Word of the Day

: March 12, 2009

acedia

noun uh-SEE-dee-uh

What It Means

: apathy, boredom

acedia in Context

A restaurant reviewer in SF Weekly once described a brunch as "a stupefyingly lavish buffet spread that will do nothing to erase your acedia."

Did You Know?

"Acedia" comes from a combination of the negative prefix "a-" and the Greek noun "kēdos," meaning "care, concern, or grief." (The Greek word "akēdeia" became "acedia" in Late Latin, and that spelling was retained in English.) "Acedia" initially referred specifically to the "deadly sin" of sloth. It first appeared in print in English in 1607 describing ceremonies which could induce this sin in ministers and pastors, but that sense is now rare. "Acedia" now tends to be used more generally to simply imply a lack of interest or caring, although it sometimes still carries overtones of laziness.