Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day

00:01:54

gnomic

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/12

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 12, 2026 is:gnomic • \NOH-mik\ • adjective Gnomic is a formal word that describes something cryptically said or written in few words. // The painter is notorious for offering terse, gnomic responses to questions about her work that leave interviewers and critics scratching their heads. See the entry > Examples: “Indeed, the album that ‘Michelangelo Dying’ reminds me of most is [Laurie]

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00:02:09

baptism of fire

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/11

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 11, 2026 is: baptism of fire • \BAP-tiz-um-uv-FYRE\ • noun A baptism of fire (or baptism by fire, as it is sometimes referred to in the U.S.) is an introductory or initial experience that is a severe ordeal. In military contexts, baptism of fire specifically refers to a soldier's first exposure to enemy fire. // The newly recruited player faced a baptism of fire as the team went head to head with their

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00:01:47

pedagogical

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/10

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 10, 2026 is: pedagogical • \ped-uh-GAH-jih-kul\ • adjective Pedagogical is a formal word used to describe things that are of or related to teachers or education. // The new professor is known for particularly engaging pedagogical methods. See the entry > Examples: “It’s a predictable part of every academic year at my institution: that time when we faculty are asked to submit course

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00:01:47

pedagogical

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/10

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 10, 2026 is: pedagogical • \ped-uh-GAH-jih-kul\ • adjective Pedagogical is a formal word used to describe things that are of or related to teachers or education. // The new professor is known for particularly engaging pedagogical methods. See the entry > Examples: “It’s a predictable part of every academic year at my institution: that time when we faculty are asked to submit course

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00:01:50

anecdote

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/09

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 9, 2026 is:anecdote • \AN-ik-doht\ • noun An anecdote is a short narrative about an interesting, funny, or biographical incident. // Dinner with our uncles means lots of anecdotes involving the mischief they got into as kids. See the entry > Examples: “Standing in front of a room of about 40 people … [NASCAR driver, Lavar] Scott told stories about his racing family. ‘One time, my

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00:02:09

nurture

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/08

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 8, 2026 is: nurture • \NER-cher\ • verb Nurture is most often used to mean “to help someone or something grow, develop, or succeed.” It can also mean “to take care of someone or something that is growing or developing by providing food, protection, a place to live, etc.,” or “to hold something, such as an idea or strong feeling, in your mind for a long time.” // Art teachers nurture their students’

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00:02:04

invidious

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/07

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 7, 2026 is:invidious • \in-VID-ee-us\ • adjective Invidious is a formal word used to describe things that are unpleasant and likely to cause bad feelings in other people. Such bad feelings may include resentment, discontent, animosity, or envy. // Psychologists caution against drawing invidious comparisons between other people’s lives as portrayed on social media and one’s own. See the entry >

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00:02:08

torpor

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/06

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 6, 2026 is:torpor • \TOR-per\ • noun Torpor is a formal word for a state of inactivity and sluggishness. It can also be used, especially in the context of hibernating and estivating animals, to refer to a state of lowered physiological activity. // The magazine offers lots of ideas for activities designed to shake off the torpor of a rainy day. See the entry > Examples: “Especially during

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00:02:13

colloquial

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/05

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 5, 2026 is:colloquial • \kuh-LOH-kwee-ul\ • adjective Colloquial is used with words like term and word and expression to describe language that is used in familiar and informal conversation. // The author can switch from formal academic language to a charmingly colloquial style, depending on the audience and subject of her writing. See the entry > Examples: "The American woodcock is a

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00:01:52

élan

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/04

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 4, 2026 is: élan • \ay-LAHN\ • noun Élan refers to energy and enthusiasm. // The dancers performed with great style and élan; we were exhausted just watching them. See the entry > Examples: "Carrying the production with the élan of a cheerful college quarterback, [Luke] Brady is an immediately likable leading man ..." — Matt Wolf, The New York Times, 25 June 2025 Did you

