Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 20, 2019 is: obsequious \ub-SEE-kwee-us\ adjective : marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness Examples: "Not pleasing others enough amounts to surliness, pleasing too much makes one obsequious—you have to be friendly, but not too friendly. The sweet spot in the middle is where you want to be." — Carlin Flora, Psychology Today, 1 July 2017 "She...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 19, 2019 is: emote \ih-MOHT\ verb : to give expression to emotion especially in acting Examples: "It's not always immediately obvious, but sometimes you fall in love with a band for the way the singers emote." — James Reed, The Boston Globe, 24 Jan. 2012 "Aiming for a higher quality than masks allowed, the makeup artist John Chambers developed a new t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 18, 2019 is: prestigious \preh-STIH-juss\ adjective 1 archaic : of, relating to, or marked by illusion, conjuring, or trickery 2 : having an illustrious name or reputation : esteemed in general opinion Examples: Carla was overjoyed to receive an acceptance letter from the prestigious university. "The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has announced 16...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 17, 2019 is: disavow \dis-uh-VOW\ verb 1 : to deny responsibility for : repudiate 2 : to refuse to acknowledge or accept : disclaim Examples: It seems the college's president is now trying to disavow her previous statements. "Last week in Beijing, ['Crazy Rich Asians'] director Jon M. Chu essentially disavowed every word in the film's title. 'The film...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 16, 2019 is: gibbous \JIB-us\ adjective 1 a : marked by convexity or swelling b : of the moon or a planet : seen with more than half but not all of the apparent disk illuminated 2 : having a hump : humpbacked Examples: The fresh layer of snow glistened under the light of the waxing gibbous moon. "During the fourth lunar orbit, Anders was engaged in ph...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 15, 2019 is: apotheosis \uh-pah-thee-OH-sis\ noun 1 a : the perfect form or example of something : quintessence b : the highest or best part of something : peak 2 : elevation to divine status : deification Examples: "Four decades after its box office debut, Grease remains a cultural phenomenon.… [Olivia] Newton-John is particularly stellar, with her c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 14, 2019 is: heartstring \HAHRT-string\ noun : the deepest emotions or affections — usually used in plural Examples: "While on Facebook, have you ever come across a posting that tugs at your heartstrings? Photos of adorable abandoned puppies, say, or a story about a cute little girl who didn't get any happy birthday wishes? You instinctively click the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 13, 2019 is: cacophony \ka-KAH-fuh-nee\ noun 1 : harsh or discordant sound : dissonance]; specifically : harshness in the sound of words or phrases 2 : an incongruous or chaotic mixture : a striking combination Examples: "But never in their most uneasy dreams did they expect the cacophony—a word which here means 'the sound of two metal pots being bang...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 12, 2019 is: teem \TEEM\ verb 1 : to become filled to overflowing : abound 2 : to be present in large quantity Examples: "On Friday, Tselikis stood in front of the Red's Best stall at Boston's Public Market, offering up tidbits about lobsters as they teemed inside a tank." — Gintautas Dumcius, MassLive.com, 10 June 2016 "But beneath the surface, some...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 11, 2019 is: bardolater \bar-DAH-luh-ter\ noun : a person who idolizes Shakespeare Examples: The song retells the story of "Othello," but in such subtle language that only bardolaters are likely to recognize it. "[W]hether you're a bona fide Bardolater or someone who uses Shakespeare as an excuse to eat brie on a blanket under the summer stars, here's...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 10, 2019 is: finicky \FIN-ih-kee\ adjective 1 : extremely or excessively particular, exacting, or meticulous in taste or standards 2 : requiring much care, precision, or attentive effort Examples: The young boy was a finicky eater, and his parents found it challenging to come up with ideas for healthy meals that he would enjoy. "The 1970s, '80s, and '...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 9, 2019 is: prescind \prih-SIND\ verb 1 : to withdraw one's attention 2 : to detach for purposes of thought Examples: "But to frame an abstract idea of happiness, prescinded from all particular pleasure, or of goodness, from everything that is good, this is what few can pretend to." — George Berkeley, A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Know...