Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
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MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR APRIL 1, 2024 IS: SHAMBLES \SHAM-bulz\ refers to a place or state in which there is great confusion, disorder, or destruction. // The house party they had over the weekend left the entire living room in . See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shambles EXAMPLES: "In this film, three friends … reconnect and find themselves attempting to relive the glory days after suffering several defeats that life has thrown their way. After heading to a once-beloved ski resort, they find it in ." — Christopher Hinton, , 24 Feb. 2024 DID YOU KNOW? The story of appears to be a bit of a shambles: somehow, a word meaning "footstool" gave us a word meaning "mess." It all starts with the Latin word , the diminutive https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diminutive of , meaning "stool, bench." Modify the spelling and you get the Old English word , meaning "stool." Alter again to the Middle English word (the plural of ), and give it a more specific meaning: "a vendor’s table." Tweak that a little and you arrive at the 15th-century term , meaning "meat market." A century or so takes from "meat market" to "slaughterhouse," then to figurative application as a term referring to a place of terrible slaughter or bloodshed (say, a battlefield). The grim connotations fade over time, but the messiness remains, and voilà: the modern sense of meaning "mess" or "state of great confusion." Transition accomplished!
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 31, 2024 IS: EXPIATE \EK-spee-ayt\ is a formal word that typically means “to atone or make amends for something, such as a sin or offense.” // Although the editorial had characterized the mayor's failure to disclose the details of the meeting as a lapse that could not be , many of the city's citizens seemed ready to forgive all. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expiate EXAMPLES: “Godzilla has long been seen as a symbolic representation of the nuclear devastation that Japan suffered, and that theme is evident here as well. But adds a more personal dimension in the form of Koichi’s lingering trauma; the only way he thinks he’ll be able to his guilt is by destroying the monster.” — Frank Scheck, , 1 Dec. 2023 DID YOU KNOW? If you need to expiate something—that is, to atone for it—it’s sure to be something you recognize you shouldn’t have done. People expiate crimes, sins, transgressions, and the like in various ways, such as by apologizing or trying to undo damage they’ve caused. The word comes from the Latin verb (“to atone for”), a combination of and , which itself means “to atone for” as well as “to appease.” ( comes from , meaning “faithful, pious.”) The current use of dates to the early 1600s, and in the early 1500s could mean something else entirely: “to put an end to.” Shakespeare used it this way in Sonnet 22: “But when in thee time’s furrows I behold, / Then look I death my days should expiate.” Later, was a synonym of , as in this biblical prophecy: “Disaster shall fall upon you, which you will not be able to expiate” (Isaiah 47:11, RSV https://bit.ly/48epShG). Vestiges of these literary uses still cling to the word, which is most often found in formal, quasi-literary contexts.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 30, 2024 IS: HAPHAZARD \hap-HAZZ-erd\ Something haphazard has no apparent plan, order, or direction. // Considering the way you measured the ingredients, it's a wonder the cookies came out this good. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haphazard EXAMPLES: "It felt like winter for the first time that year, and Theo remembered how much she preferred the dark, the secrecy, of the season. They walked single-file up against the stone wall, wary of cars that sped up the country lane. … An owl hooted somewhere close by and they stopped to listen, sitting on a section of broken wall." — Juno Dawson, , 2023 DID YOU KNOW? The in comes from an English word that means "happening," as well as "chance or fortune." , in turn, comes from the Old Norse word , meaning "good luck." Perhaps it's no accident that https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hazard also has its own connotations of chance and luck: while it now refers commonly to something that presents danger, at one time it referred to a dice game similar to craps https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/craps. (The name ultimately comes from the Arabic word , meaning "the die.") https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haphazard first entered English as a noun meaning "chance" in the 16th century, and soon afterward was being used as an adjective to describe things with no apparent logic or order.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 29, 2024 IS: BRAGGADOCIO \brag-uh-DOH-see-oh\ refers to brash and self-confident boasting—that is, the annoying or exaggerated talk of someone who is trying to sound very proud or brave. // His hid the fact that he felt personally inadequate. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/braggadocio EXAMPLES: “In total, Lil Wayne has sold more than 120 million albums, making him one of the world's top-selling artists, and, his aside, he's widely considered one of most influential hip-hop artists of his generation and one of the greatest rappers of all time.” — L. Kent Wolgamott, , 1 Feb. 2024 DID YOU KNOW? Though Braggadocio is not as well-known as other fictional characters like Pollyanna, the Grinch, or Scrooge, in lexicography he holds a special place next to them as one of the many characters whose name has become an established word in English. The English poet Edmund Spenser https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edmund-Spenser originally created Braggadocio as a personification of boasting in his epic poem https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Faerie-Queene. As early as 1594, about four years after the poem was published, English speakers began using the name as a general term for any blustering blowhard. The now more common use of , referring to the talk or behavior of such windy https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windy cockalorums https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cockalorums, developed in the early 18th century.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 28, 2024 IS: FLOUT \FLOUT\ To flout something, such as a law or rule, is to treat it with contemptuous disregard. A teenager flouting a curfew, for example, will not hide the fact that they are out past the time they are required to be home. // The court found that the company had continued to the law despite multiple warnings. