Word a Day
emollient
What does emollient mean?
emollient (adjective): having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin.
Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.
How do you pronounce emollient?
/ɪˈmɑljənt/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does emollient come from?
From French émollient, from Latin emolliēns, present active participle of ēmolliō (“make soft”), from ex- + molliō, from mollis (“soft”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What are synonyms of emollient?
From Princeton WordNet 3.1.
Test yourself: do you know “emollient”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “emollient” mean?
having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin
Right! That's what “emollient” means.
needing or using up much energy; testing powers of endurance
Not quite: that's what arduous means.
practical and functional, present for use, not just for show
Not quite: that's what utilitarian means.
having a full and rounded shape; chubby, somewhat overweight
Not quite: that's what plump means.
Which word is closest in meaning to “emollient”?
softening
Right!
pragmatic
Not quite: pragmatic means something else.
intrinsic
Not quite: intrinsic means something else.
tentative
Not quite: tentative means something else.
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