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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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00:02:08

gumbo

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/08

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 8, 2026 is:gumbo • \GUM-boh\ • noun Gumbo refers to a soup thickened with okra pods or filé and containing meat or seafoods and usually vegetables. The word is also used figuratively to refer to a mixture or blend of something. // The reputation of the family’s gumbo guaranteed them an invitation to any and all neighborhood potlucks. // She draws her artistic inspiration from the city’s rich gumbo of

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00:01:30

eminently

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/07

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 7, 2026 is:eminently • \EM-uh-nunt-lee\ • adverb Eminently is used as a synonym of very and means "to a high degree." // Our team came up with an eminently sensible plan to reduce waste. See the entry > Examples: "This was jazz of the highest order—challenging, yet accessible, eminently entertaining and arrestingly beautiful. Goosebumps were felt." — T'Cha Dunlevy, The Gazette (Montreal,

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00:01:33

loll

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/06

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 6, 2026 is: loll • \LAHL\ • verb Loll most often means “to droop or hang loosely.” It can also mean “to act or move in a relaxed or lazy manner.” // We’re counting down the days until the weather will be warm enough again to laze and loll by the pool. See the entry > Examples: “Just across the highway at Año Nuevo State Park, elephant seals loll lazily on the beach.” — Scott Clark, quoted

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00:02:01

marginalia

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/05

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 5, 2026 is:marginalia • \mahr-juh-NAY-lee-uh\ • noun Marginalia is a plural noun that refers to notes or other marks written in the margins of a text, and also to nonessential matters or items. // I loved flipping through my literature textbooks to find the marginalia left behind by former students. // She found the documentary's treatment of not only the major events but also the marginalia of

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00:02:00

titanic

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/04

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 4, 2026 is: titanic • \tye-TAN-ik\ • adjective Something described as titanic is very great in size, force, or power. // The batter saved the game in the bottom of the ninth inning by hitting a titanic home run right out of the park. See the entry > Examples: “Absurdly, though, if you were standing on a Rodinian beach [on the ancient supercontinent of Rodinia] you might not have even

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00:01:43

senescence

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/03

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 3, 2026 is: senescence • \sih-NESS-unss\ • noun Senescence is a formal and technical word that refers to the state of being old or the process of becoming old. // Our grandparents, now in their senescence, are enjoying spending more time with family and going on new adventures together. See the entry > Examples: “Pilates provides improvements in core strength, flexibility and balance,

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00:02:13

febrile

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/02

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 2, 2026 is:febrile • \FEB-ryle\ • adjective Febrile is a medical term meaning "marked or caused by fever; feverish." It is sometimes used figuratively, as in "a febrile political climate." // I'm finally back on my feet after recovering from a febrile illness. // The actor delivered the monologue with a febrile intensity. See the entry > Examples: "Peppered with exclamation marks,

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00:02:12

amortize

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/01

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 1, 2026 is:amortize • \AM-er-tyze\ • verb To amortize something, such as a mortgage, is to pay for it by making regular payments over a long period of time. // If you apply extra payments directly to your loan balance as a principal reduction, your loan can be amortized sooner. See the entry > Examples: “As part of some of the league’s commercial deals—where companies pay the league for

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00:01:56

retrospective

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/12/31

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 31, 2025 is:retrospective • \reh-truh-SPEK-tiv\ • adjective Retrospective describes something that relates to the past or to something that happened in the past. // The museum has curated a retrospective exhibit of the artist's early works. See the entry > Examples: "Our retrospective sense of time hinges on memory: Periods rich in novel, significant experiences feel longer, while

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00:01:35

charisma

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/12/30

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 30, 2025 is: charisma • \kuh-RIZ-muh\ • noun Charisma refers to a special magnetic charm or appeal that causes people to feel attracted and excited by someone. A person with charisma is captivating and often admired. // The young singer has the kind of charisma that turns a performer into a star. See the entry > Examples: "Sports and showbiz have gone hand in hand since newsreels in the

