A-Z of Shakespeare – E

shakespeareAtoZ-E

 

Today’s Shakespearean Word of the Day is… exsufflicate

shakespeareAtoZ-E-exsufflicate

Exsufflicate is an adjective which means exaggerated or blown up out of all proportion.

Othello says he would never listen to ‘exsufflicate and blown surmises’ (Othello, 3.3.184)- ie. exaggerated theories.

Listen to the pronunciation of exsufflicate here

Shakespeare Dictionary _130

This definition is taken from the Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare Dictionary, a unique dictionary compiled by renowned English language expert David Crystal and Shakespearean actor and producer Ben Crystal to unlock the mysteries of Shakespeare’s world, words and language.