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8 Of The Most Looked-Up Definitions In The United States

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Some of us still hold on to dusty old dictionaries and huge encyclopedia volumes, reveling in the act of browsing through an actual, physical book. However, it's impossible to deny the ease of access that search engines provide when it comes to checking up a quick fact or finding the definition of a particularly tricky word.

If you spend any amount of time on the internet, chances are that you've done just that once or twice. And guess what? You are not alone. Here, in no particular order, are 8 of the most looked-up definitions across the United States.

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A "pyrrhic victory" is one that comes at such a heavy cost that it's tantamount to defeat. In a sense, it's the polar opposite of the notion of living to fight another day.

This interesting phrase finds its roots in King Pyrrhus of Epirus, a Greek king who fought and won several battles against a growing early Rome. His victories, however, came at the expense of unacceptably heavy losses, and he is quoted as having said, "If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans, we shall be utterly ruined."

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This word was one of the most searched by the residents of Washington, D.C., and for good reason. For a capital city, Washington D.C. is surprisingly green, and it recently refreshed its sustainability plan, setting goals and targets up to 2032.

This is good news, as concerns for long-term sustainability rise, and humanity as a whole strives for a more eco-friendly way of life.

Image: Taylor Grote

Saleratus searches, weirdly enough, reached an all-time high during the months of April and July of 2023. If you either live or have any friends or relatives in Texas or Vermont, maybe you'll be able to tell us what the spike in saleratus searches is all about. For the rest of you, if you'd like to know, saleratus is the Latin word for sodium bicarbonate–better known as baking soda.

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"Oligarchy" is a word with Greek roots that translates to "the rule of the few." It's used to describe a form of government in which a dominant elite controls all the power, as opposed to an ideal democracy, meaning "the rule of the people." In its modern use, it is often charged with connotations of selfishness and corruption.

Image: Annie Spratt

Uncanny things unsettle us. They are mysterious and frightening in a way that feels oddly familiar, yet out of place.

Early essays about the uncanny phenomenon focus on dolls and waxworks, and how unsettling their inanimate lifelikeness can often be. However, with the advent of AI-generated videos and images, the phrase "uncanny valley" has found renewed relevance in this day and age.

Image: Nathan Anderson

Strip "uncanny" of its negative prefix and you'll be left with "canny." While, in their modern sense, both words are not necessarily antonyms, they both stem from the early Scottish canny, "free from risk, prudent, or cautious." Today, "canny" is used to describe someone or something shrewd or clever.

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A borrowed word from French, blasé is an adjective that describes someone who, through repeated exposition, has become bored and apathetic toward stimuli. It sometimes implies a degree of practical knowledge or wisdom and, in this sense, it could be applied to a seasoned adventurer who no longer fears the dangers of the road ahead. However, blasé is often used ironically to describe people who try to appear experienced by feigning apathy.

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Similes and metaphors are figures of speech that are used to compare one thing to another. When using similes, the comparison is made explicit by the use of words such as "like" or "as." "You are as bright as the sun" is a simile because it uses connectors to point out similarities.

"Life is a stage," on the other hand, is a metaphor. Metaphors are stronger comparisons that renounce connectors and directly equate one thing to another. The characteristics of one thing "carry over" –from the Greek meta, "across, over," and pherō, "to bear, to carry"– to the other one.

You’ve felt these 14 emotions, you just didn’t know what to call them!

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Ever felt something so oddly specific that you couldn't quite put it into words? Turns out, there are words for those hard-to-describe emotions—you just haven’t heard them yet. Some come from other languages, some are made up but still meaningful, and all of them might just make you say, "So that’s what I’ve been feeling!" Here are a few you might recognize from your own inner world.

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You might have a packed calendar, a buzzing phone, and a social life that looks great from the outside. But deep down, it can still feel like no one truly knows you. That’s Mal de Coucou: when you’re surrounded by people but missing a genuine connection. Has this ever happened to you?

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Ever wish you could let things roll off your back instead of stressing over every little detail? That’s liberosis—and most of us have felt it. It’s the urge to stop sweating the small stuff and care a whole lot less. Not because you don’t care, but because life might feel a little lighter if you didn’t carry it all.

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You’re sitting on the porch, sipping coffee, and suddenly realize, "Hey... I’m actually really happy right now." It’s a beautiful moment—and it has a name: kairosclerosis. Sure, it might sound like a backache, but it's the moment you notice your own joy… And maybe mess it up a little by overthinking it.

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You’re finally tucked in, lights out, ready to sleep... and boom. Your brain brings up something awkward from 1993. That’s a nighthawk—a sneaky late-night thought that only seems to visit during the dark hours. Wanna go back to sleep? Put some relaxing music on!

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Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it still feels like you can’t quite get things right, as if you’re always a step off. That low-grade self-doubt, that nagging sense you’re not measuring up? That’s pâro. So fight it off—and in case nobody told you today: you’re doing great!

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You can know someone for decades—a sibling, a spouse, a lifelong friend… but suddenly, you realize there are parts of them you’ll never fully understand. That strange, humbling moment of awareness? There’s a word for it: gnossienne.

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You know that little ache you feel when you wonder what people truly think of you? Not just in passing—but deep down? That feeling is called catoptric tristesse. It’s the quiet sadness of knowing you’ll never get to see yourself from the outside.

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Do you ever go, "Oh… the 1910s," or find yourself thinking about the summers of your grandparents' youth? That warm ache for a past you didn’t personally experience is called anemoia. It’s like flipping through old black-and-white photos and feeling homesick for a place you’ve never been.

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Picture your favorite diner—now closed and empty. Or a quiet school hallway in July. Chills, right? That eerie stillness where life used to be—that’s kenopsia. It’s a little heartbreaking… and maybe a little spooky too.

Image: George Bakos

Have you ever rehearsed a conversation with someone in your head? Maybe it’s what you should have said in an old argument, or how you hope your next talk will go. That internal back-and-forth is called jouska. Sometimes it helps; sometimes it just makes you spiral out of control.

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You lock eyes with someone, even just for a second, and boom—a jolt of energy straight to your core. That zing? That’s ecstatic shock: a mix of butterflies, surprise, and the hope that they also noticed. Wonderful, isn’t it?

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You’re sitting still, and out of nowhere, you notice your own heartbeat. Doesn’t it feel loud? Intrusive? Maybe even unsettling. That odd awareness is rubatosis. And once you notice it, good luck un-noticing.

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It’s weird, but real. Sometimes we imagine what it’d be like to survive a crash or a catastrophe of that sort. That pull toward chaos is called lachesism. It’s not self-destructive; it’s more about wanting to feel alive and tested.

Image: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

You meet someone new and click instantly, but you still don’t really know them. That impatience to fast-forward through small talk and get to the good stuff? That’s adronitis. Friendship takes time, and waiting can be the hardest part.