Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 20, 2017 is: depredate \DEP-ruh-dayt\ verb 1 : to lay waste : plunder, ravage 2 : to engage in plunder Examples: The bear that depredated the beekeeper's hives has been caught and relocated. "IDFG Director Virgil Moore … talked to the commissioners about possible solutions to the growing problem of destructive elk tearing down fences, depredating ranch...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 19, 2017 is: alleviate \uh-LEE-vee-ayt\ verb : relieve, lessen such as a : to make (something, such as suffering) more bearable b : to partially remove or correct (something undesirable) Examples: Mom suggested that ibuprofen and tea would perhaps alleviate some of the misery of my cold. "National Park Service rangers struggle to cope with overcrow...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 18, 2017 is: waif \WAYF\ noun 1 a : a piece of property found (as washed up by the sea) but unclaimed  b : (plural) stolen goods thrown away by a thief in flight 2 a : something found without an owner and especially by chance  b : a stray person or animal; especially : a homeless child 3 : an extremely thin and usually young woman Examples: At...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 17, 2017 is: oppugn \uh-PYOON\ verb 1 : to fight against 2 : to call in question Examples: "Carmel Valley speller Justin Song navigated the second and third rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee yesterday with a precision no one could oppugn." — Paul M. Krawzak, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2008 "However, if [bicyclists] consider themselves...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 16, 2017 is: perfunctory \per-FUNK-tuh-ree\ adjective 1 : characterized by routine or superficiality : mechanical 2 : lacking in interest or enthusiasm Examples: Clearly exhausted after a long day on her feet, our server gave us only a perfunctory greeting before taking our drink orders. "Yet avoiding the heat altogether and watching Netflix from the co...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 15, 2017 is: lamster \LAM-ster\ noun : a fugitive especially from the law Examples: "After the Vivian Gordon furor died down, I began to think of going home. I needed money, I was bored with Miami, and tired of living the life of a lamster." — Polly Adler, A House Is Not a Home, 1953 "During his time as a lamster, Lepke was looked after by gangsters ass...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 14, 2017 is: bifurcate \BYE-fer-kayt\ verb : to divide or cause to divide into two branches or parts Examples: "If colleges don't begin to also focus on middle-income families, they will end up with campuses bifurcated by income that don't reflect the economic diversity of the United States." — Jeffrey J. Selingo, The Washington Post, 15 May 2017 "In th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 13, 2017 is: vermicular \ver-MIK-yuh-ler\ adjective 1 a : resembling a worm in form or motion b : vermiculate 2 : of, relating to, or caused by worms Examples: "The 36-by-60 inch panel includes a strange botanical form at far right, and layers of misty white, blue and orange oil color partially obscure vermicular forms that seem to burrow into the paint...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 12, 2017 is: temporize \TEM-puh-ryze\ verb 1 : to act to suit the time or occasion : to yield to current or dominant opinion 2 : to draw out discussions or negotiations so as to gain time Examples: "The pontiff's recent declaration to that effect brought headlines but no action…. Francis wouldn't be the first leader who temporized before doing some...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 11, 2017 is: Pandemonium \pan-duh-MOH-nee-um\ noun 1 : the capital of Hell in Milton's Paradise Lost 2 : the infernal regions : hell 3 : (not capitalized) a wild uproar : tumult Examples: The power failure occurred during rush hour, and with none of the traffic lights working, pandemonium ensued as drivers struggled to get home. "Czernowin's score inclu...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 10, 2017 is: élan \ay-LAHN\ noun : vigorous spirit or enthusiasm Examples: Jeremy told the story of his trip to Mexico with such élan that by the next week people were begging him to share it again. "The Waldorf has long had a reputation for elegance and élan, a reputation that began when it opened in 1931 as the largest, tallest and most expensive hote...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 9, 2017 is: garble \GAR-bul\ verb 1 : to sift impurities from 2 a : to alter or distort as to create a wrong impression or change the meaning b : to introduce textual error into (a message) by inaccurate encipherment, transmission, or decipherment Examples: The best man was nervous and garbled the inspirational quote at the end of his speech. "Some call...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 8, 2017 is: immense \ih-MENSS\ adjective 1 : marked by greatness especially in size or degree; especially : transcending ordinary means of measurement 2 : supremely good Examples: "At the bridge site, teams of workers watched over drills the size of redwood trees, which rammed steel piles into the seafloor. The scale of construction was almost too immen...