Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 23, 2017 is: flamboyant \flam-BOY-ant\ adjective : marked by or given to strikingly elaborate or colorful display or behavior Examples: The circus performers were easily identifiable by their flamboyant costumes and stage makeup. "When costume designer Meredith Markworth-Pollack began working on a modern-day reboot of the 1980s soap 'Dynasty'—which de...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 22, 2017 is: vespertine \VESS-per-tyne\ adjective 1 : of, relating to, or occurring in the evening 2 : active, flowering, or flourishing in the evening : crepuscular Examples: "Hemerocallis citrina has vespertine flowers that open before sunset and close by mid-morning." — Kim Smith, Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities!, 2009 "A great tree whose leaves w...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2017 is: boniface \BAH-nuh-fuss\ noun : the proprietor of a hotel, nightclub, or restaurant Examples: "Vince Bommarito, boniface of Tony's restaurant at 410 Market Street, said last week was one of his busiest in years and that this week is shaping up to look the same." — Deb Peterson, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 18 Oct. 2011 "In 1901, a correspo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 20, 2017 is: recumbent \rih-KUM-bunt\ adjective 1 a : suggestive of repose : leaning, resting b : lying down 2 : representing a person lying down 3 : (of a bicycle) having the seat positioned so that the rider's legs are extended horizontally forward to the pedals and the body is reclined Examples: When Bert glanced at his father's recumbent form in t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 19, 2017 is: stultify \STUL-tuh-fye\ verb 1 : to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical 2 a : to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective : negate b : to have a dulling or inhibiting effect on Examples: What started out as a promising plan to redesign the town square ended up being stultified by bureaucracy and too many conflictin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 18, 2017 is: permeable \PER-mee-uh-bul\ adjective : capable of being permeated : penetrable; especially : having pores or openings that permit liquids or gases to pass through Examples: "More rigid, less _permeable_ foam insulation lines the home's walls to block wind and water from breaching its facade." — Troy McMullen, Forbes, 30 Aug. 2017 "Massach...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 17, 2017 is: lothario \loh-THAIR-ee-oh\ noun : a man whose chief interest is seducing women Examples: "He was now quite an elderly Lothario, reduced to the most economical sins; the prominent form of his gaiety being this of lounging at Mr. Gruby's door, embarrassing the servant-maids who came for grocery, and talking scandal with the rare passers-by....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 16, 2017 is: terpsichorean \terp-sih-kuh-REE-un\ adjective : of or relating to dancing Examples: "Cronkhite's exuberant dances look great but let the kids act like kids, and don't demand terpsichorean polish beyond the cast's abilities." — Marty Clear, The Bradenton Herald, 13 Jan. 2017 "The musical theater specialists at Signature Theatre will test t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 15, 2017 is: fructify \FRUK-tuh-fye\ verb 1 : to bear fruit 2 : to make fruitful or productive Examples: My parents are in a comfortable financial position, thanks to some investments that have recently begun to fructify. "I don't care for the jokey body language and elaborate costuming of the four male bees in the Waltz of the Flowers, and yet I find...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 14, 2017 is: gravamen \gruh-VAY-mun\ noun : the material or significant part of a grievance or complaint Examples: The gravamen of Walter's letter to the editor was that the newspaper frequently reported on the school system's failures but rarely covered its successes and improvements. "In the ultimate legal absurdity, even the prosecutors trying the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 13, 2017 is: diaphanous \dye-AF-uh-nus\ adjective 1 : characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through 2 : characterized by extreme delicacy of form : ethereal 3 : insubstantial, vague Examples: "For an hour and 45 minutes, Jackson wound through the various chapters of her career, directing her diaphanous voice to nearly three doz...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 12, 2017 is: sustain \suh-STAYN\ verb 1 : to provide with nourishment 2 : keep up, prolong 3 : to support the weight of : prop; also : to carry or withstand (a weight or pressure) 4 a : to buoy up b : suffer, undergo 5 a : to support as true, legal, or just b : to allow or admit as valid Examples: "It takes a village, a tribe, and a sorority to sustai...