Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
Free daily dose of word power from Merriam-Webster's experts
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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 6, 2025 is:
embarrass • \im-BAIR-us\ • verb
To embarrass someone is to make them feel confused and foolish in front of other people.
// Unexpected laughter embarrassed the speaker.
Examples:
“Going public creates accountability and ...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 5, 2025 is:
sonorous • \SAH-nuh-rus\ • adjective
Sonorous is an adjective used in formal speech and writing to describe something that has a deep, loud, and pleasant sound. Sonorous can also mean “producing sound (when struck)” and “imposing or impressive in effect o...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 4, 2025 is:
repertoire • \REP-er-twahr\ • noun
Repertoire typically refers to a list or supply of plays, songs, dances, etc. that a company or person is prepared to perform,. Repertoire may also refer to a supply of skills or devices, or more broadly to an amount or ...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 3, 2025 is:
gibbous • \JIB-us\ • adjective
Gibbous is most often used to describe the moon or a planet when it is seen with more than half but not all of the apparent disk illuminated.
// The waxing gibbous moon provided the perfect lighting for a night of spooky st...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 2, 2025 is:
atone • \uh-TOHN\ • verb
To atone for something is to make amends for it—that is, to do something good as a way of showing that you are sorry about, or have remorse for, a mistake, bad behavior, etc.
// The novel opens with an act of cruelty and then t...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 1, 2025 is:
preternatural • \pree-ter-NATCH-uh-rul\ • adjective
Preternatural is a formal adjective used to describe things that are very unusual in a way that does not seem natural.
// He has a preternatural knack for imitating birdcalls.
// There was an eerie, p...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 30, 2025 is:
impetuous • \im-PECH-uh-wus\ • adjective
Impetuous is a synonym of impulsive that describes a person who is acting without thought, or an action that is done without thought.
// That impetuous decision could've cost us everything we worked so hard for...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 29, 2025 is:
obliterate • \uh-BLIT-uh-rayt\ • verb
To obliterate something is to destroy it completely so that nothing is left, to destroy utterly all trace, indication, or significance of it. It can also mean "to remove utterly from recognition or memory."
// Th...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 28, 2025 is:
kerfuffle • \ker-FUFF-ul\ • noun
Kerfuffle is an informal word that refers to a disturbance or fuss typically caused by a dispute or conflict.
// The reclassification of Pluto from a planet to a dwarf planet caused quite a kerfuffle among astronomy lo...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 27, 2025 is:
vociferous • \voh-SIF-uh-rus\ • adjective
Vociferous describes people who express their feelings or opinions loudly and insistently. It is also applied to things, such as objections, that are expressed in such a way.
// We were vociferous in our suppo...
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