Podcasts about Vocabulary

What score would you get if you took the IELTS tomorrow? Get your estimated IELTS Band Score now with our free 2-minute quiz. Want to get a guaranteed score increase on your next IELTS Exam? Check out our 3 Keys IELTS Online course. Check out our other podcasts: All Ears English Podcast: We focus on Connection NOT Perfection when it comes to learning English. This podcast is perfect for listeners at the intermediate or advanced level. This is an award-winning podcast with more than 4 million monthly downloads. Business English Podcast: Improve your Business English with 3 episodes per week, featuring Lindsay, Michelle, and Aubrey Visit our website here or https://lnk.to/website-sn Send your English question or episode topic idea to support@allearsenglish.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 19, 2026 is: syllogism • SIL-uh-jiz-um • noun Syllogism refers to a formal argument in logic that is formed by two statements and a conclusion which must be true if the two statements are true. // An example of a syllogism is “All men are mortal; no gods are mortal; therefore no men are gods.” See the entry > Examples: “The Dallas area was a hotbed of competitive debate, and, at first, the oratorical polish of [Rebecca F.] Kuang's teammates was intimidating. She spent months being coached on the art of the syllogism, a kind of logical argument in which one deduces a conclusion from a set of premises. ‘The idea that you could take something that seemed up to personal charisma or rhetorical choice and map it to this very rigid, argumentative structure was mind-blowing,' she said.” — Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 Did you know? For those trained in formal argument, the syllogism is a classical form of deduction, specifically an argument consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion. One example is the inference that “kindness is praiseworthy” from the premises “every virtue is praiseworthy” and “kindness is a virtue.” Syllogism came to English through Anglo-French from the Latin noun syllogismus, which in turn can be traced back to the Greek verb syllogizesthai, which combines logizesthai (meaning “to calculate,” and coming from logos, meaning “word” or “reckoning”) with syl-, which comes from syn-, meaning “with” or “together.”

Vocabulary pill on life, as being children is our very existential condition. Credits :  "Parafrasi da concerto sul Rigoletto" by F. Liszt (1859)  -  "Cool Intro - Stings" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100504 - Artist: http://incompetech.com/Diventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pillole-di-italiano--4214375/support.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 18, 2026 is: Goldilocks • GOHL-dee-lahks • adjective Goldilocks describes something that has or produces an optimal balance usually between two extremes. In astronomy, it specifically designates an area of planetary orbit neither too hot nor too cold to support life. // The couple, undecided between country and city living, took the Goldilocks option and moved to a bustling college town surrounded by nature. See the entry > Examples: "It's a well-known fact that the time between 3 and 5 o'clock in the afternoon is a liminal space. ... It's too late for lunch, too early for dinner. But it's the Goldilocks hour for a little treat." — Nikita Richardson, The New York Times, 8 May 2025 Did you know? English has always drawn inspiration from fables and fairy tales, stories bursting with metaphors that help users get their verbiage just right: one may fall down a rabbit hole (thank you, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), cry wolf (we see you, Aesop's Fables), or hope one day to meet one's Prince Charming (brava, Cinderella). The adjective Goldilocks is borrowed, of course, from Goldilocks and the Three Bears, a perennial favorite in which a little girl so-named for her golden hair finds the perfect balance between hot and cold, soft and hard, small and large—all in the home of unknowing strangers. Since the mid-1960s, English speakers have applied Goldilocks to all things regarded as perfectly balanced or happily medium. The word has specific applications in astronomy, with the phrase "Goldilocks zone" designating an area of planetary orbit in which temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold to support life.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 17, 2026 is: abdicate • AB-dih-kayt • verb Abdicate usually means “to renounce a position of power, such as a throne, high office, dignity, or function.” It can also mean “to fail to do what is required by (a duty or responsibility).” // I know many challenges lie ahead, but I take this role on willingly, and will not abdicate my responsibility. See the entry > Examples: “The story revolves around a plan by dark forces to kidnap the royal heirs and force the prince to abdicate his throne to an evil wizard.” — Screen Daily, 5 Jan. 2026 Did you know? Give it up for abdicate, a word powerful enough to undo a coronation. If you need a term to describe formally throwing in the towel, this one should prove—perhaps ironically—a royal success. Coming from the Latin verb abdicāre, “to resign, renounce, withdraw,” (which traces back to the verb dīcere, meaning “to speak, state”), abdicate is used primarily for those who give up sovereign power or who evade a very serious responsibility. English has dīcere to thank for a variety of other words, among them dictate, contradict, prediction, and the crown jewel of them all: dictionary.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 16, 2026 is: prerogative • prih-RAH-guh-tiv • noun Prerogative means "right or privilege," and especially refers to a special right or privilege that some people have. // If you'd rather sell the tickets than use them, that's your prerogative. // Education was once only the prerogative of the wealthy. See the entry > Examples: "Successfully arguing an insanity defense, the prerogative of any defendant, is a difficult hurdle." — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026 Did you know? In ancient Rome, voting at legal assemblies was done by group, with the majority in a group determining the vote. The word for the group chosen to vote first on an issue was praerogātīva, a noun rooted in the Latin verb rogāre, "to ask; to ask an assembly for a decision." When English adopted prerogative from Latin, via Anglo-French, in the 15th century, it took only the idea of the privilege the ancient Roman voting group enjoyed; the English word referred then, as it also does now, to an exclusive or special right, power, or privilege. Often such a prerogative is tied to an office, official body, or nation, but as Bobby Brown reminded us in his 1988 song "My Prerogative," the right to live as you like can also be referred to as a prerogative.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 15, 2026 is: vertiginous • ver-TIJ-uh-nus • adjective Vertiginous is a formal adjective used to describe something that causes or is likely to cause a feeling of dizziness especially because of great height. // As a window washer for some of the city's tallest skyscrapers, Victor had to quickly master working at vertiginous heights. See the entry > Examples: “The climb is infamous for its heart-pumping switchbacks and vertiginous jaunt along a narrow sliver of crag. Those who fear heights, like me, typically avoid it.” — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025 Did you know? The climactic scene of Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller Vertigo features, appropriately, a dramatic climb—and fall—from a vertiginous bell tower. Vertiginous, which describes things that cause vertigo (a sensation of motion in which an individual or their surroundings seem to whirl dizzily) comes from the Latin adjective vertiginosus, which in turn comes from the Latin noun vertigo, meaning “a turning or whirling action.” Both words descend from the Latin verb vertere, meaning “to turn.” Vertiginous and vertigo are just two of an almost dizzying array of vertere offspring, from adverse to vortex. The “dizzying” sense of vertiginous is often used figuratively, as in “the vertiginous heights of cinematic legend.”

