Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 3, 2019 is: pursy  \PER-see\  adjective 1 : having a puckered appearance 2 : proud because of one's wealth especially in the absence of other distinctions : purse-proud Examples: "There was a picture of a pale gent with a narrow face and a woman with dark eyes and a pursy mouth." — Stephen King, Misery , 1987 "Some guys get all purs...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 2, 2019 is: sawbones  \SAW-bohnz\  noun slang : physician , surgeon Examples: "After abandoning his destitute family in 1913, Brinkley bought a medical degree from a ' diploma mill ' in St. Louis. An itinerant preacher assured him that he did not have to be a bona fide sawbones to cure the ills of the world." — Bartee Haile, The Cou...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 1, 2019 is: mitigate \MIT-uh-gayt\ verb 1 : to cause to become less harsh or hostile : mollify 2 a : to make less severe or painful : alleviate b : to lessen the seriousness of : extenuate Examples: "Although Apple Hill receives the bulk of their visitors in October, most of its ranches and wineries are open from mid-August through December.… Last year...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 30, 2019 is: buttress \BUTT-russ\ noun 1 architecture : a projecting structure of masonry or wood for supporting or giving stability to a wall or building 2 : something that resembles a buttress: such as a : a projecting part of a mountain or hill b biology : a horny protuberance on a horse's hoof at the heel c botany : the broadened base of a tree t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 29, 2019 is: Elysian \ih-LIZH-un\ adjective 1 : of or relating to Elysium 2 : blissful , delightful Examples: "On such a balmy summer day, on this Elysian isle, anything seemed possible." — Dorothy West, The Wedding , 1995 "No matter what one's childhood is, a seeming Eylsian remembrance or a parental vendetta, the understanding of the afflatus of a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 28, 2019 is: hegemony \hih-JEM-uh-nee\ noun 1 : preponderant influence or authority over others : domination 2 : the social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group Examples: "According to Chinese analysts' telling of World War II, the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and the invasion of China proper in 1937 wer...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 27, 2019 is: cleave \KLEEV\ verb 1 : to divide (something) by or as if by a cutting blow : split 2 : to separate (something) into distinct parts and especially into groups having divergent views 3 : to subject to chemical cleavage 4 : to split especially along the grain 5 : to penetrate or pass through something by or as if by cutting Examples: "The...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 26, 2019 is: frowsy \FROW-zee\ adjective 1 : musty , stale 2 : having a slovenly or uncared-for appearance Examples: The lamp, discovered in a frowsy Midwestern antique store, turned out to be quite valuable. "On good days, I could also manage super boring reality TV shows, like 'Escape to the Country,' in which retired British couples go on slow sea...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 25, 2019 is: lèse-majesté \layz-MAJ-uh-stee\ noun 1 a : a crime (such as treason ) committed against a sovereign power b : an offense violating the dignity of a ruler as the representative of a sovereign power 2 : a detraction from or affront to dignity or importance Examples: "David's grandfather, President Eisenhower , had left David all his clothe...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 24, 2019 is: axiomatic \ak-see-uh-MAT-ik\ adjective 1 : taken for granted : self-evident 2 : based on or involving an axiom or system of axioms Examples: "It's axiomatic that intellectuals like to deal with ideas. Ideas are to the intellectual what paint is to the painter and stone is to the mason." — Jonah Goldberg, The Baltimore Sun , 10 June 2019...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 23, 2019 is: suffuse \suh-FYOOZ\ verb : to spread over or through in the manner of fluid or light : flush , fill Examples: "Also beguiling … are such installation works as 'Spatial Environment in Red Light'…. It's a walk-through enclosure containing six parallel corridors and suffused with a neon redness that, having saturated your optic nerves, turn...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 22, 2019 is: detritus \dih-TRYE-tus\ noun 1 geology : loose material (such as rock fragments or organic particles) that results directly from disintegration 2 a : a product of disintegration, destruction, or wearing away : debris b : miscellaneous remnants : odds and ends Examples: "Much to our shock, when my roommates and I opened the cabinets above...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 21, 2019 is: redoubtable \rih-DOUT-uh-bul\ adjective 1 : causing fear or alarm : formidable 2 : illustrious , eminent ; broadly : worthy of respect Examples: The theater has hired a redoubtable director to direct its upcoming production. "There, amid the planers and sawdust, 46 craftsmen create custom-built pieces for private clients and for such red...