Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 11, 2025 is: cozen • \KUZ-un\ • verb To cozen someone is to deceive, win over, or induce them to do something by coaxing or trickery. // The organization cozened scores of people by persuading them to participate in a fraudulent investment scheme. See the entry > Examples: “It’s only office seekers with no real solutions who rely on cozening the voter.” — The News-Gazette (Lexington, Virginia), 21 June 2023 Did you know? Despite its r...
Jan 11, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 10, 2025 is: untenable • \un-TEN-uh-bul\ • adjective Something, such as a position, excuse, or situation, that is described as untenable cannot be defended against attack or criticism. // The scientists considered their colleague's theory to be bold but ultimately untenable . See the entry > Examples: "According to The Economist , the disparity between investor enthusiasm about AI and reality might be untenable . They report that only...
Jan 10, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 10, 2025 is: untenable • \un-TEN-uh-bul\ • adjective Something, such as a position, excuse, or situation, that is described as untenable cannot be defended against attack or criticism. // The scientists considered their colleague's theory to be bold but ultimately untenable . See the entry > Examples: "According to The Economist , the disparity between investor enthusiasm about AI and reality might be untenable . They report that only...
Jan 10, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 9, 2025 is: excursion • \ik-SKER-zhun\ • noun Excursion refers to a trip, and especially to a short one made for pleasure. Excursion is also often used figuratively to refer to a deviation from a direct, definite, or proper course, and often in particular to a digression . // Some of Maya’s most cherished childhood memories are of fishing excursions with her grandpa. // Lewis Carroll’s Through The Looking Glass is an excursion into a ...
Jan 09, 2025•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 8, 2025 is: gelid • \JELL-id\ • adjective Something described as gelid, such as the weather or a person’s demeanor, is literally or figuratively extremely cold or icy. // She decided to move down south after experiencing Chicago’s gelid winters throughout college. See the entry > Examples: “[Delish.com’s assistant food editor, Taylor Ann] Spencer notes Oregon-based ice creamery Salt & Straw for ‘combos like Pistachio with Saffron,...
Jan 08, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 7, 2025 is: beleaguer • \bih-LEE-gur\ • verb To beleaguer a person, business, etc. is to cause them constant or repeated trouble. Beleaguer is also sometimes used as a synonym of besiege . // The coach, beleaguered by the media and fans for his poor decision-making during games, has been fired. // The novel is set in a city beleaguered by military forces. See the entry > Examples: "... Mono Lake, beleaguered by three years of drought,...
Jan 07, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 6, 2025 is: tome • \TOHM\ • noun Tome is a formal word for a book, and especially a very large, thick, often scholarly book. // We picked up a tome on the Ghana Empire for our history project. See the entry > Examples: “‘The way that we’ve approached publishing at Climax is almost having these two very separate worlds that live perfectly together,’ [Isabella] Burley says of her business’s work in both the archival and contemporary wor...
Jan 06, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 5, 2025 is: cerulean • \suh-ROO-lee-un\ • adjective Cerulean describes things whose blue color resembles the blue of a clear sky. // The painting depicts leafless trees bordering a cerulean lake. See the entry > Examples: “He grins to appease me and reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cerulean fountain pen, marbled and sparkling. It reminds me of the sea on a calm day. ‘It was my grandfather’s,’ he explains. ‘He gave it to me, and...
Jan 05, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 4, 2025 is: fulminate • \FULL-muh-nayt\ • verb To fulminate is to complain loudly or angrily about something. // The editorial fulminated against the corruption in the state government that has been recently uncovered. See the entry > Examples: “When Reagan fulminated against the Soviet Union, his aides, fearing nuclear war, challenged him.” — Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker , 9 Sept. 2024 Did you know? Lightning strikes more than on...
Jan 04, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 3, 2025 is: addlepated • \AD-ul-pay-tud\ • adjective Someone described as addlepated is mixed-up or confused. Addlepated can also be used as synonym of eccentric . // Some addlepated clerk confused our hotel reservation with that of another, similarly named, party. See the entry > Examples: “Overwhelmed and a little at sea (so to speak), this viewer combed these scenes for cinematic clues to whatever the narrative takeaway would be. ....
