Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

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 >





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.”

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 >





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.

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 >





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.

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.

See the entry >





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.

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.

See the entry >





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.