invidious
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What is the Word of the Day and how is it introduced?
It's the Word of the Day for August 7th. Today's word is invidious, spelled I-N-V-I-D-I-O-U-S. Invidious is an adjective. It's a formal word used to describe things that are unpleasant and likely to cause bad feelings in other people.
How is “invidious” defined and what feelings does it describe?
Such bad feelings may include resentment, discontent, animosity, or envy. Here's the word used in a sentence from the New York Times. The gap between romantic expectation and mundane reality, frankly, never ceases to amaze this team. France somehow get better on paper with every tournament. Talent keeps coming through at a relentless, invidious rate.
What example from The New York Times illustrates the use of “invidious”?
If invidious reminds you of the word insidious, meaning gradually or subtly causing harm, you've got a nose for negativity, at least the lexical kind. It's not that using the word invidious will harm you gradually, but that both words, in addition to rhyming and coming from Latin, are all about bad vibes. The two are otherwise unrelated. Insidious comes from the Latin word insidii, meaning ambush, while invidious is instead a relative of envy, and comes from the verb invidere, meaning to look askance at or to envy. The link between envy and invidious is largely invisible today, as invidious is typically applied to that which is unpleasant, such as an invidious position, or is likely to cause harm or resentment, as in invidious comparisons or invidious discrimination.
What are the Latin roots of “invidious” and how does it differ from “insidious”?
With your Word of the Day, I'm Peter Sokolowski. Visit Merriam-Webster.com today for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the Word of the Day and how is it introduced?
0:06–0:28
2
How is “invidious” defined and what feelings does it describe?
0:28–0:54
3
What example from The New York Times illustrates the use of “invidious”?
0:54–1:49
4
What are the Latin roots of “invidious” and how does it differ from “insidious”?
1:49–2:01