Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 17, 2019 is: flibbertigibbet \flib-er-tee-JIB-ut\ noun : a silly flighty person Examples: She plays a flibbertigibbet in the movie—a character completely at odds with her real-life reputation as a prolific writer and masterful actor and director. "As played by a breathless Vinny Chavez, the young prince is a petulant flibbertigibbet obsessed with visu...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 16, 2019 is: mellifluous \muh-LIFF-luh-wus\ adjective 1 : having a smooth rich flow 2 : filled with something (such as honey) that sweetens Examples: "As you explore each room, you also hear a mellifluous voice-over uttering the relevant environmental facts and recommendations…. The 13,000-square-foot exhibition, which was designed with social media i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 15, 2019 is: delectation \dee-lek-TAY-shun\ noun : delight , enjoyment Examples: "All of Europe is in mourning for its past. Bookstores are stocked with albums of photographs offering up the vanished past for our delectation and reflex nostalgia." — Susan Sontag, Where the Stress Falls , 2001 "Then it was on to the dining room for, among other delecta...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 14, 2019 is: impugn \im-PYOON\ verb : to assail by words or arguments : oppose or attack as false or lacking integrity Examples: The defense attorneys did their best to impugn the credibility of the prosecution's key witnesses. "Terrible people hire good attorneys every day. Gripe with malfeasance by said legal teams, sure, but to impugn a lawyer for...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 13, 2019 is: tractable \TRAK-tuh-bul\ adjective 1 : capable of being easily led, taught, or controlled : docile 2 : easily handled, managed, or wrought : malleable Examples: "He also looks … at the biological and cultural implications of 'self-domestication,' a process by which humans school themselves out of their feral nature and into habits of bein...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 12, 2019 is: belle epoque \BEL-ay-POK\ noun often capitalized Belle Epoque : a period of high artistic or cultural development; especially : such a period in fin de siècle France Examples: "Lest he become pigeonholed in the Belle Époque , [Jason] Jacques expanded his program in 2010 to include contemporary artists pushing the boundaries of clay. 'Sieg...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 11, 2019 is: sodden \SAH-dun\ adjective 1 a : dull or expressionless especially from continued indulgence in alcoholic beverages b : torpid , sluggish 2 a : heavy with or as if with moisture or water b : heavy or doughy because of imperfect cooking Examples: "… with these apt closing words Mr. Slyme fell forward with his head upon the table, and so de...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 10, 2019 is: reiterate \ree-IT-uh-rayt\ verb : to state or do over again or repeatedly sometimes with wearying effect Examples: "Flanery reiterated  that the new hotel, HRM facility and expanded seating will not require Churchill Downs to expand outside of its current property. Churchill Downs will continue to have a 'constant dialogue' with neig...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 9, 2019 is: oxymoron \ahk-sih-MOR-ahn\ noun : a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (such as cruel kindness ); broadly : something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements Examples: "Truly antisocial celebrity-level pop is probably an oxymoron , but part of the thrill of one new arrival, Billie Eilish,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 8, 2019 is: circumscribe \SER-kum-skrybe\ verb 1 a : to constrict the range or activity of definitely and clearly b : to define or mark off carefully 2 a : to draw a line around b : to surround by or as if by a boundary 3 : to construct or be constructed around (a geometrical figure) so as to touch as many points as possible Examples: "Perhaps most im...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 7, 2019 is: vexillology \vek-suh-LAH-luh-jee\ noun : the study of flags Examples: "I was recently watching a rerun episode of The Big Bang Theory that featured one of the main characters. Sheldon Cooper was videoing a new episode of Sheldon Cooper Presents: Fun With Flags, a YouTube/podcast show that Sheldon makes to teach vexillology , the scientific...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 6, 2019 is: gingerly \JIN-jer-lee\ adjective : very cautious or careful Examples: "The reality: I am averse to wet clothes, squishy shoes and algae in my hair, so I cautiously stepped into a kayak, trying my darndest not to rock the boat, and set out at a gingerly pace on a still lake." — Liz Carey, The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia), 15 May 2012...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 5, 2019 is: acquiesce \ak-wee-ESS\ verb : to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively —often used with in or to Examples: Eventually, the professor acquiesced to the students' request to have the seminar's final class be a potluck. "Moving him back to second grade didn't seem like a realistic option. The third-grade teacher reassured us that he...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 4, 2019 is: coup de grâce \koo-duh-GRAHSS\ noun 1 : a deathblow or death shot administered to end the suffering of one mortally wounded 2 : a decisive finishing blow, act, or event Examples: "Quarterback Jake Luton completed 18 of 26 passes for 285 yards and five TDs. He added the coup de grace in the fourth quarter with a 19-yard bootleg scamper for...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 3, 2019 is: ersatz \AIR-sahts\ adjective : being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation Examples: "If you want to keep your drinks cold without constantly running to the ice machine, using the laundry bag as an ersatz ice chest is a great option…." — Melissa Locker, Time , 7 Oct. 2019 "Painting a cow to look something like a zebra h...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 2, 2019 is: bon vivant \bahn-vee-VAHNT\ noun : a sociable person who has cultivated and refined tastes especially with respect to food and drink Examples: "The Major was somewhat of a bon vivant , and his wine was excellent." — Sir Walter Scott, Waverley , 1814 "The Swiss-born chef and bon vivant saw life through rose-colored beer glasses , preferring...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 1, 2019 is: pointillistic \poyn-tuh-LISS-tik\ adjective 1 : composed of many discrete details or parts 2 : of, relating to, or characteristic of pointillism or pointillists Examples: "[Herman] Wouk is often grouped with middlebrow writers of popular historical fiction … but his novels are better understood as pointillistic character studies in histori...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 30, 2019 is: incognito \in-kahg-NEE-toh\ adjective or adverb : with one's identity concealed Examples: "Decades ago, [Prince Andrew] managed to pull off an incognito trip to Disneyland. He even went as far as fooling some of the guests with his incredible disguise." — Camille Heimbrod, The International Business Times , 5 Oct. 2019 "[Constance] Messme...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 29, 2019 is: mutt \MUT\ noun 1 : a stupid or insignificant person : fool 2 : a mongrel dog : cur Examples: Our family's new dog is an affable, shaggy-haired mutt who is a delight to anyone who visits our home. "I worried that my new acquisition was unexceptional: a mutt on the small side of medium with a shiny black coat, an extra-long nose and ears t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 28, 2019 is: comestible \kuh-MESS-tuh-bul\ adjective : edible Examples: "After all the figs have fully ripened on our farm…, we'll start collecting grapes if the birds haven't nabbed them first and then comes the olive harvest, our most precious comestible  commodity." — Carol Drinkwater, The Daily Mail (London), 16 Aug. 2019 "My kids eat Spam be...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 27, 2019 is: fawn \FAWN\ verb 1 : to court favor by a cringing or flattering manner 2 : to show affection — used especially of a dog Examples: "Like tech C.E.O.s today, Edison attracted an enormous following, both because his inventions fundamentally altered the texture of daily life and because he nurtured a media scrum that fawned over every inch of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 26, 2019 is: retinue \RET-uh-noo\ noun : a group of retainers or attendants Examples: "The Handkerchief Prince was trailed by a retinue of 40 or so Japanese media members, complete with satellite trucks." — Anthony Rieber, Newsday , 29 Mar. 2014 "Russian mezzo-soprano Alisa Kolosova, as the duchess who fully expects to marry Rodolfo, enjoyed the Entra...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 25, 2019 is: sempiternal \sem-pih-TER-nul\ adjective : of never-ending duration : eternal Examples: "For those who don't ride public transit and for most of their adulthoods travel via automobile between a few tightly curated situations ... Bourbon Street's sempiternal carnival gives them unmediated contact with all sorts of people they might not othe...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 24, 2019 is: billingsgate \BIL-ingz-gayt\ noun : coarsely abusive language Examples: A steady stream of billingsgate could be heard coming from my brother's room as he tried to recover the files lost when his computer crashed.  "The torrent of involuntary filth that spewed from my mouth at those points couldn't have been good for my son's linguis...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 23, 2019 is: jilt \JILT\ verb : to cast off or reject (someone, such as a lover) capriciously or unfeelingly Examples: "A Georgia court ruled that a man who jilted his fiancée is liable for $50,000 in damages." — Robert W. Wood, Forbes , 8 Dec. 2013 "He went back to Fargo, where on May 5, 1924, he broke into a home and walked away with a $700 beaver c...