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/BEN61-Data-Centers.mp3 In this Business English News lesson on data centers, we look at business English vocabulary related to energy supply and tech. AI seemed relatively uncontroversial when it was limited to simple functions in your toothbrush or car. But then, in 2022, ChatGPT made an enormous splash, signaling the commercialization of generative AI. Since then, there's been a rapid proliferation of new tools. And the popularity of these tools has necessitated massive infrastructure to support all this computing power. The energy demand is huge. In 2024, U.S. data centers used 183 terawatt-hours of electricity – more than 4% of all U.S. power usage. A single large AI data center can use as much electricity as 100,000 homes in a year. Bigger ones under construction may use twenty times more. This growing demand puts pressure on local power grids and can lead to increased energy costs. They also need large amounts of water to keep their machines cool, which can strain local water supplies. Yet companies are not required to fully report their energy or water use. As concerns grow about higher bills, water shortages, and climate change, companies promise cleaner energy and better technology. Still, experts warn that AI's energy use may grow faster than these improvements. Free Resources: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | Lesson Module Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post Business English News 61 – Data Centers first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

Are you stuck in the "English student" trap? You know enough grammar, you've studied vocabulary for years, but something still holds you back from speaking confidently. The problem isn't your English level — it's your identity.In this episode, I reveal why upper-intermediate learners struggle to break through to fluency: they've spent so long defining themselves as "students" that they've never given themselves permission to BE speakers. Students study. Speakers speak. And as long as you call yourself a student, your brain will keep you preparing instead of participating.I'll walk you through five powerful applications that will shift your identity from student to speaker:The Identity Declaration — How to consciously redefine yourself as someone who speaks English (not someone learning it)The Participation Shift — Why measuring progress by conversations had (not hours studied) changes everythingThe Mistake Reframe — How to see errors as proof you're speaking, not proof you're not readyThe "Already Enough" Mindset — Why your current English is sufficient to participate right nowThe Daily Speaker Practice — Simple actions to reinforce your speaker identity every single dayEach application includes real-world examples showing exactly how this identity shift plays out in networking events, work meetings, client calls, and everyday conversations.This isn't about studying more or reaching some future level of fluency. This is about making one decision today: to stop being a student and start being a speaker. Your English doesn't need to change — your identity does.Perfect for: Upper-intermediate English learners who are tired of waiting to feel "ready" and want to finally step into their identity as confident English speakers.If you want to sign up for the free English email newsletter, go to https://speakenglishwithtiffani.com/newsletter

BREAK UP WITH BROKE: amyvanmeijl.com/breakupwithbrokeThe audio journey designed to release worry, reframe debt and recalibrate your thinking to welcome in expansion and wealth into your life.Not all relationships are meant to last babe.  If you're still struggling with worrying about your money and bills, if you feel fear that you don't have enough or you'll mess it all up when you get more, this program is for you.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 14, 2026 is: canoodle • kuh-NOO-dul • verb To canoodle with someone is to hug and kiss them in a romantic way. // Two lovers were canoodling on a park bench. See the entry > Examples: “In one dining room, ruby-colored tufted banquettes sit under vintage-inspired chandeliers. In a private room, purple-colored walls give way to cocktail tables where couples might canoodle, sipping martinis.” — Sarah Blaskovich, The Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2025 Did you know? The origins of canoodle are uncertain, but may have their genesis in an English dialect noun of the same spelling meaning “donkey,” “fool,” or “foolish lover.” That canoodle may itself be an alteration of the word noodle, used to mean “a foolish person.” (The fool noodle likely comes from noddle, a word for the head.) The guess seems reasonable given that, since its appearance in the language around the mid-19th century, canoodle has been most often used lightheartedly for playful public displays of affection by couples who are head over heels in love.

In this episode, you will learn how to talk about losing and finding things in Persian.We will teach you useful words and simple sentences to explain what you lost or where you left something behind.You will also learn the difference between gom kardan (to lose) and jā gozāshtan (to leave something behind), and hear a short conversation about real-life situations.At the end of the episode, you will learn cultural expressions that Iranians use when someone loses something.This episode is perfect for beginner Persian learners who want to speak more naturally in everyday situations.If Podgap makes your Persian learning journey easier and more enjoyable, share it with your friends — it truly means the world to us!We'd also love to hear from you: drop us a message anytime at podgapp@gmail.comWant to dive deeper? By joining us on Patreon.com/podgapFull Persian transcriptions of every episodeA glossary & worksheets to practice withPlus extra learning goodies like Persian news, proverbs, vocabulary challenges, videos, and more!Let's keep learning and growing together — one word at a time

