Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

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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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asunder) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunder), which means "to break apart" or "to become parted, disunited, or…

Episodios

4056-

asunder

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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asunder) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunder), which means "to break apart" or "to become parted, disunited, or…

23 oct. 2026
4055-

vocation

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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vocation) 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,…

22 oct. 2026
4054-

jilt

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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jilt) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ralph) or…

21 oct. 2026
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compunction

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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compunction) 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."…

20 oct. 2026
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fervid

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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fervid) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fervent). But while fervid usually suggests warm emotion that is expressed…

19 oct. 2026