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Imprecation – Word of the Day

By October 9, 2023January 1st, 2024No Comments
imprecation - word of the day, pencils shown horizontally and layered vertically from top to bottom

Imprecation is today’s Word of the Day. While listening to a science fiction book, the author describes one of the main characters, Van, uttering an imprecation, when he discovers that he had been tricked. I had an idea of what it meant based on the context. When I arrived home, of course, I had to look up the definition.

WORD TYPE DEFINITION PRONUNCIATION
Imprecation Noun A spoken curse word; Something said to someone that is rude, angry, or hostile im-pri-key-shuhn
SOURCE Latin imprecātiōn- (stem of imprecātiō), equivalent to imprecāt(us) — late 16th century.
EXAMPLES
  1. “He muttered imprecations under his breath.”
  2. “Earleth Wringbone was the epitome of a defiant prisoner. He hurled imprecations at the guards day and night.”
  3. Dimly lit, the dancers enact a ritual, flailing their arms in imprecation, grabbing an outstretched flexed foot, bowing in subjugation but also drawing strength from the ground, from their roots.”  Source: Jeffrey Gantz, BostonGlobe.com, 14 May 2022
  4. “But that he was helpless, befooled, he recognized; and with a final muttered imprecation he turned and slowly descended the stair.” Source:  Dope, Sax Rohmer
  5. “It proved to be the party, for they heard a low growling imprecation from Green as he stumbled over some object.”  Source:  The Ranger Boys and the Border Smugglers, Claude A. Labelle

Information Sources:  Combination of Dictionary.com; Dictionary of American Regional English; Merriam-Webster Dictionary; Collins English Dictionary; Oxford English Dictionary; Vocabulary.com; A Word a Day; The Etyman™; The Word Finder (J.I. Rodale)
Photography Source:  © Copyright 2023, The Chief Storyteller ®, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Pencils from Unsplash, Kelli Tungay
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Ira Koretsky

Ira Koretsky is the CEO of The Chief Storyteller®. He helps you improve performance and employee engagement with better communication. Storytelling in all its forms is his secret sauce. He is also an adjunct professor in public speaking, storytelling, and data storytelling at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. With over 25 years of experience, he is a sought-after global speaker, trainer, consultant, and coach for storytelling and public speaking.