PODCAST

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster

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

arts literature

All Episodes

00:01:38

newfangled

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/23

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 23, 2024 is:newfangled • \NOO-FANG-guld\ • adjective Newfangled describes something that has been recently invented or developed, and usually implies that this new thing is difficult for some to understand. // The neighbors are always showing off their new gadgets and tools, but I feel no need for those newfangled contraptions. See the entry > Examples: "This important historical

en-us

00:01:43

dearth

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/22

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 22, 2024 is:dearth • \DERTH\ • noun Dearth refers to a lack or inadequate supply. It is usually followed by of. // There is no dearth of opportunities for volunteers at the fair. See the entry > Examples: “Of course, it’s one thing to survey the marketplace and acknowledge the dearth of female voices in genres like history and biography. It’s another entirely to understand in practical

en-us

00:01:34

ossify

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/21

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 21, 2024 is:ossify • \AH-suh-fye\ • verb In general contexts, something that ossifies becomes hardened or conventional and opposed to change. In medical contexts, something that ossifies (such as cartilage) forms or is transformed into bone. // I asked if she'd reconsider her position, but her opinions on the matter have clearly ossified. See the entry > Examples: "... we all probably need

en-us

00:01:29

propensity

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/20

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 20, 2024 is: propensity • \pruh-PENN-suh-tee\ • noun A propensity is a strong natural tendency to do something. // As a child, she had a strong propensity for mischief. See the entry > Examples: "The work suggests that the propensity for the cleverest AI chatbots to go off the rails isn’t just a quirk that can be papered over with a few simple rules." — WIRED, 1 Aug. 2023 Did

en-us

00:01:33

lethargic

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/19

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 19, 2024 is: lethargic • \luh-THAHR-jik\ • adjective Lethargic describes people who feel a lack of energy or a lack of interest in doing things. It is sometimes used figuratively, as in "a sluggish and lethargic economy." // The jet lag from their weeklong international honeymoon left them feeling lethargic for a few days. See the entry > Examples: "After igniting a somewhat lethargic,

en-us

00:02:13

impugn

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/18

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 18, 2024 is: impugn • \im-PYOON\ • verb To impugn something, such as a person's integrity, judgment, etc., is to attack or oppose it as false or lacking integrity. // The defense attorneys did their best to impugn the motives of the prosecution’s key witnesses. See the entry > Examples: “[Singer, Grace] Cummings is not shy about courting legendary company. After all, the protagonist of

en-us

00:01:54

copious

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/17

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 17, 2024 is: copious • \KOH-pee-us\ • adjective Copious is a synonym of abundant and plentiful. It is always used before a noun to describe something very large in amount or number. // The pie was served with a copious amount of ice cream. // Jacqueline took copious notes during the long lecture and shared them with the rest of her study group. See the entry > Examples: “My colleagues

en-us

00:01:32

tchotchke

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/16

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 16, 2024 is:tchotchke • \CHAHCH-kuh\ • noun Tchotchke refers to a small object used for decoration. It's a synonym of knickknack and trinket. // Their shelves were cluttered with tchotchkes from a lifetime of vacations. See the entry > Examples: "Dozens of vendors hawking art, food and tourist tchotchkes crowded the bridge’s Manhattan approaches ..." — Evan Simko-Bednarski, The New York

en-us

00:02:22

encumber

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/15

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 15, 2024 is:encumber • \in-KUM-ber\ • verb Someone or something that is encumbered is burdened or weighed down (as in “tourists encumbered by heavy luggage”) or hindered (as in “negotiations encumbered by a lack of trust”). // The children found it difficult to climb down the river's steep embankment, encumbered as they were by inner tubes and towels. See the entry > Examples: “White

en-us

00:01:43

gadabout

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/14

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 14, 2024 is:gadabout • \GAD-uh-bout\ • noun A gadabout is a person who flits about in social activity, as by going to many places and social events for pleasure. // She was a gadabout who was rarely home, and her tiny apartment was cluttered with playbills and other souvenirs of her adventures. See the entry > Examples: "The wild career of David Johansen—New York Dolls frontman, punk

