Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Build your vocabulary with Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day! Each day a Merriam-Webster editor offers insight into a fascinating new word -- explaining its meaning, current use, and little-known details about its origin.

Episodes

  1. 7 HR. AGO

    testimonial

    Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2024 is: testimonial \tess-tuh-MOH-nee-ul\ noun A testimonial is a written or spoken statement in which a person says they used a product or service and liked it, or that they appreciate someone's work, skill, character, etc. Testimonial is also used as a synonym of [evidence](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evidence) and [testimony](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/testimony). // The website is full of testimonials from satisfied customers. // The book's popularity is a testimonial to its timeliness. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/testimonial) Examples: "To commemorate their successful journey in the sport, the team released a heartfelt tribute video featuring testimonials from team members sharing their fondest memories." — Lydia Mee, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 Did you know? In 1639, Scottish poet [William Drummond](https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Drummond-of-Hawthornden) responded to the politics of his day with a [cheeky](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cheeky) set of new laws, including one stipulating that "no man wear a ... [periwig](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periwig), unless he have a testimonial from a town-clerk, that he is either bald, sickly, or asham'd of white hairs." Testimonials take different forms, but always, like in Drummond's [facetious](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facetious) law, they provide affirmation or evidence. (Testimonial traces to Latin testimonium, meaning "evidence" or "witness.") In the 19th century, testimonial developed a new use, referring to a tribute—that is, a gift presented as a public expression of appreciation. Today, testimonial is most often used to refer to a statement—such as one posted on any number of websites devoted to consumer reviews—that endorses a product or service.

    2 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    beatific

    Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 20, 2024 is: beatific \bee-uh-TIFF-ik\ adjective Beatific is a formal word that describes something or someone having a blissful appearance or showing complete happiness. // As the pair danced, beatific smiles on their faces, the audience sat hushed and almost reverential. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatific) Examples: “Most vividly, there was [Tracy Chapman](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tracy-Chapman-American-singer-songwriter), back on the Grammys stage after years out of the spotlight to sing ‘Fast Car,’ her gentle yet resolute anthem of self-determination, alongside Luke Combs, the country star who had a huge hit last year with a cover of the decades-old song. As Chapman sang and played guitar, she looked satisfied, serene, almost beatific.” — Mikael Wood, The Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2024 Did you know? When it comes to [bliss](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bliss)-themed words, it’s hard to beat beatific. Since the 17th century, beatific has been all about that other b-word, first describing things that [impart](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impart) a feeling of complete and utter happiness, and later those beings with a blissful appearance. Not a bad gig if you can get it. Beatific comes from the Latin adjective beātificus, which means “making happy,” and can be traced further back to the verb beāre, meaning “to make happy.” Bliss, of course, is more like happiness cubed, so beatific tends to be used in formal speech and writing, and reserved for situations where happy itself doesn’t quite [cut the mustard](https://bit.ly/4fyLfyR). A beatific smile, for example, is one that suggests its wearer is content on a deeper-than-ordinary level, while a beatific location—say, a tranquil tropical lagoon or a majestic mountain—is one that instills such pervasive joy in its beholder.

    2 min

  3. 2 DAYS AGO

    requite

    Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 19, 2024 is: requite \rih-KWYTE\ verb To requite is to give or do something in return for something that another person has given or done, or for a benefit or service that has been provided. // Sam was worried that the feelings she’d expressed on her date were not requited, but was relieved and overjoyed to learn that they were. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/requite) Examples: “I had attracted the interest of some boys ... but mostly, I wrote short stories about my crushes. The girls who summered on Nantucket and eschewed carbs? Their crushes were requited.” — Amy Kaufman, The Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2024 Did you know? Requite is most familiar in the phrase “[unrequited](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unrequited) love.” Love that has not been requited is love that has not been returned or paid back in kind. Indeed, the idea of repayment undergirds all the senses of the verb requite, which include the most common sense of “to repay” (usually applied to amorous affection or feeling), “to avenge,” and “to make suitable return to for a benefit or service, or for an injury.” The quite in requite is a now-obsolete English verb meaning “to make full payment of” or “to pay.” (The verb's ultimate root is Latin quietus, meaning “quiet; at rest.”) This quite is also related to the English verb [quit](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quit), the oldest meanings of which include “to pay up” and “to set free.”

    2 min

  4. 3 DAYS AGO

    qualm

    Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 18, 2024 is: qualm \KWAHM\ noun A qualm is a feeling of doubt or uncertainty about whether one is doing the right thing, or whether something is right or proper. Qualm is often used in its plural form, as in “I have no qualms with that decision.” // Elena’s parents had no qualms about her organizing a dinner party for her three closest friends. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/qualm) Examples: “[Pinkerton](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pinkerton-National-Detective-Agency) agents had few qualms about what we consider ethical standards in law enforcement today. Pinkertons lied, bribed (and took bribes), flipped sides for the right price, harassed and intimidated workers.” — Russell Cobb, Ghosts of Crook County: An Oil Fortune, a Phantom Child, and the Fight for Indigenous Land, 2024 Did you know? We're not sure how qualm came to be (it may be related to a similar German word), but we know this word was originally used to refer to a sudden sick feeling, such as nausea or faintness, and then for a sudden attack of usually disturbing emotion, such as grief or doubt. Both these senses are still in use: a person may be described, for example, as experiencing a qualm of nausea or a qualm of fear. These days, though, you’re most likely to hear qualm used in its newest sense, referring to a feeling of uneasiness, particularly about whether a person is following their conscience or better judgment. You’re especially likely to hear this sense of qualm used in negative statements, such as “We have no qualms about telling you what sort of things the word qualm does.”

