Learning Network Defines “Encomium” as Formal Praise in 2026 Word of the Day

Q: Why did the New York Times choose “encomium” after Junot Díaz used it to praise Amitav Ghosh’s “Ghost-Eye” so lavishly?

The New York Times chose “encomium” because Junot Díaz’s review offered a strong, timely example of the word in real use, and the Learning Network’s Word of the Day feature is designed to turn notable Times language into a teaching tool. In Díaz’s June 16 review of Amitav Ghosh’s *Ghost-Eye*, he wrote that Ghosh “deserves the encomium,” using the noun in exactly the sense the Learning Network highlighted: a formal expression of praise. The word also stood out because Díaz’s review was itself highly laudatory, presenting Ghosh as a rare benchmark for literary originality. That made “encomium” both newsworthy within Times coverage and easy to anchor to a memorable cultural moment. The choice also fits the Learning Network’s broader educational mission. Its daily vocabulary feature regularly pulls words from recent Times articles and asks students to use them in sentences, helping readers learn advanced vocabulary through authentic journalism rather than abstract word lists. In that context, “encomium” was a useful selection: it is relatively uncommon, clearly defined, and connected to a prominent book review and a major contemporary novelist. So the paper did not appear to choose the word simply to echo lavish praise of Ghosh. It selected it because Díaz’s review supplied a vivid, high-profile example of a sophisticated word that served the Learning Network’s classroom-focused vocabulary goals.

Q: If “Ghost-Eye” drew both admiration and criticism, why did Junot Díaz say Amitav Ghosh “deserves the encomium”?

Junot Díaz said Amitav Ghosh “deserves the encomium” because his praise was aimed less at unanimous approval of *Ghost-Eye* and more at Ghosh’s larger achievement as a writer. In Díaz’s review, he called Ghosh “one of a kind” and “a synthesist of the highest order,” arguing that Ghosh can combine genre-bending ideas, large historical forces and nuanced characterizations in ways few novelists can. That assessment fits Ghosh’s broader reputation: across works such as *The Shadow Lines*, *The Glass Palace* and the Ibis trilogy, he has been widely recognized for linking colonial history, migration, climate change and global systems in ambitious fiction and nonfiction. The mixed response to *Ghost-Eye* does not necessarily contradict Díaz’s praise. Reviews cited in the surrounding coverage admired the novel’s scope, originality and ecological imagination, even when some critics found weaknesses in exposition, structure or character development. In other words, a book can divide reviewers on execution while still being seen as the work of a major, singular literary figure. Díaz’s line suggests that, in his judgment, Ghosh’s originality, intellectual range and long-term influence outweigh the novel’s flaws. He was effectively praising both *Ghost-Eye*’s ambition and Ghosh’s standing as a benchmark writer whose work expands what the novel can do, especially on history and climate.

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 5

“Encomium” led the Learning Network’s Aug. 5 Word of the Day, with the noun defined as “a formal expression of praise.”
40 New York Times articles used the word in the past year, and the feature highlighted Junot Díaz’s June 16 review of Amitav Ghosh’s “Ghost-Eye” as a recent example.
The post asks readers to write their own sentence using “encomium,” pointing them to additional usage examples and IPA pronunciation guidance.
Students 13 and older in the U.S. and U.K., and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment, with submissions moderated by Learning Network staff.

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The New York Times18d ago

Learning Network's Word of the Day: "Encomium" Defined

Why did the New York Times choose “encomium” after Junot Díaz used it to praise Amitav Ghosh’s “Ghost-Eye” so lavishly?

If “Ghost-Eye” drew both admiration and criticism, why did Junot Díaz say Amitav Ghosh “deserves the encomium”?

Sources

1 total

The New York Times18d ago

Learning Network's Word of the Day: "Encomium" Defined

Learning Network Defines “Encomium” as Formal Praise in 2026 Word of the Day

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