Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 25, 2019 is: gritty \GRIT-ee\ adjective 1 : containing or resembling grit 2 : courageously persistent : plucky 3 : having strong qualities of tough uncompromising realism Examples: "Unlike a lot of natural deodorants that also use baking soda but have a gritty texture, this stick has a gel-like consistency that doesn't aggravate tender underarm skin." — K...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 24, 2019 is: contraption \kun-TRAP-shun\ noun : device , gadget Examples: "In Connecticut, the Hartford Marathon Foundation worked with an engineering company to create a 40-foot-long drinking fountain for the finish line of its race. The contraption , known as the Bubbler, allows multiple people to drink at the same time and is estimated to have saved ab...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 23, 2019 is: lade \LAYD\ verb 1 a : to put a load or burden on or in : load b : to put or place as a load especially for shipment : ship c : to load heavily or oppressively 2 : dip , ladle Examples: "… we might, for example, see what are arguably Mr. Boontje's two most influential designs: his Blossom chandelier for Swarovski, a sparkling spray of branche...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 22, 2019 is: puckish \PUCK-ish\ adjective : impish , whimsical Examples: "Ms. Jamon, with her charm and puckish humor, makes the restaurant feel like a home. For Christmas in 2009, after their move from Los Angeles, there was a fully decorated tree hanging upside down from the ceiling. 'Everything in the world seems upside down,' she said, 'so I decided t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 21, 2019 is: tonsorial \tahn-SOR-ee-ul\ adjective : of or relating to a barber or the work of a barber Examples: "Once again Ryan's Barber Shop and Shaving Parlor … provided the tonsorial team the chairs and the needed supplies for the men to sit down and get their faces cleaned up or hair trimmed." — Steve Moran, The Asbury Park (New Jersey) Press , 6 De...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 20, 2019 is: demeanor \dih-MEE-ner\ noun : behavior toward others : outward manner Examples: The professor's friendly and laid-back demeanor made him a favorite among the students. "Detroit's well-earned place as one of America's most iconic cities is a credit to its past, present and future. It is a city that has never had it easy, but its steely demeano...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 19, 2019 is: insuperable \in-SOO-puh-ruh-bul\ adjective : incapable of being surmounted, overcome, passed over, or solved Examples: Though it had appeared that the visiting team had an insuperable lead, the home team rallied to win in the end. "'Life and Fate,' his resulting magnum opus, is not likely to be unseated as the greatest Second World War novel...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 18, 2019 is: boilerplate \BOY-ler-playt\ noun 1 : syndicated material supplied especially to weekly newspapers in matrix or plate form 2 a : standardized text b : formulaic or hackneyed language 3 : tightly packed icy snow Examples: "'I think the middle class is getting clobbered,' he said one day, over lunch. 'I think there has to be a significant change...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 17, 2019 is: flounce \FLOUNSS\ verb 1 a : to move with exaggerated jerky or bouncy motions b : to go with sudden determination 2 : flounder , struggle Examples: "With skirts flouncing , 15 young women ascended the steps … to a traditional Mexican birthday song played in a mariachi style." — Laurel Wamsley and Vanessa Romo, NPR , 19 July 2017 "The Master o...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 16, 2019 is: assiduous \uh-SIJ-uh-wus\ adjective : showing great care, attention, and effort : marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application Examples: "Ryan Murphy …, in his last FX series before founding his Netflix empire, was also assiduous about hiring transgender actors and creative staff…." — James Poniewozik, The New York Times...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 15, 2019 is: recidivism \rih-SID-uh-viz-um\ noun : a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior; especially : relapse into criminal behavior Examples: The judge took the guilty felon's rate of recidivism into account when she deliberated her sentence. "She said her main purpose is to support seniors' efforts to 'age in place' with d...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 14, 2019 is: oneiric \oh-NYE-rik\ adjective : of or relating to dreams : dreamy Examples: The paintings, filled with fantastical imagery conjured by the artist's imagination, have a compellingly oneiric quality. "Somewhere along the twisty path of the twentieth century, Vladimir Nabokov, our brilliant dreamer-in-chief, came into contact with [aeronautical...