Word of the Day

: November 6, 2009

nudnik

noun NOOD-nik (the "OO" is as in "good")

What It Means

: a person who is a bore or nuisance

nudnik in Context

James worried that he would never finish his work if the office nudnik didn't quit hanging around his cubicle.

Did You Know?

The suffix "-nik" came to English through Yiddish (and ultimately from Polish and Ukrainian). It means "one connected with or characterized by being." You might be familiar with "beatnik," "computernik," or "neatnik," but what about "no-goodnik" or "allrightnik"? The suffix "-nik" is frequently used in English to create nonce words that are often jocular or slightly derogatory. Some theorize that the popularity of the suffix was enhanced by Russian "Sputnik," as well as Al Capp's frequent use of "-nik" words in his "L'il Abner" cartoons. The "nud-" of the Yiddish borrowing "nudnik" ultimately comes from the Polish word "nuda," meaning "boredom."