Assail

WORD OF THE DAY

assail / verb / uh-SAIL

Definition

1a: to attack violently 

1b: assault

2: to encounter, undertake, or confront energetically

3: to oppose, challenge, or criticize harshly and forcefully

4a : to trouble or afflict in a manner that threatens to overwhelm

4b: to be perceived by (a person, a person's senses, etc.) in a strongly noticeable and usually unpleasant way

Examples

Most worthwhile achievements require that one persevere even when assailed by doubts.

"What does it even mean to be good in a world as complex as ours, when great inequity remains unaddressed and often seems too daunting to assail, and when seemingly benign choices—which shoes to buy, which fruit to eat—can come with the moral baggage of large carbon footprints or the undercompensated labor of migrant workers?" 

— Nancy Kaffer, The Detroit (Michigan) Free Press, 9 Jan. 2020

Did You Know?

Assail comes from an Anglo-French verb, assaillir, which itself traces back to the Latin verb assilire ("to leap upon"). 

Assilire combines the prefix ad- ("to, toward") with the Latin verb salire, meaning "to leap." (Salire is the root of a number of English words related to jumping or leaping, such as somersault and sally, as well as assault, a synonym of assail.) 

When assail was first used in the 13th century, it meant "to make a violent physical attack upon." By the early 15th century, English speakers were using the term to mean "to attack with words or arguments." 

Now the verb can refer to any kind of aggressive encounter, even if it is not necessarily violent or quarrelsome, as in "Upon entering the room, we were assailed by a horrible odor."

Empirical

WORD OF THE DA Y

empirical / adjective / im-PEER-uh-kul 

Definition

1: originating in or based on observation or experience

2: relying on experience or observation alone often without due regard for system and theory 

3: capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment 

4: of or relating to empiricism

Examples

"'We have really good empirical research dating back to the 1980s demonstrating that kids who are restricted around treat foods often just want to eat them more,' said Charlotte Markey, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Rutgers University…." 

— Virginia Sole-Smith, The New York Times, 17 Apr. 2020

"Burger King's advertising has been telling us that the Impossible Whopper tastes just like a Whopper. And so, in the spirit of empirical science and discovery, I ventured to a Burger King this week to test the claim." 

— Eric Felten, The Examiner (Washington, DC), 31 Oct. 2019

Did You Know?

When empirical first appeared as an adjective in English, it meant simply "in the manner of an empiric." 

An empiric was a member of an ancient sect of doctors who practiced medicine based exclusively on observation or experience as contrasted with those who relied on theory or philosophy. 

The name empiric derives from Latin empīricus, itself from Greek empeirikós, meaning "based on observation (of medical treatment), experienced." 

The root of the Greek word (-peiros) is a derivative of peîra, meaning "attempt, trial, test."

Longeur

WORD OF THE DAY

longueur / noun / lawn-GUR 

Definition

: a dull and tedious passage or section (as of a book, play, or musical composition) — usually used in plural

Examples

The otherwise crisp pacing of the movie is marred by some unnecessary longueurs that do little to advance the main story.

"Small, clever musicals are fragile things, though, and I don't want to oversell this one in praising it. 'Scotland, PA' still needs to cure a few structural hiccups (the first act seems to end twice) and to address its longueurs and lapses of logic." 

— Jesse Green, The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2019

Did You Know?

You've probably come across long, tedious sections of books, plays, or musical works before, but perhaps you didn't know there was a word for them. English speakers began using the French borrowing longueur in the late 18th century. 

As in English, French longueurs are tedious passages, with longueur itself literally meaning "length." 

An early example of longueur used in an English text is from 18th-century writer Horace Walpole, who wrote in a letter, "Boswell's book is gossiping; . . . but there are woful longueurs, both about his hero and himself."