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Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster

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00:01:55

cognoscente

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/26

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 26, 2025 is:cognoscente • \kahn-yuh-SHEN-tee\ • noun Cognoscente refers to a person with expert knowledge in a subject. It is usually encountered in its plural form, cognoscenti, and preceded by the. // The audience at the club, though small, was full of writers, musicians, and other noteworthy members of the jazz cognoscenti. See the entry > Examples: "Even as [Ray] Bradbury was embraced

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00:01:44

wreak

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/25

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 25, 2025 is: wreak • \REEK\ • verb Wreak means “to cause something very harmful or damaging.” It is often used with on or upon. // The virus wreaked havoc on my laptop. See the entry > Examples: “Ours is a geography of cataclysm: Santa Anas wreak their psychic wrath; the odor of disaster seeps from the street like that sulfurous egg smell of the La Brea Tar Pits.” — John Lopez, The

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00:01:44

rancid

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/24

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 24, 2025 is: rancid • \RAN-sid\ • adjective Rancid usually describes something edible that has a strong and unpleasant smell or taste because it is no longer fresh. In figurative use, rancid describes things that are very distasteful or offensive. // The corpse flower, which is the largest known individual flower of any plant species, stays open five to seven days and emits a rancid odor. See the entry >

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00:02:08

litany

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/23

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 23, 2025 is: litany • \LIT-uh-nee\ • noun Litany usually refers to a long list of complaints, problems, etc. It can also refer to a sizable series or set, a lengthy recitation, a repetitive chant, or a particular kind of call-and-response prayer. // Among the television critic’s litany of complaints about the new series is the anachronistic costume design. See the entry > Examples: “Out

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00:01:44

frolic

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/22

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 22, 2025 is: frolic • \FRAH-lik\ • verb To frolic is to play and move about happily. // We watched the seals as they frolicked in the harbor. See the entry > Examples: “Harper’s consciousness ends up in the body of her mom, Anna. Lily bodyswaps with her soon-to-be grandma Tess. And vice versa. Meaning Lohan and Curtis are playing teens again. While their younger co-stars mug sternly, make

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00:01:27

sedentary

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/21

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 21, 2025 is: sedentary • \SED-un-tair-ee\ • adjective Something described as sedentary does or involves a lot of sitting. Sedentary can also mean "not physically active" (as in "a sedentary lifestyle") or "not migratory" (as in "sedentary birds" or "a sedentary civilization"). // Editing the dictionary is a sedentary job. See the entry > Examples: "From open offices to home workstations,

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00:01:39

etymology

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/20

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 20, 2025 is: etymology • \eh-tuh-MAH-luh-jee\ • noun An etymology is an explanation of a word’s history—that is, where the word came from and how it developed. // As a word nerd, I’m always eager to learn a word’s etymology and trace it back to its earliest known origins. See the entry > Examples: “A recent Vogue bride, Nicole Amarise, changed her name—as did her husband. ‘Together we

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00:02:03

veritable

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/19

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 19, 2025 is:veritable • \VAIR-uh-tuh-bul\ • adjective Veritable is a formal adjective that means “being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary.” It is often used to stress the aptness of a metaphorical description. // The island is a veritable paradise. // The sale attracted a veritable mob of people. See the entry > Examples: “The Roma are often described as an

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00:01:57

muse

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/18

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 18, 2025 is: muse • \MYOOZ\ • verb When muse is used to mean "to think about something carefully or thoroughly," it is usually followed by about, on, over, or upon. The word can also mean "to become absorbed in thought," or "to think or say something in a thoughtful way." // He mused on the possibility of pursuing a master's degree. // "I could sell the house," she mused aloud, "but then where would I

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00:02:15

kibosh

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/17

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 17, 2025 is: kibosh • \KYE-bosh\ • noun Kibosh refers to something that serves as a check or stop. It is usually used in the phrase “put the kibosh on” to mean “to stop or end (something)” or “to prevent (something) from happening or continuing.” // I downloaded an app to help me put the kibosh on my high screen time. See the entry > Examples: “… Maybe, suggests [Graham] Dugoni and other

