Word of the Day
risible
adjective
causing or capable of causing laughter; laughable; ludicrous.
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Why Dictionary.com chose risible
More about risible
- Entered English around 1550–60.
- From Late Latin rīsibilis, “that can laugh.”
- Risible can also mean “having the ability, disposition, or readiness to laugh.”
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EXAMPLES OF RISIBLE
- The cartoonist masterfully depicted the world’s leaders in a risible manner, providing a satirical critique of their actions.
- The absurd plot of the movie made it thoroughly risible, leaving the viewers in stitches.
cavil
verb
to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily.
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Why Dictionary.com chose cavil
More about cavil
- First recorded in 1540–50.
- From Latin cavillārī “to jeer, scoff, quibble.”
- Cavillārī is a derivative of cavilla “jesting, banter.”
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EXAMPLES OF CAVIL
- Instead of appreciating the effort put into the event, he chose to cavil about the choice of music, claiming it ruined the entire experience.
- She tends to cavil about grammar mistakes in online forums, often derailing discussions with her pedantic comments.
imponderabilia
plural noun
things that cannot be precisely determined, measured, or evaluated.
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Why Dictionary.com chose imponderabilia
More about imponderabilia
- First recorded in 1920–25.
- From Medieval Latin imponderābilis, “not ponderable.”
- Imponderābilis comes from Latin ponderāre, “to weigh, reflect on,” a derivative of pondus, “weight.”
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EXAMPLES OF IMPONDERABILIA
- Throughout history, artists have tried to capture the imponderabilia of human emotions.
- The philosopher contemplated the imponderabilia of existence, pondering questions that had no easy answers.
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