Word of the Day

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

And... it's Thursday, two words to play with.  Post your creation in the comments.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14

Trenchant

[TREN-chənt]Part of speech: adjective

Origin: middle english, 13th century

• Being sharp, intense, and forceful
• Characterized by energy and effectiveness

Examples of Trenchant in a sentence

• The professor’s trenchant critique discouraged her so much she considered dropping the class.
• The keynote speaker’s delivery was so trenchant that people lined up afterward to shake her hand.

Popularity Over Time

About Trenchant

Trenchant is often used to describe commentary or criticism. If you have a trenchant delivery, you’re known for your biting wit. You’ll be in good company with the likes of Oscar Wilde, Joan Rivers, and Jon Stewart.

Did you Know?

An obsolete definition of trenchant means physically having a sharp blade. While the adjective is now used in a more figurative sense, a powerful, trenchant remark can still leave wounds.

**Bonus Word

Schadenfreude

[shä-dᵊn-ˌfrȯi-də]Part of speech: noun

Origin: german

• Pleasure taken from the misfortune of others
• A desire to see others suffer

Examples of Schadenfreude in a sentence

• I experienced schadenfreude after hearing that my horrible manager had been fired.
• Sarah couldn't help but feel a bit of schadenfreude when she discovered that the man who'd stolen her car was now in prison.

About Schadenfreude

It's no surprise that the word schadenfreude is a gift from the German language — it's a literal combination of the German words for "harm or misfortune" and "joy."

Did you Know?

Schadenfreude comes to us from German, where it is capitalized. However, that's not required when it's used in English.

Comments

[pfrye.livejournal.com]

Napoleon Solo cringed as Alexander Waverly continued his trenchant commentary on their last assignment. It had been a spectacular failure all due to Napoleon's miscalculations regarding a lovely young innocent who had turned out to be not as innocent as he believed. As Napoleon and Illya were finally dismissed to write their reports Napoleon became a annoyed at his partners grin. "Do I detect an air of schadenfreude Partner?" his tone sarcastic and biting. "Not at all Napoleon, I'm just relieved that Mr. Waverly wasn't mad at me!"

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Not only a good ficlet in itself, but an excellent use of both prompts. And I believe it.