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flout EXAMPLES: "Bringing a queer sensibility and a deep understanding of Modern Orthodox Jewish tradition to novel writing, [Temim] Fruchter asks whether finding comfort in mystery is a viable alternative to standard happy endings or bleak fates. 'City of Laughter' argues that convention makes space for more authentic, expansive stories and more authentic, expansive lives." — Lauren LeBlanc, , 13 Jan. 2024 DID YOU KNOW? If you flout a rule or societal norm, you ignore it without hiding what you're doing, or showing fear or shame; you fl it "out" in the open. The similar-sounding word is sometimes used in the same way, though that word's older and more common meaning is "to display ostentatiously," as in "people who flaunt their wealth." Critics have been objecting to the confusion of these two words since the early 1900s, but use of with the meaning "to treat with contemptuous disregard" is found in even polished, edited writing, and so that meaning is included in dictionaries https://bit.ly/3wAaWxv as an established use of the word. Nonetheless, you may want to avoid it: there are still many who judge harshly those who (they feel) are flouting proper English usage.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 27, 2024 IS: AUXILIARY \awg-ZILL-yuh-ree\ In general use, describes someone or something available to provide extra help, power, etc., when it is needed. In linguistics, an verb (also called a “helping verb”) is used with another verb to do things like show a verb’s tense or form a question. In nautical https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nautical contexts, can describe a sailboat equipped with a supplementary inboard https://bit.ly/42TR7xb engine, or a vessel that provides supplementary assistance to other ships. // The auditorium has an cooling system used only on particularly sweltering days. // “Are” in “They are arriving soon” is an verb. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auxiliary EXAMPLES: “The popular museum on the National Mall—and its Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia—have hundreds of objects on display having to do with flight on Earth, but this will be the first having to do with autonomous flight on another planet.” — Roger Catlin, , 2 Feb. 2024 DID YOU KNOW? What would we do if you sang out of tune—would we stand up and walk out on you? Not likely! Instead, we would provide auxiliary harmonies, joining our voices with yours in support. And if you need a little help from your friends in understanding the meaning of , we’re here for that, too—just lend us your ears. , which comes from the Latin noun , meaning “aid,” “assistance,” or “reinforcement,” is used in a wide range of capacities in English to describe a person or thing that assists another. A fire department may bring in auxiliary units, for example, to battle a tough blaze, or a sailboat may be equipped with an auxiliary engine to supply propulsion when the wind disappears. In grammar, an auxiliary verb https://bit.ly/48zDeVW assists another (main) verb to express person, number, mood https://bit.ly/42UUjsn, or tense, such as in “They have now been informed about the meaning of .” Isn’t fab?
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 26, 2024 IS: KISMET \KIZZ-met\ refers to a power that is believed to control what happens in the future. It is synonymous with both https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fate and https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destiny. // From the moment we met, we felt connected; we knew it was . See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kismet EXAMPLES: "I'd been a fan of Fantasia since she laid on that floor [on 'American Idol'] and sang 'Summertime,' because, I swear, she was singing to me. I voted for her until my finger was numb. I've always been a fan of hers—and she says the same thing about me. We always wanted to meet each other. It was . So it was easy. The chemistry was natural." — Taraji P. Henson, quoted in , 1 Jan. 2024 DID YOU KNOW? Is it your fate to tie macramé https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/macrame while drinking coffee and eating sherbet in a minaret? That would be an unusual destiny, but if it turns out to be your kismet, you will owe much to Turkish and Arabic. We borrowed from Turkish in the 1800s, but it ultimately comes from the Arabic word , meaning "portion" or "lot." Several other terms in our bizarre opening question (namely, , , , and https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minaret) have roots in those languages too. In the case of and , there is a little French influence as well. and also have Italian relations, and https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sherbet has an ancestor in a Persian name for a type of cold drink.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 25, 2024 IS: GENUFLECT \JEN-yuh-flekt\ To genuflect is to kneel, or nearly kneel, on one knee and then rise again in worship or as an act of respect. In figurative use, means "to be humbly obedient or respectful." // Churchgoers before the altar. // The politician was criticized for to corporate interests. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genuflect EXAMPLES: "Many of the people whom director Rob Reiner has throwing bouquets during this documentary—Steven Spielberg, Larry David, Jon Stewart, Conan O’Brien and Sharon Stone among them—are all more famous than Mr. [Albert] Brooks https://www.britannica.com/biography/Albert-Brooks, but before his comedic genius." — John Anderson, , 9 Nov. 2023 DID YOU KNOW? Today we give reverence to , which comes from the Late Latin word , formed from the noun ("knee") and the verb ("to bend"). appears in the etymologies of a number of more common verbs, such as https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reflect ("to bend or throw back light") and https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflect ("to turn aside"). By comparison has seen little use in English, but it did give us https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geniculate, a word used in scientific contexts to mean "bent abruptly at an angle like a bent knee." Despite the resemblance, words such as https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genius and https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genuine are not related to ; instead, they are related ( directly, and indirectly) to the Latin verb , meaning "to beget https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beget."
