Nisus
[NAI-səs]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, late 17th century
1.
A mental or physical effort to attain a specific goal.
2.
An impulse or tendency.
Examples of Nisus in a sentence
"He put a lot of nisus into completing his final project a week before the due date."
"My nisus is to skip my Monday morning workout, but I always feel better when I do it."
About Nisus
Nisus comes from the Latin words "nīsus" ("effort") and "nītī" ("to strive"). If someone uses this word to refer to your actions, take it as a compliment — they're recognizing that you work hard to achieve your goals.
Did you Know?
The word "nisus" was originally published in a 1699 edition of "Philosophical Transactions" from the Royal Society of London. It's appropriate that a noun meaning "effort and endeavor" comes from the world's first and longest-running scientific journal, which launched in 1665.
