Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 20, 2025 is: convivial • \kun-VIV-ee-ul\ • adjective Convivial means "relating to, occupied with, or fond of feasting, drinking, and good company." // A convivial atmosphere filled the gallery, with good food in abundance, and wine and conversation both flowing freely. // The guests' convivial chatter filled the hall. See the entry > Examples: "For Chrissy Metz, whose childhood upbringing was modest, she says, this house signifies more than just its ...
Jun 20, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 19, 2025 is: emancipation • \ih-man-suh-PAY-shun\ • noun Emancipation refers to the act of freeing someone from the restraint, control, or power of another. It is used especially for the act of freeing someone from slavery. // Jomo Kenyatta played a key role in the emancipation of Kenya from European rule in the 1960s and became the first president of the newly independent nation. See the entry > Examples: “Rappahannock County’s calming beauty and ro...
Jun 19, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 18, 2025 is: jeopardize • \JEP-er-dyze\ • verb To jeopardize something or someone is to put them at risk or in danger. // The wrong decision could seriously jeopardize the success of the project. See the entry > Examples: “To keep the cub from forming bonds with people that could jeopardize his return to the wild, staff members charged with his care are dressing up in bear costumes, including a mask, fur coat and leather gloves.” — Summer Lin, The Lo...
Jun 18, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 17, 2025 is: apologia • \ap-uh-LOH-jee-uh\ • noun An apologia is a defense especially of one's opinions, position, or actions. // The opinion piece reads like an apologia for the industry's reckless behavior. See the entry > Examples: "Yes, Barbie is a polarizing toy ... but [Greta] Gerwig leaped right to what else Barbie is: a potent, complicated, contradictory symbol that stands near the center of a decades-long and still-running argument about how...
Jun 17, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 16, 2025 is: garrulous • \GAIR-uh-lus\ • adjective Someone described as garrulous is very talkative. When garrulous is used to describe a piece of language (such as a speech), it means “containing many and often too many words; wordy.” // One of the dinner party guests was a garrulous poet whose stories kept most of us in stitches. // We tried our best to stay awake during the principal’s garrulous speech. See the entry > Examples: “ Verbosity [in Ac...
Jun 16, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 15, 2025 is: progeny • \PRAH-juh-nee\ • noun Progeny refers to the child or descendant of a particular parent or family. Progeny can also refer to the offspring of an animal or plant, or broadly to something that is the product of something else. The plural of progeny is progeny . // Many Americans are the progeny of immigrants. // The champion thoroughbred passed on his speed, endurance, and calm temperament to his progeny , many of whom became success...
Jun 15, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 14, 2025 is: vexillology • \vek-suh-LAH-luh-jee\ • noun Vexillology is the study of flags. // An expert in vexillology , Cynthia has an impressive collection of flags displayed in her home. See the entry > Examples: "... flags should have simple elements, a limited number of colors, and no words. One of the tenets of vexillology is that the elements of the flag should be simple enough to be easily drawn by a child." — The Toledo (Ohio) Blade , 9 Jan....
Jun 14, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 13, 2025 is: rambunctious • \ram-BUNK-shuss\ • adjective Rambunctious describes someone or something showing uncontrolled exuberance. // On my first day of student teaching, I was tasked with managing a class of rambunctious youngsters. See the entry > Examples: "To juvenile loggerhead sea turtles, a tasty squid might as well be a disco ball. When they sense food—or even think some might be nearby—these reptiles break into an excited dance. ... Resea...
Jun 13, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 12, 2025 is: impute • \im-PYOOT\ • verb To impute something, such as a motive, act, or emotion, to a person or thing is to assert that the person or thing is guilty of that motive, act, emotion, etc. // It is shocking that they would impute such awful motives to me. See the entry > Examples: “California is about to ease into the 2026 race for governor, and if you can pick any of the current candidates from a police lineup, either you work in Sacramen...
Jun 12, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 11, 2025 is: debilitating • \dih-BILL-uh-tay-ting\ • adjective Debilitating is a formal word used to describe things that seriously impair strength or the ability to function. // She suffers from debilitating migraines. // The class helped him conquer his debilitating fear of public speaking. See the entry > Examples: "Worry is such a debilitating thing that robs you of your energy ..." — Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post , 3 Apr. 2025 Did you know? De...