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 24, 2024 IS: MEGILLAH \muh-GHIL-uh\ is slang for a long, involved story or account. can also refer to a complicated sequence of events, or it can be used as a synonym of https://bit.ly/3Ub1BWv meaning “everything involved in what is under consideration.” All three senses of are often preceded by the adjective . // Don’t worry about reciting the whole from last night’s game; just give me the highlights. // Our grandfather always made a whole out of Sundays, waking up before dawn to visit yard sales, then cooking a big meal in the afternoons for our extended family. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/megillah EXAMPLES: “What’s in a middle name? Pretty much the whole , for the media scion known as Kendall Logan Roy. That middle name is more than just his father’s branding—it’s the gravitational core around which Kendall’s selfhood swings. For four seasons of ‘Succession,’ we’ve watched the mercurial magnate’s second son and occasional heir apparent strain against his birthright, sometimes plotting to overthrow his father, other times weeping submissively into his chest.” — Michael Schulman, , 25 May 2023 DID YOU KNOW? comes from the Yiddish word , which itself comes from the Hebrew noun , meaning “scroll” or “volume.” ( is especially likely to be used in reference to the Book of Esther, which is read aloud at Purim http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purim celebrations.) It makes sense, then, that when first appeared in English in the early 20th century, it referred to a story that was so long (and often tedious or complicated) that it was reminiscent of the length of the scrolls. The Hebrew word is serious, but the Yiddish can be somewhat playful, and English’s has also inherited that lightheartedness.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 23, 2024 IS: PEDANTIC \pih-DAN-tik\ describes someone or something that exhibits the characteristics of a pedant https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedant—that is, a person who often annoys other people by correcting small errors and giving too much attention to minor details. also means “narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostentatious learned https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/learned.” // Their habit of reminding fellow birders that the bird is called a “Canada goose” and not a “Canadian goose” came across as rather than helpful. // Several attendees walked out of the lecture due to the nature of the presentation. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedantic EXAMPLES: “Published ... in 1818, ‘Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus’ is a terrifying, thought-provoking novel about the nature of humanity and the consequences of bringing life into the world. The titular character, as many a fan will have you know, isn’t the monster but his creator Victor Frankenstein.” — Wilson Chapman, , 12 Feb. 2024 DID YOU KNOW? In Shakespeare’s day, a pedant was a male schoolteacher. The word’s meaning was close to that of the Italian , from which the English word was adapted. Someone who was pedantic was simply a tutor or teacher. But some instructional pedants of the day must have been pompous and dull because by the early 1600s both and had gained extended senses applying to anyone who was obnoxiously and tediously devoted to their own academic acumen https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acumen. When describing arguments, can be used for instances where one relies too heavily on minor details as a way to show off one’s intelligence.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 22, 2024 IS: DRAGOON \druh-GOON\ When used with https://bit.ly/4bJRIFD, means "to force or convince someone to do something." Without , means "to subjugate or persecute by harsh use of troops." // Employees complained that they had been into working overtime without adequate compensation. See the entry > https://bit.ly/3uKjWQ0 EXAMPLES: "Half of the workforce was laid off, but those whose roles turned out to be somewhat critical were then begged to return. Some unlucky engineers were into launching the new Twitter Blue feature, which would charge users $7.99 per month for a 'verified' check mark; the rollout was catastrophic." — Sheon Han, , 5 Jan. 2024 DID YOU KNOW? A dragoon https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dragoon was a mounted European infantryman of the 17th and 18th centuries armed with a firearm called by the same name. We suspect no arm-twisting is necessary to convince you that the firearm's name, which came to English from French, comes from the fired weapon's resemblance to a fire-breathing dragon. History has recorded the dragonish nature of the dragoons who persecuted the French Protestants in the 17th century during the reign of Louis XIV https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-XIV-king-of-France. The persecution by means of dragoons eventually led to the use of the word as a verb.