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00:01:55

biannual

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/16

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 16, 2025 is: biannual • \bye-AN-yuh-wul\ • adjective Biannual is an adjective used to describe something that happens twice a year, or something that happens every two years. // The art show is a biannual event that won’t happen again for two more years. // The group holds biannual meetings in December and July. See the entry > Examples: “About 200 miles of trails make up The Alabama

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00:01:40

coalesce

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/15

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 15, 2025 is: coalesce • \koh-uh-LESS\ • verb To coalesce is to come together to form one group or mass. // The club’s community service projects provide students with a common goal to coalesce around. // The movie is full of beautifully written scenes but they never coalesce into a whole. See the entry > Examples: “... as Angola prepares for the final, the combination of personal

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00:02:09

utopia

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/14

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 14, 2025 is: utopia • \yoo-TOH-pee-uh\ • noun Utopia refers to an imaginary place in which the government, laws, and social conditions are perfect; a utopia is a place of ideal perfection. // It’s a nice place to live, but it’s no utopia. See the entry > Examples: “Despite the rest of the group arguing with and (mostly) disagreeing with him for half the evening, my colleague stuck to his

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00:01:53

penultimate

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/13

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 13, 2025 is: penultimate • \pih-NUL-tuh-mut\ • adjective Penultimate means "occurring immediately before the last one," or in other words, "next to last." A formal adjective, it is always used before the noun it modifies. // The penultimate episode of the TV series features some shocking plot twists that set up what will surely be a thrilling series finale. See the entry > Examples: "The

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00:01:42

imprimatur

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/12

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 12, 2025 is:imprimatur • \im-pruh-MAH-toor\ • noun Imprimatur is a formal word that refers to explicit approval or permission. // Though not an official project of the theater, the drama festival has its imprimatur. See the entry > Examples: “It is not overstating to say that [Frederick] Douglass was a baseball man. He attended games, supported his sons’ involvement, and even played

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00:01:55

languid

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/11

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 11, 2025 is: languid • \LANG-gwid\ • adjective Something described as languid shows or has very little energy, force, or activity. // We paddled at a languid pace, in no hurry to arrive at our picnic destination. See the entry > Examples: “The flat once belonged to 19th-century French writer George Sand, and is now a handsome apartment with sleek decor and elevated amenities that will make

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00:02:11

obviate

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/10

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 10, 2025 is: obviate • \AHB-vee-ayt\ • verb To obviate something (usually a need for something, or a necessity) is to anticipate and prevent it. A formal word, obviate can also mean "to make an action unnecessary." // The new medical treatment obviates the need for surgery. // Allowing workers flexibility should obviate any objections to the change. See the entry > Examples: "In 1987, a

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00:01:54

duress

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/09

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 9, 2025 is: duress • \dur-RESS\ • noun Duress, which is typically used with under, refers to force or threats meant to make someone do something. It is used especially of unlawful coercion. // The defense asserts that the defendant’s confession was made under duress. See the entry > Examples: “Did you know that Toni [Morrison] also edited poetry? (What couldn’t she do!) Despite

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00:01:59

finicky

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/08

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 8, 2025 is: finicky • \FIN-ih-kee\ • adjective Finicky describes someone who is very hard to please, or something that requires a lot of care, precision, or attentive effort. // Although she was a finicky eater as a child, she grew up to become a world-renowned chef famous for her encyclopedic knowledge of global ingredients. // The latest game in the series boasts amazing graphics but the controls are a

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00:01:41

candor

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2025/10/07

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 7, 2025 is: candor • \KAN-der\ • noun Candor refers to the quality of being open, sincere, and honest. // During the interview, the comedian spoke with candor about the nervousness she feels every time she takes the stage. See the entry > Examples: “When Malika Andrews sat down to chat with ESSENCE, she was seated in her car. There was no rush in her voice, just an ease that showed how

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