Pronounced: HURL-ee-BURR-lee, noun/adj
Notes: This is one of those words I see and think I sort of know (and I’m close to the real meaning)
Yesterday’s word
The word kef means “a state of drowsy contentment”
First usage
Our word came into English in the early 1800s
Background / Comments
This is one of the words from the “not quite as well done” vocabulary list. I’m always checking words in this list with Internet sources. So, the definition I have above is what is said, and, on that basis, is quite a wonderful word. “Drowsy contentment” is what we’d all like to experience at the end of a hard day. It seemed like a great word to use… but then I checked online, and while it listed the definition above, it added “especially from marijuana, opium, or another narcotic”. So, I don’t feel as great about using it now. Our word comes from the Arabic word kaif (well-being; pleasure).
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 