2026 January Word of the Day

Equanimity (noun) Definition: Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation. Sentence: Despite the chaotic nature of the stock market crash, the seasoned investor maintained his equanimity.

Pernicious (adjective) Definition: Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way. Sentence: The pernicious influence of social media echo chambers can slowly erode a person’s ability to think critically.

Inchoate (adjective) Definition: Just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary. Sentence: She had an inchoate idea for a novel, but she hadn’t yet decided on the setting or the protagonist.

Sycophant (noun) Definition: A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage. Sentence: The CEO was surrounded by sycophants who never dared to point out the flaws in his expansion plan.

Ephemeral (adjective) Definition: Lasting for a very short time. Sentence: The beauty of the sunset was ephemeral, fading into a deep indigo within minutes.

Vicissitude (noun) Definition: A change of fortunes or circumstances, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant. Sentence: The business survived the vicissitudes of the global economy for over a century.

Anachronism (noun) Definition: A thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists. Sentence: The presence of a smartphone in the Renaissance-era film was a glaring anachronism.

Pulchritude (noun) Definition: Physical beauty. Sentence: The natural pulchritude of the Grand Canyon leaves millions of visitors speechless every year.

Fastidious (adjective) Definition: Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. Sentence: The editor was fastidious about punctuation, often spending hours on a single page of text.

Intransigent (adjective) Definition: Unwilling or refusing to change one’s views or to agree about something. Sentence: Negotiations stalled because both parties remained intransigent regarding the budget increases.

Grandiloquent (adjective) Definition: Pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress. Sentence: His grandiloquent speech about “saving the universe” felt a bit much for a simple local town meeting.

Mellifluous (adjective) Definition: (of a voice or words) sweet or musical; pleasant to hear. Sentence: The cello’s mellifluous tones filled the concert hall, calming the restless audience.

Esoteric (adjective) Definition: Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge. Sentence: The professor’s lecture on esoteric quantum theories left most of the freshmen confused.

Obfuscate (verb) Definition: To render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. Sentence: The politician tried to obfuscate the truth by using overly complex jargon and long-winded anecdotes.

Perfidious (adjective) Definition: Deceitful and untrustworthy. Sentence: The king was eventually overthrown by his perfidious advisors who had been plotting in secret.

Salubrious (adjective) Definition: Health-giving; healthy. Sentence: After months in the smoggy city, the salubrious mountain air felt incredibly refreshing.

Sanguine (adjective) Definition: Optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation. Sentence: Although the team was losing by ten points, the coach remained sanguine about their chances of winning.

Enervate (verb) Definition: To cause someone to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken. Sentence: The intense humidity of the tropical island served to enervate the hikers within an hour.

Quixotic (adjective) Definition: Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical. Sentence: His quixotic quest to eliminate all plastic waste in a single year was admired but deemed impossible.

Tantamount (adjective) Definition: Equivalent in seriousness to; virtually the same as. Sentence: Resigning under these suspicious circumstances is tantamount to an admission of guilt.

Nefarious (adjective) Definition: (typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal. Sentence: The hacker used his skills for nefarious purposes, stealing data from local charities.

Surreptitious (adjective) Definition: Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of. Sentence: She cast a surreptitious glance at her phone during the meeting to check the score of the game.

Ubiquitous (adjective) Definition: Present, appearing, or found everywhere. Sentence: By 2026, high-speed wireless internet had become ubiquitous even in the most remote villages.

Vociferous (adjective) Definition: (especially of a person or speech) vehement or clamorous. Sentence: The protesters were vociferous in their demands for immediate climate action.

Abnegation (noun) Definition: The act of renouncing or rejecting something. Sentence: His abnegation of all worldly possessions surprised his wealthy socialite friends.

Capricious (adjective) Definition: Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior. Sentence: The capricious weather in the mountains can turn from sunny to a blizzard in minutes.

Ebullient (adjective) Definition: Cheerful and full of energy. Sentence: The ebullient fans flooded the streets to celebrate their team’s first championship in decades.

Inscrutable (adjective) Definition: Impossible to understand or interpret. Sentence: He sat with an inscrutable expression, making it impossible to tell if he was angry or pleased.

Mendacious (adjective) Definition: Not telling the truth; lying. Sentence: The court found the witness’s mendacious testimony to be completely unreliable.

Parsimony (noun) Definition: Extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources. Sentence: Known for his parsimony, the billionaire lived in a small apartment and drove a twenty-year-old car.

Zealot (noun) Definition: A person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals. Sentence: As a fitness zealot, he never missed a workout, even on holidays or during illnesses.