Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 6, 2019 is: ephemeral \ih-FEM-uh-rul\ adjective 1 : lasting a very short time 2 : lasting one day only Examples: The young YouTube star's fame was ephemeral but surprisingly lucrative while it lasted. "After winter, the garden comes to life with the planting of spring-blooming ephemeral bulbs such as naturalizing daffodils, crocus, tulips, snowdrops and hy...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 5, 2019 is: trivial \TRIV-ee-ul\ adjective 1 a : of little worth or importance b : relating to or being the mathematically simplest case; specifically : characterized by having all variables equal to zero 2 : commonplace, ordinary 3 : of, relating to, or constituting a species and especially a biological species Examples: "A paper published in the Journal...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 4, 2019 is: hypermnesia \hye-perm-NEE-zhee-uh\ noun : abnormally vivid or complete memory or recall of the past Examples: "Imagine being able to recall anything you've ever dreamt, tasted or read. That's the reality for a woman with a rare condition which means she can remember virtually every single detail of her life—even being able to recite all the Har...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 3, 2019 is: asperity \uh-SPAIR-uh-tee\ noun 1 : roughness of manner or of temper : harshness of behavior or speech that expresses bitterness or anger 2 : rigor, severity 3 a : roughness of surface : unevenness b : roughness of sound Examples: When Shelia asked Roger to make a contribution, he glared and said with asperity, "I already contributed—thank you....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 2, 2019 is: prodigious \pruh-DIJ-us\ adjective 1 : resembling or befitting a prodigy : strange, unusual 2 : causing amazement or wonder 3 : extraordinary in bulk, quantity, or degree : enormous Examples: "Along with John Ashbery, his elder by two months, Mr. Merwin was one of the defining American poets of his generation, a prodigious and prolific talent w...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 1, 2019 is: valetudinarian \val-uh-too-duh-NAIR-ee-un\ noun : a person of a weak or sickly constitution; especially : one whose chief concern is his or her ill health Examples: "Dukakis succeeds by balancing the over-the-top comedy with the right dose of realism. His Argan is at once exaggerated and recognizably human…. Paranoid about his health, this clas...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 30, 2019 is: circadian \ser-KAY-dee-un\ adjective : being, having, characterized by, or occurring in approximately 24-hour periods or cycles (as of biological activity or function) Examples: The presence and absence of light can greatly influence an organism's circadian rhythms. "The circadian cycle is a period of approximately 24 hours. During that time...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 29, 2019 is: accolade \AK-uh-layd\ noun 1 a : a mark of acknowledgment : award b : an expression of praise 2 a : a ceremonial embrace b : a ceremony or salute conferring knighthood 3 : a brace or a line used in music to join two or more staffs carrying simultaneous parts Examples: "Black Panther has become the No. 1 movie of the year in North America ($7...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 28, 2019 is: resuscitate \rih-SUSS-uh-tayt\ verb 1 : to revive from apparent death or from unconsciousness; also : revitalize 2 : come to, revive Examples: Christine took a CPR class to learn how to resuscitate victims of heart attacks, near drowning, and other medical emergencies. "The government's usual tactics to resuscitate growth—unleashing a wave o...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 27, 2019 is: logy \adjective\ LOH-ghee : sluggish, groggy Examples: I was feeling logy after eating such a big meal, so I decided to take a brief nap. "The movie is a diverting live-wire lark—one that, for my money, gets closer to the spirit of what Robin Hood is about than the logy 1991 Kevin Costner version or the dismal 2010 Russell Crowe version." —...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 26, 2019 is: putsch \PUTCH\ noun : a secretly plotted and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a government Examples: The graduate-level seminar focuses on the events surrounding the August 1991 putsch against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. "[Christian Petzold's] thriller Transit twists modern concerns about national identity, immigration, and fascis...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 25, 2019 is: nonpareil \nahn-puh-REL\ adjective : having no equal Examples: The chef is well-known for his mastery at creating savory entrées, but it is his dessert creations that are nonpareil. "Louis Armstrong was a God-gifted cultural amalgamation of all the best that America has to offer: He was an artist and humanitarian of the highest order.… [He]...