Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

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ambient Dec 22, 2024

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 22, 2024 is:

ambient \AM-bee-unt\ adjective

In technical use, ambient describes things—such as air quality or light in a room—that exist or are present on all sides. Ambient is also used to describe electronic music that is quiet and relaxing, with melodies that repeat many times.

// The chemicals must be kept at an ambient temperature of 70°F.

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Examples:

“Many New Yorkers revel in the city’s ambient rumble—the thump of a bass echoing between buildings, the slap of domino tiles on a card table, the growl of off-road bikes rushing down the block.” — Yessenia Funes, Curbed, 11 Aug. 2023

Did you know?

Biologists explore the effects of ambient light on plants; acoustics experts try to control ambient sound; and meteorologists monitor the temperature of ambient air. All this can make ambient seem like a technical term, but when it first saw light of day, that all-encompassing adjective was as likely to be used in poetry as in science, as when Alexander Pope wrote of a mountain “whose tow’ring summit ambient clouds conceal’d.” Both poets and scientists use ambient today to describe things that surround—that is, exist on all sides of—someone or something. And by “all” we mean all. One would not likely describe someone sitting in the middle of their lawn as being amid “ambient grass,” for example. Ambient, which comes from the Latin verb ambīre meaning “to surround, encircle, or embrace,” most often describes things—such as noise or humidity—that are all around someone, from top to bottom.

testimonial Dec 21, 2024

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2024 is:

testimonial \tess-tuh-MOH-nee-ul\ noun

A testimonial is a written or spoken statement in which a person says they used a product or service and liked it, or that they appreciate someone's work, skill, character, etc. Testimonial is also used as a synonym of evidence and testimony.

// The website is full of testimonials from satisfied customers.

// The book's popularity is a testimonial to its timeliness.

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Examples:

"To commemorate their successful journey in the sport, the team released a heartfelt tribute video featuring testimonials from team members sharing their fondest memories." — Lydia Mee, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024

Did you know?

In 1639, Scottish poet William Drummond responded to the politics of his day with a cheeky set of new laws, including one stipulating that "no man wear a ... periwig, unless he have a testimonial from a town-clerk, that he is either bald, sickly, or asham'd of white hairs." Testimonials take different forms, but always, like in Drummond's facetious law, they provide affirmation or evidence. (Testimonial traces to Latin testimonium, meaning "evidence" or "witness.") In the 19th century, testimonial developed a new use, referring to a tribute—that is, a gift presented as a public expression of appreciation. Today, testimonial is most often used to refer to a statement—such as one posted on any number of websites devoted to consumer reviews—that endorses a product or service.

beatific Dec 20, 2024

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 20, 2024 is:

beatific \bee-uh-TIFF-ik\ adjective

Beatific is a formal word that describes something or someone having a blissful appearance or showing complete happiness.

// As the pair danced, beatific smiles on their faces, the audience sat hushed and almost reverential.

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Examples:

“Most vividly, there was Tracy Chapman, back on the Grammys stage after years out of the spotlight to sing ‘Fast Car,’ her gentle yet resolute anthem of self-determination, alongside Luke Combs, the country star who had a huge hit last year with a cover of the decades-old song. As Chapman sang and played guitar, she looked satisfied, serene, almost beatific.” — Mikael Wood, The Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2024

Did you know?

When it comes to bliss-themed words, it’s hard to beat beatific. Since the 17th century, beatific has been all about that other b-word, first describing things that impart a feeling of complete and utter happiness, and later those beings with a blissful appearance. Not a bad gig if you can get it. Beatific comes from the Latin adjective beātificus, which means “making happy,” and can be traced further back to the verb beāre, meaning “to make happy.” Bliss, of course, is more like happiness cubed, so beatific tends to be used in formal speech and writing, and reserved for situations where happy itself doesn’t quite cut the mustard. A beatific smile, for example, is one that suggests its wearer is content on a deeper-than-ordinary level, while a beatific location—say, a tranquil tropical lagoon or a majestic mountain—is one that instills such pervasive joy in its beholder.

requite Dec 19, 2024

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 19, 2024 is:

requite \rih-KWYTE\ verb

To requite is to give or do something in return for something that another person has given or done, or for a benefit or service that has been provided.