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 8, 2019 is: wiseacre \WYZE-ay-ker\ noun : one who pretends to knowledge or cleverness; especially : smart aleck Examples: "Regardless of how they choose to do so, most people who contact Congress have legitimate concerns—but, as any staffer can tell you, there is a small but enduring subgroup of wiseacres and crackpots. Moore, the former congressional...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 7, 2019 is: abstruse \ub-STROOSS\ adjective : difficult to comprehend : recondite Examples: "Today's physics breakthroughs tend to be so abstruse that summarizing them is like trying to explain the financial-derivatives market to a three-year-old." — The National Review, 16 Apr. 2018 "Before the Apple Macintosh, the first computer to popularize point-...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 6, 2019 is: ratiocination \rat-ee-oh-suh-NAY-shun\ noun 1 : the process of exact thinking : reasoning 2 : a reasoned train of thought Examples: "It is beginning to look like television may soon kill not only the theater and the movies but radio, books, magazines, newspapers, and finally articulate speech and all the processes of ratiocination." — Aldo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 5, 2019 is: mettlesome \MET-ul-sum\ adjective : full of vigor and stamina : spirited Examples: "'I like this place because everything they have can kill you,' Edith Pearlman says, perusing the menu of a Brookline pub on a recent gray afternoon. The remark proves fitting introduction to both the septuagenarian author and her work: at once mischievous a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 4, 2019 is: condone \kun-DOHN\ verb : to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless Examples: The school handbook explicitly states that bullying will not be condoned. "Forgiving those who have hurt us, or our loved ones, does not mean we condone what they did. What it means is, we are willing to let go, givi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 3, 2019 is: senescence \sih-NESS-unss\ noun 1 : the state of being old : the process of becoming old 2 : the growth phase in a plant or plant part (such as a leaf) from full maturity to death Examples: "The results revealed that some trees have shorter or longer sleep periods than 12 hours and others show slow continuous movement in one direction prob...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 2, 2019 is: portend \por-TEND\ verb 1 : to give an omen or anticipatory sign of 2 : indicate, signify Examples: The old saying about a halo around the moon portending rain has some truth to it: the halo is caused by cirrus clouds drifting 20,000 feet or more above the Earth, and high cirrus clouds often precede stormy weather. "To most people, a shore...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 1, 2019 is: largesse \lahr-ZHESS\ noun 1 : liberal giving (as of money) to or as if to an inferior; also : something so given 2 : generosity Examples: Thanks to their grandparents' largesse, both children were able to go to college without going into debt. "Probably no surprise, given all this largesse over the Christmas period, spending at recycling...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 31, 2019 is: raddled \RAD-uld\ adjective 1 : being in a state of confusion : lacking composure 2 : broken-down, worn Examples: We were met at the door by a raddled old man who turned out to be the actor's father, and who in his day had also been an estimable presence on the London stage. "The real skill of Swan Song is the kaleidoscopic portrait it pai...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 30, 2019 is: proliferate \pruh-LIF-uh-rayt\ verb 1 : to grow or cause to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring 2 : to increase or cause to increase in number as if by proliferating : multiply Examples: "Muskies in Lake St. Clair are a world-class presence because local folks 30 years ago got smart. They agreed on a catch-and-...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 29, 2019 is: charisma \kuh-RIZ-muh\ noun 1 : a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (such as a political leader) 2 : a special magnetic charm or appeal Examples: The young singer had the kind of charisma that turns a performer into a star. "Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, 'E...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 28, 2019 is: sleuth \SLOOTH\ verb 1 : to act as a detective : search for information 2 : to search for and discover Examples: "Farmer would go sleuthing in the archives of Arizona State University's Center for Meteorite Studies to find evidence of an undiscovered landfall in Canada, and Ward could build a rig that trailed an 11-foot metal detector behi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 27, 2019 is: foray \FOR-ay\ noun 1 : a sudden or irregular invasion or attack for war or spoils : raid 2 : an initial and often tentative attempt to do something in a new or different field or area of activity Examples: "Although she debuted a line of jewelry last year, this is her first foray into creating her own makeup line." — Hayley Schueneman, Th...