Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 20, 2025 is:

utmost • \UT-mohst\  • adjective

Utmost describes something that is the greatest or highest in degree, number, or amount.

// The safety of employees is of utmost importance.

// Olympians push themselves to the utmost limit when training.

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Examples:

“Only about 2,000 of the hybrid tea rose bushes, dubbed Barbra’s Baby, are available so far. … Streisand politely declined to comment for this story, but Dan Bifano, a master rosarian and longtime gardener to Streisand, Oprah and other famous folk, believes a rose’s name ‘is always of utmost importance; it makes the rose salable or unsalable, and anytime a rose is connected to a celebrity, it’s going to pick up the sales.’” — Jeanette Marantos, The Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2025

Did you know?

Utmost, which typically communicates that something is of the greatest or highest in degree, number, or amount, is commonly found modifying words like importance, concern, and respect. But utmost can also indicate that something is, literally or figuratively, farthest or most distant—that it is outmost, as in “the utmost point.” Utmost in fact traces back to the Old English word ūtmest, a superlative adjective formed from the adverb ūt, meaning “out.” Utmost can also function as a noun referring to the highest attainable point or degree, as in “the inn provides the utmost in comfort and luxury.” The noun also often occurs in phrases such as “we did our utmost to help” where it means “the highest, greatest, or best of one’s abilities, powers, and resources.”

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2025 is:

devise • \dih-VYZE\  • verb

To devise is to invent or plan something that is difficult or complicated in some way.

// The siblings devised a plan to clean the house from top to bottom with hopes of getting their parents to let them go to the concert.

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Examples:

“The Timberwolves surprisingly advanced to the Western Conference finals last year before losing to the Mavericks. After a troublesome season, Minnesota returned before being thumped by the top-seeded Thunder. The series wasn't really close, and the Timberwolves ... will have to devise a way to compete in the Western Conference with the Lakers, Nuggets, Clippers, Spurs, Mavericks, and Warriors all chasing them.” — Gary Washburn, The Boston Globe, 1 June 2025

Did you know?

There’s something inventive about devise, a word that stems from Latin dividere, meaning “to divide.” By the time devise was being used in English, its Anglo-French forebear deviser had accumulated an array of senses, including “divide,” “distribute,” “arrange,” “order,” “plan,” “invent,” and “assign by will.” English adopted some of these and added new senses, such as “imagine” and “guess,” that have fallen out of use over time. Today devise is most commonly used as a synonym of invent or plot in situations where the objective is difficult or complicated. Note that devise is often confused with another dividere (and deviser) descendent: device refers to a technique, method, tool, or small machine or gadget. One way to help keep their spellings straight is to remember that ice, usually a noun, is found at the end of the noun device, not the verb devise.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 18, 2025 is:

meritorious • \mair-uh-TOR-ee-us\  • adjective

Meritorious is a formal adjective used to describe something that is deserving of honor, praise, or esteem.

// She was honored for her meritorious service to the city.

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Examples:

"The Air Medal is awarded to anyone who distinguishes themselves through meritorious achievement while flying." — Rick Mauch, The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2025

Did you know?

People who demonstrate meritorious behavior certainly earn our respect, and you can use that fact to remember that meritorious has its roots in the Latin verb merēre, which means "to earn." (Merēre is also the source of the English noun and verb merit.) Nowadays, the rewards earned for meritorious acts are likely to be of an immaterial nature—gratitude, admiration, praise, etc.—but that wasn't always so. The history of meritorious recalls a reward more concrete in nature: cold, hard cash. In Latin, meritorious literally means "bringing in money."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2025 is:

fugitive • \FYOO-juh-tiv\  • noun

Fugitive refers to a person who runs away to avoid being captured or arrested.

// The FBI regularly updates and circulates its list of most wanted fugitives, and asks communities where they might be seen to be careful and on the lookout.

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Examples:

“The automated plate readers, as they are known, enable authorities to track when vehicles of interest pass through certain intersections. The devices can also be mounted on police cars, allowing officers to sweep up troves of license plate data as they drive around. Police say the gadgets help investigate stolen cars, locate fugitives, and solve crimes by checking who came and went from a neighborhood on any given day.” — Libor Jany, The Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2025

Did you know?

Fugitive entered English as both a noun and an adjective in the 14th century, coming ultimately from the Latin verb fugere, meaning “to flee.” As a noun, it originally referred, as it still does today, to someone who flees a country or location to escape persecution or danger, as from war, making it synonymous with another fugere descendent, refugee. The noun soon expanded beyond those fleeing peril to individuals (such as suspects, witnesses, or defendants) trying to elude law enforcement especially by fleeing the pertinent jurisdiction. The adjective fugitive describes those literally running away or intending flight, but also has multiple figurative uses, being applied to that which is elusive, of short duration, or of transient interest, among other things.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2025 is:

abject • \AB-jekt\  • adjective

Abject usually describes things that are extremely bad or severe. It can also describe something that feels or shows shame, or someone lacking courage or strength.

// Happily, their attempts to derail the project ended in abject failure.

// The defendants were contrite, offering abject apologies for their roles in the scandal that cost so many their life savings.

// The author chose to cast all but the hero of the book as abject cowards.

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Examples:

“This moment ... points toward the book’s core: a question of how to distinguish tenderness from frugality. Is ‘Homework’ about a child who took a remarkably frictionless path, aided by a nation that had invested in civic institutions, from monetary hardship to the ivory tower? Merely technically. Is it a story of how members of a family, protected by a social safety net from abject desperation, developed different ideas about how to relate to material circumstance? We’re getting there.” — Daniel Felsenthal, The Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025

Did you know?

We’re sorry to say you must cast your eyes down to fully understand abject: in Middle English the word described those lowly ones who are rejected and cast out. By the 15th century, it was applied as it still is today to anything that has sunk to, or exists in, a low state or condition; in modern use it often comes before the words poverty, misery, and failure. Applied to words like surrender and apology, it connotes hopelessness and humility. The word’s Latin source is the verb abicere, meaning “to throw away, throw down, overcome, or abandon.” Like reject, its ultimate root is the Latin verb jacere, meaning “to throw.” Subject is also from jacere, and we’ll leave you with that word as a way to change the subject.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2025 is:

tantalize • \TAN-tuh-lyze\  • verb

To tantalize someone is to cause them to feel interest or excitement about something that is very attractive, appealing, etc.

// She was tantalized by the prospect of a big promotion.

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Examples:

"Craving a culinary adventure? Look no further than Manila Street Treats, nestled within the vibrant Tapatio Produce International Market and Shops building in Elkton. This hidden gem offers a diverse menu of Filipino and international flavors that will tantalize your taste buds." — Chester County Press (Oxford, Pennsylvania), 1 Apr. 2025

Did you know?

Pity poor King Tantalus of Lydia. The mythic monarch offended the ancient Greek gods, and was sentenced, according to Homer's Odyssey, to suffer in Hades the following punishment: to stand neck-deep in water, beneath overhanging boughs of a tree heavily laden with ripe, juicy fruit. But though he was always hungry and thirsty, Tantalus could neither drink the water nor eat the fruit: anytime he moved to get them, they would retreat from his reach. Our word tantalize is taken from the name of the eternally tormented king.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 14, 2025 is:

nuance • \NOO-ahnss\  • noun

A nuance is a very small difference in something, such as color, tone, meaning, etc.

// Amy’s musical ear makes it easy for her to detect the subtle nuances in sampled music.

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Examples:

“Whether it’s historians, journalists, anthropologists or poets, those outside our community have attempted to narrate our experiences. But no matter how well intentioned, they cannot fully capture the depth and truth of our story. Why? Because only we can speak with the authority of lived memory, cultural nuance and ancestral knowing.” — Ka Vang, The Minnesota Star Tribune, 1 June 2025

Did you know?

