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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

taciturn

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 14, 2024 is: taciturn  \TASS-uh-tern\  adjective Taciturn is a formal word that describes someone who tends to be quiet or who tends to speak infrequently. // One of the twins was taciturn and shy, while the other one was more outgoing. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taciturn) Examples: “ [Joan Didion] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joan-Didion) looks straight at the camera, with her fist curled in front of her mouth—as if to indicate it is through her hands that the taciturn thinker speaks.” — Evelyn McDonnell, The World According to Joan Didion, 2023 Did you know? Even if you consider yourself a person of few words, taciturn is a good one to keep in your pocket, if for no other reason than it’s an efficient way to describe your own particular [deportment] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deportment) . While ramblers ramble and babblers babble, the taciturn among us turn things down a notch, preferring to [keep mum] (https://bit.ly/3zhjvyG) rather than add their voices to the verbal hubbub. Taciturn traces back ultimately to the Latin verb tacēre, meaning “to be silent.” While English users were quicker to adopt other tacēre descendants such as the adjective [tacit] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tacit) (“expressed without words” or “implied”) in the 1600s and even the noun [taciturnity] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taciturnity) in the 1400s, taciturn wasn’t on anyone’s lips until the 1700s. ... Read more

14 hrs Ago

01 MINS

01:44

14 hrs Ago

#9

ideate

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 13, 2024 is: ideate  \EYE-dee-ayt\  verb To ideate is to form an idea or conception of something. // Jocelyn used the education seminar's lunch hour to talk with other teachers and ideate new activities to use in the classroom. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ideate) Examples: “Well, luckily, at the same time that I was working within these industry spaces, I was also building ARRAY. It’s over a decade old, it is a distribution company, we distribute films by women and filmmakers of color, we have public programming for free, for the community, all around cinema. We have a four-building campus in Echo Park where we edit and we ideate and we educate and we do all kinds of beautiful things.” — Ava DuVernay, Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso [podcast], 14 Jan. 2024 Did you know? Like [idea] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idea) and [ideal] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ideal) , ideate comes from the Greek verb idein, which means “to see.” The sight-thought connection came courtesy of [Plato] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Plato) , the Greek philosopher who based his theory of the ideal on the concept of seeing, claiming that a true philosopher can see the essential nature of things and can recognize their ideal form or state. Early uses of idea, ideal, and ideate in English were associated with Platonic philosophy; idea meant “an archetype” or “a standard of perfection,” ideal meant “existing as an archetype,” and ideate referred to forming Platonic ideas. But though ideate is tied to ancient philosophy, the word itself is a modern concoction, relatively speaking. It first appeared in English only about 400 years ago. ... Read more

Yesterday

02 MINS

02:06

Yesterday

#8

verbatim

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 12, 2024 is: verbatim  \ver-BAY-tim\  adverb Verbatim is an adverb meaning "in the exact words," or in other words, "word for word." // The coach was quoted verbatim in the article announcing that she would retire at the end of the season. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbatim) Examples: "The case is drawn from astonishing real-life events and much of the dialogue is lifted verbatim from court transcripts." — Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 13 Jan. 2023 Did you know? As every [bona fide] (https://bit.ly/3XEEswO) word nerd knows, English is rich with Latin descendants. While most have undergone changes in spelling, some are the same—in other words, they are spelled verbatim. We won't list examples of such [ad nauseam] (https://bit.ly/4gxX09I) , but a few include [caveat] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caveat) , [ego] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ego) , [vice versa] (https://bit.ly/3MISRC3) and, of course, verbatim. This last word comes to us from the Medieval Latin word verbātim which also means "word for word." As you may have noticed, there’s a verb in verbatim, and that’s no mere coincidence. Both verb and verbatim come from verbum, the Latin word for "word." The influence of verbum can be seen in other common English words such as [proverb] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proverb) , [verbose] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbose) , [adverb] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adverb) , [et cetera] (https://bit.ly/3TnvuBG) . And speaking of adverbs, verbatim isn’t just an adverb; it’s also used as an adjective to mean "being in or following the exact words" (as in "a verbatim report") and on rare occasions as a noun referring to an account, translation, or report that follows the original word for word. ... Read more

12 Oct 2024

01 MINS

01:56

12 Oct 2024

#7

scapegoat

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 11, 2024 is: scapegoat  \SKAYP-goat\  noun A scapegoat is a person who is unfairly blamed for something others have done. // The CFO was made the scapegoat for the company’s failures. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scapegoat) Examples: "It's a lively, funny movie, as more of Littlehampton's locals start getting aggressive letters packed with the same redundant profanity, and respond to them with absolute horror—and a certain amount of glee at having such a deliciously transgressive scandal to chew over, and such a perfect scapegoat as Rose to blame for all of it." — Tasha Robinson, Polygon.com, 27 July 2024 Did you know? On [Yom Kippur] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yom-Kippur) , the ancient Hebrews would sacrifice one goat for God and lead another one, over whom all the sins of Israel had been confessed, into the wilderness to bear the sins of the people away. The ceremony is described in [Leviticus] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Leviticus) , where it is said that one lot shall be cast for God and one for " [Azazel] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Azazel) ." Modern scholars usually interpret Azazel (ʽazāzēl in Hebrew) as being the name of a demon living in the desert, but ancient biblical translators thought ʽazāzēl referred to the goat itself, apparently confusing the word with the Hebrew phrase ʽēz 'ōzēl, meaning "goat that departs." Thus, in a 16th century English translation, the word for Azazel/the goat was rendered as scapegoote—that is, "goat that escapes." The extended senses of scapegoat we use today evolved from this biblical use. ... Read more

