Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - Contrite

WORD OF THE DAY January 24, 2018

contrite  adjective | KAHN-tryte   Definition : feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming Scroll down for more about contrite WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE What's That From? A Word Origin Quiz Who'd a thunk?   PLAY NOW   Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE   Plus:   SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW!   Did You Know? A person who is contrite may have rubbed someone the wrong way and caused bruised feelings—and there is a hint about the origins of the word in that thought. Contrite came to English by way of Anglo-French from the Latin verb conterere, meaning "to grind" or "to bruise." Conterere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix com-, meaning "with" or "together," and terere, "to rub." If you've guessed that trite is a cousin of contrite (through terere), you are correct. Other terere descendants in English include detriment and very possibly the familiar verb try. Examples of CONTRITE "… York did in fact say he was sorry and was contrite about making that mistake." — Mark Purdy, The San Jose Mercury News, 1 Jan. 2017 "… several lawmakers called for stronger rules that compel companies to meet minimum cybersecurity standards…. But, as in years past, these efforts have yet to produce any new laws. In the meantime, the average person can do little except monitor their credit reports and hope that contrite companies—shamed by security researchers—will learn from their mistakes." — Hayley Tsukayama, The Daily Herald (Everett, Washington), 23 Dec. 2017 Word Family Quiz Fill in the blanks to complete a word derived from Latin terere that refers to a trying experience: t _ _ _ ul _ t _ o _. VIEW THE ANSWER   USAGE NOTES Is 'Knots an Hour' Wrong? Some say knots can only be a measure of speed. Are they right? FIND OUT

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