thymos means that area of the soul where feelings of pride, indignation, shame etc are located. It carries an Arena rating of 1781, earned across 34 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, thymos ranks #673 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #818 of 17,105 for Most Storied Words, #1,472 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #1,518 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words.
Why “thymos” is a great word
THYMOS — [Noun] In Platonic psychology, the spirited element of the soul, regarded as the seat of courage, righteous anger, honor, and shame. From the Ancient Greek θῡμός (thūmós, "soul, spirit, heart, passion"). Doublet of thymus and fume. Unlike logos, which calculates coolly toward truth, or epithymia, which hungers for base gratification, thymos is the furnace of identity, burning for recognition and just regard. It is the hot blush of shame, the righteous slam of a fist on a table, the unyielding set of a soldier's jaw in a hopeless breach—the noble, tempestuous force that makes us prefer death to dishonor.
Etymology
Ancient Greek θῡμός (thūmós, “soul, heart”). Doublet of thymus and fume.
noun
- That area of the soul where feelings of pride, indignation, shame etc are located.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- thymey 56% match — Resembling or characteristic of the herb thyme; having the aroma or flavour of thyme. vs thymos →
- thymic 55% match — Of or relating to the thymus gland vs thymos →
- pneuma 54% match — A neume. vs thymos →
- thymelike 54% match — Resembling or characteristic of the herb thyme. vs thymos →
- sophrosyne 52% match — The Ancient Greek concept of an ideal of excellence of character and soundness of mind, which when combined in one well-balanced individual leads to other qualities, such as temperance, moderation, prudence, and self-control. vs thymos →
- intrathymus 52% match — Within the thymus vs thymos →
- animus 52% match — The basic impulses and instincts which govern one's actions. vs thymos →
- thymotropic 51% match — That affects, or is attracted to the thymus vs thymos →