invidious

****************************************************************
Attention word gurus:  try WORD SWEEP!, the first board game to feature 
Merriam-Webster definitions! Available at Borders Bookstores.
http://www.wordsweep.com
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for January 14 is: 

invidious   \in-VID-ee-us\   adjective
          1 : tending to cause discontent, animosity, or envy
     2 : envious 
     3 a : of an unpleasant or objectionable nature : obnoxious *b : of a kind 
to cause harm or resentment 

Example sentence:
          "Petty arguments about what counts as serious art and what does not 
are invidious to the discipline of artistic criticism," wrote the professor.

Did you know?
          Fittingly, "invidious" is a relative of "envy." Both are descendants 
of "invidia," the Latin word for "envy," which in turn comes from "invidere," 
meaning "to look askance at" or "to envy." ("Invidious" descends from "invidia" 
by way of the Latin adjective "invidiosus," meaning "envious," whereas "envy" 
comes to English via the Anglo-French noun "envie.") These days, however, 
"invidious" is rarely used as a synonym for "envious." The preferred uses are 
primarily pejorative, describing things that are unpleasant (such as "invidious 
choices" and "invidious tasks") or worthy of scorn ("invidious remarks" or 
"invidious comparisons").





You Are Subscribed As: gclw-mw-wod7@xxxxxxxxx

To unsubscribe, please click here:
http://www.drhinternet.net/mw/u/966408/568f14b4ab4f050b/N432L6

To change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:
http://mw.drhinternet.net/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2007 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102