Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
Free daily dose of word power from Merriam-Webster's experts
Episodes
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 3, 2025 is:
desultory • \DEH-sul-tor-ee\ • adjective
Desultory is a formal word used to describe something that lacks a plan or purpose, or that occurs without regularity. It can also describe something unconnected to a main subject, or something that is disappointing i...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 2, 2025 is:
galumph • \guh-LUMF\ • verb
To galumph is to move in a loud and clumsy way.
// I could hear them galumphing around in the attic in search of old family photo albums.
Examples:
“Dragons! Dragons roaring! Dragons squawking! D...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 1, 2025 is:
verbose • \ver-BOHSS\ • adjective
Someone described as verbose tends to use many words to convey their point. Verbose can also describe something, such as a speech, that contains more words than necessary.
// The article documenting their meeting presented ...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 30, 2025 is:
expunge • \ik-SPUNJ\ • verb
To expunge something is to remove it completely, whether by obliterating it, striking it out, or marking it for deletion. Expunge is most commonly applied in cases in which documentation of something is removed from an official r...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 29, 2025 is:
impetus • \IM-puh-tus\ • noun
Impetus refers to a force or impulse that causes something (such as a process or activity) to be done or to become more active. It is often used with for and sometimes with to.
// Her work provided the major impetus behind the...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 28, 2025 is:
restive • \RES-tiv\ • adjective
Restive can describe a person or group feeling impatience or uneasiness, or it can describe someone who is stubbornly resistant to control.
// The audience grew increasingly restive as the speaker droned on and on.
// The s...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 27, 2025 is:
oblige • \uh-BLYJE\ • verb
To oblige a person or entity to do something is to require or force them to do it, either because of a law or rule, or because it is necessary. To simply oblige someone is to do them a favor.
// The law obliges the government t...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 26, 2025 is:
sumptuous • \SUMP-shuh-wus\ • adjective
Sumptuous is used to describe things that are very expensive, rich, luxurious, or magnificent.
// The celebratory meal was a sumptuous feast of dishes from our host’s homeland.
Examples:
...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 25, 2025 is:
flotsam • \FLAHT-sum\ • noun
Flotsam refers to the floating pieces that remain after a shipwreck, or more broadly to any floating debris or wreckage. It is also used figuratively to refer to miscellaneous or unimportant material, often in the phrase "flotsa...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 24, 2025 is:
noisome • \NOY-sum\ • adjective
Noisome is a formal and literary word used to describe things that are very unpleasant or disgusting; it is used especially to describe offensive smells. Noisome can also mean “highly obnoxious or objectionable” as in “we wer...
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