Word of the Day

adjective

"Cradle sheets of this thin, closely woven, white worsted stuff are not slimsy like thin flannel, yet are softer than flannel." — From Alice Morse Earle's 1898 book Home Life In Colonial Days

"When he asked if she needed a rest, stubbornness caused her to refuse — she didn't want him thinking she was soft and slimsy." — From Dawn Shamp's 2008 novel On Account of Conspicuous Women

The reasons why some words flourish and others fall by the lexical wayside are often unclear, but what is clear is that "slimsy" is firmly in the latter category: it has very little current use. This doesn't have to stop you from using it though; "slimsy" is a blend of "slim" and "flimsy," and its meaning should be pretty much apparent to your audience if you're careful with the context. The word was first used in the mid-19th century and was at its peak of popularity in the early 20th, but who knows? Maybe the 21st century will see its revival.

Name That Synonym: Fill in the blanks to create a word that can mean "frail or flimsy in appearance or structure": s_i_d_y. The answer is ...

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