sphexishness means the state or condition of being sphexish. It carries an Arena rating of 1178, earned across 110 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, sphexishness ranks #113 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #1,135 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #1,409 of 17,105 for Most Storied Words, #2,002 of 17,151 for The Improbable.
Why “sphexishness” is a great word
SPHEXISHNESS — [Noun] The state of exhibiting rigid, pre-programmed, or mindlessly repetitive behavior, analogous to the instinct-driven actions of certain insects. From sphexish (relating to the behavior of the wasp genus Sphex) + -ness (state or condition). Coined in 1984 by American philosopher Daniel Dennett. Unlike "agency" (which implies conscious intention and free will) or "adaptability" (which denotes flexible adjustment), sphexishness is the pure mechanics of an unthinking program. It is the wasp circling the displaced pebble it cannot bypass, the software update that re-adds the exact bug it just fixed, and the daily commute performed so mindlessly that the journey itself vanishes—a perfect, hollow algorithm, reminding us that not all motion is progress.
Etymology
From sphexish + -ness, coined by American philosopher Daniel Dennett in 1984.
noun
- The state or condition of being sphexish.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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