Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 4, 2026 is: scrupulous • \SKROO-pyuh-lus\ • adjective Scrupulous describes someone who is very careful about doing something correctly, or something marked by such carefulness. Scrupulous can also describe someone who is careful about doing what is honest and morally right.// She was always scrupulous about her work.// Being an editor requires scrupulous...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 3, 2026 is: métier • \MET-yay\ • noun Métier, sometimes styled metier, is a formal word that refers to something that a person does very well.// After trying several careers, she found her true métier in computer science.See the entry > Examples: “Turning from his father’s trade of corset-making, [Thomas] Paine tried his hand at business, met and...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 2, 2026 is: exasperate • \ig-ZASS-puh-rayt\ • verb To exasperate someone is to cause them irritation or annoyance, or to make them angry.// We were all exasperated by the delays.See the entry > Examples: "My tendency to throw remote historical observations into a conversation exasperates my wife and often results in chuckles and eye rolls from...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 1, 2026 is: Beltane • \BEL-tayn\ • noun Beltane refers to the Celtic May Day festival.// Beltane falls each year approximately halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice.See the entry > Examples: “On May 1, we celebrate what began as the ancient Celtic holiday of Beltane. ... It started at sundown April 30, when, according to Celtic...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 30, 2026 is: interlocutor • \in-ter-LAH-kyuh-ter\ • noun Interlocutor is a formal word that means “one who takes part in dialogue or conversation.”// It is crucial in our age of email scams to verify the validity of one’s online interlocutors before sharing sensitive information.See the entry > Examples: “I remember sitting alone on the train...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 29, 2026 is: speculate • \SPEK-yuh-layt\ • verb In general contexts, speculate means "to form ideas or theories about something usually when there are many things not known about it." In contexts relating to business or finance, it means "to invest money in ways that could produce a large profit but that also involve a lot of risk."// Scientists...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 28, 2026 is: evanescent • \ev-uh-NESS-unt\ • adjective Evanescent is a formal and literary word that describes something that only lasts a very short time.// Our acting coach always reminded us that fame is evanescent, and that we should pursue a life in the theater purely for the love of the art. See the entry > Examples: "Franklin once sternly...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 27, 2026 is: boondoggle • \BOON-dah-gul\ • noun A boondoggle is an expensive and wasteful project usually paid for with public money. Boondoggle is also a word for a braided cord worn by Boy Scouts as a neckerchief slide, hatband, or ornament.// Critics say the dam is a complete boondoggle—over budget, behind schedule, and unnecessary.See the entry >...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 26, 2026 is: onerous • \AH-nuh-rus\ • adjective Onerous means "involving, imposing, or constituting a burden." It typically describes something that is difficult and unpleasant to do or deal with. // They were assigned the onerous task of post-show cleanup.// The government imposed onerous taxes on imports.See the entry > Examples: "Morton professed...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 25, 2026 is: juxtapose • \JUK-stuh-pohz\ • verb To juxtapose things is to place them together in order to create an interesting effect or to show how they are the same or different.// The local museum’s new exhibit juxtaposes modern art with classical art.See the entry > Examples: “... on ‘Murder Most Foul’ [Bob] Dylan thwarts readymade nostalgia, an...