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“arrant”
arrant (adjective), arranter, arrantest
1. A reference to something that is the worst kind or extremely wrong: Hugo said that the accusation that he was quitting his job was arrant stupidity.
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When Jim forgot to wish his sister "all the best" on her birthday, she felt he had shown an arrant rudeness.
2. Etymology: the term arrant was originally a different form of errant, and it had the meaning of "wandering", as in the phrases knights errant and errant thieves which referred to both types being "on the move".Then errant was applied to knightly wanderers, and the spelling arrant was applied to "knavish drifters" referring to "outright, confirmed, manifest", and being "notoriously bad" or "unacceptable".
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err-, errat-
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arrant, arrantly; errant, errantly
arrant (AR uhnt) (adjective)
1. Used to emphasize that someone or something is an extreme example of that which is unacceptable: This is arrant nonsense!
2. Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers: Alton dismissed the rumors that he would quit his job as arrant nonsense.
2. Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers: Alton dismissed the rumors that he would quit his job as arrant nonsense.
arrantly (AR uhnt li) (adverb)
Of the worst kind, impudently or not showing respect for other people: Pete was arrantly smoking in the non-smoking area of the restaurant.
errant (ER uhnt) (adjective)
1. Roving or wandering; especially, in search of adventure: Sonia was reading about an errant traveler.
2. Straying from the proper course or correct standard: Kristina could no longer tolerate her errant husband.
2. Straying from the proper course or correct standard: Kristina could no longer tolerate her errant husband.
errantly (ER uhnt li) (adverb)
A reference to someone or something that goes outside of a specified area or a designated place: The calf errantly went into the neighbor's garden.
Neal thought it was arrant behaviour when he saw the doctor arrantly smoking while standing outside the hospital. Is it possible that Violet is also errant in her personal health practices?
Perhaps Lindsey should have errantly gone outside to get some fresh air before continuing with the strenuous work that she was doing.
This entry is located in the following unit:
Confusing Words Clarified: Group A; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc.
(page 7)
Word Entries at Get Words:
“arrant”
Relating to beng the worst kind, extreme evil; notoriously bad. (1)
This entry is located in the following unit:
Word a Day Revisited Index of Cartoons Illustrating the Meanings of Words
(page 14)