Today's Words: Fractious, Amanuensis and Diatribe

Fractious

(frak-shuhs) Adjective

unruly; unwilling to comply

More about Fractious

First recorded in 1715–25.

Formed from fracti(on), “disposed to quarrel, brawl” + ous,  a suffix forming adjectives that have the general sense “possessing, full of ” a given quality.

Examples of Fractious

Managing the fractious committee members was exhausting, as they disagreed on almost every issue.

Their fractious behaviour at meetings often leads to heated arguments and disruptions.

Amanuensis

(uh-man-yoo-en-sis) Noun

a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another

More about Amanuensis

First recorded between 1610–20.

From the Latin servus, (servant) + a, (from) + manu, (hand). Cf. manumit and manuscript 

Examples of Amanuensis

As an amanuensis, I was responsible for transcribing the professor’s lectures and organizing notes.

During the meeting, the amanuensis took detailed minutes that were later shared with all attendees.

Diatribe

(dahy-uh-trahyb) Noun

a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism

More about Diatribe

First used in English between 1575–85.

From the Greek diatribḗ, “pastime, study, discourse;” derivative of diatríbein, literally “thoroughly rub or wear away (time).”

The connection between the meaning of the Greek roots and the present-day definition is that a diatribe is so angry, long, and often full of “hot air” that it leaves listeners exhausted and thinking, “What a waste of time…”

Examples of Diatribe

The film critic’s review was more of a diatribe than an analysis, focusing on everything she disliked about the movie.

During the debate, he launched into a diatribe against the new policies, highlighting their flaws in an aggressive manner.

Inputs Courtesy: Dictionary.com