Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 11, 2018 is: nimiety \nih-MYE-uh-tee\ noun : excess, redundancy Examples: As she organized the potluck lunch, Julie offered suggestions for dishes that were still needed so that we wouldn't end up with a dearth of salads or a nimiety of desserts. "Like all good haunted houses, it hovers atop a hill surrounded by large gnarled oak trees. There are broken w...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 10, 2018 is: benevolent \buh-NEV-uh-lunt\ adjective 1 a : marked by or disposed to doing good b : organized for the purpose of doing good 2 : marked by or suggestive of goodwill Examples: "The sky above was blue, the whole scene lit by a bright benevolent sun on that crisp winter day." — Arnold Thomas Fanning, The Irish Times, 2 June 2018 "At the center i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 9, 2018 is: transmogrify \transs-MAH-gruh-fye\ verb : to change or alter greatly and often with grotesque or humorous effect Examples: "It hadn't been cleaned in more than two years and the captured leaves had transmogrified into a wonderfully fecund compost." — Frank Mulligan, The Leader (Corning, New York), 8 Aug. 2014 "He was present in 1917 when commu...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 8, 2018 is: lucubration \loo-kyuh-BRAY-shun\ noun : laborious or intensive study; also : the product of such study — usually used in plural Examples: The book is a collection of lucubrations on the effect advancements in computer science have on economic policy. "Surely when we talk about our mental lives we're simply thinking of everything that makes hum...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 7, 2018 is: eccentric \ik-SEN-trik\ adjective 1 a : deviating from conventional or accepted usage or conduct especially in odd or whimsical ways b : deviating from an established or usual pattern or style 2 a : deviating from a circular path; especially : elliptical b : located elsewhere than at the geometric center; also : having the axis or support so l...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 6, 2018 is: sophistry \SAH-fuh-stree\ noun 1 : subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation 2 : an argument apparently correct in form but actually invalid; especially : such an argument used to deceive Examples: The newspaper editorial warned readers to beware politicians who use sophistry to convince voters to support policies not in their own best inter...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 5, 2018 is: asseverate \uh-SEV-uh-rayt\ verb : to affirm or declare positively or earnestly Examples: "One can asseverate that a thesaurus is a treasury of words," Felix said ruefully, "but I presume that my own utilization of such costs me some intelligibility." "A survey conducted by Pacific Community Resources (2003) asseverates drug use among teens is...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 4, 2018 is: pyrotechnics \pye-ruh-TEK-niks\ noun 1 singular or plural in construction : the art of making or the manufacture and use of fireworks 2 a : a display of fireworks b : a spectacular display (as of extreme virtuosity) Examples: The town's much-anticipated Independence Day pyrotechnics will be launched from the usual place: a tower on a mountain...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 3, 2018 is: regardless \rih-GAHRD-lus\ adverb : despite everything Examples: Heavy rain is expected this weekend, but the county fair will go on regardless. "'Don't drown, turn around' is a clever phrase created to warn motorists about traversing flooded roadways. It should be heeded by all motorists, regardless of the height of your vehicle and whether i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 2, 2018 is: canicular \kuh-NIK-yuh-ler\ adjective : of or relating to the period between early July and early September when hot weather occurs in the northern hemisphere Examples: On weekend days in the canicular season, the wait at the town's only ice cream shop was often 20 people deep. "Maggie had from her window, seen her stepmother leave the house—a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 1, 2018 is: métier \MET-yay\ noun 1 : vocation, trade 2 : an area of activity in which one excels : forte Examples: "Instinctively, Winnie Mandela found her métier as a born politician, appearing in any troubled area to assure the populace that liberation was nigh." — The Daily Telegraph (London), 3 Apr. 2018 "'We're going to react to them and improvise,'...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 30, 2018 is: lambaste \lam-BAYST\ verb 1 : to assault violently : beat, whip 2 : to attack verbally : censure Examples: The coach loudly lambasted Danny in front of the whole team for showing up late yet again. "The governor of Latvia's central bank, a pillar of Europe's financial system for years and a zealous champion of austerity, has long been lambast...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 29, 2018 is: tome \TOHM\ noun 1 : a volume forming part of a larger work 2 : book; especially : a large or scholarly book Examples: It took me more than a month to finish reading that 800-page tome on the French Revolution. "I also bring a book I've never read, some large tome that I'm wary of, but that I also think will captivate me once I'm on page one...