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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

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Merriam-Webster

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

#10

herald

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 26, 2024 is: herald  \HAIR-uld\  verb Herald is a verb meaning "to give notice of"; it is synonymous with [announce] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/announce) , [publicize] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/publicize) , and [foreshadow] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreshadow) . Herald may also mean "to greet especially with enthusiasm." // The appearance of robins heralded the [advent] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Advent) of spring. // She is being heralded as the year's best new author. [See the entry >] (https://bit.ly/45F2rP7) Examples: "Trumpets herald the arrival of the players at the arena." — Simon Webster, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2023 Did you know? While herald the verb is more common today, [herald] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herald) the noun is older. When the word was first welcomed into English in the early 14th century, it referred to an official at a [tournament] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tournament) (one of those knightly sporting events the Middle Ages are famous for). The herald's duties included making announcements, hence the word's uses relating to announcements both literal and metaphorical. The word is ultimately Germanic in origin, though like so many words of 14th century vintage, it came to English by way of Anglo-French. The resemblance between herald and the name Harold is not coincidental: Harold is a modern form of Chariovalda, the name of a 1st century C.E. leader of the Batavi, a tribe who lived on the lower [Rhine] (https://www.britannica.com/place/Rhineland) . The Germanic source of Chariovalda, haria-, is also the source of herald. ... Read more

22 hrs Ago

01 MINS

01:44

22 hrs Ago

#9

fealty

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 25, 2024 is: fealty  \FEE-ul-tee\  noun Fealty is an old-fashioned and somewhat literary word that refers to intense loyalty or fidelity to a person, group, etc. More narrowly, fealty refers to the [fidelity] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fidelity) of a [vassal] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vassal) or feudal tenant to their lord. // Authors who inspire such fealty can guarantee a publisher good sales, no matter the quality of the books they write. // Kneeling before the entire court, the knight pledged his fealty to the king. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fealty) Examples: “[Director, Denis] Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ movies deserve admiration if only for their fealty and ambition; the filmmaker’s respect for [Frank] Herbert’s [source material] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dune-by-Herbert) radiates from every frame of movies that feel as massive as they are minutely orchestrated.” — Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 Did you know? In The Use of Law, published posthumously in 1629, [Francis Bacon] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francis-Bacon-Viscount-Saint-Alban) wrote, “Fealty is to take an oath upon a book, that he will be a faithful Tenant to the King.” That’s a pretty accurate summary of the early meaning of fealty. Early forms of the term were used in Middle English in the early 14th century, when they specifically designated the loyalty of a [vassal] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vassal) to a lord. Eventually, the meaning of the word broadened. Fealty can be paid to a country, a principle, or a leader of any kind, though the synonyms fidelity and loyalty are more commonly used. Fealty comes from the Anglo-French word feelté, or fealté, which comes from the Latin noun fidēlitās, meaning “fidelity.” These words come ultimately from fidēs, the Latin word for “faith.” ... Read more

Yesterday

01 MINS

01:59

Yesterday

#8

sanctimonious

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2024 is: sanctimonious  \sank-tuh-MOH-nee-us\  adjective Someone described as sanctimonious behaves as though they are morally superior to others. Language or behavior that suggests the same kind of moral superiority can also be described as sanctimonious. // While the subject matter was interesting, I found the presenter’s sanctimonious tone rather distracting. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sanctimonious) Examples: “Smart and sincere but never sanctimonious, the awareness-raising drama doubles as a public service message of sorts.” — Peter Debruge, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 Did you know? There’s nothing sacred about sanctimonious—at least not anymore. But in the early 1600s, the English adjective was still sometimes used to describe someone truly holy or pious, a sense at an important remove from today’s use describing someone who acts or behaves as though they are morally superior to others. (The now-obsolete “pious” sense recalls the meaning of the word’s Latin parent, sanctimonia, meaning “holiness” or “ [sanctity] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sanctity) .”) [Shakespeare] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Shakespeare) used both the “holy” and “holier-than-thou” senses of sanctimonious in his work, referring in [The Tempest] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Tempest) to the “sanctimonious” (that is, “holy”) ceremonies of marriage, and in [Measure for Measure] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Measure-for-Measure) to “the sanctimonious pirate that went to sea with the Ten Commandments but scraped one out of the table.” (Apparently, the pirate found the restriction on stealing inconvenient.) ... Read more

