Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 4, 2015 is: sprightly • \SPRYTE-lee\  • adjective 1 : marked by a cheerful lightness and vivacity (as of movement or manner) : spirited 2 : having a distinctively piquant taste Examples: Uncle Jack, a sprightly man nearing 90, was an avid storyteller, and we all listened with rapt attention as he regaled us with his newest tale. "The somber, pensive orch...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 3, 2015 is: thanatology • \than-uh-TAH-luh-jee\  • noun : the description or study of the phenomena of death and of psychological mechanisms for coping with them Examples: One of the seminal texts on thanatology is Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's On Death and Dying, which outlines the five stages of grief. "In her eight-week yoga for grief course, Stang … uses h...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 2, 2015 is: chatoyant • \shuh-TOY-unt\  • adjective : having a changeable luster or color with an undulating narrow band of white light Examples: "Suddenly he felt himself again in Carthage. There was a river there, too: not a little bolt of chatoyant silk like the Avon, which they would have called a 'crick' back there." - Rupert Hughes, "Momma" And Oth...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 1, 2015 is: macaroni • \mak-uh-ROH-nee\  • noun 1 : pasta made from semolina and shaped in the form of slender tubes 2 : an affected young man : fop Examples: One of Tracy's favorite comfort foods is homemade macaroni and cheese. "He had been a macaroni of the eighteenth century, and the friend, in his youth, of Lord Ferrars." - Oscar Wilde, The Picture...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 28, 2015 is: pontificate • \pahn-TIF-uh-kayt\  • verb 1 a : to officiate as a pontiff b : to celebrate pontifical mass 2 : to speak or express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way Examples: Stan loves to hear himself talk and will often pontificate on even the most trivial issues. "Though the game was another dud-a Patriots' blowout of the hapless Co...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 27, 2015 is: rationale • \rash-uh-NAL\  • noun 1 : an explanation of controlling principles of opinion, belief, practice, or phenomena 2 : an underlying reason : basis Examples: The newspaper's editorial reflected the concerns of many who questioned the rationale behind the mayor's decision. "… the sacred trust that elected officials will share all op...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 26, 2015 is: captious • \KAP-shuss\  • adjective 1 : marked by an often ill-natured inclination to stress faults and raise objections 2 : calculated to confuse, entrap, or entangle in argument Examples: Befuddled by the captious question, the suspect broke down and confessed to the crime. "During the past 15 years Mr. Maxwell has established himself a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 25, 2015 is: gourmand • \GOOR-mahnd\  • noun 1 : one who is excessively fond of eating and drinking 2 : one who is heartily interested in good food and drink Examples: Uncle Gerald was a bit of a gourmand; he traveled far and wide to the finest restaurants and always remembered to bring his appetite. "The dish that caused the grizzled old gourmands at...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 24, 2015 is: thrasonical • \thray-SAH-nih-kul\  • adjective : of, relating to, resembling, or characteristic of Thraso : bragging, boastful Examples: "There was never any thing so sudden but the fight of two rams and Caesar's thrasonical brag of 'I came, saw, and overcame'…." - William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 1623 "After pages of thrasonical twad...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 23, 2015 is: acumen • \uh-KYOO-mun\  • noun : keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination especially in practical matters Examples: Detective Morton possesses a superior acumen that enables him to solve the most bizarre and puzzling of mysteries. "[Suzanne] Isken says the pieces on display fall in the category of fine art based on...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 22, 2015 is: lampoon • \lam-POON\  • verb : to make the subject of a satire : ridicule Examples: Trevor writes for a humor Web site that lampoons celebrities from film, music, and television. "One has to be just a hair off center to fully appreciate Portlandia. The Peabody Award-winning sketch comedy series lampoons the hipster lifestyle and stars Car...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2015 is: jeunesse dorée • \zheuh-ness-dor-RAY\  • noun : young people of wealth and fashion Examples: It was clear that the magazine was targeting the jeunesse dorée based on its ads for expensive trendy clothes and profiles of the hottest nightspots. "On a walk in Montreal's Little Burgundy neighborhood, the streets were quiet but inside restaura...