Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 1, 2015 is: skulduggery • \skull-DUG-uh-ree\  • noun : underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; also : a devious device or trick Examples: There was a whiff of skulduggery surrounding the real-estate deal, since the building managed to pass inspection even though everyone knew it wasn't up to code. "Some House Democrats … cast a poor light on the idea of c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 31, 2015 is: vilify • \VIL-uh-fye\  • verb 1 : to lower in estimation or importance 2 : to utter slanderous and abusive statements against : defame Examples: Janet's angry letter chastised members of the media for vilifying her brother, the disgraced ex-councilman. "But her daughter … denies the allegations against her mother. Instead, she believes the pe...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 30, 2015 is: grandiloquence • \gran-DIH-luh-kwunss\  • noun : a lofty, extravagantly colorful, pompous, or bombastic style, manner, or quality especially in language Examples: The grandiloquence of the columnist's writing gave him a reputation as a blowhard, but his opinions were deep and carefully considered. "It seems that the only thing that flows more...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 29, 2015 is: indomitable • \in-DAH-muh-tuh-bul\  • adjective : incapable of being subdued : unconquerable Examples: The memorial celebrates the indomitable spirit of the pioneers who ventured forth in search of a new life. "The stones, removed as part of structural improvements to the bridge, speak to the indomitable nature of 19th-century workers, often...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 28, 2015 is: pachyderm • \PAK-ih-derm\  • noun : any of various nonruminant mammals (such as an elephant, a rhinoceros, or a hippopotamus) of a former group (Pachydermata) that have hooves or nails resembling hooves and usually thick skin; especially : elephant Examples: "The archetypal Seuss hero … was Horton, a conscientious pachyderm who was duped by a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 27, 2015 is: yaw • \YAW\  • verb 1 a : (of a ship) to deviate erratically from a course (as when struck by a heavy sea); especially : to move from side to side b : (of an airplane, spacecraft, or projectile) to turn by angular motion about the vertical axis 2 : alternate Examples: The ship yawed hard to starboard when the rogue wave hit it broadside. "In...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 26, 2015 is: abulia • \ay-BOO-lee-uh\  • noun : abnormal lack of ability to act or to make decisions Examples: "Abulia is a motivational deficit that is associated with apathy, loss of will, and lack of initiating behaviors." - Handbook of the Neuroscience of Language, 2008 "The remoteness of the country house made him feel isolated and displaced-feelings...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 25, 2015 is: dubious • \DOO-bee-us\  • adjective 1 a : of doubtful promise or outcome b : questionable or suspect as to true nature or quality 2 : unsettled in opinion : doubtful Examples: Jesse made the dubious claim that he could eat a whole watermelon in one sitting; then we sat in awe and watched him do it. "'Can you work with what I have?' he asked,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2015 is: umbra • \UM-bruh\  • noun 1 : a shaded area 2 a : a conical shadow excluding all light from a given source; specifically : the conical part of the shadow of a celestial body excluding all light from the primary source b : the central dark part of a sunspot Examples: During the eclipse, the moon was in the umbra of the earth's shadow for about...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 23, 2015 is: meticulous • \muh-TIK-yuh-lus\  • adjective : marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details Examples: The composer's meticulous, almost obsessive, attention to detail is evident in even the smallest musical flourishes that the average listener will likely never notice. "The Australian-American [Justine] Larb...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2015 is: octothorpe • \AHK-tuh-thorp\  • noun : the symbol # Examples: "To demonstrate and test the varying thicknesses that a pen is capable of imparting, Ivy League students often begin by writing an octothorpe-known to some plebians as a 'hashtag.'" - Evan Siegel, Columbia Spectator (Columbia University), December 6, 2014 "Whatever it ought to be c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 21, 2015 is: truculent • \TRUCK-yuh-lunt\  • adjective 1 : feeling or displaying ferocity : cruel, savage 2 : deadly, destructive 3 : scathingly harsh : vitriolic 4 : aggressively self-assertive : belligerent Examples: Warren's truculent demeanor made him unpleasant to work with, particularly as deadlines approached. "When I interviewed her at the end of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 20, 2015 is: longanimity • \long-guh-NIM-uh-tee\  • noun : a disposition to bear injuries patiently : forbearance Examples: The fans showed longanimity by coming back year after year to cheer on the perpetually losing team. "Our family successes will vary from year to year, as will those of the garden. The constant is this: After the soil is tended, the g...