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 11, 2017 is: orphic \OR-fik\ adjective 1 : (capitalized) of or relating to Orpheus or the rites or doctrines ascribed to him 2 : mystic, oracular 3 : fascinating, entrancing Examples: "'No summer ever came back, and no two summers ever were alike,' said I, with a degree of Orphic wisdom that astonished myself." — Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Blithedale Ro...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 10, 2017 is: cachinnate \KAK-uh-nayt\ verb : to laugh loudly or immoderately Examples: As the author read from her newest book, we tried to tune out the spectator cachinnating at the back of the auditorium. "And all the way the Fates walking with him, whispering and cachinnating, ordering him to tread there, breathe here, spit there, unless he wanted...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 9, 2017 is: zoomorphic \zoh-uh-MOR-fik\ zoomorphic 1 : having the form of an animal 2 : of, relating to, or being a deity conceived of in animal form or with animal attributes Examples The couple could not agree on a dining room set: one preferred a sleek, modern style, while the other liked a more elaborate one with the table and chairs ending in zoo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 8, 2017 is: wend \WEND\ verb : to direct one's course : travel, proceed Examples: The hikers wended their way along the forest trail toward the evening's campsite. "Meanwhile, several lawsuits involving the hotel developments that stoked the city's political divides are still wending their way through the courts." — Sheila Mullane Estrada, The Tampa B...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 7, 2017 is: maieutic \may-YOO-tik\ adjective : relating to or resembling the Socratic method of eliciting new ideas from another Examples: "The maieutic art of Socrates consists, essentially, of asking questions designed to destroy prejudices; false beliefs which are often traditional or fashionable beliefs; false answers, given in the spirit of ignor...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 6, 2017 is: candor \KAN-der\ noun 1 : whiteness, brilliance 2 : freedom from prejudice or malice : fairness 3 : unreserved, honest, or sincere expression : forthrightness Examples: "In an e-mail, Shonda Rhimes praised [Jenji] Kohan's kindness and candor, calling her one of the few showrunners with whom she can talk honestly about career strategy."— Em...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 5, 2017 is: encapsulate \in-KAP-suh-layt\ verb 1 : to enclose in or as if in a capsule 2 : to show or express in a brief way : epitomize, summarize 3 : to become enclosed in a capsule Examples: "Just one game encapsulated everything the Patriots have done well in the red zone this year and everything they have not." — Adam Kurkjian, The Boston Herald,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 4, 2017 is: maudlin \MAUD-lin\ adjective 1 : drunk enough to be emotionally silly 2 : weakly and effusively sentimental Examples: Rather than give his aunt a maudlin greeting card, Jake looked for one that was more in line with her snarky sense of humor. "There are scenes of violence, grieving, hardship and heartbreak, but 'Rags' never melts into a pu...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 3, 2017 is: pillory \PILL-uh-ree\ noun 1 : a wooden frame for public punishment having holes in which the head and hands can be locked 2 : a means for exposing one to public scorn or ridicule Examples: "When I was in college in the 1980s, the general store down the road shamed deadbeats by posting their bounced checks next to the cash register. It was...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 2, 2017 is: intersperse \in-ter-SPERSS\ verb 1 : to place something at intervals in or among 2 : to insert at intervals among other things Examples: The author has interspersed the guidebook with illustrations of the different birds we might encounter on the safari tour. "Interspersed throughout the beds of deliberately overgrown azaleas, roses, and h...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 1, 2017 is: anachronism \uh-NAK-ruh-niz-um\ noun 1 : an error in chronology; especially : a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other 2 : a person or a thing that is chronologically out of place; especially : one from a former age that is incongruous in the present 3 : the state or condition of being chro...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 30, 2017 is: scurrilous \SKUR-uh-lus\ adjective 1 a : using or given to coarse language b : vulgar and evil 2 : containing obscenities, abuse, or slander Examples: The actor publically apologized to his young fans for his scurrilous tweets. "Because he was friendlier with her highness than protocol allowed …, he created a strong impression …, which bo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 29, 2017 is: bludge \BLUJ\ verb 1 : (chiefly Australia & New Zealand) to avoid work or responsibility 2 : (chiefly Australia & New Zealand) to get something from or live on another by imposing on hospitality or good nature : sponge Examples: "I'll catch the ferry or bludge a ride on the new boat of one of my commodity-boomed nouveau riche frie...