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 13, 2026 is: rapscallion • rap-SKAL-yun • noun The word rapscallion refers to someone who causes trouble, often in a mischievous way. It appears in the same sorts of contexts as rascal and scamp. // The movie follows the story of a rambunctious young rapscallion who can't seem to stay out of trouble. See the entry > Examples: “Charlie Brown evolved into a world-class underdog. ‘Originally, Charlie Brown was a bit of a rapscallion, a bit of a wiseass,' [Chris] Mautner said. ‘There is a certain point, after a year or two, when he starts to become the butt of jokes, when he starts being a lonely kid. Once [Charles] Schulz hit upon that, Charlie Brown got it pretty bad for a long time.'” — Jim Beckerman, The Record (Bergen County, New Jersey), 9 Oct. 2025 Did you know? The word rascal has been part of English since the 15th century, but it apparently failed to fully capture the disagreeable nature of the wily knaves of yore: by the 16th century, English speakers had expanded rascal to rascallion. But it seems that even that term didn't sound quite mischievous enough. Eventually, rascallion was further altered, resulting in the snappier, plosive-enhanced rapscallion. And although rapscallion has zero connection with scallion, it does add a figuratively spicy kick to one's speech, not unlike chawbacon and other cheeky insults that may be of interest and use.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 12, 2026 is: endemic • en-DEM-ik • adjective When used for a plant or animal species, endemic describes something that grows or exists in a certain place or area, and often specifically something restricted to a particular locality or region. Endemic is also used to describe diseases that persist over time in a particular region or population. It can also mean “common in a particular area or field.” // Our children were excited to finally see wild giant pandas—endemic to just three provinces in south-central China—during our family vacation. // He eventually learned that low wages were endemic to his line of work, but he continued nevertheless to pursue his passion. See the entry > Examples: “Though less charismatic than the improbably pastel pink birds, unique endemic plants have achieved impressive feats of resourcefulness and endurance. Indeed, scientists have called the region an ‘unparalleled natural laboratory' to understand how plants adapt to ‘extreme environmental conditions.'” — Thea Riofrancos, Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism, 2025 Did you know? Ever wonder how endemic ended up in the English language? It arrived via French and New Latin, with its ultimate origin likely in the Greek adjective éndēmos, which describes (among other things) a disease confined to one area. Éndēmos was formed from en- ( “in”) and a form of the noun dêmos, meaning “district, country, people.” That word was also key to the formation of the earlier word on which éndēmos was modeled: epidēmia, meaning “disease affecting a large number of individuals.” English adopted epidemic (also via French) in the early 17th century, but endemic didn't become, uh, endemic until a century and a half later. (The familiar relation pandemic slipped into the language in the mid 17th.) In current use, endemic characterizes diseases that are generally found in a particular area—malaria, for example, is said to be endemic to tropical and subtropical regions—while epidemic indicates a sudden, severe outbreak within a region or group. Endemic is also used by biologists to characterize plant and animal species that are found only in a given area.

Today's podcast covers: ので — because, since, so ので is a conjunction used to express cause or reason. It connects two clauses where the first clause explains the reason for the second clause, and it sounds softer and more polite than から . Example: 雨が降っているので、傘を持っていきます。 Since it's raining, I will take an umbrella. Vocabulary: 雨が — rain (subject) ふっている — is falling ので — because, since 傘を — umbrella (object) 持っていきます — will take, will bring Become a Makoto+ member for bonus content: www.MakotoPlus.com

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 11, 2026 is: tabula rasa • TAB-yuh-luh-RAH-zuh • noun In general use, tabula rasa refers to something existing in an original pristine state. In philosophy, tabula rasa refers to the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions. // The apartment was only just renovated, and everything is clean and white; it's a tabula rasa, ready for a new occupant. See the entry > Examples: “Bella, née Victoria, is a living breathing tabula rasa unfettered by societal pressures, propriety, or niceties.” — Ryan Lattanzio, Indie Wire, 16 June 2025 Did you know? Philosophers have been arguing that babies are born with minds that are essentially blank slates since the days of Aristotle. (Later, some psychologists took up the position as well.) English speakers have called that initial state of mental emptiness tabula rasa (a term taken from a Latin phrase that translates as “smooth or erased tablet”) since the 16th century, but it wasn't until British philosopher John Locke championed the concept in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding in 1690 that the term gained widespread popularity in our language. In later years, a figurative sense of the term emerged, referring to something that exists in an original state and has yet to be altered by outside forces.

Are you ready for another read out loud practice? In today's episode, we're reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This is an excellent way to grow your vocabulary, practice your pronunciation, and improve your flow while reading.  Download the book excerpt with vocabulary definitions and audio: https://bit.ly/4tzLMYQ  Liked these? Check out more videos like these: Read along with Harry Potter: https://bit.ly/401eST4  Read along with Let Them: https://bit.ly/4tldKHs  Read along with Atomic Habits: https://bit.ly/4qyEq4N

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 10, 2026 is: besmirch • bih-SMERCH • verb To besmirch the reputation, name, honor, etc. of someone or something is to cause harm or damage to it. // The allegations have besmirched the company's reputation. See the entry > Examples: "... in 1895, a ruthless public smear campaign hinging on [Oscar] Wilde's queerness led to the author's imprisonment, outing, and eventual exile. ... Famously, the British press conspired to draw the dramatist's name through the mud, besmirching his literary legacy for generations to follow." — Brittany Allen, LitHub.com, 20 Oct. 2025 Did you know? The prefix be- has several applications in English; in the case of besmirch, it means "to make or cause to be." But what does smirch itself mean? Since the 1400s, smirch has been used as a verb meaning "to make dirty, stained, or discolored." Besmirch joined English in the early 1600s, and today smirch and besmirch are both used when something—and especially something abstract, like a reputation—is being figuratively sullied, i.e., damaged or harmed. Besmirch isn't unique in its journey; English has a history of attaching be- to existing verbs to form synonyms. For example, befriend combines be- in its "to make or cause to be" sense with the verb friend, meaning "to act as the friend of." Befuddle combines be- in its "thoroughly" sense with fuddle, meaning "to stupefy with or as if with drink." And befog combines be- in its "to provide or cover with" sense with fog, meaning "to cover with or as if with fog."