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 24, 2019 is: writhe \RYTHE\ verb 1 : to move or proceed with twists and turns 2 : to twist from or as if from pain or struggling 3 : to suffer keenly Examples: Kelly watched the earthworm writhe across the driveway and toward the garden. "When the coast is clear, start peeling off your wetsuit. This is easier said than done because sweat-soaked neoprene...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 23, 2019 is: inexorable \i-NEK-suh-ruh-bul\ adjective : not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped : relentless Examples: "The question is, what is Nashville anymore, if not gritty joints that nurtured musicians and songwriters? Yes, change is the inexorable constant, but at such an accelerated pace, we are seeing the fabric of Nashville culture being ripped...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 22, 2019 is: intoxicate \in-TAHK-suh-kayt\ verb 1 : poison 2 a : to excite or stupefy by alcohol or a drug especially to the point where physical and mental control is markedly diminished b : to excite or elate to the point of enthusiasm or frenzy Examples: "But, even as a child, [George] Benjamin preferred classical music: Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spri...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 21, 2019 is: resurrection \rez-uh-REK-shun\ noun 1 a (capitalized Resurrection) : the rising of Christ from the dead b (often capitalized Resurrection) : the rising again to life of all the human dead before the final judgment c : the state of one risen from the dead 2 : resurgence, revival Examples: "After the ceremony was concluded upon the present occ...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 20, 2019 is: propitious \pruh-PISH-us\ adjective 1 : favorably disposed : benevolent 2 : being a good omen : auspicious 3 : tending to favor : advantageous Examples: With the economy emerging from a recession, it was a propitious time to invest in a start-up. "My instincts tell me that this is a propitious moment in time, a time when people support and i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 19, 2019 is: ecstatic \ek-STAT-ik\ adjective : of, relating to, or marked by ecstasy Examples: Greta and Paul were ecstatic when their daughter called to tell them that they were soon going to be grandparents. "Harold Pinter established himself as Britain's foremost dramatist by placing inscrutable characters in cryptic situations and he was bound to kee...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 18, 2019 is: adversary \AD-ver-sair-ee\ noun : one that contends with, opposes, or resists : an enemy or opponent Examples: Despite the fact that they have been political adversaries for years, the two state senators worked together to rally bipartisan support for the bill. "Try these strategies to engage your boss as a partner in your success rather tha...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 17, 2019 is: gullible \GULL-uh-bul\ adjective : easily duped or cheated Examples: "I'm not so gullible as to think I really won this cash sweepstakes," said Aunt Mary, though she went ahead and opened the envelope that told her she had won, just in case it wasn't a scam. "The conclusion that some people are more gullible than others is the understanding...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 16, 2019 is: shanghai \shang-HYE\ verb 1 a : to put aboard a ship by force often with the help of liquor or a drug  b : to put by force or threat of force into or as if into a place of detention 2 : to put by trickery into an undesirable position Examples: Nate was shanghaied by his sister into helping her sell shirts at the lacrosse tournament afte...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 15, 2019 is: katzenjammer \KAT-sun-jam-er\ noun 1 : hangover 2 : distress, depression, or confusion resembling that caused by a hangover 3 : a discordant clamor Examples: "I drank too much that night and woke up submerged in a post-wine katzenjammer the next morning. My head was buzzing, and every fiber of my body slowly shriveled and wilted as the alcoh...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 14, 2019 is: veritable \VAIR-uh-tuh-bul\ adjective : being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary — often used to stress the aptness of a metaphor Examples: "The availability of movies and TV shows on streaming services is a veritable merry-go-round these days, with so many titles coming and going that it's hard to keep things straig...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 13, 2019 is: cubit \KYOO-bit\ noun : any of various ancient units of length based on the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger and usually equal to about 18 inches (46 centimeters) Examples: The teacher explained that the ancient Egyptians did not measure things in feet and yards as we do but rather calculated measurements...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 12, 2019 is: thole \THOHL\ verb chiefly dialectal : endure Examples: "There was now temptation to resist, as well as pain to thole." — Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, 1886 "They view bad weather—whether it be a temperature of minus 14 or the northerly wind that comes howling down the loch—as a pleasurable challenge rather than something to be tholed."...