Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 5, 2025 is: inoculate • \ih-NAHK-yuh-layt\ • verb To inoculate a person or animal is to introduce immunologically active material (such as an antibody or antigen) into them especially in order to treat or prevent a disease. Inoculate can also mean "to introduce (something, such as a microorganism) into a suitable situation for growth," and in...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 4, 2025 is: frowsy • \FROW-zee\ • adjective Something described as frowsy has a messy or dirty appearance. // The lamp, discovered in a neglected corner of a frowsy antique store, turned out to be quite valuable.See the entry > Examples: “Footage from his early shows is sublime. In one, models with frowsy hair totter along the catwalk in clogs,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 3, 2025 is: alchemy • \AL-kuh-mee\ • noun Alchemy refers to a power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or impressive way.// They practiced their alchemy in the kitchen, turning a pile of vegetables and legumes into an extravagant meal.// The shopkeepers hoped for some sort of economic alchemy that would improve...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 2, 2025 is: cajole • \kuh-JOHL\ • verb To cajole someone is to use flattery or gentle urging to persuade them to do something or to give you something. Cajole can also mean “to deceive with soothing words or false promises.” It is often used with the word into.// She cajoled her partner into going to the party with her.// They hoped to cajole him...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 1, 2025 is: pseudonym • \SOO-duh-nim\ • noun A pseudonym is a name that someone (such as a writer) uses instead of their real name.// bell hooks is the pseudonym of the American writer Gloria Jean Watkins.See the entry > Examples: “Edgar Wright, the filmmaker and genre specialist who has given the world modern gems like Shaun of the Dead, Hot...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 30, 2025 is: iconoclast • \eye-KAH-nuh-klast\ • noun Iconoclast originally referred to someone who destroys religious images or who opposes their veneration. It is now used to refer broadly to anyone who criticizes or opposes beliefs and practices that are widely accepted.// The comedian had developed a reputation as a contrarian and an iconoclast...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 29, 2025 is: exculpatory • \ek-SKUL-puh-tor-ee\ • adjective Something described as exculpatory serves to prove that someone is not guilty of doing something wrong.// Their lawyer presented insurmountable exculpatory evidence at the trial. See the entry > Examples: “That agreement also requires prosecutors to implement new policies to prevent the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 28, 2025 is: sustain • \suh-STAYN\ • verb To sustain someone or something is to provide what is needed for that person or thing to exist or continue. Sustain also means "to hold up the weight of," "to suffer or endure," or "to confirm or prove." In legal contexts, to sustain something is to decide or state that it is proper, legal, or fair.// Hope...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 27, 2025 is: cornucopia • \kor-nuh-KOH-pee-uh\ • noun A cornucopia, also known as a horn of plenty, is a curved, hollow goat’s horn or similarly shaped receptacle (such as a horn-shaped basket) that is overflowing, especially with fruit and vegetables. The image of a cornucopia is commonly used as decoration and as a symbol of abundance, but the word...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 26, 2025 is: unabashed • \un-uh-BASHT\ • adjective Someone who is unabashed is not embarrassed or ashamed about openly expressing strong feelings or opinions.// Unabashed by their booing and hissing, the artist continued with the musical performance.See the entry > Examples: “Take the melodramatic storyline of a telenovela and tell it through the...