Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

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asunder Oct 23, 2026

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 23, 2026 is:

asunder \uh-SUN-der\ adverb or adjective

Asunder is most often used as an adverb—often with a verb such as tear or rip—to mean "apart" or "into pieces." It is more rarely used as an adjective meaning "apart from each other," as in "standing with legs wide asunder."

// The park was torn asunder by yesterday's microburst, and many of its trails have been blocked by fallen trees.

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Examples:

"We cannot see erosion but we know it happens. [Artist Harrison] Bowe's work is filled with hints of vastness, but he's also pointing to how water might carve a mountain asunder." — Andrew Harper, Hobart Mercury (Australia), 6 Dec. 2025

Did you know?

To get to the root of today’s word, it helps to take it apart and focus on the sunder. You see, asunder comes from the verb sunder, which means "to break apart" or "to become parted, disunited, or severed." Both words come from the Old English word sundor, meaning "apart." The adverbial "into parts" sense of asunder is often used in the phrase "tear asunder," which can be used both literally (as in "fabric torn asunder") and, more often, figuratively (as in "a community torn asunder by the dispute"). The adjectival "apart from each other" sense can be found in the phrase "poles asunder," used to describe two things that are as vastly far apart as the poles of the Earth.

vocation Oct 22, 2026

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 22, 2026 is:

vocation \voh-KAY-shun\ noun

Vocation can refer simply to an occupation, or it can refer to a strong calling to pursue a particular kind of work or course of action.

// Since he was a teenager, he knew that he would find his vocation in marine biology.

// She is headed to medical school to pursue her vocation as a doctor.

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Examples:

“Through her education and her father’s encouragement, she had nurtured a vocation for literature and was determined to make a career for herself in the bundan, Japan’s literary elite …” — Bryan Karetnyk, introduction to Troubled Waters by Higuchi Ichiyō, 2026

Did you know?

When vocation was first used in English in the 15th century it referred specifically to a summons from God to perform a particular task or function in life, especially a religious one. This meaning is no surprise given the word’s source: it comes from the Latin vocation-, vocacio, meaning “summons,” which in turn comes from vocāre, meaning “to call.” Vocation also has a non-religious function in the English language as a word for the strong desire to do a certain kind of work, or as a word for the work itself, making vocation a synonym of the words calling and occupation.

jilt Oct 21, 2026

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 21, 2026 is:

jilt \JILT\ verb

To jilt someone is usually to abruptly end a romantic relationship with them. Jilt is also applied to various kinds of abrupt rejection.

// The novel begins with the hero, having just been jilted by his fiancée, setting off to hike the Appalachian Trail.

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Examples:

“The set suggests Miss Havisham’s room in her estate, which was famously frozen in time from the moment her fiancé jilted her in the Dickens novel, but that’s simply the frame for a behind-the-scenes view into all of the elements ... that go into an actor’s effort to bring a character to life on stage.” — Terry Byrne, The Boston Globe, 20 May 2026

Did you know?

What’s in a name? Often, something not very nice, through no fault and much to the chagrin of those bearing that name. Just ask Ralph or Karen. The same is (possibly) true of Gillot, an old pet form of Gillian that is thought to have led to the noun jillet, which originally referred to an unfaithful wife, and later became jilt, used in the late 17th century for a person (especially a woman) who capriciously casts a lover aside. The verb jilt followed for the actions of such a person. These days, though jilt usually implies the sudden ending of a romantic relationship, it can also be used beyond that context with the broader meaning “to sever close relations with.”

compunction Oct 20, 2026

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 20, 2026 is:

compunction \kum-PUNK-shun\ noun

Compunction refers to a feeling of misgiving, that is, doubt or suspicion especially concerning a future event. It can also refer to a feeling of guilt or regret. The word is typically used in negative constructions.

// We moved ahead with the plans without compunction.

// They felt no compunctions about their crimes.

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Examples:

"As a younger man, he tried to finish everything he started. But today he drops a book without compunction if he's extracted what he needed or lost interest." — Jim Higgins, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 21 Dec. 2025

Did you know?

According to an old proverb, "a guilty conscience needs no accuser." The implication is that the sting of a guilty conscience can prick very hard indeed. The sudden guilty "prickings" of compunction are reflected in the word's Latin roots: compungere means "to prick hard" or "to sting." Compungere, in turn, comes from pungere, meaning "to prick," which is the ancestor of some other prickly words in English, such as puncture and point.

fervid Oct 19, 2026

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 19, 2026 is:

fervid \FER-vid\ adjective

Fervid is used to describe people or things that express or are expressive of strong feelings.

// The core of the book is the fervid letters the friends exchanged during the years they were apart.

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Examples:

“Fervid superfans of high-profile groups often pore over members’ appearances, performances, and private lives. Perceived ‘bad’ behavior such as smoking or drinking can earn widespread public backlash, forcing stars to live under strict rules.” — Jessie Yeung, CNN, 16 Jan. 2026

Did you know?

The metaphor of strong emotions bubbling over simmers in the roots of fervid, which comes from the Latin verb fervēre, meaning “to boil.” In English, this root gave us not only fervid but the similar-sounding and sometimes synonymous word fervent. But while fervid usually suggests warm emotion that is expressed in a spontaneous or feverish manner (as in “fervid basketball fans”), fervent is reserved for a kind of emotional warmth that is steady and sincere (as in “a fervent belief in human kindness”). Fervid fans of kimchi or sauerkraut (or fervent followers of anything fermented), may appreciate that fervēre is also the root of ferment.

bon vivant Oct 18, 2026

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 18, 2026 is:

bon vivant \bahn-vee-VAHNT\ noun

A bon vivant is a sociable person who has refined tastes especially with respect to food and drink.