11 Oct 2024

02 MINS

02:03

11 Oct 2024

#6

numinous

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 10, 2024 is: numinous  \NOO-muh-nus\  adjective Numinous is a formal, often literary, word that typically describes things that have a mysterious or spiritual quality. It can also describe something holy or something that appeals to one's aesthetic sense. // We were overcome by the numinous atmosphere of the catacombs. // The artist's sculptures dominate the space, their numinous presence welcoming museum-goers to a foreign world. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/numinous) Examples: “The breakthrough for me was the idea of embedding the hymnlike harmonies of [Charles Ives’s] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Edward-Ives) sublime ‘The Unanswered Question’ within my music. Ives gives this hushed hymn to a string orchestra, playing pianississimo throughout. A lone trumpet, seeming to come from another planet, asks ‘the question’ repeatedly—five notes without a text but full of numinous meaning.” — [John Adams] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Adams-American-composer-and-conductor) , The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023 Did you know? When people of the 1600s were ruminating on an adjective to reflect their awe of the mystical and supernatural elements of their experiences, they gave the nod to numinous, and quite aptly so. Numinous comes from the Latin word numen, which can mean both “a nod of the head” and “divine will,” the latter sense suggesting a figurative divine nod indicating approval or command. (English users were already using the noun [numen] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/numen) , a direct borrowing from Latin, to refer to a spiritual force or influence associated with a particular place or phenomenon.) Numinous is not a common or everyday word, which seems fitting for one used to describe what is far from [quotidian] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quotidian) , and instead part of the realm of the spiritual, the holy, or the transcendent. ... Read more

10 Oct 2024

02 MINS

02:09

10 Oct 2024

#5

coruscate

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 9, 2024 is: coruscate  \KOR-uh-skayt\  verb To coruscate is to give off or reflect light in bright beams or flashes. Coruscate is used as a synonym of [sparkle] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sparkle) and may also be used to mean "to be brilliant or showy in technique or style." // She placed a bid on a classic car from the 1950s, [replete] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/replete) with yards of coruscating chrome. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coruscate) Examples: "The show is beautifully laid out. It's installed in a small, dark, semicircular gallery, with jewelry in vitrines spotlighted against a black [acetate] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acetate) and Plexiglas. The diamonds glint and coruscate as you move across the displays." — Seph Rodney, The New York Times, 2 Sept. 2024 Did you know? "You're a shining star / No matter who you are." So sang the band [Earth, Wind & Fire] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Earth-Wind-and-Fire) on their 1975 hit "Shining Star," which is not only a coruscating gem of funk and soul but one that serves as a handy (and catchy) way to remember the dual uses of the verb coruscate. This formal-sounding synonym of [sparkle] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sparkle) comes from the Latin verb coruscare, meaning "to flash." Originally, coruscate was used only literally, applied when things—such as, well, shining stars—glitter or gleam, as when [Nathaniel Hawthorne] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nathaniel-Hawthorne) wrote in his 1852 short story about a scarecrow, "Feathertop," that "the star kept coruscating on Feathertop's breast…." Eventually, coruscate gained figurative use, applying to those human shining stars who may be said to have a "coruscating wit" or "coruscating brilliance," or to things (such as satires, performances, or prose) that are metaphorically brilliant. ... Read more

09 Oct 2024

02 MINS

02:07

09 Oct 2024

#4

exorbitant

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 8, 2024 is: exorbitant  \ig-ZOR-buh-tunt\  adjective Exorbitant describes something that goes far beyond what is fair, reasonable, or expected (as by being too high, too expensive, etc.). // The cost of our stay was so exorbitant you would have thought that we had bought the hotel and not just spent a few nights there. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exorbitant) Examples: “Facing budgetary pressure and dwindling state funding, higher education seems increasingly uninterested in fighting for the greater good. Such purpose is sacrificed for more short-sighted pursuits that appear to justify the exorbitant cost of college.” — Pepper Stetler, LitHub.com, 23 Aug. 2024 Did you know? Not all who wander are lost, but at one time such [errant] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/errant) souls might have been called exorbitant. Exorbitant traces back to the Late Latin verb exorbitare, meaning “to deviate,” which in turn was formed by combining the prefix ex- (“out of”) with the noun orbita, which referred to the rut or track of a wheel. While exorbitant could describe something moving erratically—physically straying from its usual course—it was also applied figuratively to other “wanderers,” such as off-topic remarks, powers going beyond the scope of the law, and even sinful people, i.e., those no longer on the [straight and narrow] (https://bit.ly/3Xmmluy) . Eventually, exorbitant developed its extended sense as a synonym of excessive, and it is now used to describe that which exceeds appropriate or customary limits in intensity, quality, amount, or size. ... Read more

08 Oct 2024

02 MINS

02:02

08 Oct 2024

#3

lèse-majesté

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 7, 2024 is: lèse-majesté  \layz-MAJ-uh-stee\  noun Lèse-majesté (less commonly spelled lese majesty) can refer to a true crime or offense, or to something likened to a crime or offense. Most often, it’s the latter, with lèse-majesté referring—seriously or playfully—to an act of disrespect that diminishes the dignity or importance of someone or something. In the former use, lèse-majesté refers to a crime (such as treason) that is committed against a sovereign power, or to an offense that violates the dignity of a ruler as the representative of a sovereign power. // Their less-than-formal attire at the wedding was regarded in jest as lèse-majesté. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lese-majeste) Examples: "The graphic novelist Posy Simmonds has won the Grand Prix at France's Angoulême International Comics festival—the first time a British artist and author has been awarded the world's most prestigious prize for lifetime achievement in comics. … "I wanted to take the story of Madame Bovary but update it and it would be my story," she said. "When it was published in French, I was rather frightened. I was worried it would be seen as lèse-majesté that I had appropriated this great French classic. But they really liked the book, which was wonderful." — Angelique Chrisafis, The Guardian (London, England), 24 Jan. 2024 Did you know? Lèse-majesté (or lese majesty, as it is also styled in English publications) came into English by way of Middle French, from the Latin laesa majestas, which literally means "injured majesty." The English term can conceivably cover any offense against a sovereign power or its ruler, from treason to a simple breach of etiquette, but lèse-majesté has also acquired a more lighthearted or ironic meaning, referring to something that insults or shows disrespect, especially to a particularly pompous or self-important person or organization. As such, it may be applied to a relatively inoffensive act that has been exaggeratedly treated as if it were a great [affront] (https://bit.ly/3z3RD15) . ... Read more

07 Oct 2024

02 MINS

02:46

07 Oct 2024

#2

berate

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 6, 2024 is: berate  \bih-RAYT\  verb To berate someone is to angrily scold or criticize them, often loudly and at length. // “Don’t berate yourself over canceling plans,” his friend told him. “Sometimes you just need to take care of yourself.” [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/berate) Examples: “The autonomous vehicles, which provide tens of thousands of rides each week, have been torched, stomped on, and verbally berated in recent months.” — Paresh Dave, WIRED, 22 July 2024 Did you know? People have berated things—and each other—for time immemorial, but the word berate has only been known to English users since the mid-1500s. Before that, if you wanted to angrily rebuke, say, an [outlaw] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Robin-Hood) for impersonating a fortune teller in order to steal [the golden hubcaps] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PETUmYAZVvY) off your royal carriage, you would [rate] (https://bit.ly/4dt27Gk) them. Berate simply added the prefix [be-] (https://bit.ly/4fIlYCK) to the existing verb rate, which is distinct from the [rate] (https://bit.ly/4dG1bhb) that means “to value or esteem.” While the more familiar rate comes ultimately from Latin, the origins of the less common “scolding” rate are obscure. ... Read more

06 Oct 2024

01 MINS

01:31

06 Oct 2024

#1

adversary

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 5, 2024 is: adversary  \AD-ver-sair-ee\  noun An adversary is an enemy or opponent. // Upon learning that its adversaries were ahead in sales, the company quickly formed a new advertising campaign. [See the entry >] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adversary) Examples: “... These students will not be better off if they know how to add up a grocery bill but have no clue about how to deal with an adversary from 10 years ago who suddenly appears before them. If the purpose of education is to prepare our children for the future, perhaps it is time to factor in the survival approach of learning how to forgive.” — Robert Enright, Psychology Today, 25 June 2024 Did you know? If you consider an opponent as someone with whom one goes [toe-to-toe] (https://bit.ly/3AUw8Ao) , [head-to-head] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/head-to-head) , or even [mano a mano] (https://bit.ly/3XdQJHh) , it may help you remember the meaning of adversary, a more formal synonym of opponent. Adversary comes from the Latin verb advertere, meaning “to turn or direct toward,” which makes sense; even if two adversaries are not literally [face-to-face] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/face-to-face) , their goals and aims are usually in direct conflict with (i.e., turned or directed toward) one another. The vertere part of advertere means “to turn,” and is the source of a number of English words, including some that are obvious, such as [inadvertent] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inadvertent) and [adverse] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adverse) , and others that are less so, like [anniversary] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anniversary) and [vertebra] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vertebra) . ... Read more

05 Oct 2024

01 MINS

01:48

05 Oct 2024

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

…

Merriam-Webster

#10

taciturn

#9

ideate

#8

verbatim

#7

scapegoat

#6

numinous

#5

coruscate

#4

exorbitant

#3

lèse-majesté

#2

berate

#1

adversary