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Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster

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

arts literature

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00:02:06

disheveled

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/22

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 22, 2026 is:disheveled • \dih-SHEV-uld\ • adjective A disheveled person or thing is not neat or tidy. // His wrinkled suit gave him a disheveled appearance. See the entry > Examples: “My mother is waking up. ... She dresses quickly. Her oblong, Scots-Irish face may be too idiosyncratic for the screen anyway, the hollow cheekbones and sharp eyes, the straw-blond hair worn in a low-slung

en-us

00:01:50

schmooze

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/21

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 21, 2026 is:schmooze • \SHMOOZ\ • verb To schmooze is to warmly chat with someone often in order to gain favor, business, or connections. // The event provides an opportunity for local business owners to network and schmooze. See the entry > Examples: "After wrapping up her speech filled with anecdotes and policy promises, the candidate schmoozed with the crowd, seemingly determined to

en-us

00:02:11

quiddity

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/20

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 20, 2026 is: quiddity • \KWID-uh-tee\ • noun Quiddity refers to the essence of a thing—that is, whatever makes something the type of thing that it is. Quiddity can also refer to a small and usually trivial complaint or criticism, or to a quirk or eccentricity in someone's behavior. // The novelist’s genius was her unparalleled ability to capture the quiddity of the Maine seacoast in simple prose. // He

en-us

00:02:04

ephemeral

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/19

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 19, 2026 is: ephemeral • \ih-FEM-uh-rul\ • adjective Something described as ephemeral lasts only for a very short time. // The performance was not recorded, a fact that made its ephemeral nature all the more poignant. See the entry > Examples: "Like most garden moments, fresh holiday wreaths are ephemeral. Having accomplished their purpose of seeing us through the darkest days of winter,

en-us

00:02:19

elicit

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/18

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 18, 2026 is:elicit • \ih-LISS-it\ • verb Elicit is a formal word meaning “to get (a response, information, etc.) from someone.” // The announcement of the final amount raised by the charity walk elicited cheers from the crowd. // The teacher’s question elicited no response. See the entry > Examples: “By the end of the ceremony, the attendees knew where each soon-to-be graduate would be

en-us

00:01:39

notorious

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/17

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 17, 2026 is: notorious • \noh-TOR-ee-us\ • adjective Notorious describes people and things that are well-known or famous, especially for something bad or unfavorable. // Their city is notorious for its extremely hot and humid summers. See the entry > Examples: “Given Long Island’s cul-de-sac geography and notorious traffic, proposed bridges and tunnels to Connecticut are bound to get

en-us

00:01:53

vendetta

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/16

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 16, 2026 is:vendetta • \ven-DET-uh\ • noun Vendetta refers to an active and mutual hatred between two families or groups, also known as a blood feud. It can also refer to an often prolonged series of retaliatory, vengeful, or hostile acts, or to a commitment to carrying out such acts. // The student insisted that the principal had a personal vendetta against her. See the entry > Examples:

en-us

00:02:19

cloying

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/15

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 15, 2026 is:cloying • \KLOY-ing\ • adjective Cloying is used disapprovingly to describe something that is too sweet, pleasant, or sentimental. // She finds most romantic comedies cloying and predictable. See the entry > Examples: “Images of her came to me often, as did snatches of songs in her repertoire, which she sang to me as lullabies. ... What I couldn’t quite summon, despite what I

en-us

00:02:00

delegate

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/14

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 14, 2026 is:delegate • \DEL-uh-gayt\ • verb To delegate something (such as control, responsibility, authority, or a job or duty) is to trust someone else with it. // Those tasks can be delegated to someone else. See the entry > Examples: “In practice, principals shuttle back and forth, sometimes multiple times a day, or divide their schedule between mornings and afternoons, or alternate

en-us

00:01:52

umbrage

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/13

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 13, 2026 is: umbrage • \UM-brij\ • noun Umbrage refers to a feeling of being offended by what someone has said or done. It is often used in the phrase “take umbrage.” // Some listeners took umbrage at the podcaster’s remarks about the event. See the entry > Examples: “The one item on offer was considered to be so good that the chef took umbrage at being asked for mustard.” — The Irish

en-us

00:01:47

brackish

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/12

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 12, 2026 is: brackish • \BRACK-ish\ • adjective Brackish, meaning “somewhat salty,” usually describes water or bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes, and estuaries. The word can also mean “not appealing to the taste” or “repulsive.” // The river becomes brackish as we approach the tidemark. See the entry > Examples: “The blood-testing organs don’t measure water levels but rather the

en-us

00:02:11

paradox

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/11

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 11, 2026 is:paradox • \PAIR-uh-dahks\ • noun Paradox refers to something (such as a situation) that is made up of two opposite things and that seems impossible but is actually true or possible. It can also refer to someone who does two seemingly opposite things or who has qualities that are opposite; to a statement that seems to say two opposite things but that nonetheless may be true; or to the use of such

en-us

00:01:57

collude

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/10

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 10, 2026 is: collude • \kuh-LOOD\ • verb To collude is to work with others secretly especially in order to do something illegal or dishonest. Collude is used as a synonym of conspire and plot. // She is accused of colluding with known criminals. See the entry > Examples: "Two lawsuits filed in April accuse hundreds of insurers of colluding to drop policyholders and force them onto the

en-us

00:02:11

innocuous

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2026/01/09

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 9, 2026 is:innocuous • \ih-NAH-kyuh-wus\ • adjective Innocuous describes either something that is not likely to bother or offend anyone (as in “an innocuous comment”), or something that causes no injury, or is otherwise considered harmless (as in “an innocuous prank”). // The reporter asked what seemed like an innocuous question, but it prompted the candidate to storm off, abruptly ending the press

en-us

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

en-us

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,

en-us

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

en-us

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

en-us

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

en-us

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,

en-us

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Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day

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