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00:02:05

mitigate

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/03

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 3, 2026 is: mitigate • \MIT-uh-gayt\ • verb To mitigate something is to make it less severe, harmful, or painful. // One way we can mitigate the impact the construction project will have on residents is to commit to completing it in the allotted time. See the entry > Examples: “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued an emergency order to mitigate blackouts in the Carolinas as the

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00:02:11

highfalutin

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/02

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 2, 2026 is:highfalutin • \hye-fuh-LOO-tun\ • adjective Something or someone described as highfalutin seems, or is trying to seem, great or important. // The authors’ research may have been impressive, but their paper was full of highfalutin jargon that ultimately obscured what they intended to say. See the entry > Examples: “Standing 787 feet tall, the tower was one of the last of the

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00:01:58

spindrift

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/08/01

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 1, 2026 is: spindrift • \SPIN-drift\ • noun Spindrift refers to spray blown from waves during a gale or to fine wind-borne snow or sand. // Our whale-watching cruise was a whirlwind of flukes, fins, and clinging to the handrails amid the waves and salty blasts of spindrift. See the entry > Examples: “White-capped waves crash far below the cliffs and sweep out to the horizon, spindrift

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00:02:06

comely

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/31

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 31, 2026 is:comely • \KUM-lee\ • adjective Comely is an adjective with an old-fashioned and literary feel that describes someone or something that has a pleasing appearance, or that is pretty or attractive. // The newlyweds make quite a comely couple. See the entry > Examples: "One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Berlin 10 years ago was something odd about the pigeons here:

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00:01:51

sultry

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/30

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 30, 2026 is:sultry • \SULL-tree\ • adjective Sultry means “very hot and humid” when it describes such things as seasons, days, and weather. When it describes things humans do and possess—voices, poses, looks, and the like—it means “exciting or capable of exciting strong sexual desire.” // The restaurant's rooftop deck is the place to be on sultry summer nights. See the entry > Examples:

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00:02:06

inveigle

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/29

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 29, 2026 is:inveigle • \in-VAY-gul\ • verb To inveigle someone is to persuade them in a clever or deceptive way to do something. Inveigle can also mean “to get something in a clever or deceptive way.” // According to rumors, the company inveigled employees into signing the agreement. // Their attempts to inveigle the information from her were, eventually, fruitful. See the entry > Examples:

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00:02:56

kludge

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/28

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 28, 2026 is: kludge • \KLOOJ\ • noun A kludge is a haphazard or makeshift solution to a problem and especially to a computer or programming problem. // Andy knocked out a hasty kludge to circumvent the glitch until a more robust solution could be developed. See the entry > Examples: “The advent of television in the 1940s allowed the movie industry to reconsider frame rates. Unfortunately,

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00:02:05

parochial

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/27

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 27, 2026 is: parochial • \puh-ROH-kee-ul\ • adjective Parochial is a formal word that is usually used in a disapproving way to describe something that is limited in range or scope, as to a narrow region or area. // For some, college can be an expansive experience that lifts them out of a parochial mindset. See the entry > Examples: “The twenty-first century American university is one of the

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00:02:12

aerie

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/26

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 26, 2026 is:aerie • \AIR-ee\ • noun Aerie refers to the nest of a bird (such as an eagle or hawk) built high up on a cliff or on the top of a mountain. It can also be used for a room or building built high up so that people inside can see things happening below them. // From the lighthouse's aerie tourists can get a bird's-eye view of the rocky coastline. See the entry > Examples: “Their

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00:01:52

vituperate

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/25

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 25, 2026 is: vituperate • \vye-TOO-puh-rayt\ • verb To vituperate someone is to criticize or censure them severely or abusively. Vituperate can also mean "to use harsh condemnatory language." // They were vituperated for betraying their friends. See the entry > Examples: "On the world stage where Britain's royal family have traditionally been in the vanguard promoting our nation's brand, the

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