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 7, 2017 is: schadenfreude \SHAH-dun-froy-duh\ noun : enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others  Examples: Elaine couldn't help but feel a tinge of schadenfreude when her chief rival was kicked off the soccer team. "Much attention (and a decent amount of schadenfreude) has been paid to the relative erosion of the NFL's massive television rating...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 6, 2017 is: chthonic \THAH-nik\ adjective : of or relating to the underworld : infernal Examples: "In Greek mythology, the Eumenides were three goddesses tasked with protecting the cause of justice.… In Aeschylus' tragedies, they are chthonic, ambiguous forces. They do not tire and they do not stop; their persistence … feels almost monstrous." — Katy Wa...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 5, 2017 is: regimen \REJ-uh-mun\ noun 1 a : a systematic plan (as of diet, therapy, or medication) especially when designed to improve and maintain the health of a patient b : a regular course of action and especially of strenuous training 2 : government, rule 3 : the characteristic behavior or orderly procedure of a natural phenomenon or process Exampl...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 4, 2017 is: manumit \man-yuh-MIT\ verb : to release from slavery Examples: "This 27.5-acre parcel was purchased by an African-American man ... who was manumitted from slavery by his father...." — Janice Hayes-Williams, The Capital (Annapolis, Maryland), 17 May 2013 "A slave woman and her children were manumitted by her husband, who had probably bought t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 3, 2017 is: splenetic \splih-NET-ik\ adjective : marked by bad temper, malevolence, or spite Examples: Drew emailed the article to Kara, warning her to avoid the splenetic comments at the bottom of the page. "On the basis of his excoriating blog—which exposes 'lies, pretensions and stupidity in the world of food'—I had been expecting a bilious, spleneti...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 2, 2017 is: arbitrary \AHR-buh-trair-ee\ adjective 1 : depending on individual discretion (as of a judge) and not fixed by law 2 : autocratic, despotic 3 a : based on or determined by individual preference or convenience rather than by necessity or the intrinsic nature of something b : existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance or as a ca...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 1, 2017 is: diminution \dim-uh-NOO-shun\ noun : the act, process, or an instance of becoming gradually less (as in size or importance) : the act, process, or an instance of diminishing : decrease Examples: After seeing a diminution in his restaurant's profits for the third quarter in a row, George reluctantly set about revising his business model. "Of c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 31, 2017 is: plausible \PLAW-zuh-bul\ adjective 1 : seemingly fair, reasonable, or valuable but often not so 2 : superficially pleasing or persuasive 3 : appearing worthy of belief Examples: One problem with the horror movie is that the plot is barely plausible—there was no good reason for the kids to enter the abandoned mansion to begin with. "Legends of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 30, 2017 is: bona fides \boh-nuh-FYE-deez\ noun 1 : good faith : sincerity 2 : the fact of being genuine 3 : evidence of one's good faith or genuineness 4 : evidence of one's qualifications or achievements Examples: "While there are a myriad of other entrepreneurial self-help and motivational books, [William] Pickard said 'Millionaire Moves' is different...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 29, 2017 is: melee \MAY-lay\ noun : a confused struggle; especially : a hand-to-hand fight among several people Examples: "In a notorious episode in 2000, a fan snatched Dodgers catcher Chad Kreuter's hat as he sat on the bullpen bench, setting off a melee in which Dodgers players and coaches climbed into the stands." — Billy Witz, The New York Times, 8 M...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 28, 2017 is: inhere \in-HEER\ verb : to be inherent : to be a fixed element or attribute Examples: "Americans have never shied from a good political fight, disagreement inhering in self-government." — Charles R. Kesler, National Review Online, 7 Dec. 2016 "Rights are not gifts; they do not need to be earned. Rather, they inhere in the human condition."&nb...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 27, 2017 is: fester \FESS-ter\ verb 1 : to generate pus 2 : putrefy, rot 3 a : to cause increasing poisoning, irritation, or bitterness : rankle b : to undergo or exist in a state of progressive deterioration Examples: "For more than a generation, instead of forging a path to reconciliation, we have allowed the wounds the war inflicted on our nation, our...