Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 28, 2019 is: undulate \UN-juh-layt\ verb 1 : to form or move in waves : fluctuate 2 : to rise and fall in volume, pitch, or cadence 3 : to present a wavy appearance Examples: "He could hear the muffled fart of a tuba from the German oompah band warming up in Feltman's beer garden. Beyond the garden was the Ziz coaster, hissing and undulating through th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 27, 2019 is: pedagogical \ped-uh-GAH-jih-kul\ adjective : of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education Examples: New teachers will be evaluated on pedagogical skills such as lesson planning and classroom management. "If Americans agree on anything these days, it's that our schools could be much better, and that internet culture is harming our c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 26, 2019 is: aerie \AIR-ee\ noun 1 : the nest of a bird on a cliff or a mountaintop 2 : an elevated often secluded dwelling, structure, or position Examples: "Cradled in the limbs of an ancient (unharmed) oak, the rustic Barn Owl Tree House is a cedar-paneled aerie overlooking the valley." — Dale Leatherman, The Washingtonian , February 5, 2019 "A quar...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 25, 2019 is: coruscate \KOR-uh-skayt\ verb 1 : to give off or reflect light in bright beams or flashes : sparkle 2 : to be brilliant or showy in technique or style Examples: "You can sense [Mickaline] Thomas's affection for these ostentatiously fabulous women. They sport towering Afros, floral-print shifts, gold lamé belts…. Lips and eyelids coruscate...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 24, 2019 is: Noachian \noh-AY-kee-un\ adjective 1 : of or relating to the patriarch Noah or his time 2 : ancient , antiquated Examples: "So you thought the weather of 2009 was a bit on the insane side, with a spring that seemed to last until fall and Noachian levels of rainfall? Not really, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center in Ithaca,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 23, 2019 is: spoonerism \SPOO-nuh-riz-um\ noun : a transposition of usually initial sounds of two or more words (as in tons of soil for sons of toil ) Examples: "The girlfriend is part of the origin story of Ritt Momney [instead of Mitt Romney ]. That was the name Rutter and his friends at East High School gave to the band they formed their junior year...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 22, 2019 is: fiduciary \fuh-DOO-shee-air-ee\ adjective : of, relating to, or involving a confidence or trust: such as a : held or founded in trust or confidence b : holding in trust c : depending on public confidence for value or currency Examples: "A pet trust can be part of an existing trust or it can be drawn up separately. In a trust, you name the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 21, 2019 is: comprise \kum-PRYZE\ verb 1 : to be made up of 2 : compose 3 : to include especially within a particular scope Examples: The city developers' plans include a massive recreational complex that comprises a concert hall, four restaurants, two hotels, and a theater. "He said the city's commission, currently comprised of three members but set u...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 20, 2019 is: knackered \NAK-erd\ adjective British : tired Examples: "Even the most perky 20-something is going to age, have kids and get knackered eventually. And like millions before them they will turn on their TV for respite, rescue, recreation and Ready Steady Cook as their lives unfold." — Mark Ritson, Marketing Week , 14 Feb. 2019 "There are usu...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 19, 2019 is: deke \DEEK\ verb : to fake an opponent out of position (as in ice hockey) Examples: "[Carl Yastrzemski] led the league in (outfield) assists seven times. He was great at deking the runner into thinking he'd catch the ball or it was over the wall. Most of the assists were on guys trying for doubles." — Jon Miller, quoted in The San Francisc...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 18, 2019 is: hobbyhorse \HAH-bee-horss\ noun 1 a : a figure of a horse fastened about the waist in the morris dance b : a dancer wearing this figure 2 a : a stick having an imitation horse's head at one end that a child pretends to ride b : rocking horse c : a toy horse suspended by springs from a frame 3 a : a topic to which one constantly reverts b :...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 17, 2019 is: maunder \MAWN-der\ verb 1 : chiefly British : grumble 2 : to wander slowly and idly 3 : to speak indistinctly or disconnectedly Examples: The bed-and-breakfast was delightful but we felt a bit captive in the morning as our host maundered on while we hovered at the door, hoping to escape before the morning had passed. "Listening to [Kenneth...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 16, 2019 is: genial \JEE-nee-ul\ adjective 1 : favorable to growth or comfort : mild 2 : marked by or freely expressing sympathy or friendliness 3 : displaying or marked by genius Examples: "What country seems more sensible? The even discourse, the reflexive politeness, the brilliant yet genial wit, that easy embrace of hellish cold: Canada is a rock....