WORD of the day

chagrin \shuh-GRIN\, noun:
:: Acute vexation, annoyance, or embarrassment, arising from disappointment or failure.

transitive verb:
To unsettle or vex by disappointment or humiliation.

Example sentence (as a noun): Much to our chagrin, the cab driver could not make change for one hundred pesos, and we wound up paying double for what the ride was worth.

Notice that today’s word can be used as a transitive verb as well. Great. But some of you may be wondering: What exactly is a transitive verb?

First of all, it’s an action verb. Second of all, it requires a direct object to complete its meaning in the sentence. The action of the verb is transferred to the object directly.

The cab driver chagrined us.
The subject (the cab driver) applied a direct action (chagrined) to the object of the sentence (us).