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 21, 2024 IS: SCURRILOUS \SKUR-uh-lus\ is a formal adjective that most often describes language that contains obscenities, abuse, or, especially, slander—that is, a false statement that damages a person’s reputation. can also describe someone who uses or tends to use scurrilous language, or it can describe a person or thing as evil or vulgar. // The press secretary made a point at the briefing not to address the rumors surrounding the senator. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scurrilous EXAMPLES: “There are many interesting and surprising details about ‘Jingle Bells’ known to few of the millions of people who happily sing the beloved song every December. For one, its author—a somewhat fellow named James Lord Pierpont—was the uncle of the legendary Gilded Age banker J.P. Morgan (the P. is for Pierpont), who reportedly thought little of his songwriting relative, once calling him ‘Good for nothing.’” — David Templeton, (Petaluma, California), 18 Dec. 2023 DID YOU KNOW? (and its much rarer relation https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scurrile, which has the same meaning) comes from the Middle French word , which comes ultimately from the Latin noun , meaning “buffoon” or “jester.” Fittingly, 18th-century lexicographer Samuel Johnson defined as “using such language as only the licence https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/licence of a buffoon could warrant.” Qualities traditionally associated with buffoonery—vulgarity, irreverence, and indecorousness—are qualities often invoked by the word . Unlike the words of a jester, however, “scurrilous” language of the present day more often intends to seriously harm or slander someone than to produce a few laughs.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 20, 2024 IS: FLORA \FLOR-uh\ refers to all the plants that live in a particular area, time, period, or environment. It can also be used broadly to refer to plant, bacterial, or fungal life. // Lisa admired the aquatic in the pond as she gazed out at the horizon. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flora EXAMPLES: “South Africa is endowed with a rich wealth of and is often acclaimed as a biodiversity hotspot. Thousands of plants are used for traditional medicine for the management of diverse health conditions.” — Tshepiso Ndhlovu et al., , 11 Feb. 2024 DID YOU KNOW? You may be familiar with the common phrase “flora and fauna,” which broadly refers to just about every visible living thing. While specifically refers to the animals of a region, represents the plants. made its way into English from New Latin via the Latin word , which comes from the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and the flowering season https://www.britannica.com/science/spring-season (the time of the year when flowers bloom). Flora https://www.britannica.com/topic/Flora-Roman-mythology, who was depicted as a beautiful young woman in a long, flowing dress with flowers in her hair, strewing flowers over the earth, was especially known for wildflowers and plants not raised for food. Her name also lives on and continues to thrive through the related words https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floral, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floret, and https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flourish.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 19, 2024 IS: ALLEGE \uh-LEJ\ To allege something is to assert it without proof or before proving it. // Consumer advocates that the company knew about the faulty switches but sold the product anyway. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allege EXAMPLES: "The lawsuit violation of her 4th Amendment rights, false imprisonment, negligent hiring, assault and battery, among other charges." — Erin B. Logan, , 2 Feb. 2024 DID YOU KNOW? These days, someone alleges something before presenting evidence to prove it (or perhaps without evidence at all). But the word comes directly from the Middle English verb , meaning "to submit (something) in evidence or as justification." ( traces back to the Anglo-French word , meaning "to lighten, free, or exculpate https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exculpate.") Our word has at times in the past carried a meaning closer to that of its ancestor's: it was once applied when bringing someone or something forward as a source or authority in court, as in "a text alleged in support of the argument." The word has also been used to mean "to bring forward as a reason or excuse," as in these lines from Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel : "I did not like to walk at this hour alone with Mr. Rochester in the shadowy orchard; but I could not find a reason to allege for leaving him."