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 15, 2019 is: belfry \BEL-free\ noun 1 : a bell tower; especially : one surmounting or attached to another structure 2 : a room or framework for enclosing a bell 3 : the seat of the intellect : head Examples: "The mission stands a little back of the town, and is a large building, or rather collection of buildings, in the centre of which is a high tower,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 14, 2019 is: exoteric \adjective\ ek-suh-TAIR-ik 1 a : suitable to be imparted to the public b : belonging to the outer or less initiate circle 2 : relating to the outside : external Examples: As a specialist writing for a broader audience, Annette faces the challenge of producing an exoteric synthesis of complex information. "Mainstream Judaism is pri...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 13, 2019 is: triskaidekaphobia \triss-kye-dek-uh-FOH-bee-uh\ noun : fear of the number 13 Examples: "We've gathered a list of 13 local theater productions to help you get into that eerie Halloween feeling. Just don't let triskaidekaphobia —fear of the number 13—stop you from seeing one of these theater productions opening across the state this month."...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 12, 2019 is: wheedle \wheedle\ verb 1 : to influence or entice by soft words or flattery 2 : to gain or get by coaxing or flattering 3 : to use soft words or flattery Examples: Suzie and Timmy wheedled the babysitter into letting them stay up an hour past their bedtime. "As we were saying, if you've noticed an increase recently in robocalls —those auto...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 11, 2019 is: idée fixe \ee-day-FEEKS\ noun : an idea that dominates one's mind especially for a prolonged period : obsession Examples: "When Byrne arrived, he noticed the trees stood close together—far too narrow a space for something with broad shoulders and big feet to make a clean egress. And there, between three and five feet off the ground, snagge...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 10, 2019 is: blandish \BLAN-dish\ verb 1 : to coax with flattery : cajole 2 : to act or speak in a flattering or coaxing manner Examples: "… and all that was left of Pym, it seemed to me, as I wove my lies and blandished , and perjured myself before one kangaroo court after another, was a failing con man tottering on the last legs of his credibility."...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 9, 2019 is: scapegoat \SKAYP-goat\ noun 1 : a male goat upon whose head are symbolically placed the sins of the people after which he is sent into the wilderness in the biblical ceremony for Yom Kippur 2 a : one that bears the blame for others b : one that is the object of irrational hostility Examples: The financial advisor was a convenient scapegoat...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 8, 2019 is: caustic \KAWSS-tik\ adjective 1 : capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action : corrosive 2 : marked by incisive sarcasm 3 : relating to or being the surface or curve of a caustic Examples: A caustic substance had eaten away at the metal of the plaque, and the inscription was now impossible to read. "The lauded satirist's causti...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 7, 2019 is: redound \rih-DOWND\ verb 1 : to have an effect for good or ill 2 : to become transferred or added : accrue 3 : rebound , reflect Examples: "When no one is an expert, everyone becomes an expert, and authority thus redounds to the person who is least troubled by that paradox." — Justin Peters, Slate , 10 Sept. 2018 "General George B. McClella...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 6, 2019 is: amaranthine \am-uh-RANTH-un\ adjective 1 a : of or relating to an amaranth b : undying 2 : of a pinkish or rosy red color Examples: "At 37-years-old, most players accept they have reached their twilight years, yet goalkeepers can lead an almost amaranthine existence…." — Chris Tait, The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland), 2 Apr. 2012 "Locals call i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 5, 2019 is: divulge \dih-VULJ\ verb : to make known (something, such as a secret) Examples: "Mita Shah, a former marketing statistician, was once a devoted customer of this strip-mall parlor—so devoted that, one day in 2000, she divulged her much-finessed recipe for mango ice cream to the owner. It was such a hit, he offered her a job." — Ligaya Mishan...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 4, 2019 is: futhark  \FOO-thahrk\  noun : the runic alphabet : any of several alphabets used by the Germanic peoples from about the 3rd to the 13th centuries Examples: "The oldest inscriptions in the futhark were found in Denmark and northern Germany, dating from the first century AD; at that time the inventory consisted of twenty-f...