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 20, 2015 is: histrionic • \his-tree-AH-nik\  • adjective 1 : deliberately affected : theatrical 2 : of or relating to actors, acting, or the theater Examples: The candidate declared that he would not stoop to address his opponent's histrionic and patently untrue accusations. "When we listen in on one-sided telephone conversations in the movies, often...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 19, 2015 is: whammy • \WAM-ee\  • noun 1 a : a supernatural power bringing bad luck b : a magic curse or spell : jinx, hex 2 : a potent force or attack; specifically : a paralyzing or lethal blow Examples: After making three errors in one inning, Mitch became convinced that someone had put the whammy on his glove. "Finally, Finland is dealing with the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 18, 2015 is: vox populi • \VOKS-POP-yoo-lye\  • noun : popular sentiment Examples: "Social media is supposed to be an arena that amplifies the vox populi, that makes it easier to know what we the people think. But sometimes it seems as though social media only makes it easier to see what we the people are thinking about." - Kate Allen, Toronto Star, N...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 17, 2015 is: superfluous • \soo-PER-floo-us\  • adjective 1 : exceeding what is sufficient or necessary : extra 2 : not needed : unnecessary Examples: The textbook includes so much superfluous information that students often overlook key points. "Music director Anu Tali's clear direction, free of superfluous gestures, embodied the elegance that shone...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 16, 2015 is: deflagrate • \DEF-luh-grayt\  • verb 1 : to burn rapidly with intense heat and sparks being given off 2 : to cause to burn in such a manner Examples: The city has banned fireworks and similar devices that deflagrate when lit. "'It wasn't a pipe bomb, it was a destructive device,' [Gage County Chief Deputy] Klaus said. 'It was poorly const...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 15, 2015 is: overweening • \oh-ver-WEE-ning\  • adjective 1 : arrogant, presumptuous 2 : immoderate, exaggerated Examples: With her overweening ego, the actress expected to be recognized and flattered by everyone she met. "The idea that an overweening federal government is a threat to both freedom and equality (not to mention prosperity) goes back to...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 14, 2015 is: folderol • \FAHL-duh-rahl\  • noun 1 : a useless ornament or accessory : trifle 2 : nonsense Examples: Stacy wanted nothing to do with the fuss and folderol of Valentine's Day and felt lucky that she had found in Lucas a partner who felt the same way. "We are overwhelmed with data from every quarter, and our capacity to filter fact from f...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 13, 2015 is: untenable • \un-TEN-uh-bul\  • adjective 1 : not able to be defended 2 : not able to be occupied Examples: Faced with a budget deficit, the company’s CEO made the untenable decision to lay off several hundred workers while still making sure he received a salary bonus. "Where the piece is at its prickly best is in tracing the narrator's tw...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 12, 2015 is: xeriscape • \ZEER-uh-skayp\  • noun : a landscaping method developed especially for arid and semiarid climates that utilizes water-conserving techniques (such as the use of drought-tolerant plants, mulch, and efficient irrigation) Examples: The severe drought led to local water restrictions, and many people looked into xeriscape for the f...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 11, 2015 is: poignant • \POY-nyunt\  • adjective 1 a : painfully or deeply affecting the feelings b : designed to make an impression : cutting 2 : being to the point : apt Examples: The shuttered storefronts along the city's Main Street serve as poignant reminders of the economic recession. "Before there was reality TV and social networks and surveill...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 10, 2015 is: eradicate • \ih-RAD-uh-kayt\  • verb 1 : to pull up by the roots 2 : to do away with as completely as if by pulling up by the roots Examples: The new mayor promised that his term in office would be devoted to reducing crime and eradicating homelessness throughout the city. "Countdown to Zero will show visitors how eradication efforts have...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 9, 2015 is: tantara • \tan-TAIR-uh\  • noun : the blare of a trumpet or horn Examples: A tantara announced the arrival of the Queen, and everyone snapped to attention. "… after restoring the tomb to its former condition, we returned to the palace. But hardly had we sat down ere we heard the … tantara of trumpets and clash of cymbals, and the rattling...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 8, 2015 is: smarmy • \SMAR-mee\  • adjective 1 : revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness 2 : of low sleazy taste or quality Examples: The candidate came across as a bit smarmy during the interview. "'No Control' has some punk-rock flair, more so in spirit than in sound. It's a little messy and smarmy and rages admirably here...