// Sam was worried that the feelings she’d expressed on her date were not requited, but was relieved and overjoyed to learn that they were.

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Examples:

“I had attracted the interest of some boys ... but mostly, I wrote short stories about my crushes. The girls who summered on Nantucket and eschewed carbs? Their crushes were requited.” — Amy Kaufman, The Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2024

Did you know?

Requite is most familiar in the phrase “unrequited love.” Love that has not been requited is love that has not been returned or paid back in kind. Indeed, the idea of repayment undergirds all the senses of the verb requite, which include the most common sense of “to repay” (usually applied to amorous affection or feeling), “to avenge,” and “to make suitable return to for a benefit or service, or for an injury.” The quite in requite is a now-obsolete English verb meaning “to make full payment of” or “to pay.” (The verb's ultimate root is Latin quietus, meaning “quiet; at rest.”) This quite is also related to the English verb quit, the oldest meanings of which include “to pay up” and “to set free.”

qualm Dec 18, 2024

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 18, 2024 is:

qualm \KWAHM\ noun

A qualm is a feeling of doubt or uncertainty about whether one is doing the right thing, or whether something is right or proper. Qualm is often used in its plural form, as in “I have no qualms with that decision.”

// Elena’s parents had no qualms about her organizing a dinner party for her three closest friends.

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Examples:

“Pinkerton agents had few qualms about what we consider ethical standards in law enforcement today. Pinkertons lied, bribed (and took bribes), flipped sides for the right price, harassed and intimidated workers.” — Russell Cobb, Ghosts of Crook County: An Oil Fortune, a Phantom Child, and the Fight for Indigenous Land, 2024

Did you know?

We're not sure how qualm came to be (it may be related to a similar German word), but we know this word was originally used to refer to a sudden sick feeling, such as nausea or faintness, and then for a sudden attack of usually disturbing emotion, such as grief or doubt. Both these senses are still in use: a person may be described, for example, as experiencing a qualm of nausea or a qualm of fear. These days, though, you’re most likely to hear qualm used in its newest sense, referring to a feeling of uneasiness, particularly about whether a person is following their conscience or better judgment. You’re especially likely to hear this sense of qualm used in negative statements, such as “We have no qualms about telling you what sort of things the word qualm does.”

lexical Dec 17, 2024

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 17, 2024 is:

lexical \LEK-sih-kul\ adjective

To describe something as lexical is to say that it is related to words or vocabulary.

// A dictionary provides lexical information—it tells you what the word "cat" means, not all there is to know about cats.

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Examples:

"From his [artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's] lyrical brushstrokes to his lexical compositions, music is imbued even when the reference is subtle or ambiguous. There are obvious portraits of jazz greats and song titles in many works, while others force a more discerning gaze." — Natasha Gural, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023

Did you know?

The word lexical and its relatives have a special place in our hearts (and in our dictionaries). In addition to referring to one's personal vocabulary, lexicon can be used as a synonym of dictionary, and the word lexicography refers to the practice of making dictionaries. Both of these words, as well as lexical, come from the Greek word lexis, meaning "word" or "speech." So, if you’re considering a lexical—that is, word-related—career as a wordsmith or, say, a lexicographer, you may want to add these terms to your lexicon.

allusion Dec 16, 2024

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 16, 2024 is:

allusion \uh-LOO-zhun\ noun

An allusion is a reference to something that avoids mentioning the thing directly. Allusion may also describe the use of such a statement or the act of alluding to something.

// The lyrics contain biblical allusions.

// They made allusion to their first marriage, but said nothing more about it.

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Examples:

“The Rings of Power is full of echoes and allusions to the original [Lord of the Rings] trilogy.” — James Grebey, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024

Did you know?

An allusion is not a play on words—that would be a pun—but allusion does come from the Latin verb allūdere, which in turn combines the verb lūdere, meaning “play,” with the prefix ad-, which can mean “to,” “toward,” or “near.” One way of thinking about an allusion—an indirect reference, especially (though not exclusively) as used in literature—is that it “plays toward or around” something rather than naming it directly. For example, Picnic, Lightning, the title of a book by poet Billy Collins, is an allusion to a line from Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita. This allusion—like most—works on the assumption that there is a body of knowledge shared by the author and reader and that therefore the reader will understand the reference. Don’t be misled by the similar pronunciation and spelling of allusion and illusion, however. You wouldn’t be the first, but the latter—which also comes from lūdere—refers to something that is visually or otherwise misleading.

cavalier Dec 15, 2024

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 15, 2024 is:

cavalier \kav-uh-LEER\ adjective

Someone described as cavalier shows no concern for important or serious matters. Cavalier also describes attitudes, manners, etc., that show the same lack of concern.

