oblectate means to delight; to please greatly. It carries an Arena rating of 1328, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, oblectate ranks #3,298 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #3,670 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #3,691 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #4,619 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words.
Why “oblectate” is a great word
To delight or please greatly. From the Latin *oblectātus*, perfect passive participle of *oblectō* ("to delight, amuse, entertain"), from *ob-* ("towards") and *laciō* ("to entice, allure"). First attested in English in 1611. Unlike "amuse," which suggests a lighter, temporary diversion, or "gratify," which often implies the satisfaction of a specific appetite, to oblectate is to summon a deeper, more general enchantment. It is the specific pleasure of sunlight falling on a dust-moted bookshelf, the rapt silence of an audience held by a perfect cadence, and the quiet, tactile pleasure of a well-turned phrase that lingers on the tongue—a gentle victory of beauty over the ordinary passage of time.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin oblectātus, perfect passive participle of oblectō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and ob-.
verb
- To delight; to please greatly.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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