Word of the Day : May 17, 2018

winsome \WIN-sum\ adjective

Definition

1 : generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence

2 : cheerful, lighthearted

Did You Know?

Winsome began as wynsum many centuries ago. It was formed from wynn, the Old English word for "joy" or "pleasure," and the suffix -sum, an older form of the -some we see today in many adjectives, such as awesome, irksome, and lonesome. Wynn later became win, meaning "pleasure," but that noun is now obsolete. We do, however, use another word that has a "pleasing" connection and is related, albeit distantly, to winsome. Winning ("tending to please or delight," as in "a winning smile" or "winning ways"), the present participle of the familiar verb win, is from Old English winnan, meaning "to struggle." Both winnan and wynn are thought to be related to Latin venus, which means, among other things, "charm."

Build your vocabulary! Get Word of the Day in your inbox every day.

Test Your Vocabulary



  Words Used by Nabokov Quiz








    Choose the best definition or synonym for the word in bold: "There are some eructations that sound like cheers—at least, mine did." Lolita




                                  a sneeze
                                  a belch
                                  a clearing of the throat
                                  a groan








    Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
    TAKE THE QUIZ






    Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
    TAKE THE QUIZ

Aired May 17, 2018

All Merriam-Webster content is available at www.merriam-webster.com