tao means the art or skill of doing something in harmony with the essential nature of the thing. It carries an Arena rating of 1863, earned across 72 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, tao ranks #106 of 17,111 for Most Sublime Words, #138 of 40,254 for Qualifying, #155 of 17,113 for Most Elegant Words, #456 of 17,123 for Most Malleable Words.
tao is pronounced /daʊ/.
Why “tao” is a great word
The fundamental, ineffable principle that is the source, pattern, and substance of everything in the universe, and the ideal way of life. From the Wade–Giles romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 道 (dào), literally meaning 'way, path, road'. Unlike "dharma," which codifies cosmic law and righteous duty, or "logos," which structures the world through rational principle, the Tao is the silent, spontaneous order that flows before any law or logic. It is the water wearing away the stone, the bamboo bending before the wind, the path that appears only when you stop looking for it—its truth not declared but overheard in the hush of a forest after rain.
Etymology
From the Wade–Giles romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 道 (tao⁴).
noun
- The art or skill of doing something in harmony with the essential nature of the thing.e.g.“the tao of sex... the tao of the heart... the tao of integuments...”
- Synonym of circuit: various administrative divisions of imperial and early Republican China.
name
- In Taoism, The Way, specifically the transcendental basis of nature and, and/or the ideal way to live one's life.
- A unisex given name from Mandarin.
- A surname from Mandarin.
- an Austronesian ethnic group native to Orchid Island (Lanyu) of Lanyu, Taitung County, Taiwan
- a historical region of Georgia (country)
Words closest in meaning
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