Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2026 is: loquacious • \loh-KWAY-shus\ • adjective Loquacious means “liking to talk and talking smoothly and easily.” Someone described as loquacious might also be called wordy (prone to using more words than necessary) or garrulous (tending to talk a lot). // We were entertained all afternoon by our host’s loquacious parrot and its nonstop script of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 14, 2026 is: yaw • \YAW\ • verb The verb yaw when used for the action of a ship, aircraft, spacecraft, or projectile means "to move to the left or right especially in an uncontrolled manner." More broadly, yaw is used as a synonym of alternate to mean "to change from one to another repeatedly."// The rogue wave hit the vessel, and the ship yawed hard to...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 13, 2026 is: implacable • \im-PLAK-uh-bul\ • adjective Someone or something described as implacable is not capable of being appeased or changed. // The project faced implacable resistance from community members, and is now off the table.See the entry > Examples: “Unlike, say, the globetrotting stories of Ian Fleming or John le Carré, in which...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 12, 2026 is: fulcrum • \FULL-krum\ • noun In technical use, fulcrum refers to the support on which a lever moves when it is used to lift something. In figurative use, fulcrum refers to a person or thing that makes it possible for something to function or develop, or in other words, one who plays an essential role in something.// Although the lead actor...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 11, 2026 is: xeric • \ZEER-ik\ • adjective Xeric means "characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture."// She is a botanist who primarily studies xeric plants.See the entry > Examples: "Thoughtfully designed xeric, or low-water, landscapes can be dynamic, layered and full of color. Native plants and those adapted to the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 10, 2026 is: effulgence • \ih-FULL-junss\ • noun Effulgence means “radiant splendor” or “brilliance.”// Guests oohed and aahed at the sudden effulgence of the pagoda, as the last of its hundreds of candles were finally lit. See the entry > Examples: “No one knows who suggested that the building be lit at night. But the obvious inspiration was Times...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 9, 2026 is: tacit • \TASS-it\ • adjective Tacit is a formal adjective used to describe something that is expressed or understood without being directly stated. // As roommates, we had a tacit agreement that we would never pry into each other’s affairs.See the entry > Examples: “Where modern documentaries are slick productions filled with preconceived...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 8, 2026 is: gambol • \GAM-bul\ • verb Gambol means "to run or jump in a lively way." It is used as a synonym of frolic. // There are few sights more charming than that of lambs gamboling about in a meadow in full flower.See the entry > Examples: "There's also charming footage of a couple gamboling in Central Park that might be some of the first scenes...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 7, 2026 is: perfunctory • \per-FUNK-tuh-ree\ • adjective Perfunctory is a formal word used to describe something that is done without energy or enthusiasm because of habit or because it is expected.// By the time my favorite band got to the last stop of the tour, their performance felt perfunctory. See the entry > Examples: “Even a perfunctory ending...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 6, 2026 is: deepfake • \DEEP-fayk\ • noun Deepfake refers to an image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said.// The leaked video incriminating the school's dean was discovered to be a deepfake.See the entry > Examples: "Overall, the...