Wordsmith.org: the magic of words


A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact  


Home

Today's Word

Yesterday's Word

Archives

FAQ



Sep 19, 2014
This week's theme
Adverbs

This week's words
mayhap
a fortiori
verily
perchance
lief

This week's comments
AWADmail 638

Next week's theme
Words made with combining forms
Bookmark and Share Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Bookmark and Share
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

lief

PRONUNCIATION:
(leef)

MEANING:
adverb: Willingly; gladly; readily.
adjective: 1. Dear, beloved. 2. Willing.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Old English leof (dear). Ultimately from the Indo-European root leubh- (to love or to care), which also gave us love, belief, and leave (permission). Earliest documented use: 897.

USAGE:
"'Do you fancy squirrel, Reverend?' my Victorian-era grandmother Susie is reported to have asked the family's luncheon guest ... 'Madam,' the Methodist minister replied, 'I'd as lief eat a rat.'"
Prudence Mackintosh; I Pore Over My Old Cookbooks; Texas Monthly; Dec 2013.

See more usage examples of lief in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Art is partly communication, but only partly. The rest is discovery. -William Golding, novelist, playwright, poet, Nobelist (1911-1993)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith