Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 29, 2020 is: pejorative \pih-JOR-uh-tiv\ adjective : having negative  connotations ;  especially  : tending to  disparage  or belittle :  depreciatory Examples The captain has come under fire for making  pejorative  remarks about teammates. "There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 28, 2020 is: mesmerize \MEZ-muh-ryze\ verb 1 : to subject to  mesmerism ;  also  :  hypnotize 2 :  spellbind Examples The crowd was  mesmerized  by the flawlessly synchronous movements of the acrobats. "Control is a coveted possession in  Credulity , Ogden's illuminating recent study of American mesmerism. The...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 27, 2020 is: anomaly \uh-NAH-muh-lee\ noun 1 : something different, abnormal, peculiar, or not easily classified : something  anomalous 2 : deviation from the common rule :  irregularity 3 : the angular distance of a planet from its  perihelion  as seen from the sun Examples "Thermal Scanning uses intellig...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 26, 2020 is: epistolary \ih-PIST-uh-lair-ee\ adjective 1 : of, relating to, or suitable to a letter 2 : contained in or carried on by letters 3 : written in the form of a series of letters Examples "Jonathan Franzen, with whom he had struck up an  epistolary  friendship, offered to get together that April when he was in Boston." —...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 25, 2020 is: noblesse oblige \noh-BLESS-uh-BLEEZH\ noun : the obligation of honorable, generous, and responsible behavior associated with high rank or birth Examples "Like many independent schools, Shipley cultivates a sense of  noblesse oblige  among its students—the notion that part of being educated in a privileged environment requires s...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2020 is: bowdlerize \BOHD-ler-ize\ verb 1  literature  : to  expurgate  (something, such as a book) by omitting or modifying parts considered vulgar 2 : to modify by  abridging , simplifying, or distorting in style or content Examples "Certainly, there's no risk that all art will be  bowdlerized  into nice...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 23, 2020 is: gyre \JYRE\ noun : a circular or spiral motion or form;  especially  : a giant circular oceanic surface current Examples Sophia will be focusing her graduate studies on the effects of ocean  gyres  on North America's climate. "The exception has been the Weddell Sea … which retains much of its ice from year to yea...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2020 is: requisite \REK-wuh-zut\ adjective : needed for a particular purpose :  essential ,  necessary Examples "Once the application process was formalized, the Institute received nearly two hundred applications from women all across the country; other women interested in applying had been turned away because they didn't have the&...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 21, 2020 is: inculcate \in-KUL-kayt\ verb : to teach and impress by frequent repetitions or  admonitions Examples "[Edgar Allan Poe] was in general not a  didactic  writer; in fact, he criticized stories and poems that sought to  inculcate  virtue and convey the truth." —  Paul Lewis,  The Baltimore Sun , 12 May 202...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 20, 2020 is: derelict \DAIR-uh-likt\ adjective 1 : abandoned especially by the owner or occupant;  also  :  run-down 2 : lacking a sense of duty :  negligent Examples "On Tuesday, crews … were busy using excavators to tear down  derelict  buildings on the two sites to make way for future construction." — ...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2020 is: volte-face \vawlt-FAHSS\ noun : a reversal in policy :  about-face Examples "... I should explain that, some years ago, I was dealt a very severe blow when my friend ... announced that she wanted no further contact with me. She and I had been extremely close for more than a year, and there had been no warning of this ...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 18, 2020 is: jink \JINK\ verb : to move quickly or unexpectedly with sudden turns and shifts (as in dodging) Examples "Two fighters immediately launched missiles, and the American aircraft  jinked  up, then down to lose them." —  Tom Clancy,  Red Storm Rising , 1986 "Indeed there have been enough moments where he has  jinked...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2020 is: mien \MEEN\ noun 1 : air or bearing especially as expressive of attitude or personality :  demeanor 2 :  appearance ,  aspect Examples The minister projected a stern and serious  mien  from the pulpit, but we found him to be friendly and welcoming when we spoke with him in the social hall after the service....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2020 is: callous \KAL-us\ adjective 1 a : being hardened and thickened b : having  calluses 2 a : feeling no emotion b : feeling or showing no sympathy for others :  hard-hearted Examples "[Noël Coward] deliberately made the characters  callous  and cynical. 'You can't sympathise with any of them,' he said....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2020 is: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 14, 2020 is: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 13, 2020 is: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 12, 2020 is: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 11, 2020 is: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 10, 2020 is: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 9, 2020 is: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 8, 2020 is: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 7, 2020 is: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 6, 2020 is: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 5, 2020 is: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .