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Learn a Word Daily — Epithet

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EP-uh-thet · noun

Definition

A descriptive word or phrase expressing a quality or characteristic of a person or thing.
In literature, a fixed phrase attached to a name, often repeated for effect.

Pronunciation

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Origin & Etymology

From Greek epitheton, meaning “added,” from epi- (“upon”) and tithenai (“to place”) — something “placed upon” a name to describe it.

Nuance

An epithet can be admiring, neutral, or insulting — it simply attaches a defining label or nickname to someone or something.

Usage

“History remembers her by the epithet “the Merciful,” a tribute to her compassion.”

Fun Fact

In epic poetry, heroes are often given recurring epithets like “swift-footed Achilles” or “rosy-fingered Dawn.”

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