Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 27, 2014 is: sophomoric • \sahf-MOR-ik\  • adjective 1 : conceited and overconfident of knowledge but poorly informed and immature 2 : of, relating to, or characteristic of a sophomore Examples: Judd's behavior at the party was sophomoric, but I've seen a more mature side to him in other settings. "[T]his central character that I ended up playing … is a g...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 26, 2014 is: fracking • \FRACK-ing\  • noun : the injection of fluid into shale beds at high pressure in order to free up petroleum resources (such as oil or natural gas) Examples: "In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie set an example in August when he vetoed a bill that would permanently ban fracking, then approved a one-year moratorium so his state cou...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 25, 2014 is: evince • \ih-VINSS\  • verb 1 : to constitute outward evidence of 2 : to display clearly : reveal Examples: Melanie evinced an interest in art at an early age, so no one was surprised when she grew up to be an award-winning illustrator. "You have to make it easy for your customer to buy-as evinced by another example from my trip through Italy...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 24, 2014 is: mufti • \MUFF-tee\  • noun : ordinary dress as distinguished from that denoting an occupation or station; especially : civilian clothes when worn by a person in the armed forces Examples: Maureen's family is thankful to have her at home, dressed comfortably in mufti, after a six-month tour of duty overseas. "The opening was a swelling Nationa...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 23, 2014 is: hashtag • \HASH-tag\  • noun : a word or phrase preceded by the symbol # that classifies or categorizes the accompanying text (such as a tweet) Examples: Jessica used the hashtag #parenting to share ideas, advice, and stories with other moms online. "On Twitter, the #blessed hashtag may still prompt some genuine sentiment ("blessed to have su...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 22, 2014 is: gauntlet • \GAWNT-lut\  • noun 1 : a glove worn with medieval armor to protect the hand 2 : any of various protective gloves used especially in industry 3 : an open challenge (as to combat) - used in phrases like throw down the gauntlet 4 : a dress glove extending above the wrist Examples: After dinner, Roger threw down the gauntlet and chall...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 21, 2014 is: oblivion • \uh-BLIV-ee-un\  • noun 1 : the fact or condition of forgetting or having forgotten; especially : the condition of being oblivious 2 a : the condition or state of being forgotten or unknown b : the state of being destroyed Examples: After driving for 10 hours with the events of the past few days running repeatedly through her mind,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 20, 2014 is: saturnine • \SAT-er-nyne\  • adjective 1 : born under or influenced by the planet Saturn 2 a : cold and steady in mood : slow to act or change b : gloomy, surly c : sardonic Examples: Kevin's saturnine personality made his friends hesitant to invite him to parties, since he never seemed to have a good time at them. "Cuomo has one additional l...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 19, 2014 is: turducken • \ter-DUCK-un\  • noun : a boneless chicken stuffed into a boneless duck stuffed into a boneless turkey Examples: For your next dinner party, you might want to take a shot at making turducken. "Mike has adjusted his plans for fabled menus, taking into account the ages-and foibles-of his guests. The fabulous standing rib roast and t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 18, 2014 is: diffident • \DIF-uh-dunt\  • adjective 1 : hesitant in acting or speaking through lack of self-confidence 2 : reserved, unassertive Examples: Always diffident and soft-spoken, Tony did not raise any objection when the cashier overcharged him for his purchase. "You could call Mudhoney the reluctant, begrudging forefathers of grunge, and Nirvan...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 17, 2014 is: incongruous • \in-KAHN-gruh-wus\  • adjective a : lacking congruity: as b : not harmonious : incompatible c : not conforming : disagreeing d : inconsistent within itself Examples: The sight of a horse and carriage amongst the cars on the road was a bit incongruous. "The main issue is the game's incongruous mix of low-brow presentation and inc...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 16, 2014 is: matriculate • \muh-TRIK-yuh-layt\  • verb : to enroll as a member of a body and especially of a college or university Examples: A spokesperson for the college said the school is expected to matriculate approximately 1,000 students for the fall semester. "Work joined Symphony in the Valley at the tender age of nine and continued to perform wit...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 15, 2014 is: poutine • \poo-TEEN\  • noun : a dish of French fries covered with brown gravy and cheese curds - chiefly Canadian Examples: Although classic poutine is a simple marriage of French fries, gravy, and cheese curds, the dish has inspired ethnic variations with different combinations of meats and sauces. "A 2007 Canadian TV documentary named pout...