The history of nuance starts in Latin with the noun nūbēs, meaning “cloud.” Nūbēs floated into Middle French as nu, also meaning “cloud,” which eventually gave rise to nuer, meaning “to make shades of color.” (The association of a word for “cloud” with gradation of color apparently comes from the perception that an object’s color is weakened when mist passes over it.) Nuer in turn produced nuance, which in Middle French meant “shade of color.” English borrowed nuance from French, with the meaning “a subtle distinction or variation,” in the late 18th century. That meaning persists today, but the word has also picked up a few nuances of its own. For example, nuance is sometimes used in a specific musical sense, designating a subtle, expressive variation in a musical performance (such as in tempo, dynamic intensity, or timbre) that is not indicated in the score.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 13, 2025 is:

contrite • \kun-TRYTE\  • adjective

Contrite is a formal adjective used to describe someone who feels regret for their bad behavior, or something, such as an apology, that shows such regret.

// Although the mayor appeared contrite about the most recent scandal plaguing city hall, many constituents remained unpersuaded.

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Examples:

“At the restaurant, late into the meal, ‘Honey, Honey,’ from the ‘Mamma Mia’ soundtrack began to play, with [Amanda] Seyfried’s 22-year-old voice issuing through the restaurant’s speakers. The waitress came over, contrite. The song was just part of the usual play list. ‘Listen, I love having a stake in pop culture,’ Seyfried reassured her. ‘It’s really nice.’” — Alexis Soloski, The New York Times, 11 Mar. 2025

Did you know?

Props to Elton John: sorry really does seem to be the hardest word. But saying it (in something other than a nonapology, of course) is an important part of being contrite—that is, feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for one’s bad behavior. Contrite traces back to the Latin verb conterere, meaning “to pound to pieces,” “to crush, “to wear out or down,” or “to exhaust mentally or physically.” In Medieval Latin—the Latin used in Medieval times especially for religious or literary purposes—conterere came to mean “to crush in spirit with a sense of one’s sin,” or “to render contrite.” Anglo-French speakers borrowed a form of the verb conterere and made it the adjective contrit, which was in turn adopted into English in the 1300s.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 12, 2025 is:

impunity • \im-PYOO-nuh-tee\  • noun

Impunity, usually used in the phrase "with impunity," refers to exemption or freedom from punishment, harm, or loss.

// They mistakenly believe that they can break the camp's rules with impunity.

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Examples:

"For his part, [artist Adam] Leveille doesn't expect to see his painting again. ... Still, he feels compelled to speak out publicly about what happened and has asked on his Instagram account and on Reddit for anyone with information about the heist, or who might have seen his painting appear somewhere, to come forward. If anything, he just wants to let potential area art thieves know they can't steal from local artists with impunity." — Spencer Buell, The Boston Globe, 1 Feb. 2025

Did you know?

Impunity, like the words pain, penal, and punish, traces to the Latin noun poena, meaning "punishment." Poena, in turn, came from the Greek poinē, meaning "payment" or "penalty." Impunity has been around since the 1500s; in 1660, Englishman Roger Coke wrote "This unlimited power of doing anything with impunity, will only beget a confidence in kings of doing what they [desire]." While royals may act with impunity more easily than others, the word impunity can be applied to beings great and small. Take, for example, this 2023 quote from the Sidmouth Herald in England: "The [yew tree] fruits are readily eaten by birds but they do not digest the seeds as they are poisonous. Only one bird, the rare and shy Hawfinch, is able to eat the seeds with impunity."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 11, 2025 is:

rescind • \rih-SIND\  • verb

To rescind something, such as a law, contract, agreement, etc., is to end it officially. Rescind can also mean “to take back; to cancel.”

// Given the appeal court’s recent decision, it is likely that the law will be rescinded.

// The company later rescinded its offer.

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Examples:

“A state environmental oversight board voted unanimously to rescind a controversial proposal that would have permitted California municipal landfills to accept contaminated soil that is currently required to be dumped at sites specifically designated and approved for hazardous waste.” — Tony Briscoe, The Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025

Did you know?

Rescind and the lesser-known words exscind and prescind all come from the Latin verb scindere, which means “to split, cleave, separate.” Rescind was adapted from its Latin predecessor rescindere in the 16th century, and prescind (from praescindere) and exscind (from exscindere) followed in the next century. Exscind means “to cut off” or “to excise,” and prescind means “to withdraw one’s attention,” but of the three borrowings, only rescind established itself as a common English term. Today, rescind is most often heard in contexts having to do with the withdrawal of an offer, award, or privilege, or with invalidation of a law or policy.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 10, 2025 is:

boffo • \BAH-foh\  • adjective

Boffo is an informal word that describes things that are extremely good or successful.