24 Jul 2024

01 MINS

01:55

24 Jul 2024

#7

catastrophe

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 23, 2024 is: catastrophe  \kuh-TASS-truh-fee\  noun A catastrophe is never a good thing. Catastrophe can refer to a momentous tragic event, an utter failure, a violent and sudden change in a feature of the earth, or a violent usually destructive natural event. // Despite her careful planning, the party turned out to be a catastrophe. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catastrophe) Examples: "In the event of a major catastrophe like a hurricane, the agency would have a funding reserve set aside for initial response and recovery operations." — Ella Nilsen, CNN, 10 June 2024 Did you know? When catastrophe was borrowed from Greek in the 1500s it was a term for tearjerkers: the catastrophe was the conclusion or final event of a usually tragic dramatic work. (Greek katastrophē, which means the same thing, comes from katastrephein, meaning "to overturn.") From there, the word moved on to occupy other territory relating to tragic happenings, utter failures, and the worst sort of natural disasters. Just as disaster can range from a calamitous event to one that is merely unsuccessful, catastrophe can refer to what is truly devastating as well as to what is simply deeply disheartening. In Henry IV, Part 2, Shakespeare opted to steer the word away from disaster entirely and plant it squarely in the world of burlesque: "You scullion! You rampallian! You fustilarian! I'll tickle your catastrophe!" May all our catastrophes be of such a comic variety. ... Read more

23 Jul 2024

02 MINS

02:03

23 Jul 2024

#6

extenuate

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2024 is: extenuate  \ik-STEN-yuh-wayt\  verb Extenuate is a formal word that is most often used to mean “to lessen the strength or effect of something, such as a risk.” In legal use, to extenuate a crime, offense, etc., is to lessen or to try to lessen its seriousness or extent by making partial excuses. // Developers are trying to extenuate the various risks associated with the product. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extenuate) Examples: “ [Oedipus] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oedipus-Greek-mythology) , paragon of problem-solvers, discovers by the end of the play the limits of his own keen intellect. In trying to outrun his fate, he learns that he is part of a design that is larger than his understanding. But it is as a victim of fate that he finds the freedom to assume a courageous responsibility for deeds committed in ignorance. ... Nothing can extenuate the horror of acts he spent his adult life trying to avoid.” — Charles McNulty, The Los Angeles Times, 12 Sept. 2022 Did you know? Extenuate is most familiar in the phrase “ [extenuating circumstances] (https://bit.ly/4cDR1gM) ,” which refers to situations or facts that provide a partial justification or excuse for something. The word extenuate can, however, also be used all on its own. Its most typical use is with the meaning “to lessen the strength or effect of something, such as a risk,” but it also has legal use closely related to the meaning of “extenuating circumstances”; to extenuate a crime, offense, etc., is to lessen or to try to lessen its seriousness or extent by making partial excuses. Extenuate didn’t get its start in this semantic territory, however. It was borrowed into English in the 1500s with a now-archaic meaning it took directly from its Latin forebear, extenuare: “to make light of; to treat as unimportant.” Extenuate is today mostly at home in technical and legal contexts, but it occasionally appears in general writing with what may be a developing meaning: “to prolong, worsen, or exaggerate.” This meaning, which is likely influenced by the words [extend] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extend) and [accentuate] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accentuate) , is not yet fully established. ... Read more