What score would you get if you took the IELTS tomorrow? Get your estimated IELTS Band Score now with our free 2-minute quiz. Want to get a guaranteed score increase on your next IELTS Exam? Check out our 3 Keys IELTS Online course. Check out our other podcasts: All Ears English Podcast: We focus on Connection NOT Perfection when it comes to learning English. This podcast is perfect for listeners at the intermediate or advanced level. This is an award-winning podcast with more than 4 million monthly downloads. Business English Podcast: Improve your Business English with 3 episodes per week, featuring Lindsay, Michelle, and Aubrey Visit our website here or https://lnk.to/website-sn Send your English question or episode topic idea to support@allearsenglish.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 9, 2026 is: fortuitous • for-TOO-uh-tus • adjective Fortuitous is a formal word that usually describes something that comes or happens by a lucky chance. It can also mean “happening by chance” and “fortunate, lucky.” // The fact that we were both there was a fortuitous coincidence. // You could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time. See the entry > Examples: “The timing of the hit's resurgence proved fortuitous: She had nearly wrapped the recording for 2025 full-length Pressure ... and the scorching hot single provided a push in the lead-up.” — Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2025 Did you know? Before its meaning expanded, fortuitous meant one thing only: “happening by chance.” This was no accident; its Latin forebear, fortuitus, shares the same ancient root as fors, the Latin word for “chance.” But the fact that fortuitous sounds like a blend of fortunate and felicitous (“happily suited to an occasion”) likely led to a second meaning of “fortunate, lucky,” with the seeds of the newer sense perhaps planted by writers applying overtones of good fortune to something that is a random occurrence. The “lucky” use has been disparaged by critics, but it is now well established. Irregardless (cough), employing this sense in sterner company may be considered chancy.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 8, 2026 is: meme • MEEM • noun Meme is used popularly to refer to an amusing or interesting picture, video, etc. that is spread widely online. It can also refer to an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture. // Though the two friends now live on opposite coasts, they still keep in touch constantly, texting and sending their favorite funny cat memes back and forth. See the entry > Examples: “Shane Hinton, a meteorologist for CBS News Miami, posted a Facebook meme earlier this week that showed a 70-degree spread between Miami's near record 85 and Minneapolis' 15.” — Howard Cohen, The Miami Herald, 5 Dec. 2025 Did you know? In his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, British scientist Richard Dawkins defended his newly coined word meme, which he defined as “a unit of cultural transmission.” Having first considered, then rejected, mimeme, he wrote: “Mimeme comes from a suitable Greek root, but I want a monosyllable that sounds a bit like gene.” (The suitable Greek root was mim-, meaning “mime” or “mimic.” The English suffix -eme indicates a distinctive unit of language structure, as in grapheme, lexeme, and phoneme.) Like any good meme, meme caught on and evolved, eventually developing the meaning known to anyone who spends time online, where it's most often used to refer to any one of those silly captioned photos that the Internet can't seem to get enough of.

Ever wonder why your English feels "off" even though your grammar is perfect? This episode reveals the hidden layer of American communication that textbooks never teach—the unspoken rules, rhythms, and cultural codes that native speakers use automatically.We explore five game-changing awareness shifts that explain why conversations feel awkward, why Americans seem indirect, and why waiting politely for your turn actually makes you seem disengaged. You'll discover how the same word can mean twelve different things depending on rhythm, why "We should get coffee!" isn't actually an invitation, and how Americans build connection through interruption rather than silence.This isn't about memorizing more vocabulary or perfecting your accent—it's about recognizing that you've been playing a completely different game than the one Americans are actually playing. Once you see these patterns, you can't unsee them, and that's when real fluency begins.Perfect for: Advanced English learners who are technically fluent but still feel like they're missing something in real American conversations.Enroll Now: https://speakenglishwithtiffani.com/365System/

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 7, 2026 is: imbue • im-BYOO • verb Imbue has two common meanings: "to permeate or influence as if by dyeing" and "to provide with something freely or naturally." In the second use it is usually used with with. // A deep sense of history imbues the artist's work. // The children were imbued with a passion for nature by their parents, both biologists. See the entry > Examples: "Aged cachaça, like fine whiskey, derives its complexity from the barrels it's matured in. There are dozens of different Brazilian woods cachaça can be aged in, and each imbues the spirit with its distinct flavor, resulting in varieties that are more floral or herbal, nutty or woody, savory or spiced." — Rebekah Peppler, The New York Times, 5 Dec. 2025 Did you know? Like its synonym infuse, imbue implies the introduction of one thing into another so as to affect it throughout. Someone's voice can be imbued with pride, for example, or a photograph might be imbued with a sense of melancholy. In the past imbue was also used synonymously with imbrue, an obscure word meaning "to drench or stain," but the two words are likely unrelated. Imbue comes from the Latin verb imbuere, meaning "to dye, wet, or moisten," while imbrue has been traced back through Anglo-French and Old French to the Latin verb bibere, meaning "to drink."

Get the book, Morph Mastery: A Morphological Intervention for Reading, Spelling and Vocabulary Visit Louise's website, LouiseSelbyDyslexia.com About The Author Louise Selby is a dyslexia specialist trainer, consultant, author, assessor and teacher. She has 25 years' experience of working with SEND within Hertfordshire local authority in teaching, special needs coordinator and advisory roles. She now works freelance, providing training and consultancy for schools as well as dyslexia assessment. Louise believes in partnership and collaboration and this is at the heart of all that she does. She is the author of Morph Mastery: Morphological Intervention for Reading, Spelling and Vocabulary and All About Dyslexia: A Practical Guide for Primary Teachers and All About Dyslexia: A Practical Guide for Secondary Teachers.   This episode of Principal Center Radio is sponsored by IXL, the most widely used online learning and teaching platform for K-12. Discover the power of data-driven instruction in your school with IXL—it gives you everything you need to maximize learning, from a comprehensive curriculum to meaningful school-wide data. Visit IXL.com/center to lead your school towards data-driven excellence today.   

