effulgence

episode
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day 1 min 1 speaker 4 chapters transcribed 1 month ago
0

Transcript

jump: chapters · speakers · find in transcript
Transcript

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

What is the word of the day and how is it pronounced?

Peter Sokolowski 0:06
It's Merriam Webster's word of the day for july tenth. Today's word is effulgence, spelled EFFUL GENCE. Effulgence is a noun.

How is ‘effulgence’ defined and what does it mean in everyday language?

Peter Sokolowski 0:21
It means radiant splendor or brilliance. Here's the word used in a sentence from fastcompany dot com. No one knows who suggested that the building be lit at night, but the obvious inspiration was Times Square, an area famous for its nighttime effulgence.

Where does the word ‘effulgence’ come from and why is it considered a ‘shiny’ word?

Peter Sokolowski 0:41
Need a shiny word to bust out at your next disco party, planetarium visit, or fireworks gathering? How about the word effulgence? It's not a shiny new word having made its English language debut in the sixteen hundreds, but it's unusual and has a lovely Latin pedigree, the verb fulgere meaning to shine.

What nuances distinguish ‘effulgence’ from ordinary brightness?

Peter Sokolowski 1:03
Effulgence isn't used for bog standard brightness, however, it's reserved for shininess that dazzles, inspires, leaves you gobsmacked, in other words, radiant splendor. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.
Unknown 1:22
Visit MarionWebster dot com today for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.

Select any passage to copy it with its citation or turn it into a shareable card.

More from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day