// The most recent film in the long-running franchise has done boffo business at the box office, a testament to the series’ enduring popularity.

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Examples:

“A strong showing at the Senior Bowl was followed by a boffo performance at the NFL combine, where the 6-foot-4, 214-pound [Isaac] TeSlaa zoomed through the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds …” — Rainer Sabin, The Detroit Free Press, 27 Apr. 2025

Did you know?

Boffo made its print debut as a noun referring to something great: a solid joke or a good punch line. It did so right around the same time—the 1930s, at the dawn of Hollywood’s golden age—as boff, a noun with an identical meaning thought to perhaps come from “box office.” Within a few years, boffo began to be applied adjectivally to things that, like a good joke, were a big hit: performances, all-star casts, movies. To this day it is used mostly in the context of performing arts, spectator sports, and other entertainments.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 9, 2025 is:

simulacrum • \sim-yuh-LAK-rum\  • noun

A simulacrum is a superficial likeness of something, usually as an imitation, copy, or representation. The plural of simulacrum is either simulacrums or simulacra.

// The surprise still succeeded, thanks to the simulacrum of confusion expressed by two guests when they were spotted before the big moment.

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Examples:

"Under the lid, there are no strings to move the air, but rather speakers that create an uncanny simulacrum of a grand piano." — Robert Ross, Robb Report, 17 July 2024

Did you know?

There is more than a crumb of similarity between simulacrum and simulate: both words come from simulāre, a Latin verb meaning "to pretend, produce a fraudulent imitation of, imitate." At the root of simulāre is the Latin adjective similis, which means "having characteristics in common." Many "similar" words trace back to similis, hence the resemblance between simulacrum and familiar terms like simultaneous, simile, and of course similarity.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 8, 2025 is:

exemplary • \ig-ZEM-pluh-ree\  • adjective

Something described as exemplary is extremely good and deserves to be admired and copied.

// Our research team was awarded for our exemplary work on the project.

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Examples:

“[Director, Oliver] Hermanus again shows highly polished craftsmanship, adding the subtlest hint of sepia tones to evoke the period in the early sections, but never to the point where the characters compete with the settings. His direction of the actors is exemplary, even with characters seen only briefly ...” — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2025

Did you know?

It’s usually not a good thing if someone wants to make an example of you, unless, of course, it’s because you happen to be exemplary. Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, someone or something may be deemed exemplary if they, by their example, are worthy of imitation. Like a few other English words beginning with ex—such as exceptional and extraordinary—exemplary describes that which is a cut above the rest. But though exemplary, which comes from the Latin noun exemplum (“example”), describes something “excellent,” it almost always carries the further suggestion that the thing described is an excellent model to follow.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 7, 2025 is:

procrastinate • \pruh-KRASS-tuh-nayt\  • verb

To procrastinate is to be slow or late about doing something that should be done, or about doing or attending to things in general.

// Tickets to the event are selling swiftly, so don't procrastinate—buy yours today.

// Not one to procrastinate, Harry set to work on the project immediately.

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Examples:

"Researchers found that individuals who tend to procrastinate often do so because they fear not meeting their high standards or worry too much about failing. The study also showed that this fear of failure and the habit of overgeneralizing failures (like thinking one mistake means you're a failure) strongly connect perfectionism to procrastination." — Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 May 2025

Did you know?

We won't put off telling you about the origins of procrastinate: it comes from the Latin prefix pro-, meaning "forward," and crastinus, meaning "of tomorrow." To procrastinate is to work or move slowly so as to fall behind; it implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy. English has other words with similar meanings, such as defer and postpone, but none places the blame so directly on the person responsible for choosing a later time to do something. Procrastinate is also a malleable word: English speakers have wasted no time creating clever variations, most of them delightfully self-explanatory. Don't let coinages like procrastibake, procrastinetflix, and procrasticlean pass you by; they may not meet our criteria for entry into the dictionary, but their potentials for use are undeniable.