Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 13, 2024 is: instigate \IN-stuh-gayt\ verb
To instigate something is to cause it to happen or begin.

// The pair was accused of instigating a plot to oust the newly elected mayor.

[See the entry >]( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instigate)


Examples:

"The image of John, Paul, George and Ringo waving from the top steps of Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101 at 1.20pm on 7 February 1964 is among the most iconic in rock'n'roll history. … That aeroplane steps photo was pivotal in instigating a dynamic in rock music whereby boys played guitars to the wild adulation of girls, a misguided social 'norm' that became so deeply embedded in the music industry that we're only now beginning to untangle it." — Mark Beaumont, The Independent (London), 7 Feb. 2024


Did you know?

It's time to investigate the true meaning of instigate. Instigate is often used as a synonym of [incite](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incite) (as in "siblings instigating a fight"), but the two words differ slightly in their overall usage. Incite usually stresses an act of stirring something up that one did not necessarily initiate ("the court's decision incited riots"), while instigate implies responsibility for initiating or encouraging someone else's action, and usually suggests [dubious](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dubious) or underhanded intent ("he was charged with instigating a conspiracy"). Coming from a form of the Latin verb instigare ("to urge on or provoke"), instigate stepped into English in the 1500s, roughly a century after incite.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 12, 2024 is: torrid \TOR-id\ adjective
Torrid can be used to describe something that is literally hot (such as a region near the Earth’s equator) or figuratively hot (such as a romance).

// The tabloids were relentless in covering every minor detail of the celebrity couple’s torrid affair.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/torrid)


Examples:

“Chinese cities such as Chongqing, a southwestern metropolis known for its torrid summers, have for years used their air raid tunnels as public cooling centers.” — The Associated Press, 7 July 2023

Did you know?

[Hot](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot), [steamy](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steamy), [sultry](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sultry): English is full of words that do double-duty in describing thirst traps both literal (as in the [tropics](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tropics)) and figurative (as in, well, [thirst traps](https://bit.ly/4aCmX48)). Torrid comes from the Latin verb torrēre, which means “to burn” or “to parch” and is an ancestor of our word [toast](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toast). (Despite its dry implications, torrēre is also an ancestor of [torrent](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/torrent), as in “a torrent of rain.”) Torrid first appeared in English in the 16th century and was originally used to describe something burned or scorched by exposure to the sun, but it has since taken on an extended meaning similar to the “sexy” sense of hot: “showing fiery passion,” as in “torrid love letters” or “a torrid affair.”

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 11, 2024 is: zhuzh \ZHUZH (the U is as in PUSH)\ verb
To zhuzh something up is to improve its flavor or appearance by way of a small improvement, adjustment, or addition.

// He likes to zhuzh up his outfits with brightly-colored ties.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zhuzh)

Examples:

“Ever since my sister introduced me to this life-changing condiment, I’ve slathered [chili crisp] on pretty much everything I could think of—from roasted vegetables and noodles to seafood and popcorn. … That deep savory flavor comes from ingredients like fermented black bean, shallots, mushroom powder, ginger, and seaweed, so it’s no wonder it’s become my go-to pantry staple when I want to zhuzh up my dinner in a matter of seconds.” — Britt Ross, quoted on BuzzFeed, 17 Feb. 2024

Did you know?

Zhuzh (alternatively spelled zhoosh) has an [onomatopoetic](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onomatopoeia) ring to it: it resembles other sound-effect words, such as [whoosh](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whoosh) or [zoom](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zoom), that suggest dynamic movement, or perhaps more appropriately, a ruffling of hair or fabric. The earliest evidence of zhuzh shows that it is part of [Polari](https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/polari-and-hidden-history-of-gay-seafarers), a kind of slang known especially for its use in 20th century British gay culture. The word has been in use since at least the 1970s, and gained wild popularity during the 2018 reboot of Queer Eye, a television series in which a fellow needing help in the areas of fashion, grooming, living space, food, and social grace gets a makeover courtesy of five talented gay men. While often used as a verb (usually paired with up), zhuzh is also a noun that refers to a small improvement or adjustment, as in “my hair just needs a quick zhuzh and I’ll be ready to go.”

