Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 3, 2026 is:





spiel • \SPEEL\ • noun

A spiel is a fast speech that someone has often said before and that is usually intended to persuade people to buy something or to agree to something.

// The founder gave us a long spiel about the benefits of joining the running club.

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Examples:

“We were in a hotel and when he and his publicist exited one door of the suite, I slipped out the other to meet him at the elevator. I gave him my spiel about the film and handed him a rough cut on VHS. He said, ‘Alright, we’ll take a look.’” — Ed Burns, quoted in The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2026





Did you know?

Here’s our spiel on spiel: it’s well-known as a noun, and you may also be aware that spiel can be used as a verb meaning “to talk extravagantly,” but did you know that the verb can also mean “to play music”? That, in fact, is the word’s original meaning, and one it shares with its German root, spielen. Spiel is also found in glockenspiel, the name of a musical instrument similar to the xylophone.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 2, 2026 is:





exhilarate • \ig-ZIL-uh-rayt\ • verb

Exhilarate means "to cause (someone) to feel very happy and excited." It is usually used in the passive voice as (be) exhilarated.

// She was exhilarated by the prospect of attending her dream school.

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Examples:

"I'll say it: winter is my favorite season for jazz in Chicago. Summer may be busier and splashier, but there's nothing quite like nestling into a darkened club, cheeks flushed from the cold, for a singular and inventive night of music. It does more than thaw frozen fingers: It exhilarates, inspires and inflames, in the best way." — Hannah Edgar, The Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026





Did you know?

Many people find exhilarate a difficult word to spell. It's easy to forget that silent "h" in there, and is it an "er" or "ar" after the "l"? It may be easier to remember the spelling if you know that exhilarate ultimately comes from the Latin adjective hilarus, meaning "cheerful." (This also explains why the earliest meaning of exhilarate is "to make cheerful.") Exhilarate comes from exhilaratus, a form of exhilarare, which combines ex- and hilarare, a verb from hilarus that means "to cheer or gladden." If hilarus looks familiar, that may be because it's also the source of hilarious and hilarity (as well as hilariously and hilariousness, of course).

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 1, 2026 is:





paean • \PEE-un\ • noun

Paean is a literary word that refers to a song of joy, praise, or victory. It can also be used as a synonym of tribute for a work that praises or honors its subject.

// Her retirement party featured many paeans for her long years of service to the company.

// Critics considered the movie both a thrilling Western and a paean to the natural beauty of the Rockies.

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Examples:

“The show is a tender study of people struggling to do right by themselves and others. It's also a paean to Chicago, my hometown ...” — Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2025





Did you know?

In ancient Greece, Paiā́n (or Paiṓn) was a name used for the god Apollo when in the guise of physician to the gods (Paiā́n/Paiṓn comes from the name of an older Mycenaean healer god). Paiā́n and paiṓn were also used to refer to hymns of thanksgiving and praise sung especially to Apollo, as was their Latin descendant, paean. When paean first appeared in English in the late 16th century, it was used both in the context of Greek history and in general for a joyous song or hymn of praise, tribute, thanksgiving, or triumph. Over time, the word became even more generalized, and it is now used for any kind of tribute.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 28, 2026 is:





congruous • \KAHNG-groo-us\ • adjective

Something described as congruous is in agreement, harmony, or correspondence with something else. Congruous can also describe something that is appropriate for a particular circumstance or requirement, or a thing that is marked or enhanced by harmonious agreement among its constituent elements.

// Their professional achievements were congruous with their academic abilities.

// The low bookshelf forms a congruous barrier between the spaces.

// It is a congruous, plausible story, consistent in all its details.

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Examples:

“Hannah is a sustainability consultant and climate impact manager, which is congruous with an outdoor ethos and the culture around bike guiding ...” — Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 3 Sept. 2024





Did you know?

Congruous had only been part of the English language for a few decades in 1615, when a book about the Church of Rome referred to “teaching most congruous to reason.” The word has remained more or less true to its Latin roots: it comes from Latin congruus, an adjective that comes from the verb congruere, meaning “to come together” or “to agree.” (Its more common antonym, incongruous is about the same age.) Another familiar congruere descendant in English is congruent, which first appeared at least a century earlier with the same meaning as congruous. English also acquired congrue, a verb meaning “to be in harmony” or “to agree,” from congruere, but it has since become obsolete.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 27, 2026 is:





nettle • \NET-ul\ • verb

To nettle someone is to make them angry or annoyed.

// Though he tried to maintain a friendly tone, the town official was clearly nettled by the reporter's suggestion that the town was at fault.

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Examples:

"I can't help but be reminded of an idiom that irked me no end during times of familial stress ... : 'Use it or lose it.' The message being that if a skill or resource is not regularly utilised, over time, we will lose it. As nettled as I was by it, I now feel obliged to acknowledge the obvious truth behind the catchphrase." — Gwen Loughman, The Journal (Ireland), 21 Aug. 2025





Did you know?

If you've ever brushed against nettles, you know those plants have sharp bristles that can leave you smarting and itching. The painful and irritating rash that nettles cause can last for days, but at least it is a rash with a linguistic silver lining. The discomfort caused by nettles can serve to remind one that the verb nettle is a synonym of irritate. Nettle originated as a plant name that we can trace to the Old English word netel. Eventually, people likened the persistent stinging itch caused by the plant to the nagging aggravation of being annoyed, and nettle joined the likes of vex, peeve, and irk in describing such little miseries.