Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 5, 2020 is: ancillary \AN-suh-lair-ee\ adjective 1 : of lower or secondary class or rank : subordinate , subsidiary 2 : providing additional help or support : auxiliary , supplementary Examples: One ancillary benefit of Beatrice's job at the movie theater is the ability to catch an early glimpse of new releases. "Ohio's medical marijuana industry has...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 4, 2020 is: scumble \SKUM-bul\ verb 1 a : to make (something, such as color or a painting) less brilliant by covering with a thin coat of opaque or semiopaque color applied with a nearly dry brush b : to apply (a color) in this manner 2 : to soften the lines or colors of (a drawing) by rubbing lightly Examples: "In an accomplished artist's hands, oil...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 3, 2020 is: hierophant \HYE-uh-ruh-fant\ noun 1 : a priest in ancient Greece; specifically : the chief priest of the Eleusinian mysteries 2 a : a person who explains : expositor b : one who defends or maintains a cause or proposal : advocate Examples: "My choir knew their order and moved into it neatly. One expects that nowadays; then, one often saw c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 2, 2020 is: prognosticate \prahg-NAHSS-tuh-kayt\ verb 1 : to foretell from signs and symptoms : predict 2 : to give an indication of in advance : foreshadow Examples: The university's political science professor has successfully prognosticated the outcomes of the last 8 presidential elections. "What is it about pundits that they are so often wrong, in...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 1, 2020 is: fissile \FISS-ul\ adjective 1 : capable of or prone to being split or divided in the direction of the grain or along natural planes of cleavage 2 : capable of undergoing fission Examples: "The facility itself is buried under a mountain. Several hundred feet down, in two cavernous halls, neat rows of centrifuges spin uranium gas to produce...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 31, 2020 is: macabre \muh-KAHB\ adjective 1 : having death as a subject : comprising or including a personalized representation of death 2 : dwelling on the gruesome 3 : tending to produce horror in a beholder Examples: "The secret of Killing Eve is that its macabre sense of humor and spy-story subversions are ornamental compared with the series' grist...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 30, 2020 is: gist \JIST\ noun 1 : the ground of a legal action 2 : the main point or part : essence Examples: I didn't catch every word, but I heard enough to get the gist of the conversation. "Ironically, the debate largely occurred on Twitter, one of the most effective disruptors of work productivity ever invented. And the gist was this: To succeed p...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 29, 2020 is: allege \uh-LEJ\ verb 1 : to assert without proof or before proving 2 : to bring forward as a reason or excuse Examples: The lawsuit alleges that the company knew about the faulty switches but sold the product anyway. "While the ACCC does not allege Mr Vassella was directly involved in formulating or carrying out the alleged price-fixing sc...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 28, 2020 is: diligent \DIL-uh-junt\ adjective : characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort : painstaking Examples: After many hours of diligent research, the students were ready to compile their results. "Being informed and diligent is a better investing strategy than no strategy at all. And it keeps us from 'acting ridiculously' at just th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 27, 2020 is: parvenu \PAHR-vuh-noo\ noun : one that has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity, or manner associated with it Examples: "It's impossible to exaggerate the rapidity with which Lexus came to dominate the North American luxury market. At its introduction in 1989...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 26, 2020 is: sublimate \SUB-luh-mayt\ verb 1 : to pass or cause to pass directly from the solid to the vapor state 2 : to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its unacceptable form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable Examples: "These ice crystals are temporary from day to day. They develop at nig...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 25, 2020 is: lackluster \LAK-luss-ter\ adjective : lacking in sheen, brilliance, or vitality : dull , mediocre Examples: In spite of its owner's hard work, the coffee shop was forced to close due to lackluster sales. "Say what you will about the Cardinals' record this season, but they've shown fight and played with effort all year other than a lacklust...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 24, 2020 is: euphoria \yoo-FOR-ee-uh\ noun : a feeling of well-being or elation Examples: "In February 2014, Xenia gave birth to their daughter, Ella. Ben still recalls the euphoria of watching the nurse place their newborn on Xenia's chest. He still can't quite believe the song that played on the operating room radio, the refrain resounding in that mo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 23, 2020 is: outlandish \out-LAN-dish\ adjective 1 : of or relating to another country : foreign 2 a : strikingly out of the ordinary : bizarre b : exceeding proper or reasonable limits or standards 3 : remote from civilization Examples: "In a letter sent to his mother … [T.S. Eliot] wrote, 'I really think that I have far more influence on English lett...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 22, 2020 is: nurture \NER-cher\ verb 1 : to supply with nourishment    2 : educate   3 : to further the development of : foster Examples: The mayor pushed for tax credits for small businesses as a way to nurture economic growth. " Nurture your marriage. While it's important to keep the kids happy, it's also important to set aside time fo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 21, 2020 is: bonhomie \bah-nuh-MEE\ noun : good-natured easy friendliness Examples: "For older athletes, the bonhomie among teammates and rivals who have spent years sprinting or skating together, or boxing one another out under the rim, is often as important as the exercise. Many have become friends off the court, sharing meals and socializing after g...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 20, 2020 is: dauntless \DAWNT-lus\ adjective : incapable of being intimidated or subdued : fearless , undaunted Examples: With dauntless persistence, the ship's crew navigated the vessel through the unexpected storm, escaping with minimal damage and no casualties. "Dug, as dauntless as ever, travels to the stronghold of his foes. The entrance is shield...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 19, 2020 is: intercalate \in-TER-kuh-layt\ verb 1 : to insert (something, such as a day) in a calendar 2 : to insert between or among existing elements or layers Examples: "The fossiliferous deposits … consist of pale pinkish-orange brown clays, brownish grey siltstones and shale, and greenish grey fine to medium grained sandstones intercalated with da...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 18, 2020 is: vicarious \vye-KAIR-ee-us\ adjective 1 : experienced or realized through imaginative or sympathetic participation in the experience of another   2 a : serving instead of someone or something else   b : that has been delegated 3 : performed or suffered by one person as a substitute for another or to the benefit or advant...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 17, 2020 is: tontine \TAHN-teen\ noun : a joint financial arrangement whereby the participants usually contribute equally to a prize that is awarded entirely to the participant who survives all the others Examples: "For denizens of the realm, tontines were a very popular twist on the annuity because they appealed to the gambling spirit. An annuity woul...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 16, 2020 is: hirsute \HER-soot\ adjective 1 : hairy 2 : covered with coarse stiff hairs Examples: Turner wore a hirsute mask as part of his werewolf costume for the school play. "Berry is a stocky, hirsute fellow, with a big, rich voice that immediately calls to mind the word 'thespian' and gives everything he says a sheen of (over)dramatic irony…." —...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 15, 2020 is: artifice \AHR-tuh-fus\ noun 1 a : clever or artful skill : ingenuity b : an ingenious device or expedient 2 a : an artful stratagem : trick   b : false or insincere behavior Examples: "A generation that's grown up with Snapchat-filtered selfies and pop feminism seems to have an innate understanding that artifice doesn't negate authent...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 14, 2020 is: lily-livered \LILL-ee-LIV-erd\ adjective : lacking courage : cowardly Examples: "The deus ex machina aspect of Mando's comrades popping up to save him and Baby Yoda from certain death once he proved he wasn't a lily-livered Empire flunky kind of irked me, but I often have that complaint with sci-fi and superhero stories, both of which are...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 13, 2020 is: glom \GLAHM\ verb 1 : take , steal 2 : seize , catch Examples: "It would not surprise me if the sampling 'Fleabag' receives from glomming an Emmy sets it up as a series that makes viewers eagerly await new seasons." — Neal Zoren, The Delaware County (Pennsylvania) Daily Times , 30 Sept. 2019 "The Captain is the alter ego of the kids' schoo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 12, 2020 is: weal \WEEL\ noun : a sound, healthy, or prosperous state : well-being Examples: Before presenting the bill to the legislature, the senator spoke of devotion to the general weal . "All our life … is but a mass of habits,—practical, emotional, and intellectual,—systematically organized for our weal or woe, and bearing us irresistibly toward...