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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

underwhelm

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 19, 2024 is: underwhelm  \un-der-WELM\  verb To underwhelm someone is to fail to impress or excite them. // Despite the hype, the movie underwhelmed most reviewers, who criticized its slow pace and poor special effects. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underwhelm) Examples: "Wake me up when NBA All-Star Weekend ends. Let’s start with the Dunk Contest, which is supposed to be the most exciting event. It wasn’t. Most of the dunks, and the judging of said dunks, underwhelmed." — Zachary Pereles, CBS Sports, 19 Feb. 2024 Did you know? [Overwhelm] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwhelm) and its rare synonym [whelm] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whelm) have both been around since the Middle Ages, but underwhelm is a 20th-century coinage. Both overwhelm and whelm come from the Middle English whelmen, meaning "to turn over" or "to cover up." Underwhelm is a playful overturning of overwhelm that is well suited for contexts in which something fails to excite. As is often the case with younger words, there is a certain amount of misinformation regarding where underwhelm came from. We have seen reports that the playwright [George S. Kaufman] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-S-Kaufman) coined it, and also that the famed sportswriter [Red Smith] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Red-Smith) claimed to have used it first. Neither of these is likely to be accurate, for the simple fact that there is evidence that underwhelming was used, albeit as an adjective, before either of these men was born. ... Read more

16 hrs Ago

01 MINS

01:53

16 hrs Ago

#9

qua

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 18, 2024 is: qua  \KWAH\  preposition Qua is a preposition used in formal speech or writing that means “in the capacity or character of (someone or something).” It is used synonymously with [as] (https://bit.ly/3uUyo87) to indicate that someone or something is being referred to or thought about in a particular way. // The artist qua artist is less interesting to me than the artist as a human being. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/qua) Examples: “He [Charlie Chaplin] financed his own films; he wrote them; he took music credit; he even choreographed. Most of the cast and crew were on his payroll. He even co-owned his distribution company. The box-office take went straight into his pocket. He was not beholden to anyone, but he was not indispensable, either. Losing the Chaplin studio had a negligible impact on the movie business qua business.” — Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 Did you know? A preposition is a word—and almost always a very small, very common word—that shows direction (to in “a letter to you”), location (at in “at the door”), or time (by in “by noon”), or that introduces an object (of in “a basket of apples”) or a capacity or role (as in “works as an editor”). As such, prepositions tend not to attract as much attention as other parts of speech (unless there is some [foofaraw] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foofaraw) about whether or not it’s [okay to end a sentence with one] (https://bit.ly/432mvJS) ). Qua, however, though very small is not very common—at least in everyday speech or writing. As one 20th-century usage writer commented, “Qua is sometimes thought affected or [pretentious] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretentious) , but it does convey meaning economically.” Qua’s meaning is quite specific—it can substitute for the phrase “in the capacity or character of” or the preposition [as] (https://bit.ly/3uUyo87) in the right context, as in “they wanted to enjoy the wine qua wine, not as a status symbol.” ... Read more

Yesterday

02 MINS

02:32

Yesterday

#8

circumlocution

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 17, 2024 is: circumlocution  \ser-kum-loh-KYOO-shun\  noun Circumlocution refers to the use of many words to say something that could be said more clearly and directly with fewer words. Usually encountered in formal speech and writing, circumlocution can also refer to speech that is intentionally [evasive] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evasive) . // The judge coughed and pointed to her watch, clearly impatient with the attorney's tiresome circumlocutions in defense of his client. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circumlocution) Examples: “The slight stiltedness of her … English merges with the circumlocution of business-school [lingo] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lingo) to produce phrases like ‘the most important aspect is to embrace a learning mind-set’ and ‘I believe we’re going to move forward in a positive way.’” — Noam Scheiber, The New York Times, 1 Oct. 2023 Did you know? In The King’s English (1906), lexicographers [H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/H-W-Fowler) advised, “Prefer the single word to the circumlocution.” It’s good advice: using more words than necessary to convey a point can confuse and annoy one’s audience. Circumlocution itself combines two Latin elements: the prefix circum-, meaning “around,” and locutio, meaning “speech.” In essence, circumlocution may be thought of as “roundabout speech.” Since at least the early 16th century, English writers have used circumlocution with disdain, naming a thing to stop, or better yet, to avoid altogether. Charles Dickens used the word to satirize political runarounds in the 1857 novel [Little Dorrit] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Little-Dorrit-novel-by-Dickens) with the creation of the fictional Circumlocution Office, a government department that delayed the dissemination of information and just about everything else. ... Read more

17 Apr 2024

02 MINS

02:14

17 Apr 2024

#7

inalienable

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 16, 2024 is: inalienable  \in-AY-lee-uh-nuh-bul\  adjective Something considered inalienable is impossible to take away or give up. // The American ethos is built on the belief that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are inalienable rights. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inalienable) Examples: "Despite the hurdles, comedians continue to negotiate their inalienable need to do stand-up to the point that money comes as a secondary concern." — Jake Kroeger, The Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2023 Did you know? Alien, alienable, inalienable—it's easy enough to see the Latin word alius, meaning "other," at the root of these three words. [Alien] (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alien) joined our language in the 14th century, and one of its earliest meanings was "belonging to another." By the early 1600s that sense of alien had led to [alienable] (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alienable) , an adjective describing something you can give away or transfer to another owner. The word [unalienable] (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unalienable) came about as its opposite, but so did inalienable, a word most likely borrowed into English on its own from French. Inalienable is the more common form today, and although we often see both forms used to modify "rights," it was unalienable that was used in the [Declaration of Independence] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Declaration-of-Independence) to describe life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. ... Read more

