faineant

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The Word of the Day for May 17 is: 

faineant   \fay-nay-AHNG (the final "NG" is not pronounced, but the vowel is 
nasalized)\   adjective
     : idle and ineffectual : indolent

Example sentence:
     David preferred a life of faineant self-indulgence to the pressures of a 
career, and his inheritance made such a life possible.

Did you know?
     You've probably guessed that "faineant" was borrowed from French; it 
derives from "fait-nient," which literally means "does nothing," and ultimately 
traces back to the verb "faindre," or "feindre," meaning "to feign." (The 
English word "feign" is also descended from this verb, as are "faint" and 
"feint.") "Faineant" first appeared in print in the early 17th century as a 
noun meaning "an irresponsible idler," and by 1854 it was also being used an 
adjective. As its foreignness suggests, "faineant" tends to be used when the 
context calls for a fancier or more elegant word than "inactive" or "sluggish."