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2015 is: rue • \ROO\  • verb : to feel regret, remorse, or penitence for Examples: I rue the day I agreed to serve on this committee. "While times do change, they don't always change for the best; Sheldon rues that Sundays are no longer a church-dominated day in many Christian denominations." - Carolyn Bostick, Observer-Dispatch (Utica, New York), Apr...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 18, 2015 is: neophyte • \NEE-uh-fyte\  • noun 1 : a new convert : proselyte 2 : novice 3 : tyro, beginner Examples: As a neophyte to chess, Brock was still learning the rules and basic strategies of the game. "Abby Wambach taught a soccer neophyte named David Letterman (whatever happened to him?) the intricacies of the sport by booting balls into moving N...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2015 is: superannuated • \soo-per-AN-yuh-way-tud\  • adjective 1 : outmoded, old-fashioned 2 a : incapacitated or disqualified for active duty by advanced age b : older than the typical member of a specified group Examples: The article focused on senior citizens who retire from the workplace and return to school to become superannuated graduate studen...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2015 is: weasel word • \WEE-zul-WERD\  • noun : a word used in order to evade or retreat from a direct or forthright statement or position Examples: Many people suspected that the politician's weasel words concealed a deeper agenda. "Lesson: When your team messes up, take responsibility, fully and openly. No exculpatory clauses or weasel words." - Sco...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2015 is: innocuous • \ih-NAH-kyuh-wus\  • adjective 1 : producing no injury : harmless 2 : not likely to give offense or to arouse strong feelings or hostility : inoffensive, insipid Examples: Laura was relieved to discover that the wild plants her dog had eaten were innocuous. "We're constantly being tracked through social media and our Internet brow...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 14, 2015 is: duffer • \DUFF-er\  • noun 1 a : a peddler especially of cheap flashy articles b : something counterfeit or worthless 2 : an incompetent, ineffectual, or clumsy person; especially : a mediocre golfer Examples: Most of the people playing in the charity tournament were duffers, but it was all for a good cause. "The snow is melting, and the gras...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 13, 2015 is: estival • \ESS-tuh-vul\  • adjective : of or relating to the summer Examples: The children were reveling in their weeks of summer vacation, filling their school-free estival afternoons with swimming and playing. "Guests heeded the dress suggestion and came in the estival attire requested on the Betty Hunley-created invitation: 'white linen, s...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 12, 2015 is: majuscule • \MAJ-uh-skyool\  • noun : a large letter (such as a capital) Examples: I can always recognize my brother's handwriting at a quick glance based on how elaborately the majuscules are formed and how they dwarf the other letters. "But it's hard to begrudge Souza his glittering life, in large part because no one seems more innocently a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 11, 2015 is: foist • \FOIST\  • verb 1 a : to introduce or insert surreptitiously or without warrant b : to force another to accept especially by stealth or deceit 2 : to pass off as genuine or worthy Examples: It is possible to talk about politics without trying to foist your beliefs upon others. "People willingly download adware, often to get a free pro...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 10, 2015 is: jaundiced • \JAWN-dist\  • adjective 1 : affected with or as if with a disease characterized by yellow pigmentation of the skin 2 : exhibiting or influenced by envy, distaste, or hostility Examples: "Since I tend to have a jaundiced view toward marriage in general," said George, "I'm not the guy you should be asking for wedding tips." "Accumu...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 9, 2015 is: garderobe • \GAR-drohb\  • noun 1 : a wardrobe or its contents 2 : a private room : bedroom 3 : privy, toilet Examples: On our tour of the castle, the guide made sure to point out the garderobe. "Located in Langley-on-Tyne, Northumberland, the castle has the best-preserved medieval latrines, or garderobes, in Europe. Historians think it was a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 8, 2015 is: temerity • \tuh-MAIR-uh-tee\  • noun 1 : unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition : rashness, recklessness 2 : a rash or reckless act Examples: The line between boldness and temerity is sometimes only evident after the consequences have become clear. "Amaro now has been relegated to saying he's sorry for his comments.… Yeah,...