Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 15, 2025 is: impervious • \im-PER-vee-us\ • adjective Impervious describes that which does not allow something (such as water or light) to enter or pass through. It is also used formally to mean “not bothered or affected by something.” Both senses of impervious are usually used with to. // The material is i…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 15, 2025 is: impervious \im-PER-vee-us\ adjective See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 14, 2025 is: scuttlebutt • \SKUTT-ul-butt\ • noun Scuttlebutt refers to rumor or gossip—in other words, talk or stories about someone or something that may not be true. // According to the scuttlebutt in the financial markets, the company will be downsizing soon. See the entry > Examples: “If highly social …

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 13, 2025 is: apotropaic • \ap-uh-troh-PAY-ik\ • adjective Something described as apotropaic is designed or intended to avert evil. // The etchings are believed to be associated with ancient apotropaic rituals. See the entry > Examples: “Scholars ... say witches were believed to be attracted to the scent of …

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 12, 2025 is: fester • \FESS-ter\ • verb Something that festers becomes worse as time passes. Fester can also mean, in the context of wounds, sores, etc., “to become painful and infected.” // We should deal with these problems now instead of allowing them to fester. See the entry > Examples: “Minor plumbing …

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 12, 2025 is: fester \FESS-ter\ verb See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 11, 2025 is: darling • \DAHR-ling\ • noun Darling can refer to a dearly loved person or to someone who is liked very much by a person or group. It can also mean “a kind and helpful person” as in, “Be a darling and carry this inside for me, would you?” // Our baby grandchild is just the sweetest little darli…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 11, 2025 is: darling \DAHR-ling\ noun See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 10, 2025 is: uncanny • \un-KAN-ee\ • adjective Uncanny is typically used to describe something that is strange or unusual in a way that is surprising or difficult to understand. It can also describe something that seems to have a supernatural character or origin. // The child has an uncanny ability to recog…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 9, 2025 is: gloss • \GLAHSS\ • verb To gloss a word or phrase is to provide its meaning, or in other words, to explain or define it. // Many unfamiliar terms are glossed in the book’s introduction. See the entry > Examples: “It is revealing that early dictionaries regularly defined equality as ‘conformity,’…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 8, 2025 is: modicum • \MAH-dih-kum\ • noun Modicum is a formal word that means “a small amount.” It is almost always used with of. // The band enjoyed a modicum of success in the early 2010s before becoming an international sensation. See the entry > Examples: “Imagine, for example, that the gods decided to…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 7, 2025 is: bumptious • \BUMP-shus\ • adjective Bumptious describes people who are rudely and often noisily confident or over-assertive. It can also be applied to actions or behaviors that show this same attitude. // Our host apologized for the bumptious party guest who caused a scene before being asked to …

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 6, 2025 is: exculpate • \EK-skull-payt\ • verb To exculpate someone is to prove that they are not guilty of doing something wrong. // The editorial expresses confidence that the evidence will exculpate the accused. See the entry > Examples: “Research shows that social-media use is associated with greater na…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 5, 2025 is: plethora \PLETH-uh-ruh\ noun See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 4, 2025 is: risible \RIZZ-uh-bul\ adjective See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 3, 2025 is: sleuth \SLOOTH\ verb See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 2, 2025 is: ziggurat \ZIG-uh-rat\ noun See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 1, 2025 is: convoluted \KAHN-vuh-loo-tud\ adjective See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 30, 2025 is: insouciance \in-SOO-see-unss\ noun See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 29, 2025 is: furtive \FER-tiv\ adjective See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 28, 2025 is: alacrity \uh-LAK-ruh-tee\ noun See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 27, 2025 is: decimate \DESS-uh-mayt\ verb See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 26, 2025 is: nonchalant \nahn-shuh-LAHNT\ adjective See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.