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 9, 2024 is:
coruscate • \KOR-uh-skayt\ • verb
To coruscate is to give off or reflect light in bright beams or flashes. Coruscate is used as a synonym of sparkle and may also be used to mean "to be brilliant or showy in technique or style."
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 8, 2024 is:
exorbitant • \ig-ZOR-buh-tunt\ • adjective
Exorbitant describes something that goes far beyond what is fair, reasonable, or expected (as by being too high, too expensive, etc.).
// The cost of our stay was so exorbitant you would have thought that we had...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 7, 2024 is:
lèse-majesté • \layz-MAJ-uh-stee\ • noun
Lèse-majesté (less commonly spelled lese majesty) can refer to a true crime or offense, or to something likened to a crime or offense. Most often, it’s the latter, with lèse-majesté referring—seriously or playfully...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 6, 2024 is:
berate • \bih-RAYT\ • verb
To berate someone is to angrily scold or criticize them, often loudly and at length.
// “Don’t berate yourself over canceling plans,” his friend told him. “Sometimes you just need to take care of yourself.”
...Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 5, 2024 is:
adversary • \AD-ver-sair-ee\ • noun
An adversary is an enemy or opponent.
// Upon learning that its adversaries were ahead in sales, the company quickly formed a new advertising campaign.
Examples:
“... These students w...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 4, 2024 is:
gossamer • \GAH-suh-mer\ • adjective
Something described as gossamer—such as a butterfly wing or a thin fabric—is very light or delicate.
// Except for a few gossamer clouds, the sky was clear and blue.
Examples:
"At the...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 3, 2024 is:
posterity • \pah-STAIR-uh-tee\ • noun
Posterity is a formal word that refers to all future generations of people. It is often, though not always, used with for or to.
// A record of the events was preserved for posterity.
// The truth about what happene...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 2, 2024 is:
fret • \FRET\ • verb
To fret is to worry or be concerned.
// I was sure we wouldn’t get there in time, but they told me not to fret.
Examples:
“Many communal laundry spaces have rules posted, but over time, they can get ...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 1, 2024 is:
chthonic • \THAH-nik\ • adjective
Chthonic means "of or relating to the underworld." It is used as a synonym of infernal.
// Cleo compared entering her brother's basement bedroom to a descent into chthonic regions: it was dark and odd-smelling, and she w...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 30, 2024 is:
tribulation • \trib-yuh-LAY-shun\ • noun
Tribulation, which is often used in the phrase "trials and tribulations," refers to an experience that causes suffering. It can also mean "unhappiness, pain, or suffering."
// The new graduate knew that the jou...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 17, 2020 is:
limpid \LIM-pid\ adjective
1 a : marked by transparency : pellucid
b : clear and simple in style
2 : absolutely serene and untroubled
Examples:
"She leaned toward him, entreaty in her eyes, and as he looked at her delicate face and into her pure, limpid eyes, as of old he was struck with his own unworthi...
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 27, 2020 is:
anomaly \uh-NAH-muh-lee\ noun
1 : something different, abnormal, peculiar, or not easily classified : something anomalous
2 : deviation from the common rule : irregularity
3 : the angular distance of a planet from its perihelion as seen from the sun
Examples:
"Thermal Scanning uses intelligent thermal technol...
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