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00:02:00

nefarious

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/12/29

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 29, 2025 is: nefarious • \nih-FAIR-ee-us\ • adjective Nefarious is a formal word that describes something as evil or immoral. // Authorities suspect that the recovered materials were going to be used for nefarious purposes. See the entry > Examples: “Introducing characters like Gorilla Grodd on DC Crime would help familiarize audiences with these figures before they potentially receive an

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00:01:21

yen

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/12/28

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 28, 2025 is:yen • \YEN\ • noun A yen is a strong desire, urge, or craving for something. // After dinner, the family went out for ice cream to satisfy their yen for something sweet. // Students with a yen to travel should consider studying abroad. See the entry > Examples: “If you’ve got a yen for succulent, right-off-the-boat Maine sea scallops, now is the time to get them.” — Stephen

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00:01:51

apropos

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/12/27

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 27, 2025 is: apropos • \ap-ruh-POH\ • preposition Apropos is used as a preposition to mean "with regard to." It is frequently used in the phrase "apropos of." // Sean interrupted our conversation about politics and, apropos of nothing, asked who we thought would win the basketball game. As an adjective, apropos describes something that is suitable or appropriate, as in "an apropos nickname." See the

en-us

00:02:00

grandiose

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/12/26

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 26, 2025 is:grandiose • \gran-dee-OHSS\ • adjective Grandiose is usually used disapprovingly to describe something that seems impressive or is intended to be impressive, but that is either not possible or practical. // The long-vacant historic building has finally been purchased, and the developer has announced grandiose plans to make it the center of a new theater district. See the entry >

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00:01:54

noel

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/12/25

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 25, 2025 is:noel • \noh-EL\ • noun When capitalized, Noel refers to Christmas or the Christmas season. Uncapitalized, noel refers to a Christmas carol. // We were greeted at the door by a group of carolers singing noels. // Every year we send our family Christmas cards with our photo enclosed wishing everyone a joyous Noel. See the entry > Examples: “The meeting began with a touch of

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00:01:45

hark back

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/12/24

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 24, 2025 is:hark back • \HAHRK-BAK\ • verb Harking back can be about turning back to an earlier topic or circumstance, as in "a storyteller harking back to his youth," or it can be about going back to something as an origin or source, as in "a style that harks back to the turn of the previous century." // The dinner conversation harked back to the lunch debate over what counts as a traditional holiday

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00:01:28

bespoke

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/12/23

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 23, 2025 is: bespoke • \bih-SPOHK\ • adjective Bespoke describes something that is custom-made—that is, made to fit the needs or requirements of a particular person. // As a tailor, Lana specialized in crafting bespoke clothing for her clients, each piece unique and suited to their tastes. See the entry > Examples: “The vehicles are bespoke machines with every little detail thought of,

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00:01:55

temporize

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/12/22

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 22, 2025 is:temporize • \TEM-puh-ryze\ • verb To temporize is to avoid making a decision or giving a definite answer in order to have more time. // Pressured by voters on both sides of the issue, the congressman temporized. See the entry > Examples: "The question is, Did you eat the last piece of pie? And the politician who ate the last piece of pie doesn't want to say yes, because

en-us

00:02:24

hibernaculum

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/12/21

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2025 is: hibernaculum • \hye-ber-NAK-yuh-lum\ • noun Hibernaculum (plural hibernacula) refers to a shelter occupied during the winter by a dormant animal, such as an insect, snake, bat, or marmot. // Local scientists are studying the longevity of bats who use bridges and other aboveground hibernacula versus that of bats who roost all winter in subterranean caves. See the entry >

en-us

00:01:36

decorous

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/12/20

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 20, 2025 is: decorous • \DECK-er-us\ • adjective Decorous is a formal adjective used to describe an attitude or behavior characterized by propriety and good taste. // The ceremony was conducted with a decorous solemnity. See the entry > Examples: “... Elizabeth reveals, later, that she felt she never belonged to the decorous world of parties and corsets and curls and feathers on the

en-us

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