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 18, 2024 IS: TAWDRY \TAW-dree\ Something described as tawdry is cheap and gaudy in appearance or quality. is also often used to describe something considered morally bad or distasteful, as in "a tawdry tale of political skulduggery https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skulduggery." // decorations cluttered the tiny house. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tawdry EXAMPLES: "Chicago boasts a deep bench of architectural talent to make a pedestrianized https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedestrianize State Street a success, whether with a modernist, traditional or some new-fangled flavor. In contrast, the old pedestrian mall was tacky, aping a suburban mall." — Craig Barner, , 21 Aug. 2023 DID YOU KNOW? In the 7th century, Etheldreda, the queen of Northumbria https://www.britannica.com/place/Northumbria, renounced her husband and her royal position in order to become a nun. She was renowned for her saintliness and is said to have died of a swelling in her throat, which she took as a judgment upon her fondness for wearing necklaces in her youth. Her shrine became a principal site of pilgrimage in England. An annual fair was held in her honor on October 17th, and her name became simplified to St. Audrey. At these fairs various kinds of cheap knickknacks were sold, along with a type of necklace called , which by the 16th century had become altered to . Eventually, came to be used to describe anything cheap and gaudy that might be found at these fairs or anywhere else.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 17, 2024 IS: BLARNEY \BLAR-nee\ refers to false but charming talk that often flatters the listener. // The bartender laughingly asked her gregarious https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gregarious patron if anyone ever believed his . See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blarney EXAMPLES: “Some tales are mundane, like the song about Molly Malone: ‘In Dublin fair city, the girls are so pretty …’ Did such a woman ever exist? There’s a record of a Mary Malone who lived (and died) in the 17th century. She was likely both a fishmonger and a lady of the night. … Some tales are . Blarney Castle dates to 1446, and there’s a slab of carboniferous limestone near the top. It’s said to be the stone used by Jacob as a pillow when he dreamt of a ladder to heaven. Others say Clíodhna, Queen of the Banshees, told Cormac Laidir MacCarthy to kiss the stone so he would be eloquent when defending his home in the court of Queen Elizabeth.” — Kevin Fisher-Paulson, , 28 Mar. 2023 DID YOU KNOW? The village of Blarney https://www.britannica.com/place/Blarney-Ireland in County Cork, Ireland, is home to Blarney Castle, and in the southern wall of that edifice lies the famous Blarney Stone. Legend has it that anyone who kisses the Blarney Stone will gain the gift of skillful flattery, but that gift must be attained at the price of some limber maneuvering—you have to lie down and hang your head over a precipice to reach and kiss the stone. One story claims the word gained popularity as a word for “flattery” after Queen Elizabeth I of England used it to describe the flowery (but apparently less than honest) cajolery https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cajolery of McCarthy Mor, who was then the lord of Blarney Castle.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 16, 2024 IS: QUERULOUS \KWAIR-yuh-lus\ Someone described as querulous is constantly or habitually complaining. can also be used synonymously with or when describing something, such as a person's tone of voice. // She shows an impressive amount of patience when dealing with customers. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/querulous EXAMPLES: "Everyone has a theory about the decline of the Academy Awards, the sinking ratings that have led to endless Oscar reinventions. The show is too long; no, the show is too desperate to pander to short attention spans. … Hollywood makes too many superhero movies; no, the academy doesn’t nominate enough superhero movies. (A voice from the back row: )" — Ross Douthat, , 25 Mar. 2022 DID YOU KNOW? English speakers have called fretful whiners since late medieval times. The Middle English form of the word, , was an adaptation of the Latin adjective, , which in turn evolved from the Latin verb , meaning "to complain." is also an ancestor of the English words https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarrel and https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarrelsome, but it isn't an ancestor of the noun https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/query, meaning "question." No need to complain that we're being coy; we're happy to let you know that descends from the Latin verb , meaning "to ask."
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 15, 2024 IS: HEGEMONY \hih-JEM-uh-nee\ refers to influence or control over another country, group of people, etc. // The two nations have for centuries struggled for regional . See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hegemony EXAMPLES: “Beyond Hollywood’s scrambled economics, one of the biggest threats to its is social media—TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X-formerly-known-as-Twitter—with which it has always had an uncomfortable relationship, alternately its victim or master.” — Peter Biskind, , 26 Jan. 2024 DID YOU KNOW? refers to a kind of domination. It was borrowed in the mid-16th century from the Greek word , a noun formed from the verb , “to lead.” At first was used specifically to refer to the control once wielded by ancient Greek states; later it was applied to domination by other political actors. By the 19th century, the word had acquired a second sense referring to the social or cultural influence wielded by a dominant entity over others of its kind, a sense employed by design scholar Joshua Langman when describing the use of found objects https://bit.ly/4bCWEMs by French artist Marcel Duchamp https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcel-Duchamp (he of notorious readymade https://bit.ly/3wgcvQS fame) as a means “to question and criticize the values of the artistic hegemony by eschewing https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eschew craft entirely.”