Jun 11, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 10, 2025 is: minutia • \muh-NOO-shee-uh\ • noun Minutia refers to a small or minor detail. It is usually used in its plural form minutiae . // Unaccustomed to legalese , I was bewildered by the contract's minutiae . See the entry > Examples: “The novel is an intricate thatch of corkscrew twists, vivid characters, dead-on colloquial dialogue, and lawyerly minutiae that culminates in a courtroom showdown worthy of Dominick Dunne.” — David Friend, Vanit...
Jun 10, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 9, 2025 is: eloquent • \EL-uh-kwunt\ • adjective An eloquent speaker or writer expresses ideas forcefully and fluently; an eloquent speech or piece of writing likewise expresses ideas in such a way. Eloquent can also describe something that is vividly or movingly expressive. // She received high marks for her eloquent essay about gardening with her grandmother. // Their success serves as an eloquent reminder of the value of hard work. See the entry >...
Jun 09, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 8, 2025 is: cataract • \KAT-uh-rakt\ • noun Cataract refers to a clouding of the lens of the eye, or of its surrounding transparent membrane, that obstructs the passage of light. Cataract is also used, often in literature, to refer to a waterfall, steep rapids in a river, or to a downpour or flood. // Cataracts are common but can be corrected with surgery. // The roaring cataract is one of the park’s most majestic sights. See the entry > Examples: “I...
Jun 08, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 7, 2025 is: abstruse • \ub-STROOSS\ • adjective Abstruse is a formal word used to describe something that is hard to understand. // I avoided taking this class in past semesters because the subject matter is so abstruse , but the professor does a good job explaining the concepts as clearly as possible. See the entry > Examples: “The EP’s lyrics are suitably abstruse . The title ‘Marry Me Maia’ sounds forthright in its intentions, but the song instead...
Jun 07, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 6, 2025 is: festoon • \fess-TOON\ • verb Festoon usually means "to cover or decorate (something) with many small objects, pieces of paper, etc.," or "to appear here and there on the surface of." It can also mean "to hang decorative chains or strips on." // Tiny wildflowers festooned the meadow. // We festooned the halls with ribbons and garland. See the entry > Examples: "The road was lined with ancient trees festooned with Spanish moss." — Tayari Jo...
Jun 06, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 5, 2025 is: sea change • \SEE-CHAYNJ\ • noun Sea change refers to a big and sudden change or transformation. // The early 2000s witnessed a sea change in public opinion about smoking in public places. See the entry > Examples: “Over the course of my grandmother’s lifetime, gender expectations for women underwent a sea change . My grandmother ended up pursuing an education and becoming a doctor, leading an independent life that made her mother proud.”...
Jun 05, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 4, 2025 is: bogus • \BOH-gus\ • adjective Bogus is an informal word used to describe something that is not real or genuine, making it a synonym of such words as fake , false , and counterfeit . // We were disappointed to find out that the purses we bought were bogus . // The company was investigated over several bogus claims that their products could guarantee better health for their customers. See the entry > Examples: “A former West Covina resident...
Jun 04, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 3, 2025 is: tutelage • \TOO-tuh-lij\ • noun Tutelage is a formal word that refers to the instruction or guidance especially of an individual student by a teacher. Tutelage may also refer to an act or process of serving as guardian or protector. // Under the tutelage of his high school swim coach, Luis has greatly improved his times at meets. // The company is relying on the expert tutelage of its new director to increase profits. See the entry > Exam...
Jun 03, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 2, 2025 is: Herculean • \her-kyuh-LEE-un\ • adjective Something described as Herculean (often uncapitalized as herculean ) is characterized by extraordinary power, extent, intensity, or difficulty. // Although starting a garden sounded fun in theory, the constant weeding and pest control turned it into a herculean task. See the entry > Examples: “ Strong doesn’t even properly describe [Ashton] Jeanty’s Herculean , how-is-he-doing-that kind of strengt...
Jun 02, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 2, 2025 is: Herculean • \her-kyuh-LEE-un\ • adjective Something described as Herculean (often uncapitalized as herculean ) is characterized by extraordinary power, extent, intensity, or difficulty. // Although starting a garden sounded fun in theory, the constant weeding and pest control turned it into a herculean task. See the entry > Examples: “ Strong doesn’t even properly describe [Ashton] Jeanty’s Herculean , how-is-he-doing-that kind of strengt...
