Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 5, 2018 is: bereft \bih-REFT\ adjective 1 : deprived or robbed of the possession or use of something — usually used with of 2 : lacking something needed, wanted, or expected — used with of 3 : suffering the death of a loved one : bereaved Examples: "The sustaining whirlwind had let her down, to stumble on again …, bereft of moral support which is wanted...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 4, 2018 is: slimsy \SLIM-zee\ adjective : flimsy, frail Examples: "For one thing, she'll have to make Daisy some clothes first, because Daisy hasn't got much to wear except what she's got on…. Just about all she's got to her name is that little slimsy gingham jumper she's wearing." — Erskine Caldwell, A Woman in the House, 1936 "With Nebraska going out...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 3, 2018 is: pacify \PASS-uh-fye\ verb 1 a : to allay the anger or agitation of : soothe b : appease, propitiate 2 a : to restore to a tranquil state : settle b : to reduce to a submissive state : subdue Examples: "To check on the health of a colony of bees it is usually necessary to open the hive, a procedure which involves using smoke to pacify the bee...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 2, 2018 is: agog \uh-GAHG\ adjective : full of intense interest or excitement : eager Examples: We were all agog over the rumor that the famous actor would be coming to town for his next movie. "As we went through the book, we felt like little children while turning page after page, agog at the incredible artwork! Although the subject of faeries might b...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 1, 2018 is: risorgimento \ree-zor-jih-MEN-toh\ noun 1 often capitalized : the 19th century movement for Italian political unity 2 : a time of renewal or renaissance : revival Examples: "Aware of and influenced by the English poetry of the Risorgimento, Melville kept to his own preoccupations rather than merely echoing the political stances of other poet...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 31, 2018 is: musket \ MUSS-kut \ noun : a heavy large-caliber muzzle-loading usually smoothbore shoulder firearm; broadly : a shoulder gun carried by infantry Examples "They could see changes going on among the troops. There were marchings this way and that way. A battery wheeled leisurely. On the crest of a small hill was the thick gleam of many departin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 30, 2018 is: tempestuous \ tem-PESS-chuh-wus \ adjective : of, relating to, or resembling a violent storm : turbulent, stormy Examples Because the player's relationship with his manager had grown more tempestuous over the course of the season, the decision to trade him benefited everyone. "The U.S. government stripped its embassy in Nicaragua down to bare...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 29, 2018 is: gloss \ GLAHSS \ verb 1 a : to provide a brief explanation or interpretation for : explain, define b : interpret  2 : to dispose of by false or perverse interpretation Examples Although not intended for the layperson, the text is relatively free of jargon and most of the technical vocabulary has been glossed.  "At times, however, th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 28, 2018 is: curfew \ KER-fyoo \ noun 1 : the sounding of a bell at evening 2 a : a regulation enjoining the withdrawal of usually specified persons (such as juveniles or military personnel) from the streets or the closing of business establishments or places of assembly at a stated hour   b : a signal to announce the beginning of a curfew ...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 27, 2018 is: reticent \ RET-uh-sunt \ adjective 1 : inclined to be silent or uncommunicative in speech : reserved 2 : restrained in expression, presentation, or appearance 3 : reluctant Examples Unlike the chatty, gregarious protagonist of his novel, the author is quite reticent in public. "Tech companies, like Apple and Facebook, have been extremely reti...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 26, 2018 is: inchmeal \ INCH-meel \ adverb : little by little, gradually Examples "The big beam in the back room … came out with less trouble than Lydia had expected…. Cataracts of fine mortar dust fell continuously along most of its length as Lydia levered it inchmeal onto the cradle of scaffolding she had built." — Peter Dickinson, The Lively Dead, 1975...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 25, 2018 is: behemoth \ bih-HEE-muth \ noun 1 often capitalized : a mighty animal described in Job 40:15-24 as an example of the power of God 2 : something of monstrous size, power, or appearance Examples "Dowd, who has lived in the same housing development since 1989, keeps a plot in the community garden: a mulchy oasis amid brick behemoths." — Michael S...