workaday means suitable for everyday use. It carries an Arena rating of 1816, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, workaday ranks #2,179 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #2,179 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #3,424 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #3,651 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words.
workaday is pronounced /ˈwɜːkədeɪ/.
Why “workaday” is a great word
Describes something suited to the ordinary, unceremonious business of daily life. From Middle English *werkedei*, from Old Norse *virkr dagr* (“working day”), equivalent to *work* + *day*; first attested c. 1175. Unlike “extraordinary” (which strains for the remarkable) or “ceremonial” (which demands solemnity), *workaday* inhabits the realm of humble, unadorned utility. It is the scuffed leather of a tool belt, the dependable rhythm of a coffee grinder at dawn, and the quiet competence of hands that know their task—the durable fabric from which a life is mostly woven.
Etymology
Middle English werkedei, from Old Norse virkr dagr (“working day”). Cognate to later workday; see work and day. Used in adjective sense from 16th century. By surface analysis, work + -a- + day. First attested in c. 1200.
adj
- Suitable for everyday use.
- Mundane or commonplace.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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