Today's Word

Wonky

[WONG-kee]

Definition

(adjective) Unsteady, shaky, or not functioning properly. It can also refer to ideas or policies that are overly complicated or impractical, especially in political contexts. In British English, it can mean something that is crooked or off-center.

Example

After the earthquake, the building’s structure was a bit wonky, with some walls leaning at odd angles and doors that wouldn’t close properly.

Fun Fact

The origin of “wonky” is uncertain, but it’s believed to have emerged in British English in the early 20th century. Some linguists speculate it might be related to the Dutch word “wankel,” meaning unstable or tottering. In recent years, “wonky” has taken on additional meaning in political circles, where a “policy wonk” is someone who studies a topic in great detail, often to the point of becoming an expert in very specific and technical aspects of policy.

Previous Words

Wheedle

Today's Word

Wheedle

WEE-dul

Definition

(verb) To coax or persuade someone into doing something through flattery, soft words, or gentle persistent manipulation.

Example

She had wheedled the extension out of her professor so smoothly that he’d agreed before he realized he’d been asked — which was precisely the point.

Word Origin

Wheedle is of uncertain origin — possibly from the German wedeln, meaning “to wag the tail” or “to fan,” suggesting the fawning, ingratiating behavior of an animal seeking favor. Another theory connects it to the Old English wǣdlian, meaning “to beg.” It entered English in the 17th century, and whatever its precise origin, its sense has remained remarkably stable: the soft, persistent, strategically flattering approach to getting what you want from someone who might not give it if asked directly.

Fun Fact

The psychology of wheedling has been studied extensively under the clinical term “ingratiation” — and the findings are more validating than most people would like. Research by social psychologist Edward Jones in the 1960s found that strategic flattery, opinion conformity, and favor-doing — the core toolkit of the wheedler — are remarkably effective at generating genuine positive feelings in the target, even when the target is aware the ingratiation is strategic. The implication is uncomfortable: knowing you’re being wheedled doesn’t reliably protect you from it, which is either a testament to the sophistication of the technique or a fairly unflattering comment on human susceptibility to being told what we want to hear.

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Wonky

Definition

Example

Previous Words

Wheedle

Wheedle

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Wheedle

Callow

Pernicious

Derivation

Tautological