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will-o'-the-wisp

will-o'-the-wisp
W w

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [wil-uh-th uh-wisp]
    • /ˈwɪl ə ðəˈwɪsp/
    • /wɪl ˈəʊ ðə wɪsp/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [wil-uh-th uh-wisp]
    • /ˈwɪl ə ðəˈwɪsp/

Definitions of will-o'-the-wisp word

  • noun will-o'-the-wisp ignis fatuus (def 1). 1
  • noun will-o'-the-wisp anything that deludes or misleads by luring on. 1
  • countable noun will-o'-the-wisp You can refer to someone or something that keeps disappearing or that is impossible to catch or reach as a will-o'-the-wisp. 0
  • noun will-o'-the-wisp a pale flame or phosphorescence sometimes seen over marshy ground at night. It is believed to be due to the spontaneous combustion of methane or other hydrocarbons originating from decomposing organic matter 0
  • noun will-o'-the-wisp a person or thing that is elusive or allures and misleads 0
  • noun will-o'-the-wisp jack-o'-lantern (sense 1) 0

Information block about the term

Origin of will-o'-the-wisp

First appearance:

before 1600
One of the 39% oldest English words
1600-10; orig. Will (i.e., William) with the wisp; see wisp

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Will-o'-the-wisp

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

will-o'-the-wisp popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 32% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
According to our data about 70% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

Synonyms for will-o'-the-wisp

noun will-o'-the-wisp

  • dream vision — a conventional device used in narrative verse, employed especially by medieval poets, that presents a story as told by one who falls asleep and dreams the events of the poem: Dante's Divine Comedy exemplifies the dream vision in its most developed form.
  • idolism — idolatry.
  • ignis fatuus — Also called friar's lantern, will-o'-the-wisp. a flitting phosphorescent light seen at night, chiefly over marshy ground, and believed to be due to spontaneous combustion of gas from decomposed organic matter.
  • misbelief — erroneous belief; false opinion.
  • misimpression — a faulty or incorrect impression; a misconception or misapprehension.

See also

Matching words

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