epithet
epithet Lexical Profile
epithet Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A disparaging, abusive, or offensive word or phrase used to insult or demean someone.
"The referee immediately ejected the player from the match for hurling a derogatory epithet at an opponent."
An adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a characteristic quality of a person or thing, especially when attached to or used in place of a proper name.
"In Homeric poetry, Achilles is frequently referred to by the stock epithet 'swift-footed'."
The second part of a scientific binomial name that identifies a specific species or variety within a genus (in biological taxonomy).
"In the botanical binomial Quercus alba, the specific epithet 'alba' indicates the white oak species."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'epithet' with 'epitaph' (an inscription on a tombstone) or 'epigram' (a pithy, witty saying). While 'epithet' originally denoted a neutral or praiseworthy descriptive title in literary criticism, in contemporary everyday usage it almost exclusively refers to an offensive slur or abusive insult.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century via Middle French and Latin from Ancient Greek 'epitheton' ('an added descriptive term'), the neuter verbal adjective of 'epitithenai' ('to put upon or add'), formed from 'epi-' ('upon') and 'tithenai' ('to place, put').