22 Jul 2024

02 MINS

02:38

22 Jul 2024

#5

visage

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 21, 2024 is: visage  \VIZ-ij\  noun Visage is a formal word that refers to someone’s face or facial expression, or to the general appearance of something. // Manny was surprised to see the smiling visage of his childhood friend, now running for the state senate, beaming down from a billboard. // Don’t be intimidated by the rugged visage of the mountain; it’s accessible to climbers of all skill levels. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/visage) Examples: “[Keri] Russell was 22 when she was cast in the title role of Felicity. At the beginning of the series, her character was 17 years old, but thanks to Russell’s preternaturally youthful visage (and that glorious head of hair!), she pulled it off believably.” — Jessica Sager, Parade, 7 Jan. 2024 Did you know? In “ [Ozymandias] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ozymandias-poem) ,” [Percy Bysshe Shelley’s] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley) famous poem, a traveller tells of a colossal statue’s “shattered visage” lying half sunk in desert sands, going on to describe its “frown / And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command…” Now, Shelley could have simply chosen face over the more [highfalutin] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/highfalutin) synonym visage, but not only would face shatter the [sonnet’s] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonnet) [iambic] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iambic) [pentameter] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pentameter) , but a formal-sounding word is sometimes preferable to a basic one for all kinds of reasons, including sound, tone, or simply the [cut of its jib] (https://bit.ly/4akPvP3) . [Physiognomy] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/physiognomy) , for instance, refers to facial features thought to reveal qualities of temperament or character, as when [Emily Brontë] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Emily-Bronte) writes in [Wuthering Heights] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wuthering-Heights) , “I thought I could detect in his physiognomy a mind owning better qualities than his father ever possessed.” [Countenance] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countenance) , meanwhile, is often used to refer to the face as an indication of mood or emotion, as in [Bram Stoker’s] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bram-Stoker) [Dracula] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dracula-novel) : “Mina struggled hard to keep her brave countenance.” As all of these quotes attest, when it comes to wordsmithery, sometimes you’ve just got to [vamp] (https://bit.ly/3QJLyMU) . ... Read more

21 Jul 2024

02 MINS

02:15

21 Jul 2024

#4

amiable

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 20, 2024 is: amiable  \AY-mee-uh-bul\  adjective Someone or something described as amiable is friendly and agreeable. // Both children have amiable dispositions, which makes them easy to travel with. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amiable) Examples: "An amiable, Honda Civic–driving, bird-watching [Everyman] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/everyman) in shorts and glasses, Gary somehow turns out to be the perfect fake assassin." — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 May 2024 Did you know? Amiable has its roots in amīcus the Latin word for "friend," and can ultimately be traced back to the verb amare, meaning "to love." English has been friendly with amiable since the 14th century, at which time it meant "pleasing" or "admirable" (a sense that is now obsolete). The current, familiar senses of "generally agreeable" and "friendly and sociable" came centuries later. Amare has also given English speakers such words as [amative] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amative) and [amorous] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amorous) (both meaning "strongly moved by love"), [amour] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amour) ("a usually illicit love affair"), and even [amateur] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amateur) (which originally meant "admirer"). And that’s just the tip of the amare iceberg: its influence on [Romance languages] (https://bit.ly/3VKkZZM) is nothing short of [integral] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integral) . The Spanish word for "friendship" is amistad, the French word for "friend" is ami, and the Italian word for "love"? That’s amore. ... Read more

20 Jul 2024

01 MINS

01:49

20 Jul 2024

#3

nonplus

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2024 is: nonplus  \nahn-PLUS\  verb To nonplus someone is to perplex them, or in other words, to cause them to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do. // The stranger's odd question about the town where my grandfather was born nonplussed me. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonplus) Examples: "Motherhood is only somewhat less likely to nonplus the reader than How Should a Person Be? On one level, it's a feminist disputation over art versus maternity—whether a female writer must be a mother or whether she can get away with being just (just!) a writer. But this is also a book about life with a capital L." — Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2022 Did you know? Does nonplus perplex you? You aren't alone. Some people believe the non in nonplus means "not," and assume that to be nonplussed is to be calm and poised, but in fact the opposite is true. If you are among the baffled, the word's history may clarify things. In Latin, non plus means "no more." When [nonplus] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonplus) debuted in English in the 16th century, it was used as a noun synonymous with [quandary] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quandary) . Someone brought to a nonplus had reached an impasse in an argument and could say no more. In short time, people began applying nonplus as a verb, and today it is often used in [participial] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/participial) form with the meaning "perplexed" (as in "Joellen's strange remark left us utterly nonplussed"). ... Read more