en-us

00:02:06

sentient

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/13

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 13, 2024 is: sentient • \SEN-shee-unt\ • adjective Sentient is a formal term that typically describes beings conscious of or responsive to the sensations of seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, or smelling. // An avid gardener, Dorothy has recently been absorbed in books that examine the question of whether, and to what degree, plants are sentient. See the entry > Examples: "In other scenes

en-us

00:01:35

iota

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/12

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 12, 2024 is: iota • \eye-OH-tuh\ • noun An iota is an infinitesimal amount of something. The word iota is used synonymously with the etymologically related jot, and by its oldest definition refers to the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet. // There's not an iota of doubt regarding the defendant's guilt. See the entry > Examples: "Six years and one pandemic later, the owners’ standards have

en-us

00:02:10

vitiate

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/11

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 11, 2024 is:vitiate • \VISH-ee-ayt\ • verb To vitiate something is to ruin it or render it ineffective. // A single inaccuracy in the spreadsheet that supported the data vitiated the entire proposal. See the entry > Examples: "… Lily Gladstone does more with thought, in 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' than most actors ever achieve with flagrant and spectacular action; her presence fills the

en-us

00:01:56

durable

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/10

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 10, 2024 is: durable • \DUR-uh-bul\ • adjective Durable describes people or things that last, or remain strong and in good condition over a long period of time. It is often used figuratively, as in "a durable athlete." // The fabric was durable enough to withstand chewing from the family dog. // She is one of Hollywood's most durable stars. See the entry > Examples: "California proposed

en-us

00:02:01

acumen

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/09

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 9, 2024 is:acumen • \AK-yoo-mun\ • noun Acumen refers to keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination—in other words, the ability to think clearly and make good decisions, especially in practical matters. // The fictional detective possesses a superior acumen that enables her to solve the most bizarre and puzzling of mysteries. See the entry > Examples: "Industrial

en-us

00:02:09

fusty

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/08

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 8, 2024 is: fusty • \FUSS-tee\ • adjective Someone or something described as fusty is rigidly old-fashioned. Fusty is also used as a synonym of musty to describe things that are full of dust and unpleasant, stale odors. // Wanda is quick to admit that the music she prefers is fusty, as it excludes pretty much anything recorded after 1960. // The trunk in the attic was full of fusty old clothes that smelled

en-us

00:01:53

reify

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/07

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 7, 2024 is:reify • \RAY-uh-fye\ • verb Reifying is about considering or representing something abstract as a material or concrete thing. If you reify a concept or idea you somehow give it definite content and form. // The tense personal dynamic between the two musicians was reified by the dissonant yet captivating music they made together. See the entry > Examples: “Evolutionary theory

en-us

00:01:46

balayage

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/06

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 6, 2024 is: balayage • \BAH-lee-ahzh\ • noun Balayage is a technique by which a colorist creates highlights or lowlights in a person's hair by painting freehand using long, sweeping strokes. Balayage may also refer to the highlights or lowlights produced by this technique. // The stylist was lauded for his skill in balayage. // The monotone dress perfectly complemented her ombré balayage. See the entry >

en-us

00:02:09

capricious

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/05

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 5, 2024 is: capricious • \kuh-PRISH-us\ • adjective Capricious is a formal word that describes someone or something governed or characterized by impulsivity or unpredictability. // The employees were at the mercy of a capricious manager who always seemed to impose deadlines at the last minute. See the entry > Examples: “Tornadoes are among the planet's most fearsome phenomena, with

en-us

00:02:08

hoopla

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/08/04

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 4, 2024 is:hoopla • \HOO-plah\ • noun Hoopla refers to talk or writing that is designed to get people excited about or interested in something, often with the implication that the person using the word does not find the thing exciting or interesting. // Marvin didn’t understand all of the hoopla surrounding the new frozen yogurt shop in his neighborhood. See the entry > Examples: “The

en-us

677 results

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Start The Breakthrough Full Audiobook Now, Thriller Fans!

thebookvoice.com

Get Hooked On The Life-Enhancing Full Audiobook Experience!

thebookvoice.com

西四五条

主播郑捕头

Podcast Patapoe

0d0a

On Mic Podcast

Jordan Rich