Word Of The Day

Hector

To hector someone is to criticize or question them in a threatening way.

// The judge ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness.



Pizzetta

noun - a small, single-serving pizza
Explanation - A pizzetta is a small, single-serving pizza that's perfect for sampling flavors without committing to a full pie. Its Italian root, with the diminutive "-etta," signals its scaled-down size. Pizzetta: one small pizza with outsized flavor. 
Example - For dinner, she ordered a delicious pizzetta with pepperoni and fresh mozzarella cheese.


Vaunted

Vaunted describes someone or something that is often spoken of or described as very good or great.

// The team’s vaunted defense faltered in the second half of the game.



Deem

Deem is a somewhat formal word used when someone comes to think something or to have something as an opinion after some consideration.

// The covered bridge was closed to automobile traffic for the winter because town officials deemed it a hazard to motorists.



Felicitate

verb - to compliment or congratulate after a happy event
Explanation - To felicitate someone is to congratulate them. You might felicitate a friend on a graduation, a promotion, or any big achievement worth celebrating. The word may sound fancy, but at heart it's simply a way of wishing someone well and sharing in their good news.
Example - They gathered to felicitate the newlyweds after the beautiful wedding ceremony.


Exhilarate

Exhilarate means "to cause (someone) to feel very happy and excited." It is usually used in the passive voice as (be) exhilarated.

// She was exhilarated by the prospect of attending her dream school.



Paean

Paean is a literary word that refers to a song of joy, praise, or victory. It can also be used as a synonym of tribute for a work that praises or honors its subject.

// Her retirement party featured many paeans for her long years of service to the company.

// Critics considered the movie both a thrilling Western and a paean to the natural beauty of the Rockies.



Congruous

Something described as congruous is in agreement, harmony, or correspondence with something else. Congruous can also describe something that is appropriate for a particular circumstance or requirement, or a thing that is marked or enhanced by harmonious agreement among its constituent elements.

// Their professional achievements were congruous with their academic abilities.

// The low bookshelf forms a congruous barrier between the spaces.

// It is a congruous, plausible story, consistent in all its details.



Nettle

To nettle someone is to make them angry or annoyed.

// Though he tried to maintain a friendly tone, the town official was clearly nettled by the reporter's suggestion that the town was at fault.



Mumpsimus

noun - a person who insists on doing things in an incorrect way
Explanation - A mumpsimus is someone who clings to a mistaken way of doing things, even after the error has been pointed out. This silly-sounding word comes from a story about a priest who kept saying the wrong word during Mass. When stubbornness stands in the way of change, you may be dealing with a true mumpsimus.
Example - Even after being corrected, the mumpsimus continued to write "for all intensive purposes" instead of "for all intents and purposes."