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 13, 2019 is: scrutinize \SKROO-tuh-nyze\ verb 1 : to examine closely and minutely   2 : to make a scrutiny Examples: "I think the biggest misconception out there is that every accident a commercial motor vehicle is involved in, the general public feels it is the big rig's fault. Little does the general public know that everything from what needs...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 12, 2019 is: equivocal \ih-KWIV-uh-kul\ adjective 1 a : subject to two or more interpretations and usually used to mislead or confuse b : uncertain as an indication or sign   2 a : of uncertain nature or classification b : of uncertain disposition toward a person or thing : undecided c : of doubtful advantage, genuineness, or moral rectitude Exa...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 11, 2019 is: chasten \CHAY-sun\ verb 1 : to correct by punishment or suffering : discipline ; also : purify 2 a : to prune (something, such as a work or style of art) of excess, pretense, or falsity : refine b : to cause to be more humble or restrained : subdue Examples: He was very arrogant as a younger man, but he has been sufficiently chastened by life...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 10, 2019 is: ineffable \in-EFF-uh-bul\ adjective 1 a : incapable of being expressed in words : indescribable b : inexpressibly bad : unspeakable 2 : not to be uttered : taboo Examples: "Undaunted, in 'Why You Like It' Nolan Gasser attempts to explain the ineffable ways music produces sensations in listeners' brains: its power to move people to tears, evok...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 9, 2019 is: vocation \voh-KAY-shun\ noun 1 a : a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action; especially : a divine call to the religious life b : an entry into the priesthood or a religious order 2 a : the work in which a person is employed : occupation b : the persons engaged in a particular occupation 3 : the special functio...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 8, 2019 is: quibble \KWIB-ul\ verb 1 : to evade the point of an argument by caviling about words 2 a : to find fault by raising trivial or frivolous objection b : to engage in a petty quarrel : bicker 3 : to subject to minor objections or criticisms Examples: "A few researchers and doctors have also quibbled with some of the details in the dietary advice…...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 7, 2019 is: bombast \BAHM-bast\ noun : pretentious inflated speech or writing Examples: Laura complained that the editorial columns in her local newspaper were full of bombast and offered little in the way of intelligent opinion. "Now that a new top-grossing movie of all time is about to be crowned, it seems the bombast of summer tentpole season has begun...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 6, 2019 is: kinetic \kuh-NET-ik\ adjective 1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith 2 a : active , lively b : dynamic , energizing 3 : of or relating to kinetic art Examples: "See, that's where the height of the spaghetti mound comes in. The entire question hinges on how much momentum the meatball...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 5, 2019 is: malapert \mal-uh-PERT\ adjective : impudently bold : saucy Examples: "Fair ladies, brave knights, churls, varlets, squires, scurvy knaves, men-at-arms, malapert rogues—all were merry." — P. G. Wodehouse, The Man Upstairs and Other Stories , 1914 "Hers were never the records you confessed to owning—especially 'How Am I Supposed to Live Without...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 4, 2019 is: amalgamate \uh-MAL-guh-mayt\ verb : to unite in or as if in a mixture of elements; especially : to merge into a single body Examples: "Rolls-Royce has operational service centres around the world, in which expert engineers are analysing the data being fed back from their engines. It can amalgamate the data from its engines to highlight factors...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 3, 2019 is: nuance \NOO-ahnss\ noun 1 : a subtle distinction or variation 2 : a subtle quality : nicety 3 : sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate shadings (as of meaning, feeling, or value) Examples: "Poetry can enrich the academic and creative life of every student—from a second-grade English Language Learner exploring the nuances...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 2, 2019 is: circumspect \SER-kum-spekt\ adjective : careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences : prudent Examples: "The response in several previously frozen markets for short-term financing was extremely positive, and stock investors were jubilant. However, the reaction in longer-term fixed income and commodities markets, especially...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 1, 2019 is: nectar \NEK-ter\ noun 1 a : the drink of the Greek and Roman gods b : something delicious to drink c : a beverage of fruit juice and pulp 2 : a sweet liquid that is secreted by the nectaries of a plant and is the chief raw material of honey Examples: "Hummingbirds need to eat a third to a half of their body weight daily to fuel their high-ener...