Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 29, 2015 is: petulant • \PET-chuh-lunt\  • adjective 1 : insolent or rude in speech or behavior 2 : characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor : peevish Examples: Uncle Harold is a petulant and fussy man who is always blaming everyone else for his problems. "… this bunch doesn't care about being reasonable or meeting opposing views halfway. Li...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 28, 2015 is: kinesics • \kuh-NEE-siks\  • noun : a systematic study of the relationship between nonlinguistic body motions (such as blushes, shrugs, or eye movement) and communication Examples: "[St. Vincent] wasn't shy about striking the classic guitar idol kinesics … —chin up and out, eyelids in some fickle, fluttering state between open and shut, h...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 27, 2015 is: favonian • \fuh-VOH-nee-un\  • adjective : of or relating to the west wind : mild Examples: Our guests relaxed on the patio, watching the sunset and enjoying favonian breezes. "The singular microclimate of Neuras makes [wine production] possible, as the favonian wind blowing in from the Atlantic chills the area down, while a geological fa...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 26, 2015 is: belie • \bih-LYE\  • verb 1 a : to give a false impression of b : to present an appearance not in agreement with 2 : to show (something) to be false or wrong 3 : to run counter to : contradict 4 : disguise Examples: Abigail, a seventy-eight-year-old grandmother, moves with an agility that belies her age. "Often described as 'a little jewe...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 25, 2015 is: crèche • \KRESH\  • noun 1 : a representation of the Nativity scene 2 : a nursery or day care center 3 : a group of young animals (such as penguins or bats) gathered in one place for care and protection usually by one or more adults Examples: A crèche was erected on the lawn in front of the church. "Goldman has a creche in the basement of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 24, 2015 is: aftermath • \AF-ter-math\  • noun 1 : a second-growth crop 2 : consequence, result  3 : the period immediately following a usually ruinous event  Examples: It was almost noon before I felt ready to face the aftermath of the previous night's festivities, and to begin cleaning up. "In the aftermath of World War II, Tupperware parties became...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 23, 2015 is: exorbitant • \ig-ZOR-buh-tunt\  • adjective 1 : not coming within the scope of the law 2 : exceeding the customary or appropriate limits in intensity, quality, amount, or size Examples: I asked what the rent was for the apartment, and my jaw dropped when they quoted me an exorbitant sum. "Much of the discussion centered around a lack of f...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 22, 2015 is: cavil • \KAV-il\  • verb : to raise trivial and frivolous objection Examples: Amber caviled about going to the flea market when I first brought up the idea, but she seemed to enjoy herself thoroughly once we were there. "The system prompted some critics to cavil that the Volt was not an electric car, and was simply a plug-in hybrid…." — F...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2015 is: invidious • \in-VID-ee-us\  • adjective 1 : tending to cause discontent, animosity, or envy 2 a : unpleasant, objectionable, or obnoxious b : of a kind to cause harm or resentment Examples: "Consider the intimate and curious acquaintance one makes with various kinds of weeds … disturbing their delicate organizations so ruthlessly, and mak...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 20, 2015 is: Gordian knot • \GOR-dee-un-NAHT\  • noun 1 : an intricate problem; especially : a problem insoluble in its own terms 2 : a knot tied by Gordius, king of Phrygia, held to be capable of being untied only by the future ruler of Asia, and cut by Alexander the Great with his sword Examples: "This renovation project has become a Gordian knot,"...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 19, 2015 is: hidebound • \HYDE-bound\  • adjective 1 : (of a domestic animal) having a dry skin lacking in pliancy and adhering closely to the underlying flesh 2 : having an inflexible or ultraconservative character Examples: The store failed when its hidebound owners refused to alter their business model to adjust for the changing economy. "Both side...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 18, 2015 is: perpetuity • \per-puh-TOO-uh-tee\  • noun 1 : eternity 2 : the quality or state of continuing forever Examples: The terms of the benefactor's will calls for the formation of a trust intended to fund the library for perpetuity. "Afterwards these animals were reintroduced to the project area, and migratory corridors were created between sol...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 17, 2015 is: unclubbable • \un-KLUB-uh-bul\  • adjective : having or showing a disinclination for social activity : unsociable Examples: However fascinating her research is, the professor is decidedly unclubbable and not likely to make a good dinner party guest. "Journalists are always fun on screen. This is because journalists are such fun in real li...