// The company provides regular training about the dangers of being cavalier in sharing privileged information.

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Examples:

“I’d failed math and chemistry the previous quarter; my European history teacher had decried—in front of the class—my ‘flippant and cavalier attitude.’ My GPA was a 1.8. But the night before the assignment was due I wrote a play about the thing that I—and Holden Caulfield—both passionately hated: The phoniness of organized structures, the way that religious belief was—in my fifteen-year-old mind—nothing but pretense and emptiness. … The next day, class began with a flourish. Ted Sod, the visiting playwright, stormed through the door. We’d all done good work, he told us, but one play—in particular—stood out. … And then, to my inestimable shock, he pointed at me.” — Pauls Toutonghi, LitHub.com, 5 Oct. 2023

Did you know?

Mount up, fellow language caballeros! We think you’ll agree that the origins of cavalier make a great deal of horse sense. The noun cavalier—which traces back to the Late Latin word caballārius, meaning “horseback rider,” and even further to the Latin word for “work horse,” caballus—originally referred to a gentleman or knight trained in arms and horsemanship. The adjective trotted into English just a few decades after the noun, first describing those thought to embody qualities of gallantry and suaveness associated with such soldiers. However, the English Puritans later applied the noun with disdain to their adversaries, the swashbuckling royalist followers of Charles I, who sported longish hair and swords. Their use undoubtedly contributed to the adjective’s “flippant” sense, which is now the most common. To saddle someone (or their behavior, attitude, etc.) with the descriptor today is to say that they do not demonstrate the expected or required care for serious matters.

venerate Dec 14, 2024

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 14, 2024 is:

venerate \VEN-uh-rayt\ verb

To venerate someone or something is to feel or show deep respect for them because they are considered great, holy, etc.

// Her best-selling trilogy led to her becoming a writer venerated by generations of admirers.

See the entry >

Examples:

“Vietnam is the world’s third-largest rice exporter, and the staple’s importance to Vietnamese culture is palpable in the Mekong Delta. The fertile patchwork of green fields crisscrossed by silvery waterways has helped stave off famine since the Vietnam War ended in 1975. Rice isn’t just the mainstay of most meals, it is considered a gift from the gods and continues to be venerated.” — Aniruddha Ghosal, The Associated Press, 22 Apr. 2024

Did you know?

Among the pantheon of ancient Roman deities, has any been so venerated—that is, deeply respected—over the centuries as Venus, goddess of love and beauty? Of course, one may personally prefer Vulcan or, um, Robigus (the god associated with wheat blight), but from Venus de Milo to the classic pop song “Venus,” Venus has inspired far more enduring reverence. To venerate something or someone—whether an artist or a saint—is to hold them in similarly high regard, which makes sense given venerate’s origins. The word comes from the Latin verb venerārī, which can mean “to solicit the good will of,” “to worship,” “to pay homage to,” and “to hold in awe.” That verb, in turn, is related to—you guessed it—Venus.

immense Dec 13, 2024

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 13, 2024 is:

immense \ih-MENSS\ adjective

Something described as immense is very great in size, degree, or amount.

// They inherited an immense fortune.

// Her movies continue to enjoy immense popularity.

See the entry >

Examples:

"At night, the wind's howls and whistles provide the soundtrack to the immense vista." — Alexandra Sanidad, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2024

Did you know?

Just how big is something if it is immense? Huge? Colossal? Humongous? Ginormous? Or merely enormous? Immense is often used as a synonym of all of the above and, as such, can simply function as yet another way for English speakers to say "really, really, really big." But immense is also used in a sense which goes beyond merely really, really, really big to describe something that is so great in size or degree that it transcends ordinary means of measurement. This sense harks back to the original sense of immense for something which is so tremendously big (such as, say, the universe) that it has not been or cannot be measured. This sense reflects the word's roots in the Latin immensus, from in- ("un-") and mensus, the past participle of metiri, "to measure."

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