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 6, 2026 is: sartorial • sahr-TOR-ee-ul • adjective Sartorial broadly means “of or relating to clothes,” but it often more specifically means “of or relating to a tailor or tailored clothes.” // This particular English teacher is known both for engaging students deeply in literature and for her eccentric sartorial tastes. See the entry > Examples: “As always, the Princess's sartorial elegance shone through this year, with her championing British designers, turning to old favourites and adorning treasures she's been gifted from the royal family over the years.” — Hello! Magazine (UK), 30 Dec. 2025 Did you know? Study the seams in the word sartorial and you'll find the common adjective suffix -ial and sartor, a Medieval Latin noun meaning “tailor.” (Sartor comes ultimately from Latin sarcire, “to mend.”) Sartorial has bedecked the English language since the early decades of the 19th century as a word describing things relating to clothes and to tailors, while sartor, though never fully adopted into the language, has also seen occasional use as a synonym for tailor. A third word shares the same root: sartorius (plural sartorii) refers to the longest muscle in the human body. Crossing the front of the thigh obliquely, it assists in rotating the leg to the cross-legged position in which the knees are spread wide apart—and in which tailors have traditionally sat.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 5, 2026 is: adulation • aj-uh-LAY-shun • noun Adulation refers to extreme or excessive admiration, flattery, or praise. // The triumphant players were greeted with shouts of adulation. See the entry > Examples: “Curators focus on the sunnier side of Elvis's tragic story, yet Graceland still provides an intimate glimpse into superstardom and all that comes with it: the adulation, the opulence, the hangers-on and the darkness that counterbalances such a burst of light.” — Rick Rojas, The New York Times, 29 Nov. 2025 Did you know? If witnessing a display of adulation reminds you of a dog panting after its beloved person, you've picked up adulation's etymological “scent”; the word ultimately comes from the Latin verb adūlārī, meaning “to fawn on” (a sense used specifically of the affectionate behavior of dogs) or “to praise insincerely.” Adulation has been in use in English since the 15th century. The verb adulate, noun adulator, and adjective adulatory followed dutifully behind.

Today's podcast covers: ～になる — to become, to turn into This grammar pattern attaches to nouns and adjectives to express a change of state or transformation. Example: 来年、私は二十歳になります。 Next year, I will turn twenty years old. Vocabulary: 来年 — next year 私は — I (topic marker) 二十歳に — twenty years old (target of change) なります — will become (polite form) Become a Makoto+ member for bonus content: www.MakotoPlus.com

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 4, 2026 is: diaphanous • dye-AF-uh-nus • adjective Diaphanous is a formal word used to describe fabric of a texture so fine that one can see through it. Diaphanous is also sometimes used figuratively to describe something characterized by extreme delicacy of form. // The bride looked radiant in her floor-length gown and diaphanous veil. See the entry > Examples: "With a bright pattern set on flaming crimson and a diaphanous petticoat underneath, the dress fits her perfectly." — David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 Did you know? What do the words diaphanous, epiphany, fancy, phenomenon, sycophant, emphasis, and phase all have in common? The Greek word phaínein shows more clearly in some of these words than in others, but it underlies all of them. The groundwork for diaphanous was laid when phaínein (meaning "to bring to light, cause to appear") was combined with the prefix dia- (meaning "through"). From that pairing came the Greek diaphanḗs ("transparent"), parent of the Medieval Latin diaphanus, which is the direct ancestor of the English word.

In this transformative episode, we explore why your English feels stuck — and it's not what you think. The problem isn't your vocabulary, grammar, or practice time. It's the invisible prison of perfectionism, rehearsal, and the exhausting attempt to translate your entire personality into a second language.Discover the five powerful mindset shifts that separate lifelong students from confident speakers:Stop Rehearsing: Learn why mental preparation actually blocks fluency and how speaking without a script builds real confidenceGive Yourself Permission to Be Approximately Right: Understand why "close enough" vocabulary creates connection while perfectionism creates silenceSpeak Before You're Ready: Master the art of trusting yourself to figure it out as you go — the secret of true fluencyStop Translating Your Personality: Release the impossible burden of being exactly the same person in English and discover a new dimension of yourselfEmbrace the Mess: Recognize that mistakes aren't obstacles to fluency — they ARE the pathPacked with real-world examples from team meetings, job interviews, networking events, and everyday conversations, this lesson shows you exactly how each principle plays out in actual situations. You'll see how professionals just like you transformed their English by changing not what they say, but how they relate to the act of speaking itself.If you've been waiting to feel "ready" before you speak with confidence, this episode will show you why readiness doesn't come before speaking — it comes from speaking. Your English is already better than you allow it to be. It's time to set it free.Enroll Now: https://speakenglishwithtiffani.com/365System/

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 3, 2026 is: hornswoggle • HORN-swah-gul • verb To hornswoggle someone is to trick or deceive them. // I think we were hornswoggled by that magician. See the entry > Examples: "Netflix users have been warned to look out for an insidious, AI-powered email scam that looks nearly indistinguishable from the real deal. ... If you have been already hornswoggled by such a scheme, Netflix advises changing your password and reaching out to your bank." — Ben Cost, The New York Post, 3 Mar. 2025 Did you know? Hornswoggle is a slang word of some considerable mystery, at least where its etymology is concerned. The word appears to have originated in the southern United States in the early 19th century. The earliest known written record comes from an 1829 issue of The Virginia Literary Magazine in its glossary of Americanisms. The magazine states that hornswoggle comes from Kentucky, and that its oddness matches nicely with other 19th-century Americanisms, such as sockdolager, absquatulate, callithump, slumgullion, and skedaddle. While the exact point at which hornswoggle entered our language, and the way in which it was formed, may remain unknown, it is a charming addition to our language, joining bamboozle and honeyfuggle as colorful ways to say "to deceive."