Jun 02, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 2, 2025 is: Herculean • \her-kyuh-LEE-un\ • adjective Something described as Herculean (often uncapitalized as herculean ) is characterized by extraordinary power, extent, intensity, or difficulty. // Although starting a garden sounded fun in theory, the constant weeding and pest control turned it into a herculean task. See the entry > Examples: “ Strong doesn’t even properly describe [Ashton] Jeanty’s Herculean , how-is-he-doing-that kind of strengt...
Jun 02, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 1, 2025 is: proscribe • \proh-SCRYBE\ • verb Proscribe is a formal word meaning “to condemn or forbid something as harmful or unlawful.” More broadly, it can mean simply “to not allow something.” // The town has passed an ordinance that proscribes the ownership of snakes and other exotic pets. See the entry > Examples: “While the order proscribes new drilling along most of both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the order does not affect active drillin...
Jun 01, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 31, 2025 is: opportune • \ah-per-TOON\ • adjective Opportune describes something that is suitable or convenient for a particular situation, or that is done or happening at an appropriate time. // They chose an opportune time to invest in real estate. // She is waiting for an opportune moment to ask for a raise. See the entry > Examples: “It [the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut] was constructed on the site of an 1830s shipyard built by three marin...
May 31, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 30, 2025 is: gust • \GUST\ • noun Gust refers to a sudden strong wind. It is also used figuratively for a sudden outburst of something, such as a feeling. // Today’s weather will be windy, with gusts of up to 40 miles per hour. See the entry > Examples: “This subversive comedy is now a posh panto , directed by Max Webster. It gets gusts of laughter but can feel rather forced, and the joyous language is left to fend for itself.” — Robert Gore-Langton, ...
May 30, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 29, 2025 is: nascent • \NASS-unt\ • adjective Nascent is a formal word used to describe something that is just beginning to exist, or in other words, is recently formed or developed. // The actress is now focused on her nascent singing career. See the entry > Examples: “I asked my father, recently, if I might borrow one of his old journals as research for a nascent writing project. It felt like there might be something there —in the poetry of varietal...
May 29, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 29, 2025 is: nascent • \NASS-unt\ • adjective Nascent is a formal word used to describe something that is just beginning to exist, or in other words, is recently formed or developed. // The actress is now focused on her nascent singing career. See the entry > Examples: “I asked my father, recently, if I might borrow one of his old journals as research for a nascent writing project. It felt like there might be something there —in the poetry of varietal...
May 29, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 28, 2025 is: fiasco • \fee-ASK-oh\ • noun A fiasco is a complete failure or disaster. // The entire fiasco could have been avoided if they'd simply followed the instructions. See the entry > Examples: "Fyre's first iteration, in 2017, was widely seen as a massive failure. The luxe accommodations promised on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma turned out to be tents and instead of the promised gourmet fare, guests were served cold cheese sandwiches. Aft...
May 28, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 27, 2025 is: interminable • \in-TER-muh-nuh-bul\ • adjective Interminable describes things that have or seem to have no end, especially because they continue for a very long time. // The family played games to pass the time during the interminable wait for their delayed flight. See the entry > Examples: "After what has felt like an interminable winter, spring is finally in the air. Birds are singing, daffodils and crocuses are pushing their way throug...
May 27, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 26, 2025 is: commemorate • \kuh-MEM-uh-rayt\ • verb Something, such as a plaque, statue, or parade, is said to commemorate an event, person, etc. when it serves as a memorial; it exists or is done in order to recall the event or person. A person or group commemorates an event, person, etc. by doing something special in order to remember and honor that event or person. // The plaque commemorates the battle that took place here 200 years ago. // Each year ...
May 26, 2025•2 min
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 25, 2025 is: dyspeptic • \diss-PEP-tik\ • adjective Dyspeptic is a formal and old-fashioned word used to describe someone who is bad-tempered (in other words, easily annoyed or angered), or something that shows or is characteristic of a bad temper. The noun form of dyspeptic is dyspepsia . // The comedian’s shtick of delivering dyspeptic rants on the daily annoyances of modern life was enormously popular. See the entry > Examples: “Statler and Waldorf...
May 25, 2025•2 min