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2018 is: languid \ LANG-gwid \ adjective 1 : drooping or flagging from or as if from exhaustion : weak 2 : sluggish in character or disposition : listless 3 : lacking force or quickness of movement : slow Examples The trial proceeded at a languid pace as each attorney called up a whole roster of witnesses to testify. "Of all the musicians whose work m...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 23, 2018 is: pro rata \ proh-RAY-tuh \ adverb : proportionately according to an exactly calculable factor (such as a share or liability) Examples "The Senate also structured the budget bill so that any new money must be added pro rata, meaning proportionally to all areas where a deficit now exists." — Tim Morris, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2018 is: festinate \FESS-tuh-nayt\ verb : hasten Examples: The patient's tendency to festinate meant that he was at risk of falling.  "He rocketed almost uncontrollably to the piano, but once there, played a Chopin nocturne with exquisite control and timing and grace—only to festinate once again as soon as the music ended."— Oliver Sacks, Musicop...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 21, 2018 is: acolyte \AK-uh-lyte\ noun 1 : one who assists a member of the clergy in a liturgical service by performing minor duties 2 : one who attends or assists a leader : follower Examples: The lawyer arrived with one of her acolytes, an eager young attorney who'd recently been hired by the firm. "His main rival, Henri Falcón, a former state governor...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 20, 2018 is: paste \PAIST\ verb 1 : to strike hard at 2 : to beat or defeat soundly Examples: "But, Moody came up next and pasted a liner into right for a single, which fueled a five-run inning for the Roughers." — Mike Tupa, The Bartlesville (Oklahoma) Examiner-Enterprise, 7 June 2018 "A year ago, the Miners were pasted by Texas early in the season but h...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2018 is: halcyon \HAL-see-un\ adjective 1 : calm, peaceful 2 : happy, golden 3 : prosperous, affluent Examples: "Today, California is in the black and has even banked an emergency fund of eight billion dollars. Unemployment is less than five per cent. Still, there is nothing halcyon about Brown's vision of the future. At a press conference in January,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 18, 2018 is: salvo \SAL-voh\ noun 1 a : a simultaneous discharge of two or more guns in military action or as a salute b : the release all at one time of a rack of bombs or rockets (as from an airplane) c : a series of shots by an artillery battery with each gun firing one round in turn after a prescribed interval d : the bombs or projectiles released in...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2018 is: vouchsafe \vowch-SAYF\ verb 1 a : to grant or furnish often in a gracious or condescending manner b : to give by way of reply 2 : to grant as a privilege or special favor Examples: "Juan Carlos, who announced on Monday that he is abdicating the throne, was long revered for his role in vouchsafing Spain's transition to democracy following the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2018 is: declivity \dih-KLIV-uh-tee\ noun 1 : downward inclination 2 : a descending slope Examples: "Early afternoon finds me off-trail by mistake among fog banks, using both hands and feet to scramble sideways and skyward along a perilously steep, grassy declivity toward the pass of Les Mattes." — Jeffrey Tayler, The National Geographic Traveler, 1 J...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2018 is: mercurial \mer-KYUR-ee-ul\ adjective 1 : of, relating to, or born under the planet Mercury 2 : having the qualities of eloquence, ingenuity, or thievishness attributed to the god Mercury or to the influence of the planet Mercury 3 : characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood 4 : of, relating to, containing, or caused by m...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 14, 2018 is: obviate \AHB-vee-ayt\ verb : to anticipate and prevent (something, such as a situation) or make (an action) unnecessary Examples: "Many tech experts wouldn't expect the online advertising and data powerhouse to be interested in blockchain—a technology that, in many ways, obviates the need for the cloud and enables users to wrest control of th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 13, 2018 is: gumption \GUMP-shun\ noun 1 chiefly dialectal : common sense, horse sense 2 : enterprise, initiative Examples: "When fatigue began to take over his body and his legs started to quake, LaDonna had the gumption to throw his best fastball of the day." — Gregg Sarra, Newsday (New York), 29 May 2018 "Negotiating salary increases requires finesse,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 12, 2018 is: cerebrate \SAIR-uh-brayt\ verb : to use the mind : think Examples: "You can't cerebrate over what you can't see, which therefore becomes an object of loathing and mistrust." — Howard Portnoy, Examiner.com, 25 June 2012 "I can never decide if Derek is incredibly shallow or so deep that he's cerebrating on two levels at once and I'm privy only...