Want to know your English level? Take our free English-level quiz here to find out what your current English level is.  Do you love All Ears English?  Try our other podcasts here: Business English Podcast: Improve your Business English with 3 episodes per week, featuring Lindsay, Michelle, and Aubrey IELTS Energy Podcast: Learn IELTS from a former Examiner and achieve your Band 7 or higher, featuring Lindsay McMahon and Aubrey Carter with Jessica Beck in previous episodes Visit our website here or https://lnk.to/website-sn If you love this podcast, hit the follow button now so that you don't miss five fresh and fun episodes every single week.  Don't forget to leave us a review wherever you listen to the show. Send your English question or episode topic idea to support@allearsenglish.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 2, 2026 is: prescience • PRESH-ee-unss • noun Prescience is a formal word used to refer to the ability to see or anticipate what will or might happen in the future. // He predicted the public's response to the proposed legislation with remarkable prescience. See the entry > Examples: "... novelists have always faced technological and social upheaval. They have mostly addressed it in one of two ways. The first is to imagine an altered future with the prescience of science fiction; Mary Shelley's warning that humans are not always in control of their creations is, if anything, even more resonant today than when Frankenstein was first published in 1818." — Jessi Jezewska Stevens, The Dial, 2 Dec. 2025 Did you know? If you know the origin of science you already know half the story of prescience. Science comes from the Latin verb sciō, scīre, "to know," also source of such words as conscience, conscious, and omniscience. Prescience has as its ancestor a word that attached prae-, a predecessor of pre-, to this root to make praescire, meaning "to know beforehand."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 1, 2026 is: gargantuan • gahr-GAN-chuh-wun • adjective Gargantuan describes something that is very large in size or amount; something gargantuan is, in other words, gigantic. // Bigfoot is said to be a creature of gargantuan proportions. See the entry > Examples: “By the late 1870s, he was asked to take part in the gargantuan task of evaluating and cataloguing the results of the five-year Challenger expedition—an ambitious British global research voyage, the first ever dedicated purely to science. [Ernst] Haeckel's contribution to the final 50-volume Report of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger took a decade to complete and spanned three volumes, 2,750 pages, and 130 plates.” — Michael Benson, Nanocosmos: Journeys in Electron Space, 2025 Did you know? Gargantua is the name of a giant king in François Rabelais's 16th-century satiric novel Gargantua, the second part of a five-volume series about the giant and his son Pantagruel. All of the details of Gargantua's life befit a giant. He rides a colossal mare whose tail switches so violently that it fells the entire forest of Orleans. He has an enormous appetite, such that in one incident he inadvertently swallows five pilgrims while eating a salad. The scale of everything connected with Gargantua led to the adjective gargantuan, which since William Shakespeare's time has been used for anything of tremendous size or volume.

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bizpod/BEP103c-Charts-1.mp3 Welcome back to Business English Pod for today's lesson on using visuals and describing charts and trends in an English presentation. We've all sat through boring presentations, with PowerPoints that are just slide after slide of too much text. If all you're doing is reading off your slides, then why do a presentation at all? And if your audience falls asleep, then you've effectively communicated nothing. If you really want to grab people's attention, you use visuals. That could mean not just pictures, but graphs and charts. There's no better way to represent data than with graphs. But the graph doesn't do all the work for you. You still need to give it life and make it a seamless part of your overall presentation. The first thing you might do is introduce the point you want to make, before you use the visual. And remember that your audience might have some understanding of the topic already, so you should acknowledge that. And you can make it dramatic by using foreshadowing and highlighting important points. And just like in any presentation, it's good to use clear transitions between points and slides. In today's dialog, we'll hear a presentation from Pat, a director with a cell, or mobile phone manufacturer called Ambient. He's presenting to the company's sales team about how they've regained market share after a rough couple of years. We will hear how Pat uses visuals to enhance his presentation. Listening Questions 1. At the start of his presentation, what does Pat say they will focus on? 2. When talking about the company called Sirus, what does Pat “draw people's attention” to? 3. What does Pat say to transition to showing information about Ambient? Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module Download: Podcast MP3>>> The post BEP 103c – English Presentations Charts and Trends 1: Visuals first appeared on Business English Pod :: Learn Business English Online.

Dr. Crane shares from the first verse of the Bible to help us see the glory and power of God to create the world, showing how we serve an all-powerful God that we can trust with our lives

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 31, 2026 is: short shrift • SHORT-SHRIFT • noun Short shrift means “little or no attention or thought” or “quick work.” In religious use it refers to barely adequate time for confession before execution. // Certain neighborhoods have received short shrift from the city government. See the entry > Examples: “[Charlie] Caplinger echoed the concerns of many speakers at the meeting, with charter captains saying the recreational fishing industry's economic contributions were being given short shrift.” — Mike Smith, NOLA.com (New Orleans, Louisiana), 6 Nov. 2025 Did you know? We've got a confession to make, but we'll keep it brief: while it's technically possible to make “long shrift” of something, you're unlikely to find long shrift in our dictionary anytime soon. Short shrift, on the other hand, has been keeping it real—real terse, that is—for centuries. The earliest known use of the phrase comes from Shakespeare's play Richard III, in which Lord Hastings, who has been condemned by King Richard to be beheaded, is told by Sir Richard Ratcliffe to “Make a short shrift” as the king “longs to see your head.” Although now archaic, the noun shrift was understood in Shakespeare's time to refer to the confession or absolution of sins, so “make a short shrift” meant, quite literally, “keep your confession short.” However, since at least the 19th century the phrase has been used figuratively to refer to a small or inadequate amount of time or attention given to something.