Jan 03, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 2, 2025 is: potpourri • \poh-pur-REE\ • noun Potpourri is a mixture of dried flower petals, leaves, and spices that is used to make a room smell pleasant. When used figuratively potpourri refers to a collection of various different things. // Her favorite winter potpourri includes cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange peel. // The book is a potpourri of stories about family, community, and food. See the entry > Examples: “The windows he...
Jan 02, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 1, 2025 is: rejuvenate • \rih-JOO-vuh-nayt\ • verb To rejuvenate a person, parts of the body, etc., is to make them feel young, healthy, or energetic again. To rejuvenate something abstract, such as an economy or career, is to give it new strength or energy. // The hotel package includes a day at the spa to rejuvenate guests. // Small businesses opening along the main street have rejuvenated the downtown area. See the entry > Examples...
Jan 01, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 31, 2024 is: zeitgeist • \TSYTE-gyste\ • noun Zeitgeist refers to the general beliefs, ideas, and spirit of a time and place. // The artist’s songs perfectly captured the zeitgeist of 1990s America. See the entry > Examples: "In appointing Pharrell Williams as creative director in 2023, Louis Vuitton tapped further into the zeitgeist , refreshing the brand's image and broadening both its appeal and its dedication to cultural excellen...
Dec 31, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 30, 2024 is: urbane • \er-BAYN\ • adjective Someone described as urbane is notably polite, confident, or polished in manner. Urbane is also used to describe things that are fashionable and somewhat formal. // "When did my willful, childish cousin turn into this urbane young artist greeting the guests at her opening reception?" wondered Elena. // We were impressed by the hotel's urbane sophistication. See the entry > Examples: "The cl...
Dec 30, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 29, 2024 is: linchpin • \LINCH-pin\ • noun Linchpin , sometimes spelled lynchpin , literally refers to a locking pin inserted crosswise, as at the end of an axle or shaft. In figurative use, linchpin refers to a person or thing that serves to hold together parts or elements that exist or function as a unit; such a linchpin is often understood as the most important part of a complex situation or system. // Investors are betting that t...
Dec 29, 2024•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 28, 2024 is: condone • \kun-DOHN\ • verb To condone something that is considered wrong is to forgive or approve it, or to allow it to continue. // We cannot condone that kind of behavior. See the entry > Examples: "... remaining quiet is the same as condoning bad behavior. Choose to say or do something, as this will help hold people accountable for their words and actions and encourage others to follow your lead." — Sherri Gordon, He...
Dec 28, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 27, 2024 is: feisty • \FYE-stee\ • adjective Feisty describes someone who has or shows a lively aggressiveness especially in being unafraid to fight or argue. In some regions of the US, feisty may also be used as a synonym of fidgety , quarrelsome , or frisky . // Even her opponents admire her feisty spirit. See the entry > Examples: "Hummingbirds may be tiny, but the feisty birds can be fearless. A video ... shows a falcon eating a ...
Dec 27, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 26, 2024 is: menorah • \muh-NOR-uh\ • noun A menorah is a candelabra with seven or nine lights that is used in Jewish worship. // At sundown on the first night of Hanukkah , Elliott's father helped him light the first candle on the menorah . See the entry > Examples: "Rich with history and laced with just a bit of latke grease, Hanukkah is a time for Jews to gather with family and friends and retell a fabled story of resistance. Whil...
Dec 26, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 25, 2024 is: evergreen • \EV-er-green\ • adjective Evergreen in its figurative uses describes something, such as a plot, that retains its freshness or interest over a long period of time, or something, such as an issue or concern, that is universally and continually relevant. In botany, evergreen describes foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. // For their first pick of the new year, the book...
Dec 25, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 24, 2024 is: wassail • \WAH-sul\ • verb To wassail is to sing carols (popular songs or ballads of religious joy) from house to house at Christmas; the verb is usually used in the phrase "go wassailing." As a noun, wassail can refer to (among other things) a hot drink that is made with wine, beer, or cider, as well as spices, sugar, and usually baked apples. Wassail is traditionally served in a large bowl especially at Christmastime. ...