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 20, 2019 is: misprision \mis-PRIZH-un\ noun 1 a : neglect or wrong performance of official duty b : concealment of treason or felony by one who is not a participant in the treason or felony c : seditious conduct against the government or the courts 2 : misunderstanding , misinterpretation Examples: The article asserts that the health guru's recommend...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 19, 2019 is: issuable \ISH-oo-uh-bul\ adjective 1 : open to contest, debate, or litigation 2 : authorized for issue 3 : possible as a result or consequence Examples: "The common shares issuable upon exercise of the options are subject to a four-month hold period from the original date of grant." — Yahoo! Finance , 25 July 2019 "Questions calling for...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 18, 2019 is: bivouac \BIV-uh-wak\ verb 1 : to make a usually temporary encampment under little or no shelter : camp 2 : to take shelter often temporarily 3 : to provide temporary quarters for Examples: The search party bivouacked under a nearby ledge until the storm passed. "Isakson said Native American artifacts were found on the site, along with pl...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 17, 2019 is: labile \LAY-byle\ adjective 1 : readily or continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown : unstable 2 : readily open to change Examples: "From the outset, we see Queen Anne—portrayed brilliantly by Olivia Colman—as frail, obese and emotionally- labile . One minute, she's calmly speaking to her confidante…....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 16, 2019 is: Yooper \YOO-per\ noun : a native or resident of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan — used as a nickname Examples: "The district has always elected Yoopers to represent them in Congress, rather than someone from the lower peninsula like Morgan." — Melissa Nann Burke, The Detroit News, 6 Nov. 2018 "Mezydlo and Turnquist live in the Upper Peni...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 15, 2019 is: continual \kun-TIN-yoo-ul\ adjective 1 : continuing indefinitely in time without interruption 2 : recurring in steady usually rapid succession Examples: The continual blaring of the car's alarm outside made it very difficult for Jane to focus on her work that morning. "Cows can drink upwards of 50 gallons of water a day, so making sure t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 14, 2019 is: travail \truh-VAIL\ noun 1 a : work especially of a painful or laborious nature : toil b : a physical or mental exertion or piece of work : task , effort c : agony , torment 2 : labor , childbirth Examples: "Time and again, the company made shrewd business decisions that, through the many travails of two centuries, has left it standing."...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 13, 2019 is: abscond \ab-SKAHND\ verb : to depart secretly and hide oneself Examples: "The camera tracked [the black bear] as he moved in a sturdy lurch, … holding his dangling, unnecessary arms close to his chest like a mime absconding with a snatched purse." — Jon Mooallem, The New York Times Magazine , 21 Dec. 2016 "The historian Plutarch wrote th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 12, 2019 is: deleterious \del-uh-TEER-ee-us\ adjective : harmful often in a subtle or unexpected way Examples: "With an injury, the body automatically responds with an inflammatory process to neutralize the toxic microorganisms, repair the affected tissues and eliminate debris from the wound. That is beneficial, but chronic inflammation is deleteriou...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 11, 2019 is: repertoire \REP-er-twahr\ noun 1 a : a list or supply of dramas, operas, pieces, or parts that a company or person is prepared to perform b : a supply of skills, devices, or expedients ; broadly : amount , supply c : a list or supply of capabilities 2 a : the complete list or supply of dramas, operas, or musical works available for perfo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 10, 2019 is: pell-mell \pel-MEL\ adverb 1 : in mingled confusion or disorder 2 : in confused haste Examples: When the final bell of the day rang, the children bolted from their desks and streamed pell-mell out the door into the schoolyard. "The grammar school dropout was forever on the move. There were times he bolted into the darkroom of his employe...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 9, 2019 is: olfactory \ahl-FAK-tuh-ree\ adjective : of or relating to the sense of smell Examples: "The glands located between the cat's toes secrete a scent whenever he scratches on objects such as a tree or a scratching post. This activity provides an olfactory territory mark in addition to the visual." — Pam Johnson-Bennett, Think Like a Cat , 201...