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 14, 2024 IS: EMULATE \EM-yuh-layt\ If you emulate someone or something, you try to be like that person or thing. The word is used especially when one is trying to equal or surpass someone in accomplishment or achievement. // She grew up her sports heroes. // Younger children will often try to the behavior of their older siblings. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emulate EXAMPLES: “In the present era, stanning https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stan has become a regular part of pop and online culture. Online communities celebrate, praise, and music stars such as Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion.” — Daric L. Cottingham, , 15 Feb. 2023 DID YOU KNOW? They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but we’ll posit that emulation is even more so. What’s the difference between imitating and emulating? Sometimes not a thing: can be used as a synonym of , as in “a painter who emulates her teacher’s style.” But more often, is about trying to equal or surpass someone you admire by striving to master what they’ve accomplished. The word was adopted in the late 16th century from a form of the Latin word , meaning “to vie with; to rival; to imitate.” was adopted about fifty years earlier from a form of the Latin word , meaning “to follow as a pattern; to copy.” emulated its success.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 13, 2024 IS: CACOPHONY \ka-KAH-fuh-nee\ A cacophony is a mixture of loud and usually harsh unpleasant sounds. can also refer to an incongruous or chaotic mixture. // The sounds of shouting added to the on the streets. // A of aromas wafted through the air. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cacophony EXAMPLES: "In recent years, an array of findings have also revealed an expansive nonhuman soundscape, including: turtles that produce and respond to sounds to coordinate the timing of their birth from inside their eggs; coral larvae that can hear the sounds of healthy reefs; and plants that can detect the sound of running water and the munching of insect predators. Researchers have found intention and meaning in this , such as the purposeful use of different sounds to convey information." — Sonia Shah, , 20 Sept. 2023 DID YOU KNOW? If you’re hooked on phonetics https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phonetics, you may know that the Greek word has made a great deal of noise in English. comes from a joining of ("sound" or "voice") with the Greek prefix (from , meaning "bad"), so it essentially means "bad sound." Other phat https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phat descendants include , a word that indicates harmony or agreement in sound; , referring to a style of musical composition in which two or more independent melodies are juxtaposed in harmony; and , a word for a pleasing or sweet sound. is responsible for far fewer English words, but one notable descendent is https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kakistocracy, meaning "government by the worst people," which, we'll be honest, doesn't sound great.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 12, 2024 IS: ULTERIOR \ul-TEER-ee-er\ describes things (usually motives, objectives, reasons, agendas, etc.) that are kept hidden in order to achieve a particular result. // Rory found it hard to not be suspicious of the accountant for offering these services for free; her eagerness to help suggested she has an motive. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ulterior EXAMPLES: "Disney's most recent incarnation of depravity is also one of their more sinister: the smiling nice guy who turns out to be anything but that. , in fact, received a little flack from mommy bloggers in 2013 due to this choice, with some expressing apprehension about showing children that kindly adults could be hiding motives. Yet we’d argue that is what makes Hans such an effective villain and early demonstration to children of the fact that folks may not be what they appear." — David Crow, , 4 Nov. 2023 DID YOU KNOW? Although now usually hitched to the front of the noun to refer to a hidden need or desire https://bit.ly/3IdYLJj that inspires action, began its career as an adjective in the 17th century describing something occurring at a subsequent time, such as "ulterior measures" taken after a lawful request. It then started to be used to mean both "more distant" (literally and figuratively) and "situated on the farther side." The "hidden" sense, which is most familiar today, followed after those, with the word modifying nouns like , , and . comes directly from the Latin word for "farther" or "further," itself assumed to be from , meaning "situated beyond."
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 11, 2024 IS: REFURBISH \rih-FER-bish\ To refurbish something is to brighten or freshen it up, or to repair and make improvements to it. // They are the old house with the hopes of selling it for a profit. // The store and sells computers that can often meet the needs of those who don't need the latest technology. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refurbish EXAMPLES: "The city of San Diego is tasked with completing the building and replanting the interior plants, which are currently in storage. Meanwhile, the city’s not-for-profit partner Forever Balboa Park is responsible for financing and completing phase-two improvements. Those include remaking the exterior gardens, improving walkways, reconstructing the pergola that was on the west lawn and the fountains." — Jennifer Van Grove, , 17 Jan. 2024 DID YOU KNOW? As seems proper given how English prefixes work, before you could refurbish something you could furbish https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furbish it. That shorter word was borrowed into Middle English in the 14th century from Anglo-French as ; it shares a distant relative with the Old High German verb , meaning "to polish." In its earliest uses also meant "to polish," but it developed an extended sense of "to renovate" shortly before English speakers created with the same meaning in the 17th century. These days is the more common of the two words, although does continue to be used.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 10, 2024 IS: OBEISANCE \oh-BEE-sunss\ is a synonym of https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homage that refers to an acknowledgement of another’s importance or superiority. can also mean “a movement of the body (such as a bow) showing respect for someone or something.” // The young singer paid to Otis Redding https://www.britannica.com/biography/Otis-Redding while on tour in Memphis by singing “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay.” See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obeisance EXAMPLES: “Supreme Court rules establish specific guidelines by which these conferences must be conducted. But compliance is rare, and they are usually held in secret and undocumented. The clandestine nature of 402 proceedings conflicts with the judiciary’s general to concepts of transparency and public accountability in criminal cases.” — Jim Dey, (Champaign-Urbana, Illinois), 3 Oct. 2023 DID YOU KNOW? When it first appeared in English in the 14th century, shared the same meaning as . This makes sense given that can be traced back to the Anglo-French word , a verb meaning “to obey” that is also an ancestor of English’s . The other senses of also date from the 14th century, but they have stood the test of time whereas the “obedience” sense is now obsolete... or is it? Recent evidence suggests that is starting to be used again as an (often disparaging) synonym of ; for example, a politician deemed too easily swayed by others may be said to have pledged obeisance to party leaders or malign https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malign influences.