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 10, 2024 is: bogart \BOH-gahrt\ verb
To bogart something is to use or consume it without sharing.

// Nelson advised his friends not to bogart all the snacks before the rest of the party guests arrived.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bogart)


Examples:

"Producers of individual shows should not be allowed to shape any content but their own; otherwise, the telecast winds up being hijacked by beamed-in celebrities singing songs from terrible musicals no one’s yet seen. And as for those stage-swarming investors? Let’s ban them too. The awards they bogart belong to the authors." — Jesse Green, The New York Times, 2 June 2021

Did you know?

The legendary film actor [Humphrey Bogart](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Humphrey-Bogart) was known for playing a range of tough characters in a series of films throughout the 1940s and 1950s, including [The Maltese Falcon](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Maltese-Falcon-film-1941), [Casablanca](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Casablanca-film-by-Curtiz), and [The African Queen](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-African-Queen-film-1951). The men he portrayed often possessed a cool, hardened exterior that occasionally let forth a suggestion of romantic or idealistic sentimentality. Bogart also had a unique method of smoking cigarettes in these pictures—letting the butt dangle from his mouth without removing it until it was almost entirely consumed. It is believed that this habit inspired the current meaning of bogart, which was once limited to the phrase "Don't bogart that [joint](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joint)," as popularized by a song on the soundtrack to the film [Easy Rider](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Easy-Rider). Today, bogart can be applied to hogging almost anything.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 9, 2024 is: grudging \GRUH-jing\ adjective
Grudging is an adjective used to describe something that is said, done, or given unwillingly or reluctantly. It can also describe someone who is unwilling or reluctant to do something.

// Her theories have begun to win grudging acceptance in the scientific community.

// A number of his former critics have become grudging admirers.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grudging)


Examples:

“‘I’m impressed,’ said Mati, grudging admiration in her tone. ‘It isn’t just a pretty name and expensive ingredients. I can never make something this tasty.’” — Ken Liu, The Veiled Throne, 2022

Did you know?

The English language has been carrying a [grudge](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grudge) for a long time—since the 13th century to be exact, when it took the Anglo-French verb grucher/grucer and made it grucchen/grudgen. Both words meant “to grumble and complain” (and if their shared definition, combined with their spelling and pronunciation, reminds you of a certain furry green [Muppet](https://www.britannica.com/art/Muppet) who lives in a trash can, you’re onto something: [grouch](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grouch) is thought to be a grucchen descendant). Over time grucchen/grudgen became grudge, which picked up the additional, closely related meanings of “to be unwilling to give or allow” and “to allow with reluctance or resentment,” as when [Virginia Woolf](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Virginia-Woolf) wrote “if you come to grudge even the sun for shining … fruit does not ripen.” Grudging, which developed from grudge, made its English debut in the 1530s, and has been used ever since to describe someone who is unwilling or reluctant (“a grudging supporter”) or something done or given reluctantly or sparingly (“grudging respect”).

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 8, 2024 is: reputation \rep-yuh-TAY-shun\ noun
A reputation is the common opinion that people have about someone or something. Reputation can also refer to a positive position that someone or something has in public esteem or regard.

// She's earned a reputation as a first-class playwright.

// Investors feared that the scandal had damaged the company's reputation beyond repair.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reputation)

Examples:

"[Menton](https://www.britannica.com/place/Menton) [France] was once a leading lemon-growing region in Europe, with a global reputation and exports as far as the United States and Russia in the 18th century." — Barbara Surk and Daniel Cole, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024

Did you know?

An esteemed word in English, reputation rose to fame during the 14th century and ultimately traces back to the Latin verb reputare, meaning "to take into consideration" or "to think over." Reputare is itself a coupling of the well-known "again" prefix [re-](https://bit.ly/3vQ4fal) and the verb putare, "to reckon." Renowned celebrities of the putare family are the verb [repute](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repute) ("to believe or consider"), the identical [noun](https://bit.ly/49w4Qfi) (synonymous with reputation), the adjectives [reputable](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reputable) and [reputed](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reputed), and the adverb [reputedly](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reputedly). Other putare cousins of notoriety include [dispute](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispute), [disreputable](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disreputable), [imputation](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imputation), and [putative](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/putative), along with their kin.