wordsmith

English

WOTD – 3 May 2023

Etymology

The noun is derived from word +‎ smith (“craftsperson who works metal into desired forms; (by extension) one who makes anything”). The verb is derived from the noun.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɜːdsmɪθ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɝdˌsmɪθ/
• Hyphenation: word‧smith

Noun

wordsmith (plural wordsmiths)

1. One who uses words skilfully. [from late 19th c.]

   Synonym: (one sense) wordmonger

   Hyponyms: logodaedalus, wordman, wordsman, wordster

   She has always been known as a capable wordsmith, but in this latest novel she also shows surprising emotional depth.

   • 2021, Little Simz (lyrics and music), “Introvert”, in Sometimes I Might Be Introvert‎^[1]:

     I bottle up and then spill it in verses / One day, I'm wordless, next day, I'm a wordsmith / Close to success, but to happiness, I'm the furthest

Coordinate terms

• jokesmith
• songsmith

Derived terms

• wordsmithery

Translations

one who uses words skillfully

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 文字能手 (wénzì néngshǒu), 段子手 (zh) (duànzishǒu)

• Dutch: woordkunstenaar (nl) m
• Finnish: sananiekka, sanailija, sanaseppä, sanaseppo (fi), sanataituri
• French: belle plume f, poète (fr) m
• Macedonian: зборо́творец m (zborótvorec), ко́вач на збо́рови m (kóvač na zbórovi)
• Maori: tohunga whakarāwai kupu
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: ordsmed m

• Polish: krasomówca (pl) m, krasomówczyni f, retor (pl) m
• Russian: ма́стер сло́ва m (máster slóva)
• Spanish: liróforo m
• Swedish: ordsmed
• Thai: ช่างพูด, คนพูด
• Ukrainian: красномо́вець m (krasnomóvecʹ), красномовчи́ня f (krasnomovčýnja)
• Welsh: crefftwr geiriau m

See also

• prose stylist
• Thesaurus:writer

Verb

wordsmith (third-person singular simple present wordsmiths, present participle wordsmithing, simple past and past participle wordsmithed)

1. (transitive) To skilfully compose or craft (something written).
   • 2022 November 10, Simon Montlake, “In Ohio, one man’s quest to get more voters to agree to disagree”, in The Christian Science Monitor‎^[2], Boston, Mass.: Christian Science Publishing Society, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-04-05:

     Then he reads the prompt, which has been carefully wordsmithed by Mr. [Ted] Wetzel and his collaborators.

Derived terms

• wordsmithing (noun)

Translations

to skilfully compose or craft (something written)

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 巧妙地運用語言／巧妙地运用语言 (qiǎomiào de yùnyòng yǔyán)

• Finnish: sanaseppoilla
• Macedonian: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Ukrainian: красномовля́ти impf (krasnomovljáty), красномо́вити impf or pf (krasnomóvyty)