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 14, 2014 is: antebellum • \an-tih-BEL-um\  • adjective : existing before a war; especially : existing before the Civil War Examples: A guided tour through this old Mississippi mansion, built in the early 1800s, gives you an idea of what life was like in the antebellum South. "From the windows of Laurel Hill, one of eight antebellum homes and businesses am...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 13, 2014 is: freegan • \FREE-gun\  • noun : an activist who scavenges for free food (as in waste receptacles at stores and restaurants) as a means of reducing consumption of resources Examples: Josh is a vocal anti-consumerist who lives as a freegan and works to develop community gardens in urban settings. "Sarah is ambitious and disciplined, and she lies...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 12, 2014 is: stoic • \STOH-ik\  • noun : one apparently or professedly indifferent to pleasure or pain Examples: Stoic that she is, Edra finished the marathon despite a painful pulled tendon in her knee. "Pitchers can be stoics. They usually say not getting a win because of offensive shortcomings does not bother them." - Gerry Fraley, Dallas Morning News,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 11, 2014 is: crowdfunding • \KROWD-fun-ding\  • noun : the practice of soliciting financial contributions from a large number of people especially from the online community Examples: "Facebook and Twitter, Square and Dropbox? Old news. Our series 'The Next Big Thing You Missed' looks at the newest ideas poised to remake tech-everything from musical crowdf...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 10, 2014 is: ambrosia • \am-BROH-zhee-uh\  • noun 1 a : the food of the Greek and Roman gods b : the ointment or perfume of the gods 2 : something extremely pleasing to taste or smell 3 : a dessert made of oranges and shredded coconut Examples: The company drew criticism for advertising the children's medicine as if it were ambrosia. "The pork loin was an...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 9, 2014 is: faze • \FAYZ\  • verb : to disturb the composure of : disconcert, daunt Examples: My grandfather was a stolid individual who was not easily fazed by life's troubles. "Those comments might faze some players, but Lee's optimism was a trademark the past three seasons at USC and his happy-go-lucky attitude persisted even while analysts raised doub...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 8, 2014 is: contestation • \kahn-tess-TAY-shun\  • noun : controversy, debate Examples: The location of the new high school has been a recurrent item of contestation at town meetings. "Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke told reporters the division of the [Nelson Mandela] estate … had been accepted by Mandela's family earlier on Monday with no contestat...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 7, 2014 is: totem • \TOH-tum\  • noun 1 : an animal or plant serving as the emblem of a family or clan; also : a representation of such an object 2 : a revered emblem or symbol : a person or thing that represents an idea Examples: All five members of the family are talented singers, so it might be appropriate that their totem animal is the canary. "This s...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 6, 2014 is: perdure • \per-DUR\  • verb : to continue to exist : last Examples: The artist's influence perdures in the themes and stylistic choices of his students. "Wells brings the reader into the drama of multi-generational families, of friendships that perdure ... of relationships that grow as hardships and challenges color life." - Fran Salone-Pellet...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 5, 2014 is: sound • \SOUND\  • adjective 1 a : free from disease, injury, defect, or error b : in good condition : solid and strong 2 : showing good judgment 3 : complete or thorough b of sleep : deep and restful Examples: The ideal candidate for the position is a proven leader who can make sound decisions and carry out a creative vision. "All submitted w...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 4, 2014 is: zowie • \ZOW-ee\  • interjection : - used to express astonishment or admiration especially in response to something sudden or speedy Examples: Did you see the race? Zowie! That was some fast bicycling! "Zowie! It's almost February of your junior year! Can you believe it? Because college admissions officers are super-interested in this particul...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 3, 2014 is: charlatan • \SHAHR-luh-tun\  • noun 1 : a pretender to medical skill : quack 2 : one making usually showy pretenses to knowledge or ability : fraud, faker Examples: Even though the psychic seemed to know a lot of information about Irving's life, Irving was still convinced that the guy was a charlatan who made some lucky guesses. "I've been rea...