Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 27, 2018 is: querulous \KWAIR-yuh-lus\ adjective 1 : habitually complaining 2 : fretful, whining Examples: "… the punch of her performance lies in its sheer nerve; even though her character has our sympathy from the start, she keeps asking for more, tugging at us like a querulous child until our patience cracks." — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 24 July 2...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 26, 2018 is: mollycoddle \MAH-lee-kah-dul\ verb : to treat with an excessive or absurd degree of indulgence or attention Examples: The newborn cub at the wildlife park is enjoying being mollycoddled by its mother. "You work longer hours than most of your friends, you never know where your next paycheck is coming from and there's no HR team to mollycoddle...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 25, 2018 is: slew \SLOO\ noun : a large number Examples: Daniel regularly receives a slew of clothing catalogs as part of his junk mail. "We had two weeks off and wanted to take a fun mother-daughter trip to Europe but didn't want to grapple with the slew of flights we'd have to take to visit multiple cities or the constant unpacking and packing involved...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 24, 2018 is: loath \LOHTH\ adjective : unwilling to do something contrary to one's ways of thinking : reluctant Examples: My grandfather was naturally very proud of the company he had built, so he was loath to admit that it was time to think about selling it and retiring. "It seems like a lot of film directors are loath to embrace VR for the same reason...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 23, 2018 is: cathexis \kuh-THEK-sis\ noun : investment of mental or emotional energy in a person, object, or idea Examples: "In 2004, Bowie had a heart attack, and he was recently rumored to be in poor health. Leading up to the release of 'The Next Day,' a jittery cathexis formed. Do we judge Bowie as we always have, by his own standards? Would a new alb...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 22, 2018 is: traduce \truh-DOOSS\ verb 1 : to expose to shame or blame by means of falsehood and misrepresentation 2 : violate, betray Examples: "Here, at last, was someone prepared publicly to speak up for the BBC when so many others were seeking to traduce and destroy it." — Jason Cowley, New Statesman, 19 Nov. 2012 "Some players' records reflect abili...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 21, 2018 is: grudging \GRUH-jing\ adjective 1 : unwilling, reluctant 2 : done, given, or allowed unwillingly, reluctantly, or sparingly Examples: "The class differences between teacher and students are so pronounced that they threaten to plunge the film into a schoolhouse drama—that well-worn genre in which a charismatic authority figure, inevitably lika...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 20, 2018 is: bloviate \BLOH-vee-ayt\ verb : to speak or write verbosely and windily Examples: "It's a slow night. Just a couple of other regulars and our usual bartender, a bright, young fellow who seems to enjoy his customers' company, despite our tendency to bloviate." — Bruce VanWyngarden, The Memphis Flyer, 15 Feb. 2018 "Wall Street analysts and the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 19, 2018 is: headlong \HED-LAWNG\ adverb 1 : with the head foremost 2 : without deliberation : recklessly 3 : without pause or delay Examples: He's impulsive when it comes to romance and often rushes headlong into relationships, with little thought given to their long-term viability. "What was once optimistically pitched as a complete 800-mile program th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 18, 2018 is: embarrass \im-BAIR-us\ verb 1 a : to cause to experience a state of self-conscious distress b : to place in doubt, perplexity, or difficulties c : to involve in financial difficulties 2 a : to hamper the movement of b : hinder, impede 3 : to make intricate : complicate 4 : to impair the activity of (a bodily function) or the function of (a b...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 17, 2018 is: onomatopoeia \ah-nuh-mah-tuh-PEE-uh\ noun 1 : the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (such as buzz, hiss)  2 : the use of words whose sound suggests the sense Examples: "The 'whiz'—or is it the 'whoosh,' or maybe 'sh-sh-sh-sh-sh'?—of an ace being served is described … by rival tennis players...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 16, 2018 is: vulnerable \VUL-nuh-ruh-bul\ adjective 1 : capable of being physically or emotionally wounded 2 : open to attack or damage : assailable Examples: The article reminds readers to install the latest antivirus software on their computers so that they will not be vulnerable to malware and viruses. "Updated flood maps would give property owners an...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 15, 2018 is: founder \FOUN-der\ verb 1 : to make or become disabled or lame 2 : to give way : collapse 3 : to become submerged : sink 4 : to come to grief : fail Examples: As the vessel began to founder, the captain ordered everyone on board to prepare to abandon ship. "If you adore New York City, you can't stand Los Angeles—and vice-versa, or so the myt...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 14, 2018 is: succinct \suk-SINKT\ adjective : marked by compact precise expression without wasted words Examples: "[Ninni] Holmqvist's writing is spare in style, elegantly succinct, but the layers of the world she's created are manifold." — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 25 July 2017 "[Steve] Bartels' keynote, at a succinct 30 minutes, managed to cover br...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 13, 2018 is: aegis \EE-jus\ noun 1 : a shield or breastplate emblematic of majesty that was associated with Zeus and Athena 2 a : protection b : controlling or conditioning influence 3 a : auspices, sponsorship b : control or guidance especially by an individual, group, or system Examples: The matter will be dealt with under the aegis of the ethics commi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 12, 2018 is: newfangled \NOO-FANG-guld\ adjective 1 : attracted to novelty 2 : of the newest style or kind Examples: "If you're more like me and less like the authors of Fortune's outstanding blockchain and cryptocurrency site The Ledger, this newfangled stuff is more often than not clear as mud. I don't intend to completely elucidate it for you in one d...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 11, 2018 is: defer \dih-FER\ verb 1 : put off, delay 2 : to postpone induction of (a person) into military service Examples: "She made suggestions including deferring the decision again, as well as opening the opportunity for more applicants to be considered…." — Kelly Fisher, The Tennessean, 17 Jan. 2018 "He said funds are needed now, in large part, bec...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 10, 2018 is: kitsch \KITCH\ noun 1 : something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality 2 : a tacky or lowbrow quality or condition Examples: Geraldine was amused by the kitsch sold in the roadside souvenir shop, but she wasn't tempted to buy anything. "During my wait, I took in my surroundings, which reflect a thematic blend...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 9, 2018 is: maladroit \mal-uh-DROYT\ adjective : lacking skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations : inept Examples: Any project, however carefully planned, is doomed to fail under maladroit management. "[Lucy Atkins'] tale of a high-flying television historian entangled with a socially maladroit and manipulative 60-something housekeep...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 8, 2018 is: bastion \BAS-chun\ noun 1 : a projecting part of a fortification 2 : a fortified area or position 3 a : a place of security or survival b : a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic Examples: "For a century, the automobile has been a _bastion_ of liberty, freeing up almost everybody from the tyranny of o...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 7, 2018 is: reify \RAY-uh-fye\ verb : to consider or represent (something abstract) as a material or concrete thing : to give definite content and form to (a concept or idea) Examples: "Increased awareness of automated surveillance, in other words, is most effective at demystifying the systems doing the watching, not reifying their wisdom and authority."...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 6, 2018 is: ineluctable \in-ih-LUK-tuh-bul\ adjective : not to be avoided, changed, or resisted : inevitable Examples: "Mr. Unkrich faced a dilemma. On the one hand, he believed that artists should not be restricted to 'only telling stories about what they know and their own culture.' But he also needed to safeguard against his ineluctable biases and bli...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 5, 2018 is: veld \VELT\ noun : a grassland especially of southern Africa usually with scattered shrubs or trees Examples: "In the South African cakes you'll find marula—a fruit that grows in the veld, typically used to make a popular liqueur—and naartjie, a type of sweet mandarin orange." — Kristen Hartke, The Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2017 "I duck as swa...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 4, 2018 is: career \kuh-REER\ verb : to go at top speed especially in a headlong manner Examples: The nervous passengers gripped their seats and exchanged anxious looks as the bus careered down the icy road. "The year continued apace, as Hollywood careered haphazardly between wildly unexpected successes and 'sure things' that bombed just as dramatically....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 3, 2018 is: sensibility \sen-suh-BIL-uh-tee\ noun 1 : ability to receive sensations : sensitiveness 2 : peculiar susceptibility to a pleasurable or painful impression (as from praise or a slight) — often used in plural 3 : awareness of and responsiveness toward something (such as emotion in another) 4 : refined or excessive sensitiveness in emotion and t...