Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day

00:02:18

itinerant

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/24

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2026 is: itinerant • \eye-TIN-uh-runt\ • adjective Itinerant describes someone who travels from place to place or only stays in a place for a short amount of time. It is used especially for people who travel in a circuit for their profession. // Being an itinerant musician gave her the opportunity to see the wonders of the world with her own eyes. See the entry > Examples: “‘There has

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00:02:18

itinerant

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/24

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2026 is:itinerant • \eye-TIN-uh-runt\ • adjective Itinerant describes someone who travels from place to place or only stays in a place for a short amount of time. It is used especially for people who travel in a circuit for their profession. // Being an itinerant musician gave her the opportunity to see the wonders of the world with her own eyes. See the entry > Examples: “‘There has

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00:01:55

maverick

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/23

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 23, 2026 is: maverick • \MAV-rik\ • noun Maverick refers to a person who refuses to follow the customs or rules of a group; in other words, a nonconformist. // Ayo has always been a bit of a maverick in the fashion world, inventing new trends rather than following them. See the entry > Examples: “[Luis] Alvarez has been described as a scientific Indiana Jones, but his reputation as a

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00:01:53

stalwart

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/22

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2026 is: stalwart • \STAWL-wert\ • adjective Stalwart is a formal word used to describe someone or something that is very loyal and dedicated or that is physically or mentally strong. // He was a stalwart civil rights supporter throughout his political career. // The football team's stalwart defense only gave up a single field goal in the second half. See the entry > Examples: "Arbour

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00:01:59

dog days

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/21

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 21, 2026 is: dog days • \DAWG-DAYZ\ • plural noun Dog days is a plural noun that refers to the hottest time of the year, which in the northern hemisphere is usually between early July and early September. Dog days can also refer to a period of stagnation or inactivity suggestive of hot, sultry weather when it can be difficult to summon the energy required for hard work. // Spending the day at a swimming hole

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00:01:56

raffish

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/20

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 20, 2026 is: raffish • \RAF-ish\ • adjective Raffish describes people and things that show a careless but usually attractive unconventionality. // She didn't expect to like him but his raffish charm quickly won her over. See the entry > Examples: "Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at

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00:02:06

accentuate

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/19

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2026 is: accentuate • \ak-SEN-shu-wayt\ • verb To accentuate something is to make it more noticeable. // He likes to wear clothes that accentuate his muscular build. See the entry > Examples: “My mother could make me anything I wanted to be. As a child she transformed me into a swan, a mermaid, a white Persian cat dressed like an elegant Victorian lady with a porkpie hat and a ruffled

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00:02:12

quid pro quo

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/18

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 18, 2026 is: quid pro quo • \kwid-proh-KWOH\ • noun Quid pro quo refers to something that is given to you or done for you in return for something you have given to or done for someone else. // If they do us this favor, they’ll expect a quid pro quo. See the entry > Examples: “For each proposal, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll have to negotiate with at least one faction, which usually involves

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00:01:33

obdurate

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/17

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2026 is: obdurate • \AHB-duh-rut\ • adjective Obdurate is a formal word that means "resistant to persuasion." It is usually used to describe someone who is not willing to change their methods or opinions, or something that is not easily altered. // Though obdurate problems loom, the organization under its new leadership is poised to make real and effective changes. See the entry > Examples:

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00:01:52

bibelot

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/16

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2026 is: bibelot • \BEE-buh-loh\ • noun A bibelot is a small household ornament or decorative object. // His grandfather set up a table every week at the flea market where he sold all sorts of bibelots and bric-a-brac, from ceramic figurines to tiny blown glass sculptures. See the entry > Examples: “One by one, the beads and baubles and charms and bibelots have been cleaned and polished

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00:01:45

loquacious

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/07/15

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2026 is: loquacious • \loh-KWAY-shus\ • adjective Loquacious means “liking to talk and talking smoothly and easily.” Someone described as loquacious might also be called wordy (prone to using more words than necessary) or garrulous (tending to talk a lot). // We were entertained all afternoon by our host’s loquacious parrot and its nonstop script of favored phrases. See the entry >

en-us

00:01:50

assiduous

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/06/21

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 21, 2026 is:assiduous • \uh-SIJ-uh-wus\ • adjective Assiduous is a formal word that means “showing great care, attention, and effort.” // Thanks to the assiduous efforts of the local land trust over many years, a substantial amount of whip-poor-will habitat is now protected from development. See the entry > Examples: “My mom was also assiduous about what we would today call food safety,

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00:01:33

longueur

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/06/20

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 20, 2026 is: longueur • \lawn-GUR\ • noun Longueur refers to a boring part of something (such as a book or play). It is usually used in the plural form. // Though not without its longueurs, the opera came to life in the last act. See the entry > Examples: “Game 3 of the World Series was a stone-cold thriller, with peaks of high drama and longueurs of exquisitely tense tedium ...” — Steve

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00:01:53

indomitable

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/06/19

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 19, 2026 is:indomitable • \in-DAH-muh-tuh-bul\ • adjective Indomitable is a formal word used to describe something that is impossible to defeat or discourage. // Juneteenth celebrates the abolition of slavery in the United States, and honors the indomitable spirit of African Americans past and present fighting for justice, liberation, and the fulfillment of this nation’s ideals. See the entry >

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00:02:16

acquiesce

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/06/18

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 18, 2026 is:acquiesce • \ak-wee-ESS\ • verb To acquiesce to something is to accept it, agree with it, or allow it to happen by staying silent or by not arguing. Acquiesce is somewhat formal, and is often used with in or to. // Eventually, the professor acquiesced to the students’ request to have the seminar’s final class be a potluck lunch. See the entry > Examples: “It may be just the right

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00:02:11

wifty

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/06/17

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 17, 2026 is:wifty • \WIF-tee\ • adjective Wifty, a synonym of ditzy, describes something or someone eccentrically silly or scatterbrained. // The play features a wifty character who starts out blissfully unaware of the conflict driving the plot but ultimately pulls it together to save the day. See the entry > Examples: “When he dreams, he dreams about moving to Wyoming, which he has visited

en-us

00:02:02

gamut

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/06/16

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 16, 2026 is: gamut • \GAM-ut\ • noun A gamut is a range or series of related things. When we say that something “runs the gamut,” we are saying that it encompasses an entire range of related things. // The flea market offerings run the gamut with a wide array of vendors each offering something unique. See the entry > Examples: “... she brings a certain je ne sais quoi to the production with

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00:01:42

tenuous

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/06/15

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 15, 2026 is: tenuous • \TEN-yoo-us\ • adjective Something described as tenuous is flimsy, weak, or uncertain. // The theater had a tenuous existence for years, but today is on much more solid financial footing. See the entry > Examples: “While more non-screen-based interactive technology could be an antidote to our screen-obsessed society, it’s an extremely tenuous link to more human

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00:02:02

emblazon

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/06/14

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 14, 2026 is: emblazon • \im-BLAY-zun\ • verb To emblazon something is to decorate its surface, usually with a name, slogan, or picture. // Her favorite souvenir from her trip to the Grand Canyon was a t-shirt emblazoned with a rosy sunset over the famous chasm. See the entry > Examples: “Later that week we were boarding our flight with the painting secured in an enormous case with a toothy,

en-us

00:02:10

hale

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/06/13

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 13, 2026 is: hale • \HAIL\ • adjective Someone described as hale is in good and often exceptional health. Hale is commonly used in the phrase "hale and hearty." // Their mother remains hale and hearty in her old age. See the entry > Examples: "Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell star [in the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes] as two vivacious all-American showgirls whose friendship is as fast as

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