wordsmith

English

WOTD – 3 May 2023

Etymology

The noun is derived from word +‎ smith (craftsperson who works metal into desired forms; (by extension) one who makes anything).[1] The verb is derived from the noun.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈwɜːdsmɪθ/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈwɝdˌsmɪθ/
  • Hyphenation: word‧smith

Noun

wordsmith (plural wordsmiths)

  1. One who uses words skilfully. [from late 19th c.]
    Synonym: (one sense) wordmonger
    Hyponyms: logodaedalus, wordman, wordsman, wordster
    She has always been known as a capable wordsmith, but in this latest novel she also shows surprising emotional depth.
    • 2021, Little Simz, “Introvert”, in Sometimes I Might Be Introvert[1]:
      I bottle up and then spill it in verses / One day, I'm wordless, next day, I'm a wordsmith / Close to success, but to happiness, I'm the furthest

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See also

Verb

wordsmith (third-person singular simple present wordsmiths, present participle wordsmithing, simple past and past participle wordsmithed)

  1. (transitive) To skilfully compose or craft (something written).

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References

  1. ^ wordsmith, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2021; wordsmith, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.