Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 4, 2016 is: asperse • \uh-SPURSS\  • verb 1 : sprinkle; especially : to sprinkle with holy water 2 : to attack with evil reports or false or injurious charges Examples: "Though my opponent's supporters have aspersed my character, I think my record speaks for itself," said the candidate. "[Andrew] Jackson, a short-tempered warrior who had killed a man...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 3, 2016 is: quodlibet • \KWAHD-luh-bet\  • noun 1 : a philosophical or theological point proposed for disputation; also : a disputation on such a point 2 : a whimsical combination of familiar melodies or texts Examples: "In Part II the orchestral interlude is Happy Voices, which Del Tredici took in punning fashion and created a raucous fugue followed...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 2, 2016 is: adjuvant • \AJ-uh-vunt\  • adjective 1 : serving to aid or contribute : auxiliary 2 : assisting in the prevention, amelioration, or cure of disease Examples: The study showed caffeine to have an adjuvant effect when combined with certain pain relievers, increasing the potency of the latter. "Kidney cancer has long been resistant to chemot...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 1, 2016 is: oenophile • \EE-nuh-fyle\  • noun : a lover or connoisseur of wine Examples: Serious oenophiles will not be impressed with this particular wine, but it should be up to the standards of less-discriminating consumers. "Founded in 1992, New Orleans Wine and Food Experience has definitely earned its place as an event that oenophiles, gourmets...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 31, 2016 is: trepidation • \trep-uh-DAY-shun\  • noun : timorous uncertain agitation : apprehension Examples: Fran's trepidation going into the interview dissipated quickly, and her confidence and poise led her to getting offered the job a week later. "The couple's trepidation isn't about how the state would handle the rare orchids.… They simply are wor...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 30, 2016 is: collude • \kuh-LOOD\  • verb : conspire, plot Examples: "Two forestry companies colluded for more than a decade to control the prices of toilet paper and other products following a meeting at a golf course to end a price war, according to Chile's competitive practices regulator." — The Observer-Dispatch (Utica, New York), 30 Oct. 2015 "If y...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 29, 2016 is: rarefied • \RAIR-uh-fyde\  • adjective 1 : being less dense 2 : of, relating to, or interesting to a select group : esoteric 3 : very high Examples: Cartography is one of those rarefied fields at which only a select few can actually earn a living. "He was known for photographing the most rarefied parties and galas but never partaking of eve...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 28, 2016 is: embellish • \im-BELL-ish\  • verb 1 : to make beautiful with ornamentation : decorate 2 : to heighten the attractiveness of by adding decorative or fanciful details : enhance Examples: Kevin later admitted that he may have embellished the truth about the size of the dog that chased him out of the yard. "On Snapchat, where users embellish th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 27, 2016 is: plinth • \PLINTH\  • noun 1 : the lowest part of the base of an architectural column 2 : a usually square block serving as a base; broadly : any of various bases or lower parts 3 : a course of stones forming a continuous foundation or base course Examples: An empty plinth remains where the statue of the toppled dictator once commanded. "Fab...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 26, 2016 is: guttural • \GUTT-uh-rul\  • adjective 1 : articulated in the throat 2 : velar 3 : being or marked by utterance that is strange, unpleasant, or disagreeable Examples: The only response we could get from him was an inarticulate guttural grunt. "The guttural yells echoing off New Jersey's Lake Mercer conveyed the gravity of college rowing's bi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 25, 2016 is: notch • \NAHTCH\  • noun 1 a : a V-shaped indentation b : a slit made to serve as a record c : a rounded indentation cut into the pages of a book on the edge opposite the spine 2 : a deep close pass : gap 3 : degree, step Examples: The angle of the futon can be adjusted by inserting the pin into one of three notches. "You're about to start...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 24, 2016 is: insinuate • \in-SIN-yuh-wayt\  • verb 1 a : to introduce (as an idea) gradually or in a subtle, indirect, or covert way b : to impart or suggest in an artful or indirect way : imply 2 : to introduce (as oneself) by stealthy, smooth, or artful means Examples: "They are confident buildings, but not boastful ones. They have a way of insinuatin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 23, 2016 is: journeyman • \JER-nee-mun\  • noun 1 : a worker who has learned a trade and works for another person usually by the day 2 : an experienced reliable worker, athlete, or performer especially as distinguished from one who is brilliant or colorful Examples: "I started working exclusively as an actor when I was 25 years old…. I was a journeyman...