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Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster

Free daily dose of word power from Merriam-Webster"s experts

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00:02:17

cotton

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/04/06

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 6, 2026 is: cotton • \KAH-tun\ • verb The verb cotton is used with on or on to to mean “to begin to understand something; to catch on.” Cotton used with to alone means “to begin to like someone or something.” // It took a while, but they are finally starting to cotton on. // She quickly cottoned on to why her friend was nudging her, and stopped talking just before their teacher entered the room. // We

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00:02:01

verdant

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/04/05

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 5, 2026 is: verdant • \VER-dunt\ • adjective Verdant describes something that is green in tint or color, or green because it is covered with growing plants. Verdant can also describe a person who is inexperienced or has not yet developed good judgment. // The golf course is noted for its tricky hazards and lush, verdant borders along its fairways. See the entry > Examples: “On the other

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00:01:54

wiseacre

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/04/04

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 4, 2026 is: wiseacre • \WYZE-ay-ker\ • noun A wiseacre is someone who says or does things that are funny but annoying. Wiseacre is an informal and old-fashioned word, as well as a synonym of smart aleck. // Some wiseacre in the audience kept heckling the comedian throughout the performance. See the entry > Examples: "In 1982's hit action comedy 48 Hours, a young Eddie Murphy plays a wiseacre

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00:01:41

adroit

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/04/03

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 3, 2026 is:adroit • \uh-DROYT\ • adjective Adroit describes someone or something that has or shows skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations. // We marveled at how adroit the puppeteers were, the marionettes responding to each precise shift of their hands, each flick of their wrists. See the entry > Examples: “She offers here the most invigorating of performances,

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00:01:46

fawn

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/04/02

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 2, 2026 is:fawn • \FAWN\ • verb To fawn over or on someone (usually someone important or powerful) is to try to get their approval through praise, special attention, or flattery. Fawn is also sometimes used—especially but not exclusively of dogs—to mean “to show affection.” // Still new to celebrity, the musician blushed at the restaurant staff fawning over her during her recent hometown visit. // I’d only

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00:02:20

shenanigans

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/04/01

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 1, 2026 is:shenanigans • \shuh-NAN-ih-gunz\ • plural noun Shenanigans is an informal word used to refer to activity or behavior that is either not honest or proper, or is mischievous or high-spirited. Its oldest meaning, and the one most likely to be encountered as the singular shenanigan, is “a devious trick used especially for an underhanded purpose.” // The CEO resigned amid accusations of financial

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00:02:22

genteel

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/31

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 31, 2026 is: genteel • \jen-TEEL\ • adjective Genteel means “of or relating to people who have high social status” and can be used as a somewhat old-fashioned synonym of aristocratic. It can also be used to describe something with a quietly appealing or polite quality, as in “genteel manners.” // Their genteel upbringing shaped the way they viewed the world. See the entry > Examples: “The

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00:01:58

oblivion

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/30

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 30, 2026 is: oblivion • \uh-BLIV-ee-un\ • noun Oblivion can refer to the state of something that is not remembered or thought about any more, or to the state of being unconscious or unaware. It also sometimes refers to the state of being destroyed. // After so many days of exhaustingly difficult work, he longed for the oblivion of sleep. // The sandcastles of summer had long since been swept into oblivion by

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00:02:18

cadge

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/29

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 29, 2026 is: cadge • \KAJ\ • verb To cadge something is to persuade someone to give it to you for free. Cadge can also mean “to take, use, or borrow (something) without acknowledgment.” // I don’t know how, but my brother always manages to cadge an extra scoop of ice cream on his sundaes. // The last line of the poem is cadged from Shelley’s “Ozymandias.” See the entry > Examples: “How

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00:01:42

fiscal

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/28

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 28, 2026 is: fiscal • \FISS-kul\ • adjective Fiscal is used to describe things relating to money and especially to the money a government, business, or organization earns, spends, and owes. // The recent change in leadership was essential for addressing the fiscal health of the university. See the entry > Examples: “The Town of Java [New York] ... has received exemplary audits from the State