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 16, 2015 is: deference • \DEF-uh-runss\  • noun : respect and esteem due a superior or an elder; also : affected or ingratiating regard for another's wishes Examples: Showing deference to his visiting uncle, Charles insisted on giving up his usual seat at the head of the dinner table so that the older gentleman could take his place.  "At 84, he's … th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 15, 2015 is: natatorial • \nay-tuh-TOR-ee-ul\  • adjective 1 : of or relating to swimming 2 : adapted to or characterized by swimming Examples: This year's swim team has considerably more natatorial talent than have previous years' teams. "Natatorial legs are modified for swimming, producing a feathered oar-like form, used by beetles and bugs that spe...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 14, 2015 is: fulminate • \FULL-muh-nayt\  • verb : to complain loudly or angrily : to send forth censures or invectives Examples: An avid cyclist, Justine would often fulminate against automobile drivers who ignored bike lanes and otherwise created hazards for those riding on two wheels. "We say we value memoirs and other nonfiction works precisely be...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 13, 2015 is: syzygy • \SIZ-uh-jee\  • noun : the nearly straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies (such as the sun, moon, and earth during a solar or lunar eclipse) in a gravitational system Examples: The full moon and new moon phenomena occur when the earth, sun, and moon are in syzygy. "Whether you have a three dimensional orrery or a fl...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 12, 2015 is: tawdry • \TAW-dree\  • adjective : cheap and gaudy in appearance or quality; also : ignoble Examples: Tom and Pam found themselves in an unfamiliar section of the city, walking by tawdry storefronts and shady bars. "I'd be lying if I said I never shared some of the tawdry tales I learned about players along the way…." — Roxanne Jones, CNN...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 11, 2015 is: velleity • \vuh-LEE-uh-tee\  • noun 1 : the lowest degree of volition 2 : a slight wish or tendency : inclination Examples: Samuel sometimes mentions that he would like to go back to school, but his interest strikes me as more of a velleity than a firm statement of purpose. "It should be enough of an advantage for online retailers … that...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 10, 2015 is: livid • \LIV-id\  • adjective 1 : discolored by bruising : black-and-blue 2 : ashen, pallid 3 : reddish 4 : very angry : enraged Examples: When Chase's mother caught him sneaking in after midnight, she was livid. "As part of St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman's 2016 budget proposal, downtown meters that expire at 5 p.m. would continue to charge...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 9, 2015 is: objet trouvé • \AWB-zhay-troo-VAY\  • noun : a natural or discarded object found by chance and held to have aesthetic value Examples: "Architects, too, have discovered found objects—usually substantial buildings like barns, firehouses, power stations, train depots—but the objet trouvé that Robert A. M. Stern recently transformed into a wri...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 8, 2015 is: adamantine • \ad-uh-MAN-teen\  • adjective 1 : made of or having the quality of adamant 2 : rigidly firm : unyielding 3 : resembling the diamond in hardness or luster Examples: The ushers were adamantine in their refusal to let latecomers into the theater. "Lampard and Pirlo have been adamantine, but even Lampard fell prey to injury this p...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 7, 2015 is: jackleg • \JACK-leg\  • adjective 1 a : characterized by unscrupulousness, dishonesty, or lack of professional standards b : lacking skill or training : amateur 2 : designed as a temporary expedient : makeshift Examples: Bill's only a jackleg carpenter, but he is sufficiently competent to handle less complex jobs. "Local engineers knew eve...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 6, 2015 is: menorah • \muh-NOR-uh\  • noun : a candelabra with seven or nine lights that is used in Jewish worship Examples: At sundown on the first night of Hanukkah, Joshua's father helped him light the first candle on the menorah. "Tens of thousands of people come out for the celebration, which includes the lighting of the state's largest menorah (...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 5, 2015 is: repair • \rih-PAIR\  • verb 1 : to betake oneself : go 2 : to come together : rally Examples: "… so we repaired to a publick-house, took a friendly glass, and thus parted." — Peter Drake, Amiable Renegade: The Memoirs of Captain Peter Drake, 1671–1753, 1960 "… Warren repaired to the dining alcove off the kitchen … and ate dinner with Nina...