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 28, 2018 is: ostensible \ah-STEN-suh-bul\ adjective 1 : intended for display : open to view 2 : being such in appearance : plausible rather than demonstrably true or real Examples: The novel's ostensible hero is in the end a villain of epic proportions. "It's never for the profits or the sheer satisfaction of sticking it to your enemies and putting yourse...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 27, 2018 is: bedizen \bih-DYE-zun\ verb : to dress or adorn gaudily Examples: The children entertained themselves for hours with the contents of the old trunk, donning fancy dresses and bedizening themselves with jewelry and scarves. "Designed by architect Pierre Dené, the two-story 'rancho deluxe' bedizened itself with every California-style feature that...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 26, 2018 is: kaput \kuh-PUT\ adjective 1 : utterly finished, defeated, or destroyed 2 : unable to function : useless 3 : hopelessly outmoded Examples: "Sure, there are still top-billed behemoths capable of guaranteeing a strong opening, like Dwayne Johnson and Leonardo DiCaprio, but for the most part, the idea of a box office movie star is kaput." — Brand...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 25, 2018 is: amortize \AM-er-tyze\ amortize 1 : to pay off (an obligation, such as a mortgage) gradually usually by periodic payments of principal and interest or by payments to a sinking fund 2 : to gradually reduce or write off the cost or value of (something, such as an asset) Examples: "A standard three-year, 15,000-mile Momentum lease will run about...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 24, 2018 is: effigy \EFF-uh-jee\ noun : an image or representation especially of a person; especially : a crude figure representing a hated person Examples: "At one meeting, he remembers, the leader of a competing company was hung in effigy as employees cheered." — Evan Bush, The Seattle Times, 25 Feb. 2018 "On the gathering's penultimate day, the giant e...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 23, 2018 is: skirl \SKERL\ verb 1 of a bagpipe : to emit the high shrill tone of the chanter; also : to give forth music 2 : to play (music) on the bagpipe Examples: "Then the Dropkick Murphys victory song skirled over the PA and the player pile was on, followed by the Red Sox team rushing the left field fence and flipping over it, reminiscent of Torii Hu...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 22, 2018 is: notorious \noh-TOR-ee-us\ adjective : generally known and talked of; especially : widely and unfavorably known Examples: "Black-legged ticks, notorious for transmitting the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, are now present in almost half of U.S. counties, up nearly 45 percent since 1998." — Bradley Rife et al., O, The Oprah Magazine, April 20...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 21, 2018 is: voracity \vuh-RASS-uh-tee\ noun : the quality or state of being ravenous or insatiable Examples: Elena reads books with such voracity that she returns to the library two or three times a week. "In the end, spiders' voracity actually works out to mankind's benefit. Since they primarily feast on bugs, their hunger means fewer pests in the garde...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 20, 2018 is: balmy \BAH-mee\ adjective 1 a : having the qualities of balm : soothing b : mild, temperate 2 : crazy, foolish Examples: "Men often don't moisturize their skin during the hotter months, but should. It's a misconception that oily skin doesn't get dehydrated. Use a lightweight moisturizer that isn't heavy or sticky in balmy weather." — Joane Am...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 19, 2018 is: quail \KWAIL\ verb 1 : to give way : falter 2 : to recoil in dread or terror : cower Examples: "It wasn't so long ago that book publishers and bookstore owners were quailing about the coming of e-books, like movie theatre owners at the dawn of the television age." — Michael Hiltzik, The Gulf Times, 10 May 2017 "I've a Pooh in me, blundering a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 18, 2018 is: jabberwocky \JAB-er-wah-kee\ noun : meaningless speech or writing Examples: Amanda learned to ignore her critics, dismissing their attacks as the jabberwocky of minds with nothing more important to think of about. "When LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh stepped into the crowded room, fashionably late, jabberwocky ceased and the only so...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 17, 2018 is: meritorious \mair-uh-TOR-ee-us\ adjective : deserving of honor or esteem Examples: "Markle received citations for meritorious conduct in the battle at Fort Erie." — Mike McCormick, The Terre Haute (Indiana) Tribune-Star, 15 Apr. 2018 "The Seven Seals award, signed by ESGR National Chair, Craig McKinley, is presented for meritorious leadership...