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

Class: noun | Syllables: ET-ih-kut

Definition: Etiquette refers to the rules of proper and polite behavior that are expected in social or official life.

Example(s):
// Her failure to respond to the invitation was a serious breach of etiquette.

Class: noun | Syllables: BLAN-dish-munt

Definition: A blandishment is something said or done in order to coax or persuade an individual or group to do something. The word is usually used in its plural form, blandishments.

Example(s):
// It's important that the mayor not be swayed by bribes and blandishments; decisions must be made for the overall good of the city.
// No treat, soft words, or other blandishment could get the mule to move when it decided it would rather stay put.

Class: adjective | Syllables: TREN-chunt

Definition: Trenchant is a formal word that is usually used to describe communication that is notably strong, clear, and perceptive, or in other words, “sharp.”

Example(s):
// The author’s trenchant wit was very evident in the critique she wrote of the much-acclaimed film.
// Trenchant insights made eloquently by the speaker clearly affected many of those in the audience.

Class: noun | Syllables: YIPS

Definition: Yips is a plural noun that refers to a state of nervousness that affects an athlete (such as a golfer) when they're about to make an important move or play. It is almost always used in the phrase "the yips."

Example(s):
// Afflicted with a sudden case of the yips, Doug tensed up and pulled his putt too far to the left.

Class: verb | Syllables: kahn-KAT-uh-nayt

Definition: Concatenate is a formal word that means “to link together in a series or chain.”

Example(s):
// Most household garbage bags are concatenated on rolls and connected at their perforated edges for easy tearing.

Class: noun | Syllables: MEET-kyoot

Definition: Meet-cute is a term that refers to a cute, charming, or amusing first encounter between romantic partners. A meet-cute can be such an encounter as shown in a movie or television show, or one that happens in real life.

Example(s):
// The elderly couple loved sharing the story of their hilarious meet-cute from 30 years ago.

Class: adjective | Syllables: AHB-stuh-nut

Definition: Obstinate at its most basic means "stubborn." It describes people who refuse to change their behavior or ideas in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion, and it describes things that are not easily fixed, removed, or dealt with.

Example(s):
// The project that had been the group's main focus for weeks was temporarily stymied by one obstinate member's refusal to compromise.
// The planning committee discussed ways to mitigate the obstinate problem of gentrification.

Class: noun | Syllables: JIST

Definition: Gist, which almost always appears in the phrase “the gist,” refers to the general or basic meaning of something written or said—in other words, its essence.

Example(s):
// I didn’t catch every word, but I heard enough to get the gist of the conversation.

Class: verb | Syllables: in-THRAWL

Definition: Enthrall means “to hold the attention of someone by being very exciting, interesting, or beautiful,” or in other words, “to charm.” It is often used in its past participle form, as in “I was enthralled by the beauty of the landscape.”

Example(s):
// A captivating take on the human experience, the movie has enthralled audiences across the country.

Class: noun | Syllables: NEM-uh-siss

Definition: A nemesis is a formidable foe—an opponent or enemy who is very difficult to defeat. As a proper noun, Nemesis refers to the Greek goddess of vengeance.

Example(s):
// She will be playing against her old nemesis for the championship.

Class: adjective | Syllables: SAK-roh-sankt

Definition: Sacrosanct is a formal word that describes things too important and respected to be changed or criticized. It can also mean “most sacred or holy.”

Example(s):
// While the family's new matriarch aimed to maintain the familiar traditions of the holidays, she did not consider the details of their celebration to be sacrosanct.

Class: noun | Syllables: fluh-VEE-doh

Definition: Flavedo refers to the colored outer layer of the rind of a citrus fruit.

Example(s):
// The lime's flavedo is full of essential oils that add a distinctive, earthy tang to desserts, drinks, and plenty of savory dishes, too.

Class: verb | Syllables: in-TER-puh-layt

Definition: Interpolate is a formal word used to talk about interjecting or inserting something, especially words or a musical element. A critic might interpolate a comment into a conversation, or an artist may interpolate a melody or lyric from one song into another. In mathematical contexts, the word can also mean “to estimate values of data or a function between two known values,” or “to make insertions (as of estimated values).”

Example(s):
// She interpolated a highly critical comment into the discussion, which had been mostly positive to that point.

Class: adjective | Syllables: SAY-pee-unt

Definition: Sapient is a formal word that means “possessing or expressing great wisdom.”

Example(s):
// She was grateful to have in her mentor an ever-reliable source of sapient career advice.

Class: noun | Syllables: HAH-bee-horss

Definition: Hobbyhorse usually refers to a topic that someone dwells on, returning to again and again, especially in conversation.

Example(s):
// The so-called “Curse of the Bambino” was a favorite hobbyhorse of my Red Sox-loving grandfather until the team finally won the World Series in 2004.

Class: verb | Syllables: AD-um-brayt

Definition: Adumbrate is a formal verb with several meanings that all have to do with figurative shadows. It can mean “to foreshadow vaguely,” as in “a childhood interest in ants that adumbrated a career in biology”; it can mean “to suggest or outline partially,” as in “a few sentences that adumbrate the plan”; and it can mean “to overshadow or obscure,” as in “a cheerfulness not adumbrated by difficult circumstances.”

Example(s):
// The movie's most impressive feat was to pull off a plot twist perfectly adumbrated by one rather forgettable scene.
// The first chapter of the graphic novel deftly adumbrates her earliest memories.
// The joyous occasion was adumbrated by knowledge of what the next day was to bring.

Class: noun | Syllables: BOW-er

Definition: Bower is a literary word that usually refers to a garden shelter made with tree boughs or vines twined together.

Example(s):
// Resting in the shade of the bower was the perfect way to cool off during the hot summer afternoon.

Class: adjective | Syllables: uh-FISH-us

Definition: Officious typically describes a person who tends to offer unwanted advice in a way that annoys the advice recipients. It is a synonym of meddlesome.

Example(s):
// After the boss told his workers what to do, his officious assistant stepped in to micromanage.

Class: noun | Syllables: GAM-ut

Definition: A gamut is a range or series of related things. When we say that something “runs the gamut,” we are saying that it encompasses an entire range of related things.

Example(s):
// I adore licorice, mints, lollipops, candy corn—the whole gamut of penny candy.
// On that fateful day, her emotions ran the gamut from joy to despair.

Class: adjective | Syllables: tel-uh-JEN-ik

Definition: Someone or something described as telegenic is well-suited to the medium of television. Telegenic is often used to describe people whose appearance or manners are particularly attractive to television viewers.

Example(s):
// Her favorite actor is so telegenic that he can make a bad series enjoyable.