Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 26, 2024 is: deter • \dih-TER\ • verb To deter someone is to discourage or prevent them from acting. To deter a thing is to stop or limit it. // The heavy fines aim to deter people from dumping garbage here. // The device is designed to deter automobile theft. See the entry > Examples: "Sergey and oth…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 26, 2024 is: deter \dih-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 September 25, 2024 is: ilk • \ILK\ • noun Ilk is a noun that means "sort" or "kind." It is usually used in short phrases with and or of, as in "and that ilk" and "of their ilk." // The hole beneath the stairs of the cabin's porch allows in squirrels, woodchucks, and other creatures of that ilk. See the entry > …

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 24, 2024 is: jerkwater • \JERK-waw-ter\ • adjective Jerkwater means “remote and unimportant.” It is often used to describe a small town, village, etc., that is out in the country far from cities. Jerkwater can also mean “trivial.” // I grew up in a jerkwater town in the middle of nowhere. See the entr…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 24, 2024 is: jerkwater \JERK-waw-ter\ 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 September 23, 2024 is: rue • \ROO\ • verb To rue something is to feel penitence, remorse, or regret for it. Rue is often used in the phrase "rue the day." // I rue the day I signed that infernal contract. See the entry > Examples: "The hope is that new AI laws would be carefully crafted and tuned to the particu…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 22, 2024 is: heinous • \HAY-nus\ • adjective Heinous describes things—such as acts, deeds, or crimes—that are hatefully or shockingly evil, or in other words, deserving of hate or contempt. // The former dictator will stand trial for the role he played in his government’s heinous treatment of politica…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 21, 2024 is: paraphernalia • \pair-uh-fuh-NAIL-yuh\ • noun Paraphernalia can refer to objects or items that are used to do a particular activity, as well as objects or items that are typically associated with a particular activity, subject, etc. The word can also refer generally to personal belongings…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 21, 2024 is: paraphernalia \pair-uh-fuh-NAIL-yuh\ 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 September 20, 2024 is: winnow • \WIN-oh\ • verb In general contexts, winnowing is about removing what is not wanted. One can winnow items, or one can winnow something that has items: you winnow less important or less desirable items by removing them from a group, list, etc.; and you winnow a list or group by re…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 20, 2024 is: winnow \WIN-oh\ 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 September 19, 2024 is: approbation • \ap-ruh-BAY-shun\ • noun Approbation is a formal word that refers to praise or approval. // Their plan to rewild portions of the city’s parks has won the approbation of the mayor. See the entry > Examples: “That’s not to say that all slang terms end up on the ash heap of his…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 18, 2024 is: by and large • \BYE-und-LAHRJ\ • adverb By and large is another way of saying "in general" or "on the whole." // By and large, I like the way things have gone. See the entry > Examples: "… HBO’s Insecure, created, written, and produced by [Issa] Rae, … [is] a beautifully shot, deliciously…

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 18, 2024 is: by and large \BYE-und-LAHRJ\ adverb 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 September 17, 2024 is: dally • \DAL-ee\ • verb The word dally has a number of meanings. To dally can be to physically linger or dawdle, or to waste time. Dally may also mean "to act playfully," especially in a romantic sense, or "to deal with something lightly or in a way that is not serious." // Three members …

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 16, 2024 is: nebula \NEB-yuh-luh\ 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 September 15, 2024 is: liminal \LIM-uh-nul\ 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 September 14, 2024 is: succor \SUCK-er\ 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 September 13, 2024 is: callow \KAL-oh\ 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 September 12, 2024 is: fraternize \FRAT-er-nyze\ 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 September 11, 2024 is: chockablock \CHAH-kuh-blahk\ 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 September 10, 2024 is: ethos \EE-thahss\ 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 September 9, 2024 is: ambivalent \am-BIV-uh-lunt\ 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 September 8, 2024 is: memento \muh-MEN-toh\ 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 September 7, 2024 is: vilify \VIL-uh-fye\ verb See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.