Today's podcast covers: ～がする — to sense/feel (used with sensory experiences like smell, sound, taste) This expression is used to describe sensory perceptions. The particle marks what is being sensed, such as a smell, sound, taste, or feeling. It combines with nouns related to the five senses. Example: この部屋は変なにおいがする。 This room has a strange smell. Vocabulary: この — this 部屋は — room (topic marker) 変な — strange, weird においが — smell (subject marker) する — to do, sense Become a Makoto+ member for bonus content: www.MakotoPlus.com

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 30, 2026 is: preeminent • pree-EM-uh-nunt • adjective Preeminent is a formal word used to describe someone or something more important, skillful, or successful than their counterparts or peers. It is used synonymously with outstanding and supreme. // She's the preeminent chef in a city renowned for its cuisine. See the entry > Examples: "In this warmly engaging intellectual biography, [author Paul R.] Viotti traces the life and ideas of Kenneth Waltz, a preeminent figure in post–World War II international relations scholarship." — G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025 Did you know? What is noteworthy about the following sentence? "Mount Kilimanjaro is a prominent eminence on the Tanzanian landscape." You very likely recognized two words that are closely related to preeminent: prominent and eminence. All three words are rooted in the Latin verb stem -minēre, which is taken to mean "to stand out" though there is no record of its use without a prefix. Mount also deserves an honorable mention: it comes from the Latin mont- or mons, meaning "mountain," which is understood to share a common ancestor with -minēre. Mount leads us in turn to paramount, a word closely related in meaning to preeminent.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 29, 2026 is: reciprocate • rih-SIP-ruh-kayt • verb To reciprocate is to do something for or to someone who has done something similar for or to you. Reciprocate can also mean “to have (a feeling) for someone who has the same feeling for you.” // It was kind of my friend to give me a ride to the airport, and on the flight I was thinking of how to reciprocate the favor. See the entry > Examples: “She entered the post office and greeted Tommaso, who reciprocated with a smile, then Carmine, who stroked his beard and shot her the usual skeptical glance.” — Francesca Giannone, The Letter Carrier (translated by Elettra Pauletto), 2025 Did you know? “Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours,” “do unto others as you would have them do to you,” “share and share alike”: such is the essence of the verb reciprocate, which implies a mutual or equivalent exchange or a paying back of what one has received. Reciprocate traces back to the Latin verb reciprocare (“to move back and forth”), which in turn comes from the adjective reciprocus, meaning “returning the same way” or “alternating.” Indeed, one of the meanings of reciprocate is “to move forward and backward alternately,” as in “a reciprocating saw.” Most often, however, reciprocate is used for the action of returning something in kind or degree, whether that be a gift, favor, or feeling.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 28, 2026 is: bombast • BAHM-bast • noun Bombast is a formal word that refers to speech or writing that is meant to sound important or impressive but that is not sincere or meaningful. // You need less bombast and more substance in this speech. See the entry > Examples: “This is bombast that has not been thought through from a policy perspective. I know that many in the space community find this to be exciting and want to believe the hype behind such an announcement. Mars is exciting. However ... I think we have to ask ourselves whether getting to Mars is worth the moral costs in addition to the economic costs and potential risks to human lives.” — P. J. Blount, quoted in Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025 Did you know? Bombast settled softly into English in the mid-late 16th century as a textile term used to refer to cotton or other soft fibrous material used as padding or stuffing (its ultimate source is likely the Middle Persian noun pambak, meaning “cotton”), but within a decade it had extended from literal stuffing to figurative stuffing, referring to speech or writing that is padded with pretentious verbiage. The adjective bombastic, which followed bombast a century later, has been a favorite choice to describe blowhards, boasters, and cockalorums ever since.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 27, 2026 is: fiduciary • fuh-DOO-shee-air-ee • adjective Fiduciary is a formal word describing something relating to or involving trust, such as the trust between a customer and a professional. // The bank's fiduciary obligations are clearly stated in the contract. See the entry > Examples: "Banks and brokerage firms hold a fiduciary responsibility to protect their customers, including from scams." — Carter Pape, American Banker, 11 Aug. 2025 Did you know? Fiduciary relationships are often of the financial variety, but the word fiduciary does not, in and of itself, suggest pecuniary ("money-related") matters. Rather, fiduciary applies to any situation in which one person justifiably places confidence and trust in someone else, and seeks that person's help or advice in some matter. The attorney-client relationship is a fiduciary one, for example, because the client trusts the attorney to act in the best interest of the client at all times. Fiduciary can also be used as a noun referring to the person who acts in a fiduciary capacity, and fiduciarily or fiducially can be called upon if you are in need of an adverb. The words are all faithful to their origin: Latin fīdere, which means "to trust."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 26, 2026 is: oaf • OHF • noun Oaf is used to refer to someone as big, clumsy, and slow-witted. // The main character starts the movie as a tactless, bumbling oaf who is constantly causing offense to everyone around them, but eventually learns a valuable lesson about kindness and courtesy. See the entry > Examples: “Let me give you a rose. Well, just an imaginary rose. ‘What?' ‘What's the occasion?' ‘What for?' Because I want to participate in an act of kindness. ... It's impossible, even for a blustering, clumsy oaf like me, to ignore the positive effects of a rose in hand.” — Anthony Campbell, The Advertiser-Gleam (Guntersville, Alabama), 24 Oct. 2025 Did you know? In long-ago England, it was believed that elves sometimes secretly exchanged their babies for human babies—a belief that served as an explanation when parents found themselves with a baby that failed to meet expectations or desires: these parents believed that their real baby had been stolen by elves and that a changeling had been left in its place. The label for such a child was auf, or alfe, (meaning “an elf's or a goblin's child”), which was later altered to form our present-day oaf. Auf is likely from the Middle English alven or elven, meaning “elf” or “fairy.” Today, the word oaf is no longer associated with babies and is instead applied to anyone who appears especially unintelligent or graceless.