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00:01:57

dross

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/27

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 27, 2026 is:dross • \DRAHSS\ • noun Something referred to as "dross" is of low value or quality. Dross may also be used as a technical term to refer to unwanted material that is removed from a mineral to make it better. // He's a skilled editor who has a talent for turning literary dross into gold. See the entry > Examples: "Hollywood optimists argue that AI's greatest weakness will be

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00:01:57

zany

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/26

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 26, 2026 is:zany • \ZAY-nee\ • adjective Zany describes people or things that are very strange and silly. // The cartoon series centers around two zany characters, best friends who also happen to be space aliens, constantly amusing each other with outrageous antics. See the entry > Examples: “The fourth and final episode centers on a birthday party for The Cat in the Hat. ... Seeing where

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00:01:33

undulate

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/25

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 25, 2026 is:undulate • \UN-juh-layt\ • verb Undulate is a formal word that means “to move or be shaped like waves.” // On the approach to the tulip festival, visitors are greeted by a large field of the colorful flowers undulating in the wind. See the entry > Examples: “When sufficiently heated, the fresh cheese contracts, sweating whey from the curds that provides liquid to cook the dough,

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00:01:49

cadence

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/24

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 24, 2026 is: cadence • \KAY-dunss\ • noun Cadence is used to refer to various rhythmic or repeated motions, activities, or patterns of sound, or to the way a person's voice changes by gently rising and falling while they are speaking. // Ivy relaxed at the beach, listening to the cadence of the surf. // He speaks with a soft Southern cadence. See the entry > Examples: “Urged by a

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00:02:11

frenetic

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/23

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 23, 2026 is: frenetic • \frih-NET-ik\ • adjective Something described as frenetic is filled with excitement, activity, or confusion. The word is a synonym of frantic. // The event was noisy and frenetic, which prompted us to leave early. See the entry > Examples: “As Marty Mauser, a wannabe table tennis champion who dreams and deceives his way through his shamble of a life ... [Timothée

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00:02:15

apotheosis

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/22

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 22, 2026 is:apotheosis • \uh-pah-thee-OH-sis\ • noun Apotheosis refers to the perfect form or example of something, or to the highest or best part of something. It can also mean “elevation to divine status; deification.” It is usually singular, but the plural form is apotheoses. // Some consider (however ironically) french fries to be the apotheosis of U.S. cuisine. // Their music reached its creative

en-us

00:02:00

scrutinize

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/21

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 21, 2026 is: scrutinize • \SKROO-tuh-nyze\ • verb To scrutinize something is to examine it carefully especially in a critical way. // I closely scrutinized my opponent's moves before making my own. See the entry > Examples: "The governor proposes a balanced budget, and the General Assembly scrutinizes every line." — J.B. Jennings, The Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2026 Did you know?

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00:02:24

eureka

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/20

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 20, 2026 is:eureka • \yoo-REE-kuh\ • adjective As an interjection, eureka is used to express excitement when a discovery has been made. When used as an adjective, eureka describes something (typically a moment) that is characterized by a usually sudden triumphant discovery. // After years of trying to piece together a concrete business idea, I had a eureka moment and everything made sense. See the

en-us

00:01:56

nadir

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/19

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 19, 2026 is:nadir • \NAY-deer\ • noun Nadir refers to the lowest or worst point of something. When used in astronomy, nadir describes the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and vertically downward from the observer. // Only once the novel’s protagonist reaches her nadir does she arouse the reader’s empathy, and we root for her to climb back to respectability. See the entry

en-us

00:01:52

jejune

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/03/18

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 18, 2026 is:jejune • \jih-JOON\ • adjective Jejune is a formal word that means "uninteresting" or "boring." It is also used as a synonym of juvenile to describe things (such as behaviors, attitudes, etc.) that are immature, childish, or simplistic. // The movie adaptation employed surreal visual effects to tell the story, making the plot, jejune in the novel, archetypal rather than artless. // The professor

en-us

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