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 22, 2016 is: lenient • \LEEN-yunt\  • adjective 1 : exerting a soothing or easing influence : relieving pain or stress 2 : of mild and tolerant disposition; especially : indulgent Examples: Because Kevin didn't have any past violations on his driving record, the officer decided to be lenient and let him off with a written warning. "In February, he plead...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 21, 2016 is: hypocorism • \hye-PAH-kuh-riz-um\  • noun 1 : a pet name 2 : the use of pet names Examples: People began to refer to the elusive and mysterious Loch Ness monster by the hypocorism "Nessie" in the 1940s. "… the use of hypocorisms … is on the decline (only my Aunt Dorothy is still called Toots), and terms of endearment have come under suspici...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 20, 2016 is: namby-pamby • \nam-bee-PAM-bee\  • adjective 1 : lacking in character or substance : insipid 2 : weak, indecisive Examples: John complained that the movie was a namby-pamby romance with too much dialogue and not enough action. "I go to a barber for a haircut and clip my own nails, and would rather smell broccoli cooking for a week than go t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 19, 2016 is: fret • \FRET\  • verb 1 a : to eat or gnaw into : wear, corrode; also : fray b : rub, chafe c : to make by wearing away 2 : to become vexed or worried 3 : agitate, ripple Examples: "You shouldn't fret so much over your wardrobe," Liza said. "You look great no matter what you wear." "Not so long ago independent booksellers fretted about the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 18, 2016 is: panoptic • \pan-OP-tik\  • adjective : being or presenting a comprehensive or panoramic view Examples: The new security cameras installed in the jewelry store capture panoptic views of the entrance and display cases. "Interweaving the narratives of an aristocratic uptown family, an underground punk band, a Long Island adolescent, a black ga...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 17, 2016 is: dunnage • \DUN-ij\  • noun 1 : loose materials used to support and protect cargo in a ship's hold; also : padding in a shipping container 2 : baggage Examples: The listed weight on the shipping order did not account for the container and dunnage. "There are … efforts to reduce impact on the environment, with employees reusing as much of the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 16, 2016 is: dedication • \ded-ih-KAY-shun\  • noun 1 : a devoting or setting aside for a particular purpose or use 2 : a name and often a message prefixed to a literary, musical, or artistic production in tribute to a person or cause 3 : self-sacrificing devotion 4 : a ceremony to mark the official completion or opening of something (as a building) Exa...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 15, 2016 is: soul mate • \SOHL-MAYT\  • noun 1 : a person who is perfectly suited to another in temperament 2 : a person who strongly resembles another in attitudes or beliefs Examples: They have been best friends and soul mates for nearly two decades. "Decades of incredible songs performed by a multitalented ensemble sweep the audience through the musi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 14, 2016 is: tog • \TAHG\  • verb : to dress especially in fine clothing — usually used with up or out Examples: Christine smiled as she took pictures of her teenage son, who was togged out in a tuxedo and standing next to his prom date. "Togged out in his driving gear and trademark tinted goggles, and sporting a jaunty mustache, Walter C. Baker cut a d...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 13, 2016 is: zest • \ZEST\  • noun 1 : a piece of the peel of a citrus fruit (such as an orange or lemon) used as flavoring 2 : an enjoyably exciting quality : piquancy 3 : keen enjoyment : relish, gusto Examples: Healthy and active as a senior citizen, Richard had a zest for life, a desire to travel and see the world, and a perpetual interest in trying...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 12, 2016 is: vestige • \VESS-tij\  • noun 1 a : a trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (such as an ancient city or a condition or practice) vanished or lost b : the smallest quantity or trace 2 : a bodily part or organ that is small and degenerate or imperfectly developed in comparison to one more fully developed in an earlier stage of the ind...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 11, 2016 is: filial • \FIL-ee-ul\  • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or befitting a son or daughter 2 : having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring Examples: Margaret's sense of filial responsibility is only part of her motivation for carrying on her parents' business; she also loves the work. "Though initially reluctant, the old champ agrees...