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 25, 2026 is: resplendent • rih-SPLEN-dunt • adjective Resplendent is a literary word used to describe someone or something as very bright and attractive. // She looked resplendent in her green evening gown. See the entry > Examples: “Her box braids were tied in a top bun that poked out of her green and gold headscarf... . Pretty as the braids were, he quietly missed the natural hair they protected. When unbound, her hair was a resplendent halo of vitality. But he knew the halo required a complex, labor-intensive morning and night routine for which she had lost patience.” — Karim Dimechkie, The Uproar: A Novel, 2025 Did you know? Resplendent shares a root with splendid (meaning, among other things, “shining” or “brilliant”), splendent (“shining” or “glossy”), and splendor (“brightness” or “luster”). Each of these glowing terms gets its shine from the Latin verb splendēre (“to shine”). In the case of resplendent, the prefix re- added to splendēre formed the Latin resplendēre, meaning “to shine back.” Splendent, splendor, and resplendent were first used in English during the 15th century, but splendid didn't light up our language until almost 200 years later; its earliest known use dates from the early 1600s.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 24, 2026 is: garner • GAHR-ner • verb Garner means "to acquire by effort; earn" or "to accumulate or collect." // The new research findings have garnered the attention of medical experts. // The group has garnered support from community organizations. See the entry > Examples: "The novel was already a favourite among literary critics but it's sure to garner wider, more mainstream appeal following the Booker Prize win." — Daisy Lester, The Independent (United Kingdom), 11 Nov. 2025 Did you know? What do you call a building in which grain is stored? These days, English speakers are most likely to call it a granary, but there was a time when garner was also a good candidate. That noun made its way into the language in the 12th century (ultimately from Latin granum, "grain"); the verb garner followed three centuries later with a closely related meaning: "to gather into a granary." Today the verb has largely abandoned its agrarian roots—it usually means "to earn" or "to accumulate." Meanwhile the noun garner is rare in contemporary use. It's found mostly in older literary contexts, such as these lines from Sir Walter Scott's The Bride of Lammermoor: "Or, from the garner-door, on ether borne, / The chaff flies devious from the winnow'd corn."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 23, 2026 is: astrolabe • A-struh-layb • noun An astrolabe is a compact instrument used to observe and calculate the position of celestial bodies before the invention of the sextant. // The new astronomy exhibit featured various gadgets and instruments, including an extensive collection of astrolabes. See the entry > Examples: “‘Renaissance Treasures' includes two contemporary navigational devices, a planispheric astrolabe from Persia and a pocket compass (think of them as beta-version GPS), as well as two Mercator globes. One dates from 1541 and shows the surface of the Earth. The other dates from 1551 and shows the heavens ...” — Mark Feeney, The Boston Globe, 9 May 2025 Did you know? “Thyn Astrolabie hath a ring to putten on the thombe of thi right hond in taking the height of thinges.” Thus begins a description of an astrolabe in A Treatise on the Astrolabe, a medieval user's guide penned by an amateur astronomer by the name of Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer is best known for his Middle English poetic masterpiece The Canterbury Tales, but when his nose wasn't buried in his writing, Chaucer was stargazing, and some of his passion for the heavens rubbed off on his son Lewis, who had displayed a special “abilite to lerne sciences touching nombres and proporciouns.” Chaucer dedicated his treatise to the 10-year-old boy, setting his instructions not in the usual Latin, but in “naked wordes in Englissh” so that little Lewis could understand. When he got older, Lewis may have learned that the word astrolabe traces to the Late Greek name for the instrument, astrolábion.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 22, 2026 is: disheveled • dih-SHEV-uld • adjective A disheveled person or thing is not neat or tidy. // His wrinkled suit gave him a disheveled appearance. See the entry > Examples: “My mother is waking up. ... She dresses quickly. Her oblong, Scots-Irish face may be too idiosyncratic for the screen anyway, the hollow cheekbones and sharp eyes, the straw-blond hair worn in a low-slung and slightly disheveled beehive.” — Matthew Specktor, The Golden Hour: A Story of Family and Power in Hollywood, 2025 Did you know? These days, the adjective disheveled is used to describe almost anything or anyone marked by disorder or disarray. Rumpled clothes, for example, often contribute to a disheveled appearance, as in Colson Whitehead's novel Crook Manifesto, when the comedian Roscoe Pope walks onstage “disheveled, in wrinkled green corduroy pants.” Apartments, desks, bedsheets, you name it—all can be disheveled when not at their neatest and tidiest. Hair, however, is the most common noun to which disheveled is applied (along with hairdo terms like bun and beard), a fact that makes etymological sense. Disheveled comes from the Middle English adjective discheveled, meaning “bareheaded” or “with disordered hair.” That word is a partial translation of the Anglo-French word deschevelé, a combination of the prefix des- (“dis-“) and chevoil, meaning “hair.”

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 21, 2026 is: schmooze • SHMOOZ • verb To schmooze is to warmly chat with someone often in order to gain favor, business, or connections. // The event provides an opportunity for local business owners to network and schmooze. See the entry > Examples: "After wrapping up her speech filled with anecdotes and policy promises, the candidate schmoozed with the crowd, seemingly determined to shake every hand before her staff ushered her back to the bus." — Mike Kropf, The News Virginian (Waynesboro, Virginia), 4 Sept. 2025 Did you know? Schmooze (also spelled shmooze) schlepped into English from the Yiddish schmues, meaning "talk," which itself is from the Hebrew shěmu'ōth, meaning "news" or "rumor." Although originally used to indicate simply talking in an informal and warm manner, the word now commonly suggests conversation for the purpose of gaining favor, business, or connections. Schmooze is one of a number of English schm- words originating from Yiddish; other classics include schmaltz (referring to rendered animal fat or excessively sentimental music or art), schmuck (a slang word for "jerk"), schmutz ("a filthy or soiling substance"), and schmear ("a layer of cream cheese").