19 Jul 2024

01 MINS

01:57

19 Jul 2024

#2

tomfoolery

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 18, 2024 is: tomfoolery  \tahm-FOO-luh-ree\  noun Tomfoolery is a word with an old-fashioned sound to it that refers to playful or silly behavior. // The antics in the play itself apparently inspired tomfoolery behind the scenes as well, as cast members constantly played practical jokes on one another. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tomfoolery) Examples: “Children aged seven and older are invited to be part of some musical mischief with the BBC Concert Orchestra and star percussionist Colin Currie, not to mention the world premiere of the Beano Concerto for percussion and orchestra. Actors and animation will also play a part and there’s plenty of audience participation too. Prepare for charming tomfoolery and the perfect first foray into classical music.” — Martha Alexander, The Evening Standard (London), 30 May 2023 Did you know? The word tomfoolery owes a debt to one Thome Fole, but just who that Mr. Fole was is unclear. A court jester identified as Thome Fole was employed at Durham Abbey in the 14th century, but the record is unclear about whether Thome Fole was the given name of this particular performer, or if the name was applied as a generic moniker to jesters. Regardless, Thome Fole eventually evolved into tomfool, which was in use as a noun referring to any notable fool by the early 17th century, and as an adjective describing such fools by the mid-18th century. Tomfoolery as a term for playful or foolish behavior didn’t come into use until the early 19th century, but it’s proven to be of far more use to English speakers than tomfool. ... Read more

18 Jul 2024

02 MINS

02:04

18 Jul 2024

#1

otiose

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2024 is: otiose  \OH-shee-ohss\  adjective Otiose is a formal word typically used to describe either something that serves no useful purpose, or something that has no use or effect. // I enjoyed the storyline, but was bothered by the otiose punctuation. // The new zoning regulations rendered their proposal for the empty lot otiose. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/otiose) Examples: "Christian Tetzlaff has only begun to play the concerto recently, but it was a masterly performance. The concentrated tension, always the hallmark of Tetzlaff’s playing, never flagged.... In other hands, an encore might have been otiose after all that. But Tetzlaff’s playing of the [andante] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/andante) from Bach’s A minor solo sonata proved just as magical, and seemed to draw the entire hall into its hushed meditations." — Martin Kettle, The Guardian (London), 25 Aug. 2023 Did you know? In this life, some pursuits seem destined to [set the world on fire] (https://bit.ly/3zhbkSR) while others simply aren’t [worth the candle] (https://bit.ly/4bfQT5Z) . That’s where otiose comes in. The adjective traces back to the Latin noun otium meaning “leisure.” When otiose was first used in the late-18th century it described things that, like leisure (at least according to some), are pointless or otherwise produce no useful result, as in “it would be otiose to ask you about the book since you haven’t read it yet.” By the mid-19th century it was also being used to describe people who indulge a bit too much in leisure and idleness—your [loafers] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loafer) , [layabouts] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/layabout) , and [lazybones] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lazybones) —and thus need a [fire lit under them] (https://bit.ly/45DEkAc) . Both otiose and the noun [otiosity] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/otiosity) (which predates the adjective by several centuries) are usually found in formal writing, but should you have a burning desire to do so, feel free to drop either into casual contexts at your leisure. ... Read more

17 Jul 2024

02 MINS

02:14

17 Jul 2024

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

…

Merriam-Webster

#10

herald

#9

fealty

#8

sanctimonious

#7

catastrophe

#6

extenuate

#5

visage

#4

amiable

#3

nonplus

#2

tomfoolery

#1

otiose