Wordsmith.org: the magic of words


A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact  


Home

Today's Word

Subscribe

Archives



Oct 4, 2022
This week’s theme
Words that have changed

This week’s words
ludicrous
jaunty
hipster
decarbonize
surly

jaunty
When it’s WW1 and you want head protection but it’s stylish to wear your helmet at a jaunty angle.
Guess I’ll die.
At least I’ll go out in style.
Image: me.me

Bookmark and Share Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Bookmark and Share
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

jaunty

PRONUNCIATION:
(JON/JAHN-tee)

MEANING:
adjective:
1. Stylish.
2. Lively; self-confident.

ETYMOLOGY:
In the beginning the word meant well-bred. From French gentil (nice), from Old French gentil (noble), from Latin gens (clan). Earliest documented use: 1662.

USAGE:
“A matching hat ... was perched atop her head at a jaunty angle.”
Helen Dickson; Miss Cameron’s Fall from Grace; Harlequin; 2012.

“Beneath his jaunty veneer, BrĂ¡s Cubas harbours a melancholy pessimism.”
Dead Man’s Blues; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 15, 2020.

See more usage examples of jaunty in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
He serves his party best who serves the country best. -Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th US president (4 Oct 1822-1893)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith