- Today's Word
Venerate
VEN-uh-rayt
Definition
- (verb) To deeply respect, admire, or hold in high regard.
Example
Generations of artists venerate Michelangelo as one of the greatest painters in history.
Fun Fact
Veneration is deeply embedded in many cultures and religions. In Buddhism, followers venerate the Buddha and sacred texts; in Christianity, saints are venerated for their faith and sacrifice. The practice extends beyond religion—national heroes, intellectual figures, and even objects (like the U.S. Constitution) can be venerated for their historical or moral significance..
(adjective) Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; moving randomly from one thing to another; disconnected and unfocused.
His desultory approach to studying — flipping between subjects every few minutes, never finishing a single chapter — left him unprepared when exam day finally arrived.
Desultory comes from the Latin desultorius, meaning “relating to a desultor” — a circus performer who would leap from horse to horse during a race without committing to any single one. The root desilire means “to leap down,” from de- (“down”) and salire (“to jump”). By the 16th century, English had borrowed the word to describe anything that jumps erratically from subject to subject without purpose or commitment.