16 Apr 2024

01 MINS

01:48

16 Apr 2024

#6

purloin

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 15, 2024 is: purloin  \per-LOYN\  verb To purloin is to take something that belongs to someone else—that is, to steal it. Purloin is much more formal-sounding than [steal] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steal) , but is often—though not always—encountered in humorous contexts, suggesting that the theft is not serious. // The puppy managed to purloin a few cookies from the plate when no one was looking. // The studio stepped up security, fearing that someone might attempt to purloin a copy of the script for the show’s season finale. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purloin) Examples: “The pitch for every tax scam is the same: ‘We will help you avoid paying the IRS.’ While there are hundreds of legitimate ways to reduce your federal income tax bill, fraud merchants purloin millions through what the IRS calls its ‘Dirty Dozen.’ Most of the swindles involve bogus tax breaks.” — John F. Wasik, Forbes, 5 May 2023 Did you know? Picture a pie cooling on a windowsill. Peach, possibly, or perhaps plum—with perfect perfumed plumes puffing out from the holes poked in its crust. And then, suddenly, the pie is gone (as is our [alliteration] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alliteration) , at least for now). Those familiar with the classic pie-windowsill thievery of cartoons and comics know that the dessert has not been merely stolen, or even swiped, but purloined! Purloin comes from the Anglo-French verb purluigner, meaning “to prolong, postpone, or set aside.” English speakers of the 15th century borrowed purloin to use it in much the same way, applying it when someone sets something aside, concealing it so that it cannot be used by someone else. The sense meaning “to steal” developed not long after in the same century. The whiff of unseriousness often carried by purloin is not a constant; even today, it is common to read reports of people purloining large sums of money, not just delicious plum pies. But purloin does tend to carry the same particular piquancy as [pinch] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinch) and [pilfer] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pilfer) . ... Read more

15 Apr 2024

02 MINS

02:27

15 Apr 2024

#5

furlong

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 14, 2024 is: furlong  \FER-lawng\  noun A furlong is a unit of distance equal to 220 yards (about 201 meters), and is used chiefly in horse racing. // To win the [Kentucky Derby] (https://www.britannica.com/sports/Kentucky-Derby) , a [Thoroughbred] (https://bit.ly/3wks5uF) must run 10 furlongs, or one and 1/4 miles. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furlong) Examples: “My battle with this monster began a decade ago when a wayward seedling popped up in my perennial bed. It subsequently flowered so gloriously that, like a common dolt, I left it there. What I didn’t realize is that every bloom drops lots of seeds. Even worse, after the plant’s foliage withers in summer, spreading roots grow by the furlong in every direction. A pink primrose tsunami swept over my garden the following spring, choking the phlox and drowning the daylilies.” — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 26 Sept. 2023 Did you know? Furlong is an English original that can be traced back to Old English furlang, a combination of the noun furh (“ [furrow] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furrow) ”) and the adjective lang (“long”). Though now standardized as a length of 220 yards (or 1/8th of a mile), the furlong was originally defined less precisely as the length of a furrow—a trench in the earth made by a plow—in a cultivated field. This length was equal to the long side of an [acre] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acre) —an area originally defined as the amount of arable land that could be plowed by a yoke of oxen in a day, but later standardized as an area measuring 220 yards (one furlong) by 22 yards, and now defined as any area measuring 4,840 square yards. In contemporary usage, furlong is often encountered in references to horse racing. ... Read more

14 Apr 2024

02 MINS

02:13

14 Apr 2024

#4

brusque

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 13, 2024 is: brusque  \BRUSK\  adjective A person may be described as brusque when they are talking or behaving in a very direct, brief, and unfriendly way. Brusque can also describe speech that is noticeably short and abrupt. // We knew something was wrong when our normally easygoing professor was brusque and impatient with our class. // She asked for a cup of coffee and received a brusque reply: “We don't have any.” [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brusque) Examples: “Archaeologists look down on him because of his working-class background, and his brusque manner hasn't won him many friends. He doesn't argue with those he disagrees with; he just walks away.” — Dan Lybarger, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 19 Feb. 2021 Did you know? If you’ve ever felt [swept aside] (https://bit.ly/3v2UeX8) by someone with a brusque manner, that makes a certain amount of etymological sense. Brusque, you see, comes ultimately from bruscus, the Medieval Latin name for [butcher’s broom] (https://www.britannica.com/plant/butchers-broom) , a shrub whose bristly, leaf-like twigs have long been used for making brooms. Bruscus was modified to the adjective brusco in Italian, where it meant “sour” or “tart.” French, in turn, changed brusco to brusque, and the word in that form entered English in the 1600s. English speakers initially applied brusque to tartness in wine, but the word soon came to describe a harsh and stiff manner, which is just what you might expect of a word bristling with associations to stiff, scratchy brooms. ... Read more