// She has become something of a bon vivant since moving to Paris, going out most nights and delighting in the city's many restaurants.

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Examples:

“The vineyard is named for the exiled French aristocrat Charles de Saint-Évremond, a symbol of hedonistic Anglo-French cooperation. The bon vivant introduced champagne to England and party-loving Charles II made him governor of Duck Island in St James’s Park.” — Phoebe Taplin, The Guardian (London), 12 Sept. 2026

Did you know?

In French, bon vivant literally means “good liver”—that is, one who lives well. English speakers have used bon vivant since the late 17th century to refer specifically to those who subscribe to a particular kind of good living—one that involves lots of social engagements and the enjoyment of fancy food and drink. This puts the term very much in the company of some other French words. Gourmet, gourmand, and gastronome all refer to those who love a fancy meal, though gourmand often carries the connotation of a tendency to overindulge.

syncretic Oct 17, 2026

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 17, 2026 is:

syncretic \sin-KRET-ik\ adjective

Syncretic describes things that are characterized or brought about by a combination of different forms of belief or practice.

// We were raised with a syncretic religion that combined practices from various faiths.

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Examples:

"Traditional medicine, wellness rituals, and spiritual practices reflect the island’s complex cultural history and diverse ethnic origins—a syncretic blending of Taíno Indigenous, African, and Spanish traditions." — Tiana Randall, Forbes, 20 Aug. 2026

Did you know?

Syncretic has its roots in an ancient alliance. The word is a descendant of the Greek noun synkrētismos, referring to a federation of cities on the island of Crete (syn means "together, with," and Krēt- means "Cretan"). The adjective first appeared in English in the mid-19th century, the related noun syncretism having debuted over 200 years earlier. Syncretic retains the idea of coalition and appears in such contexts as "syncretic religions," "syncretic cultures," and even "syncretic art," all describing things influenced by two or more styles or traditions.

zenith Oct 16, 2026

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 16, 2026 is:

zenith \ZEE-nith\ noun

Zenith refers to the strongest or most successful period of time for a person or thing.

// At its zenith in the 1980s, the company employed more than 300 people.

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Examples:

“The opening 40 minutes of Trần Anh Hùng’s dreamy romance set in the 1889 French countryside are the zenith of food preparation on the big screen. ... Food is a love language for many, and watching Pauline prepare a Baked Alaska in the hot French summer without a freezer expresses her affection better than any sonnet could.” — Kevin Slane, Boston.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Did you know?

When you reach the zenith, you’re at the top, the pinnacle, the summit, the peak. Zenith developed from a Spanish modification of an Arabic phrase meaning “the way over one’s head,” traveling through Medieval Latin and Middle French before arriving in English. As long ago as the 1300s, English speakers used zenith to name the highest point in the celestial heavens, directly overhead. By the 1600s, zenith was being used for other high points as well. The celestial term is often contrasted with nadir, which refers to the point that is vertically downward from the observer (imagine a line going through the Earth from the observer’s feet and out the other side into the sky). Figuratively, nadir simply means “the lowest point.”

outlandish Oct 15, 2026

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 15, 2026 is:

outlandish \out-LAN-dish\ adjective

Outlandish can describe things that are strikingly strange or unusual; in this use, it’s a synonym of bizarre. Outlandish can also describe things, such as claims, rumors, and accusations, that go beyond reasonable limits or standards.

// One of the author’s greatest strengths is her ability to write outlandish characters whose quirks remain lodged in readers’ minds long after they’ve finished the book.

// When asked to back up his outlandish claims, the mayor quickly changed the subject, all but admitting that he had no proof for his allegations.

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Examples:

“In a successful book for children, no matter what outlandish stuff might be happening on the page, young readers will see their real emotions faithfully represented there ...” — Caroline Carson, Literary Hub, 3 Aug. 2026

Did you know?

For some, the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of the fence—it may also be very, very strange. The side-eye that skeptical sorts cast toward visitors from parts yonder is embedded in the history of the ancient word outlandish. In Old English someone described as “outlandish” came from an outland, i.e., a foreign land. Within a few hundred years, outlandish had broadened in use to describe anything unfamiliar or strange. It’s now commonly applied to things—especially things people do, wear, or say—that are strikingly out of the ordinary, or even just beyond reasonable or proper limits or standards. But lest you mistake us for equating outlandish with wrong or bad, consider this line from a review of a Dr. Seuss book once published in Time: “Its illustrations are properly outlandish, and its verses are zany and catchy enough for many rereadings.”

deportment Oct 14, 2026

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 14, 2026 is:

deportment \dih-PORT-munt\ noun

Deportment refers to the way in which one conducts oneself especially in a formal setting.

// The new students were instructed in proper dress and deportment.

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Examples:

"The scholarship goes to a junior nursing student who has demonstrated 'academic achievement and abilities, promise as a future nurse, personal deportment and other outstanding characteristics,' the college said in a news release." — The Citizen (Auburn, New York), 24 June 2026

Did you know?

Deportment, like a number of English words, has its roots in Latin portare, meaning "to carry." Other portare descendants include such familiar terms as import ("to bring from an external source"), transport ("to bring from one place to another"), and portfolio, which by its oldest meaning refers to a case for carrying papers. In the case of deportment, the thing we "carry" is ourselves. Deportment can refer simply to one's demeanor, or it can refer to behavior formed by social conditioning and often conforming to conventional rules of propriety. A 17-year-old Emily Dickinson applied the latter meaning when she wrote to her brother, Austin: "Are you not gratified that I am so rapidly gaining correct ideas of female propriety and sedate deportment?"

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