- Today's Word
Repudiate
rih-PYOO-dee-ate
Definition
(verb) To reject, deny, or disown something, especially publicly or formally.
Example
She publicly repudiated the rumors that had been circulating online.
Fun Fact
Repudiate has a sharp tone, often used in legal, political, and personal crises—from leaders distancing themselves from policies to celebrities denying rumors. It carries more weight than “disagree” or “criticize”—it’s a total severance. The word originally referred to rejecting a spouse or family member in Roman law. Today, it’s often about drawing a hard line and making sure people know where you stand.
(adjective) Failing to act or resist; passive and yielding, especially when action is urgently needed.
The board’s supine response to the mounting crisis — endless meetings, no decisions, no accountability — allowed a manageable problem to become a catastrophic one.
Supine derives from the Latin supinus, meaning “lying face upward” or “thrown backward,” rooted in the same base as sub- (“under”). It entered English in the 15th century with both its literal meaning — lying flat on one’s back — and its figurative sense of moral or intellectual passivity. The physical image is the etymology: a person flat on their back, facing the sky, unable or unwilling to rise and meet what’s coming.