cheap and of poor quality; lacking good taste.
The room was filled with tawdry decorations that looked like they came from a discount bin.
Mid 17th century: contraction of St. Audrey’s lace, which referred to cheap lace sold at fairs in honor of St. Audrey. Over time, the lace was seen as gaudy and tasteless, and St. Audrey became tawdry.