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Word of the Day – Panglossian

By January 10, 2026Word of the Day

Panglossian (adj)

pan-glos-ee-an

Characterized by or given to extreme optimism, especially in the face of hardship or adversity.

First recorded in 1825–35; after Pangloss, an optimistic character in Voltaire’s Candide; compare Greek panglossía “garrulousness, wordiness”

Example sentences

“I can usually be described as panglossian, but even I am finding it difficult to stay optimistic right now.”

Word of the Day – Wonky

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Wonky (adj) won-kee Not straight or balanced, off kilter. First recorded in 1915–20; perhaps variant of dialectal wanky, equivalent to wank(le) ( Middle English wankel, Old English wancol. (more…)

Word of the Day – Dormiveglia

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Word of the Day - Dormiveglia (verb) (Italian) dor-mee-veh-lya

Word of the Day – Dissimulate

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Word of the Day - Dissimulate (verb) dis-im-yu-layt

Word of the Day – Somatic

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Word of the Day - Somatic (adj) soh-mat-ik

Author, Bernardine Evaristo renews calls for more a diverse literature curriculum in England

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Booker-prize winning author, Bernardine Evaristo, has lent her voice to renewed calls for schools in England to offer more diverse literature texts on the curriculum. The first Black woman to…

Word of the Day – Circumambient

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Word of the Day - Circumambient (adj) sur-kum-am-bee-unt

Word of the Day – Raconteur

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Word of the Day - Raconteur (noun) ra-kon-ter

Word of the Day – Perplex

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Word of the Day - Perplex (verb) pur-pleks

Word of the Day – Vaycay

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Word of the Day - Vaycay (noun) (US informal) vey-kay