ataraxy
/ˈatəɹaksi/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
State of psychological calm and tranquility, absence of discomfort, or metabolical inactivity.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "When the Pyrrhonians say, that ataraxy is the chiefe felicitie, which is the immobilitie of judgement, their meaning is not to speake it affirmatively[…]."
- "Youth all around prancing, vociferating, mocking; callow and alien youth, having to be looked after and studied and taught, as though nothing but it mattered, term after term—and now, all of a sudden, in mid-term, peace, ataraxy, a profound and leisured stillness."
- "There was no longer any need for fortitude: he felt nothing at present and there was no point in artificial ataraxy."
- "I was nonplussed, I stared at my teacher, never before had his swollen face seemed so replete with indifference, stone ataraxy."
- "Ataraxy can be produced by ataractics, drugs that have a calming or quieting effect."
Etymology
From Middle French ataraxie, from Ancient Greek ἀταραξία (ataraxía, “impassiveness”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + ταράσσω (tarássō, “I disturb”). Doublet of ataraxia.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: ataraxie, ἀταραξία
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /ˈatəɹaksi/