Dec 24, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 23, 2024 is: delectation • \dee-lek-TAY-shun\ • noun Delectation is a formal word for a feeling of delight or enjoyment. It can also be used to refer to the source of such feelings. // The resort staff left a sampling of fine chocolate in our room for our delectation . // For lovers of art and architecture, Paris offers visitors a peerless abundance of delectations . See the entry > Examples: “Accept and appreciate the preferences of...
Dec 23, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 22, 2024 is: ambient • \AM-bee-unt\ • adjective In technical use, ambient describes things—such as air quality or light in a room—that exist or are present on all sides. Ambient is also used to describe electronic music that is quiet and relaxing, with melodies that repeat many times. // The chemicals must be kept at an ambient temperature of 70°F. See the entry > Examples: “Many New Yorkers revel in the city’s ambient rumble—the thu...
Dec 22, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2024 is: testimonial • \tess-tuh-MOH-nee-ul\ • noun A testimonial is a written or spoken statement in which a person says they used a product or service and liked it, or that they appreciate someone's work, skill, character, etc. Testimonial is also used as a synonym of evidence and testimony . // The website is full of testimonials from satisfied customers. // The book's popularity is a testimonial to its timeliness. See the ent...
Dec 21, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 20, 2024 is: beatific • \bee-uh-TIFF-ik\ • adjective Beatific is a formal word that describes something or someone having a blissful appearance or showing complete happiness. // As the pair danced, beatific smiles on their faces, the audience sat hushed and almost reverential. See the entry > Examples: “Most vividly, there was Tracy Chapman , back on the Grammys stage after years out of the spotlight to sing ‘Fast Car,’ her gentle ye...
Dec 20, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 19, 2024 is: requite • \rih-KWYTE\ • verb To requite is to give or do something in return for something that another person has given or done, or for a benefit or service that has been provided. // Sam was worried that the feelings she’d expressed on her date were not requited , but was relieved and overjoyed to learn that they were. See the entry > Examples: “I had attracted the interest of some boys ... but mostly, I wrote short st...
Dec 19, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 18, 2024 is: qualm • \KWAHM\ • noun A qualm is a feeling of doubt or uncertainty about whether one is doing the right thing, or whether something is right or proper. Qualm is often used in its plural form, as in “I have no qualms with that decision.” // Elena’s parents had no qualms about her organizing a dinner party for her three closest friends. See the entry > Examples: “ Pinkerton agents had few qualms about what we consider eth...
Dec 18, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 17, 2024 is: lexical • \LEK-sih-kul\ • adjective To describe something as lexical is to say that it is related to words or vocabulary. // A dictionary provides lexical information—it tells you what the word "cat" means, not all there is to know about cats. See the entry > Examples: "From his [artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's ] lyrical brushstrokes to his lexical compositions, music is imbued even when the reference is subtle or ambiguou...
Dec 17, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 16, 2024 is: allusion • \uh-LOO-zhun\ • noun An allusion is a reference to something that avoids mentioning the thing directly. Allusion may also describe the use of such a statement or the act of alluding to something. // The lyrics contain biblical allusions . // They made allusion to their first marriage, but said nothing more about it. See the entry > Examples: “ The Rings of Power is full of echoes and allusions to the original ...
Dec 16, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 15, 2024 is: cavalier • \kav-uh-LEER\ • adjective Someone described as cavalier shows no concern for important or serious matters. Cavalier also describes attitudes, manners, etc., that show the same lack of concern. // The company provides regular training about the dangers of being cavalier in sharing privileged information. See the entry > Examples: “I’d failed math and chemistry the previous quarter; my European history teacher h...
Dec 15, 2024•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 14, 2024 is: venerate • \VEN-uh-rayt\ • verb To venerate someone or something is to feel or show deep respect for them because they are considered great, holy, etc. // Her best-selling trilogy led to her becoming a writer venerated by generations of admirers. See the entry > Examples: “Vietnam is the world’s third-largest rice exporter, and the staple importance to Vietnamese culture is palpable in the Mekong Delta. The fertile patch...
Dec 14, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
