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Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day for April 20, 2008 is:

petulant • \PET-chuh-lunt\  • adjective
1 : insolent or rude in speech or behavior *2 : characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor : peevish

Example sentence:
"’What is it all about?’ cried Dorian in his petulant way, flinging himself down on the sofa." (Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray)

Did you know?
"Petulant" is one of many English words that are related to the Latin verb "petere," which means "to go to," "to attack," "to seek," or "to request." "Petere" is a relative of the Latin adjective "petulans" ("impudent"), from which "petulant" was derived. Some other words with connections to "petere" are "compete" and "appetite." "Competere," the Late Latin precursor to "compete," is a combination of the prefix "com-" and the verb "petere." The joining of "ad-" and "petere" led to "appetere" ("to strive after"), and eventually to Latin "appetitus," the source of our "appetite." Additional descendants of "petere" are "petition," "perpetual," and "impetus."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day for April 19, 2008 is:

quixotic • \kwik-SAH-tik\  • adjective
*1 : foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially : marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action 2 : capricious, unpredictable

Example sentence:
Marta has been desperately trying to convince her friends to give up their cars and computers and return to nature on Earth Day, but it has been a quixotic crusade.

Did you know?
If you guessed that "quixotic" has something to do with Don Quixote, you’re absolutely right. The hero of the 17th-century Spanish novel El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (by Miguel de Cervantes) didn’t change the world by tilting at windmills, but he did leave a linguistic legacy in English. The adjective "quixotic" is based on his name and has been used to describe unrealistic idealists since at least the early 18th century. The novel has given English other words as well. "Dulcinea," the name of Quixote’s beloved, has come to mean "mistress" or "sweetheart," and "rosinante," which is sometimes used to refer to an old, broken-down horse, comes from the name of the hero’s less-than-gallant steed.

*Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence.