Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 2, 2018 is: abide \uh-BYDE\ verb 1 a : to bear patiently : tolerate b : to endure without yielding : withstand 2 : to wait for : await 3 : to accept without objection 4 : to remain stable or fixed in a state 5 : to continue in a place : sojourn Examples: Susan has been a vegetarian for years and can no longer abide even the smell of cooked meat. "They pl...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 1, 2018 is: cuckoo \KOO-koo\ adjective 1 : of, relating to, or resembling the cuckoo 2 : deficient in sense or intelligence : silly Examples: One of the kids had some cuckoo theory about the house being demolished because of evidence of a UFO landing visible in the tiles of its roof. "[He] says the condiment is for sale and called 'Kathy's Ketchup.' Real...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 31, 2018 is: rectitude \REK-tuh-tood\ noun 1 : the quality or state of being straight 2 : moral integrity : righteousness 3 : the quality or state of being correct in judgment or procedure Examples: As treasurer of the organization, she advocated a kind of fiscal rectitude that is widely credited with saving the organization from financial ruin. "Integri...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 30, 2018 is: parlous \PAHR-lus\ adjective : full of danger or risk Examples: "Back in Venice, he was restoring an apartment of his own …, a stately edifice constructed … in the mid-1600s that had fallen into a parlous condition." — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, March 2018 "In 2007, el-Sayed established a small online newsletter to investigate corruption. When th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 29, 2018 is: manticore \MAN-tih-kor\ noun : a legendary animal with the head of a man, the body of a lion, and the tail of a dragon or scorpion Examples: The recently unearthed stela depicts a manticore and several other frightening and fantastic creatures. "Here be dragons. Also a cacophony of bird calls, a stunning painting of a stinky plant, and every...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 28, 2018 is: delegate \DEL-uh-gayt\ verb 1 : to entrust to another 2 : to appoint as one's representative 3 : to assign responsibility or authority Examples: "He said the current board seems to delegate rather than take input and make decisions based on what the community wants…." — Derek Lacey, BlueRidgeNow.com (Henderson, North Carolina), 14 Feb. 2018...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 27, 2018 is: grandiose \gran-dee-OHSS\ adjective 1 : characterized by affectation of grandeur or splendor or by absurd exaggeration 2 : impressive because of uncommon largeness, scope, effect, or grandeur Examples: The committee eventually scaled back the most outlandish parts of its plans for the festival, including a grandiose scheme to bring in live p...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 26, 2018 is: bravado \bruh-VAH-doh\ noun 1 a : blustering swaggering conduct b : a pretense of bravery 2 : the quality or state of being foolhardy Examples: The quiet, reserved actor is primarily known for playing characters who radiate bravado and swagger. "Some compete for money, with first-prize purses of up to $500 on a recent race day. But most are...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 25, 2018 is: thimblerig \THIM-bul-rig\ verb 1 : to cheat by trickery 2 : to swindle by a trick in which a small ball or pea is quickly shifted from under one to another of three small cups to fool the spectator guessing its location Examples: "Thimblerigging the market was such an accepted practice some traders were even taunted for not stealing enough."...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 24, 2018 is: vanward \VAN-werd\ adjective : located in the vanguard : advanced Examples: "[Joint venturing] opportunities now exist for vanward companies in a variety of industries, especially other financial services businesses and retailing." — Vikas Kapoor, American Banker, 6 Feb. 1998 "The enemy vexes not your vanward posts; / You are mistaken. — Now...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 23, 2018 is: never-never land \nev-er-NEV-er-LAND\ noun : an ideal or imaginary place Examples: Lester seems to think he lives in some kind of never-never land where people don't have to accept responsibility for their actions. "However, notwithstanding the tsunami of interest, cryptocurrencies as money still operate in kind of a never-never land." — Eri...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 22, 2018 is: lugubrious \loo-GOO-bree-us\ adjective 1 : mournful; especially : exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful 2 : dismal Examples: "Most of the interviewees talk in the lugubrious tones of the defeated. We all know the story ends badly." — Bing West, The New York Post, 19 Sept. 2017 "In the new movie, Liam Neeson plays Felt with a kind of lugubriou...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 21, 2018 is: cadre \KAD-ray\ noun 1 : a nucleus or core group especially of trained personnel able to assume control and to train others; broadly : a group of people having some unifying relationship 2 : a cell of indoctrinated leaders active in promoting the interests of a revolutionary party 3 : a member of a cadre 4 : frame, framework Examples: "As an...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 20, 2018 is: yegg \YEG\ noun : one that breaks open safes to steal : safecracker; also : robber Examples: "Last Friday night while Sonoma peacefully slept a gang of yeggs, evidently professionals for they wore gloves to conceal all fingerprints, hammered away at the big safe of the Napa Milling Company, broke it open and escaped with $153 in cash, an acc...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 19, 2018 is: hachure \ha-SHUR\ verb : to denote surfaces in relief (as on a map) by shading with short lines drawn in the direction of slope Examples: "Topographic surveys were done for the first time with compasses…. And mapmakers developed new methods for depicting terrain. One method, called hachuring, used lines to indicate the direction and steepnes...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 18, 2018 is: farce \FAHRSS\ noun 1 : a savory stuffing : forcemeat 2 : a light dramatic composition marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable plot 3 : the broad humor characteristic of farce 4 : an empty or patently ridiculous act, proceeding, or situation Examples: "The company's guarantee is a farce," Jay complained. "The replacement they sent...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 17, 2018 is: uncanny \un-KAN-ee\ adjective 1 : seeming to have a supernatural character or origin : eerie, mysterious 2 : being beyond what is normal or expected : suggesting superhuman or supernatural powers Examples: Our waiter had an uncanny resemblance to the creepy villain in the film we had just seen. "One of the premier shape-shifters of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 16, 2018 is: anent \uh-NENT\ preposition : about, concerning Examples: "Whatever the case, the undertaking was soon abandoned in disappointment and apparently with strong feelings anent the region itself." — Wesley Frank Craven, The Southern Colonies in the 17th Century, 1970 "The Act had been a sensible idea. Its absence would be noted. Not least among...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 15, 2018 is: telegenic \tel-uh-JEN-ik\ adjective : well-suited to the medium of television; especially : having an appearance and manner that are markedly attractive to television viewers Examples: The future looks promising for this charismatic and telegenic young politician. "[Shaun] White is a telegenic guy; he's been a corporate-sponsored snowboarder...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 14, 2018 is: invigilate \in-VIJ-uh-layt\ verb 1 : to keep watch; especially : to supervise students at an examination 2 : supervise, monitor Examples: Professors will take turns invigilating exams during the finals period. "Since I have so often been asked about the mechanics of the job [of restaurant reviewer], it seems worth mentioning a few here…. In...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 13, 2018 is: laudable \LAW-duh-bul\ adjective : worthy of praise : commendable Examples: Thanks to the laudable efforts of dozens of volunteers, the town's Winter Carnival was an enjoyable event for everyone. "Exposing your children to art and culture during Miami Art Week is a laudable idea. Letting a pack of 6-year-olds run around through the crowded a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 12, 2018 is: Croesus \KREE-sus\ noun : a very rich man Examples: "Our young, handsome hero is an international man of mystery, fresh off the boat from London with no introduction but a note for a thousand pounds sterling, a fortune worthy of Croesus and enough to break a trading house." — Karen Heller, The Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2017 "I'd marry Lord Mer...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 11, 2018 is: scilicet \SKEE-lih-ket\ adverb : that is to say : to wit, namely Examples: The organization's charter clearly states that "any changes to the structure of the organization's meetings must be unanimously approved by the executive board, scilicet, the chair and the board's six other members." "Their objection—they claimed—was to the parcelling...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 10, 2018 is: lexicographer \lek-suh-KAH-gruh-fer\ noun : an author or editor of a dictionary Examples: Noah Webster believed that a lexicographer's work was to document a language as it is used, without any judgment or subjective influence. "Google celebrated the life of Samuel Johnson on Monday with an animated Doodle defining the word 'lexicographer.'...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 9, 2018 is: meander \mee-AN-der\ verb 1 : to follow a winding or intricate course 2 : to wander aimlessly or casually without urgent destination : ramble Examples: "The trail meanders through towering evergreens, over a creek and beside a waterfall." — Jim Ryan, The Oregonian, 7 Feb. 2018 "Instead of hooks or choruses, there were intensities, pulses, sun...