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 9, 2024 IS: GERMANE \jer-MAYN\ is a formal synonym of https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relevant that describes something related to a subject in an appropriate way. // Her comments were not to the discussion. // While these facts about the witness may interest the jury, they are not in fact . See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germane EXAMPLES: “Corporate retreats aren’t just for fun and games; they are for tackling issues that are critical to the success of any such organization.” — Abiola Salami, , 11 Dec. 2023 DID YOU KNOW? “Wert thou a Leopard, thou wert Germane to the Lion.” So wrote William Shakespeare in his five-act tragedy https://www.britannica.com/topic/Timon-of-Athens, using an old (and now-obsolete) sense of meaning “closely akin.” comes to us from the Middle English word , meaning “having the same parents.” (An early noun sense of also referred specifically to children of the same parents.) Today, something said to be germane is figuratively “related” in that it is relevant or fitting to something else, as when music critic Amanda Petrusich wrote of an album by the Chicks https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dixie-Chicks: “‘Gaslighter’ is brasher and more pop-oriented than anything the band has done before. Part of this shift feels germane to our era—the idea of genre, as it applies to contemporary music, is growing less and less relevant—but it also feels like a final repudiation of country music, and of a community that mostly failed to support or to understand one of its biggest acts.”
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 8, 2024 IS: WELTANSCHAUUNG \VELT-ahn-show-ung ("ow" as in "cow")\ A Weltanschauung is a worldview https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worldview; in other words, a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint. The word is typically capitalized. // Many people disagree with the writer's personal , but most can appreciate the quality and thoughtfulness of her work. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Weltanschauung EXAMPLES: "[Writer Martin] Amis' subject matter was unforgiving: the degradation of individual values and the incorporation of greed, indifference and cruelty into public morality. But so intense was his focus, and so forensic the methodology he brought to his task, that each novel revealed some new facet of his ever-darkening ." — (New Zealand), 24 May 2023 DID YOU KNOW? The German word literally means "world view"; it combines , meaning "world," with , meaning "view." (You might have noticed this word’s resemblance to another German borrowing, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weltschmerz, meaning “world-weariness” or “world-pain”). When English speakers first adopted in the mid-19th century, it referred to a philosophical view or apprehension of the universe, and this sense is still the most widely used. It can also describe a more general ideology or philosophy of life. Note that the word is typically capitalized in English, as all nouns are in German.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 7, 2024 IS: DESCRY \dih-SKRYE\ is a literary word that, like https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discover or , means “to come to realize or understand something.” can also mean “to catch sight of.” // In their research, the bryologists https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bryologist an association between a moss and the iron content of the rock it typically grows on. // From the tops of the high dunes, we could just the ship coming over the horizon. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descry EXAMPLES: “Where does one begin to learn about Dundee’s history and heart? Luckily, for a tourist, there is a place. It’s called Verdant Works, a former jute https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jute mill in a part of the city known as Blackness. (Dickens couldn’t have come up with a better name.) Once the employer of 500 people, the mill is a keyhole through which most of Dundee’s history can be . Unlike many factory museums, its story is made vivid by docents https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/docent only one or two generations removed from its inescapable clutches.” — David Brown, , 30 Sept. 2022 DID YOU KNOW? If you’ve ever mixed up the words and https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decry, you’re not alone; even carefully edited publications occasionally mistake the former (“to catch sight of” or “to discover”) for the latter (“to express strong disapproval of”), as in “the watchdog group’s report descried (oops: ) environmental pollution by manufacturers in the harshest terms.” As always, we’re here to help you descry handy ways to tell confusing words apart. In the case of and , pronunciation is key—the in is not silent. sounds just like the English verb https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe without its closing , and the two share a Latin root as well, the verb , meaning “to represent by drawing or speech.” When you descry something, it becomes known to you either by discovery or understanding, as though it were well-described. , on the other hand, emphasizes when spoken, and shares roots with as well: when you decry something, you might be said to cry https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cry loudly your complaint.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 6, 2024 IS: AD HOMINEM \ad-HAH-muh-num\ Something described as involves an attack on an opponent’s character rather than an answer to assertions or points that the opponent has made. // The debate between the mayoral candidates was going smoothly until the attacks began. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ad%20hominem EXAMPLES: “ arguments are viewed, almost universally, as bad, bad, .... Students are taught to differentiate between their opponent and their opponent’s argument. The rationale for doing so makes perfect sense. In theory, a person’s merits are to whether their argument makes logical sense. An argument depends on nothing more than whether its conclusion follows its premises; the speaker, you might say, is just the messenger.” — Mehdi Hasan, , 2023 DID YOU KNOW? literally means “to the person” in New Latin https://bit.ly/4bH8GVc (Latin as used since the end of the medieval period). In centuries past, the term was used in the phrase “argument ad hominem” (or , to use the full New Latin phrase) to refer to a valid method of persuasion by which one takes advantage of an opponent’s interests or feelings in a debate, instead of just sticking to general principles. What exactly came into play in such persuasions eventually expanded, and came to describe an attack aimed at an opponent’s character rather than their ideas. It’s in this decidedly less civil application that appears today. The hostile nature of such attacks has led to an understanding of the term as meaning “against the person,” rather than its original Latin meaning of “to the person.”