    2 min

  5. 4 DAYS AGO

    lexical

    Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 17, 2024 is: lexical \LEK-sih-kul\ adjective To describe something as lexical is to say that it is related to words or vocabulary. // A dictionary provides lexical information—it tells you what the word "cat" means, not all there is to know about cats. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lexical) Examples: "From his [artist [Jean-Michel Basquiat's](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Michel-Basquiat)] lyrical brushstrokes to his lexical compositions, music is imbued even when the reference is subtle or ambiguous. There are obvious portraits of jazz greats and song titles in many works, while others force a more discerning gaze." — Natasha Gural, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023 Did you know? The word lexical and its relatives have a special place in our hearts (and in our dictionaries). In addition to referring to one's personal vocabulary, [lexicon](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lexicon) can be used as a synonym of [dictionary](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictionary), and the word [lexicography](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lexicography) refers to the practice of making dictionaries. Both of these words, as well as lexical, come from the Greek word lexis, meaning "word" or "speech." So, if you’re considering a lexical—that is, word-related—career as a [wordsmith](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wordsmith) or, say, a [lexicographer](https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/words-for-dictionary-supernerds), you may want to add these terms to your lexicon.

    2 min

  6. 5 DAYS AGO

    allusion

    Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 16, 2024 is: allusion \uh-LOO-zhun\ noun An allusion is a reference to something that avoids mentioning the thing directly. Allusion may also describe the use of such a statement or the act of [alluding](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alluding) to something. // The lyrics contain biblical allusions. // They made allusion to their first marriage, but said nothing more about it. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allusion) Examples: “The Rings of Power is full of echoes and allusions to the original [[Lord of the Rings](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Lord-of-the-Rings)] trilogy.” — James Grebey, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024 Did you know? An allusion is not a [play on words](https://bit.ly/3O92oTv)—that would be a pun—but allusion does come from the Latin verb allūdere, which in turn combines the verb lūdere, meaning “play,” with the prefix [ad-](https://bit.ly/4hKPl8z), which can mean “to,” “toward,” or “near.” One way of thinking about an allusion—an indirect reference, especially (though not exclusively) as used in literature—is that it “plays toward or around” something rather than naming it directly. For example, Picnic, Lightning, the title of a book by poet [Billy Collins](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Billy-Collins), is an allusion to a line from [Vladimir Nabokov’s](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vladimir-Nabokov) novel Lolita. This allusion—like most—works on the assumption that there is a body of knowledge shared by the author and reader and that therefore the reader will understand the reference. Don’t be misled by the similar pronunciation and spelling of allusion and illusion, however. You wouldn’t be the first, but the latter—which also comes from lūdere—refers to something that is visually or otherwise misleading.

    2 min

  7. 6 DAYS AGO

    cavalier

    Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 15, 2024 is: cavalier \kav-uh-LEER\ adjective Someone described as cavalier shows no concern for important or serious matters. Cavalier also describes attitudes, manners, etc., that show the same lack of concern. // The company provides regular training about the dangers of being cavalier in sharing privileged information. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cavalier) Examples: “I’d failed math and chemistry the previous quarter; my European history teacher had decried—in front of the class—my ‘flippant and cavalier attitude.’ My GPA was a 1.8. But the night before the assignment was due I wrote a play about the thing that I—and Holden Caulfield—both passionately hated: The phoniness of organized structures, the way that religious belief was—in my fifteen-year-old mind—nothing but pretense and emptiness. … The next day, class began with a flourish. Ted Sod, the visiting playwright, stormed through the door. We’d all done good work, he told us, but one play—in particular—stood out. … And then, to my inestimable shock, he pointed at me.” — Pauls Toutonghi, LitHub.com, 5 Oct. 2023 Did you know? Mount up, fellow language [caballeros](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caballero)! We think you’ll agree that the origins of cavalier make a great deal of [horse sense](https://bit.ly/48DfZw3). The noun [cavalier](https://bit.ly/4feLEpT)—which traces back to the Late Latin word caballārius, meaning “horseback rider,” and even further to the Latin word for “work horse,” caballus—originally referred to a gentleman or knight trained in [arms](https://bit.ly/3NTDSpq) and horsemanship. The adjective trotted into English just a few decades after the noun, first describing those thought to embody qualities of gallantry and suaveness associated with such soldiers. However, the English Puritans later applied the noun with disdain to their adversaries, the swashbuckling [royalist](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/royalist) followers of Charles I, who sported longish hair and swords. Their use undoubtedly contributed to the adjective’s “[flippant](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flippant)” sense, which is now the most common. To [saddle](https://bit.ly/3Cdy5IF) someone (or their behavior, attitude, etc.) with the descriptor today is to say that they do not demonstrate the expected or required care for serious matters.

