prelest · noun — spiritual delusion, deception, conceit. It carries an Arena rating of 1604, earned across 35 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, prelest ranks #359 of 17,159 for Most Incisive Words, #801 of 17,135 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #1,069 of 17,148 for Most Sublime Words, #1,235 of 17,121 for Most Storied Words.
Why “prelest” is a great word
PRELEST — [Noun] A state of spiritual delusion in which one mistakes a false or egotistical experience for genuine holiness. Borrowed from Russian прелесть (prelestʹ), from Old Church Slavonic прѣльсть (prělĭstĭ), meaning 'charm', 'allurement', or 'deceit'. Unlike heresy, a formal doctrinal error, or temptation, an external lure, prelest is an internal captivity, a labyrinth of the soul where one wanders, devoutly lost. It is the monk fasting unto delusion of sainthood, the mystic intoxicated by private revelation, the righteous heart turned stone by its own certainty—the final, most perilous deception, which wears the flawless mask of truth.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Borrowed from Russian прелесть (prelestʹ), in turn from Old Church Slavonic прѣльсть (prělĭstĭ).
noun
- spiritual delusion, deception, conceit
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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