M-W Word of the Day @[email protected]

Class: verb | Syllables: EK-spuh-dyte

Definition: To expedite something is to speed up its process or progress. Expedite can also mean “to carry out promptly.”

Example(s):
// To expedite the processing of your request, please include your account number on all documents.

Class: adjective | Syllables: ahr-BOR-ee-ul

Definition: Arboreal is a literary term that means “of or relating to trees.” It can also mean “living in or often found in trees,” as in “arboreal monkeys.”

Example(s):
// Despite taking weekly hikes on the same trail, she never ceases to be amazed by the forest’s arboreal beauty.

Class: noun plural | Syllables: vuh-SISS-uh-toodz

Definition: The word vicissitudes usually refers to events or situations that occur by chance. It can also apply specifically to the difficulties or hardships, usually beyond one's control, that are commonly encountered in a life, career, etc., or simply to the quality or state of being changeable.

Example(s):
// Capricorns are often described as persistent, down-to-earth strivers, unlikely to be thrown off by the vicissitudes of life.

Class: verb | Syllables: kuh-ROWZ ("OW" as in 'cow')

Definition: Carouse means "to drink alcohol, make noise, and have fun with other people."

Example(s):
// After a long night of carousing around Puerto Vallarta, the travelers settled into their hotel room.

Class: noun | Syllables: or-THAH-gruh-fee

Definition: Orthography refers to “correct spelling,” or “the art of writing words with the proper letters according to standard usage.”

Example(s):
// As the winner of several spelling bees, she impressed her teachers with her exceptional grasp of orthography.

Class: adjective | Syllables: rep-rih-HEN-suh-bul

Definition: Reprehensible is a formal word that means “worthy of or deserving blame or very strong criticism.”

Example(s):
// A recent news article called for the mayor's resignation, citing the recent accusations of bribery as both plausible and reprehensible.

Class: verb | Syllables: bih-GHYLE

Definition: To beguile is to attract or interest someone, or to trick or deceive them.

Example(s):
// He beguiled the audience with his smooth and seductive voice.
// She was cunning enough to beguile her classmates into doing the work for her.

Class: adjective | Syllables: WIST-ful

Definition: To be wistful is to be full of or to inspire yearning or desire tinged with melancholy. Wistful can also mean “suggestive of sad thoughtfulness.”

Example(s):
// As the car pulled away, Lea cast one last wistful glance at the house where she'd spent so many happy years.

Class: noun | Syllables: FOR-tuh-tood

Definition: Fortitude is a formal word that refers to the strength of mind that enables someone to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage. Less formal words with similar meanings include grit, fiber, and pluck.

Example(s):
// To reach the summit of Denali requires not only great physical strength and training but the fortitude to persevere no matter the challenge.

Class: verb | Syllables: un-der-GHERD

Definition: Undergird means “to strengthen or support (something) from below” or “to form the basis or foundation of.”

Example(s):
// Their way of life is undergirded by religious faith.

Class: adjective | Syllables: DOH-luh-rus

Definition: Dolorous means "causing, marked by, or expressing misery or grief."

Example(s):
// The acerbic and dolorous writings of Charles Bukowski garnered praise among lovers of poetry depicting the lives of the downtrodden in American society.

Class: noun | Syllables: HAK-ulz

Definition: Hackles are hairs along the neck and back of an animal (especially a dog) that are capable of being raised to a stiff, upright position (as when a dog is frightened or angry). The plural noun hackles is often used figuratively with raise or rise to describe a person's response to something that causes anger or annoyance; thus, hackles can also mean “temper” or “dander” (as in “don't get your temper/dander up”).

Example(s):
// A number of the issues discussed in the political debate raised some hackles among members of the opposing party.

Class: verb | Syllables: PASS-uh-fye

Definition: The verb pacify has several related definitions. Among the most common are “to soothe the anger or agitation of” (as in “pacify a crying child”) and “to appease” (“trying to pacify the enemy”).

Example(s):
// Whenever there’s a thunderstorm I find that letting my dog sleep at the foot of the bed helps to pacify her.

Class: noun | Syllables: kun-TRAP-shun

Definition: A contraption is a usually mechanical or electronic device or gadget.

Example(s):
// The students worked as a team to create a Rube Goldberg contraption that can fill a pet food bowl at the press of a lever.

Class: adjective | Syllables: lak-uh-DAY-zih-kul

Definition: Something or someone described as lackadaisical is lacking in life, spirit, or zest.

Example(s):
// His teachers did not approve of his lackadaisical approach to homework.

Class: verb | Syllables: muh-GHYE-ver

Definition: To MacGyver something is to make, form, or repair it with materials that are conveniently on hand.

Example(s):
// Social media websites are full of videos that show people MacGyvering everything from a life jacket out of a pair of pants to a stove using three metal cans and some dirt.

Class: noun | Syllables: vuh-SIN-uh-tee

Definition: Vicinity is often used as a synonym of neighborhood meaning "the area around or near a particular place." It can also mean "the quality or state of being near" or "an approximate amount, extent, or degree."

Example(s):
// They're looking at houses in the vicinity of the town's only elementary school.
// She lives in Los Angeles, or somewhere in that vicinity.
// They anticipate grant funding in the vicinity of fifty thousand dollars.

Class: adjective | Syllables: aw-RAK-yuh-ler

Definition: Oracular can describe something that is used to forecast or divine, or that resembles or relates to something used for such purposes. Oracular can also describe a person who resembles an oracle—a person (such as a priestess of ancient Greece) through whom a deity is believed to speak.

Example(s):
// The students admired the professor's oracular wisdom.

Class: noun | Syllables: FOY-bul

Definition: Foibles are minor flaws or shortcomings in character or behavior. In fencing, foible refers to the part of a sword's blade between the middle and point, which is considered the weakest part.

Example(s):
// He was amused daily by the foibles of his eccentric neighbor.

Class: adjective | Syllables: aw-SPISH-us

Definition: Something described as auspicious is full of promise, showing or suggesting that future success or good results are likely. Auspicious can also mean “attended by good fortune.”

Example(s):
// The young musician’s auspicious debut album reveals her songwriting as already more accomplished than that of artists twice her age and stature.
// The high school gymnast had quite the auspicious year, taking gold or silver in nearly every competition.