13 Apr 2024

01 MINS

01:52

13 Apr 2024

#3

surfeit

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 12, 2024 is: surfeit  \SER-fut\  noun Surfeit is a formal word that refers to an amount or supply that is too much or more than you need. It is synonymous with the word [excess] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excess) . // The organization ended up with a surfeit of volunteers who simply got in each other's way. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surfeit) Examples: "Pet owners can have a tougher time finding apartments because of the surfeit of landlords who don't allow dogs, cats or other animals in their buildings." — Andrew J. Campa, The Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Did you know? There is an abundance—you could almost say a surfeit—of English words that come from the Latin verb facere, meaning "to do." The connection to facere is fairly obvious for words spelled with "fic," "fac," or "fec," such as [sacrifice] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrifice) , [fact] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fact) , and [infect] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infect) . For words like [stupefy] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stupefy) (a modification of the Latin word stupefacere) and [hacienda] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hacienda) (originally, in Old Spanish and Latin, facienda) the facere relation is not so apparent. As for surfeit, a "c" was dropped along the path that led from Latin through Anglo-French, where facere became faire ("to do") and sur- was added to make the verb surfaire, meaning "to overdo." It is the Anglo-French noun surfet ("excess"), however, that Middle English borrowed, eventually settling on the spelling surfeit. ... Read more

12 Apr 2024

02 MINS

02:00

12 Apr 2024

#2

discomfit

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 11, 2024 is: discomfit  \diss-KUM-fit\  verb To discomfit someone is to make them confused or upset. Discomfit is a formal synonym of the also formal (but slightly less so) [disconcert] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disconcert) . // Jacob was discomfited by the new employee’s forward, probing questions. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discomfit) Examples: “Bosley Crowther, chief film critic for The New York Times, didn’t quite know what to make of [Dr. Strangelove] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dr-Strangelove-or-How-I-Learned-to-Stop-Worrying-and-Love-the-Bomb) at the time of its release in January 1964. … What exactly was Kubrick’s point? ‘…I want to know what this picture proves.’ We may find it odd for an influential critic to expect a movie to ‘prove’ anything. Kubrick’s aim was manifestly not to prove, but to subvert and discomfit.” — Andrew J. Bacevich, The Nation, 23 Mar. 2023 Did you know? Disconcerted by discomfit and [discomfort] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discomfort) ? While the two look similar and share some [semantic] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semantic) territory, they’re etymologically unrelated. Unlike discomfort, discomfit has no connection to comfort, which comes ultimately from the Latin adjective fortis, meaning “strong.” Instead, discomfit was borrowed from Anglo-French in the 13th century with the meaning “to defeat in battle.” Within a couple centuries, discomfit had expanded beyond the battlefield to mean “to thwart,” a meaning that eventually softened into the now-common “to disconcert or confuse” use—one quite close to the uneasiness and annoyance communicated by discomfort. For a time, usage commentators were keen to keep a greater distance between discomfit and discomfort; they recommended that discomfit be limited to its original “to defeat” meaning, but they’ve largely given up now, and the “disconcert or confuse” meaning is fully established. There is one major difference between discomfit and discomfort, though: discomfit is used almost exclusively as a verb, while discomfort is much more commonly used as a noun than a verb. ... Read more

11 Apr 2024

02 MINS

02:34

11 Apr 2024

#1

vicarious

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 10, 2024 is: vicarious  \vye-KAIR-ee-us\  adjective A vicarious emotion or experience is one felt by watching, hearing about, or reading about someone else rather than by doing something yourself. // He felt a vicarious thrill as his daughter crossed the stage to accept her diploma. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vicarious) Examples: “That [Jagger] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mick-Jagger) can still sing and dance up a storm, at 80, is a triumph for him and should provide a vicarious thrill for anyone who attends a concert by the Rolling Stones next year.” — George Varga, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Dec. 2023 Did you know? If you love to read adventure tales from the comfort of home, you’re already a pro at living vicariously, so throw on those [readers] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/readers) and let us paint a picture. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to study language and share what you’ve learned with the world. You wake up and pour yourself a strong cup of coffee, and then the work begins. Today, you are tasked with understanding the history of vicarious. Your research confirms that this word originally described something having the function of a substitute—that is, something that serves instead of another thing—and that it comes from the Latin noun vicis, which means “change” or “stead.” What’s more, you learn that vicis is also the source of the English prefix [vice-] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vice) (as in “vice president”), meaning “one that takes the place of.” Keeping in mind the most common meaning of vicarious (“experienced through imaginative or sympathetic participation”), you write it all down so others can share in your experience. Mission accomplished! ... Read more

10 Apr 2024

02 MINS

02:07

10 Apr 2024

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

…

Merriam-Webster

#10

underwhelm

#9

qua

#8

circumlocution

#7

inalienable

#6

purloin

#5

furlong

#4

brusque

#3

surfeit

#2

discomfit

#1

vicarious