    3 min

  8. DEC 14

    venerate

    Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 14, 2024 is: venerate \VEN-uh-rayt\ verb To venerate someone or something is to feel or show deep respect for them because they are considered great, holy, etc. // Her best-selling trilogy led to her becoming a writer venerated by generations of admirers. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/venerate) Examples: “Vietnam is the world’s third-largest rice exporter, and the staple’s importance to Vietnamese culture is palpable in the Mekong Delta. The fertile patchwork of green fields crisscrossed by silvery waterways has helped stave off famine since the Vietnam War ended in 1975. Rice isn’t just the mainstay of most meals, it is considered a gift from the gods and continues to be venerated.” — Aniruddha Ghosal, The Associated Press, 22 Apr. 2024 Did you know? Among the [pantheon](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pantheon) of ancient Roman deities, has any been so venerated—that is, deeply respected—over the centuries as [Venus](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Venus-goddess), goddess of love and beauty? Of course, one may personally prefer [Vulcan](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vulcan) or, um, [Robigus](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Robigalia) (the god associated with wheat blight), but from [Venus de Milo](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Venus-de-Milo) to the classic pop song “[Venus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4-1ASpdT1Y),” Venus has inspired far more enduring reverence. To venerate something or someone—whether an artist or a saint—is to hold them in similarly high regard, which makes sense given venerate’s origins. The word comes from the Latin verb venerārī, which can mean “to solicit the good will of,” “to worship,” “to pay homage to,” and “to hold in awe.” That verb, in turn, is related to—you guessed it—[Venus](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Venus).

    2 min

  9. DEC 13

    immense

    Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 13, 2024 is: immense \ih-MENSS\ adjective Something described as immense is very great in size, degree, or amount. // They inherited an immense fortune. // Her movies continue to enjoy immense popularity. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immense) Examples: "At night, the wind's howls and whistles provide the soundtrack to the immense vista." — Alexandra Sanidad, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2024 Did you know? Just how big is something if it is immense? Huge? Colossal? Humongous? Ginormous? Or merely enormous? Immense is often used as a synonym of all of the above and, as such, can simply function as yet another way for English speakers to say "really, really, really big." But immense is also used in a sense which goes beyond merely really, really, really big to describe something that is so great in size or degree that it transcends ordinary means of measurement. This sense harks back to the original sense of immense for something which is so tremendously big (such as, say, the universe) that it has not been or cannot be measured. This sense reflects the word's roots in the Latin immensus, from in- ("un-") and mensus, the past participle of metiri, "to measure."

    2 min

  10. DEC 12

    pastiche

    Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 12, 2024 is: pastiche \pass-TEESH\ noun Pastiche refers to something (such as a piece of writing, music, etc.) that imitates the style of someone or something else. It can also refer to a work that is made up of selections from multiple other works, or it can be used as a synonym of [hodgepodge](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hodgepodge). // The director’s new murder mystery is a clever pastiche of the 1950s noir films she watched as a girl. // The research paper was essentially a pastiche made up of passages from different sources. // The house is decorated in a pastiche of mid-century styles. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pastiche) Examples: “[Ween] were the rare American college radio darlings to directly engage with Black music, by reinforcing the spiritual connections between glam rock and funk and psychedelia. ... But if their early displays of [Prince](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Prince-singer-and-songwriter) worship blurred the line between pastiche and parody, Chocolate and Cheese offered their most sincere [simulacrums](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/simulacrum) of funk and soul to date.” — Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 1 Sept. 2024 Did you know? When we say the origins of the word pastiche are totally [tubular](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tubular), we’re not just being [saucy](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saucy)—we mean it. In Italian, pasticcio (more specifically pasticcio di maccheroni) refers to a decadent pie consisting of a sweet crust filled with meat, truffles, [béchamel](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bechamel), and macaroni—that famously tube-shaped pasta. Given such a jumble of (albeit delicious) ingredients, it makes sense that pasticcio in Italian has also long carried such additional meanings as “a mess or confused affair” and “a confused or mixed piece of writing.” It is these meanings that influenced both the English word [pasticcio](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pasticcio), in use since the 18th century, and the French word pastiche, which English borrowed in the late 19th century and which is now much more common. Both refer to [hodgepodges](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hodgepodge) of all kinds, but are most often applied to creative works—literary, artistic, musical, architectural, etc.—that imitate earlier styles or that are made up of parts from other works. A pastiche, you might say, takes a little bit of this and a little bit of that, not unlike the English language itself.

    3 min
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Build your vocabulary with Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day! Each day a Merriam-Webster editor offers insight into a fascinating new word -- explaining its meaning, current use, and little-known details about its origin.

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