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 6, 2024 IS: AD HOMINEM \ad-HAH-muh-num\ Something described as involves an attack on an opponent’s character rather than an answer to assertions or points that the opponent has made. // The debate between the mayoral candidates was going smoothly until the attacks began. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ad%20hominem EXAMPLES: “ arguments are viewed, almost universally, as bad, bad, .... Students are taught to differentiate between their opponent and their opponent’s argument. The rationale for doing so makes perfect sense. In theory, a person’s merits are to whether their argument makes logical sense. An argument depends on nothing more than whether its conclusion follows its premises; the speaker, you might say, is just the messenger.” — Mehdi Hasan, , 2023 DID YOU KNOW? literally means “to the person” in New Latin https://bit.ly/4bH8GVc (Latin as used since the end of the medieval period). In centuries past, the term was used in the phrase “argument ad hominem” (or , to use the full New Latin phrase) to refer to a method of persuasion in which one introduces issues that relate personally to one’s opponent, such as the opponent’s habits, practices, or circumstances, instead of just sticking to principles or facts. What exactly came into play in such persuasions eventually expanded, and came to describe an attack aimed at an opponent’s character rather than their ideas. The hostile nature of such attacks has led to an understanding of the term as meaning “against the person,” rather than its original Latin meaning of “to the person.”
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 5, 2024 IS: LUMINARY \LOO-muh-nair-ee\ A luminary is a person of prominence or brilliant achievement. The word may also refer to a celestial body https://bit.ly/3vSqEDw, such as the sun or moon. // of the art world congregated at the international convention. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/luminary EXAMPLES: "The upcoming documentary will dive deep into the lives of the next generation of basketball , Jonquel Jones, Nneka Ogwumike, and Breanna Stewart, as well as WNBA legend, Sheryl Swoopes https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sheryl-Swoopes." — Okla Jones, , 18 Dec. 2023 DID YOU KNOW? As, dare we say, leading lights https://bit.ly/483XsH4 of the dictionary game, we're here to brighten your day with the 411 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/411 on . This word has been casting its glow in English since the 15th century, and it traces back to the Latin word , meaning "light." Other descendants in English include ("to light up"), ("emitting light"), ("one who collects matchbooks or matchbox labels"), and https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bioluminescence ("the emission of light from living organisms").
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S WORD OF THE DAY FOR MARCH 4, 2024 IS: SALUBRIOUS \suh-LOO-bree-us\ is a formal word that means “favorable to or promoting health or well-being.” // They picked up several habits on their wellness retreat in Bali. See the entry > https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salubrious EXAMPLES: “Despite their sounding name, fruit flies ... eat food that is decaying. They inhabit rubbish bins, compost heaps or any place where food is present, including drains.” — Primrose Freestone, , 31 Aug. 2023 DID YOU KNOW? , like and , describes things that are favorable to the health of the mind or body. (A rather formal and somewhat rare word, it is related by its Latin ancestor to the very common English word https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safe.) Unlike and , tends to apply chiefly to the helpful effects of climate or air, as in “the salubrious climate of the tropical island.” seems to be expanding semantically; we occasionally see evidence of it being used as a descriptor of prosperous people or locales. This is the sense used by British author Zadie Smith https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zadie-Smith in her 2023 historical novel when she writes: “Following the more salubrious element of the crowd, they found themselves on the second floor of Lady Blessington’s Old Gore House, recently converted into a restaurant by Alexis Soyer https://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/alexis-soyer/.”
