Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 25, 2026 is:





vituperate • \vye-TOO-puh-rayt\ • verb

To vituperate someone is to criticize or censure them severely or abusively. Vituperate can also mean "to use harsh condemnatory language."

// They were vituperated for betraying their friends.

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Examples:

"On the world stage where Britain's royal family have traditionally been in the vanguard promoting our nation's brand, the Duke and Duchess remain hugely relevant. Old codgers vituperate and hate on them for their lucrative Instagram vibes, but out there in the global ether Haz and Megs still matter ..." — Tessa Dunlop, The i Paper (United Kingdom), 24 Mar. 2026





Did you know?

There would seem to be as many English words and phrases for reading someone the riot act as there are justifications for doing so, from chew out, bawl out, and ream out, to dress down and tongue-lash. Vituperate, unlike this sample litany, is decidedly formal. This isn't to say that one needs must wear a top hat or pince-nez to vituperate or be vituperated, only that the word vituperate (which traces in part back to the Latin word vitium, meaning
"fault") tends to appear in the types of publications that also use constructions like "needs must" and words like pince-nez.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2026 is:





itinerant • \eye-TIN-uh-runt\ • adjective

Itinerant describes someone who travels from place to place or only stays in a place for a short amount of time. It is used especially for people who travel in a circuit for their profession.

// Being an itinerant musician gave her the opportunity to see the wonders of the world with her own eyes.

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Examples:

“‘There has long been this masculine idea that a lone, itinerant male blues singer, travelling the South with a guitar slung over his back, was the authentic representation of the blues,’ she [Dr. Cookie Woolner] explains, ‘while female performers like [Ma] Rainey, who drew from vaudeville and blackface minstrelsy, were commercial entertainers and not artists.’” — Deborah Nicholls-Lee, BBC, 5 June 2025





Did you know?

Many a song in popular music has been penned about the itinerant lifestyle of touring, ranging from the exuberant (“Travelin’ Band” by Creedence Clearwater Revival) to the exhausted (“Lodi” by, er, Creedence Clearwater Revival). All journeys have their highs and lows, of course, and the word itinerant is all about the journey, not the destination. Indeed, itinerant comes from the Late Latin verb itinerari, meaning “to journey,” which in turn traipsed down the etymological trail from the noun iter meaning “way” or “journey.” Itinerant is usually encountered as an adjective used to describe traveling types, especially those—like touring musicians—whose itineraries (to use another iter descendent) are often circuits, but it can also be used as a noun. Itinerants, musical or otherwise, are those who never stay in one place for long, who whether by choice, profession, or circumstance, keep on chooglin’.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2026 is:





itinerant • \eye-TIN-uh-runt\ • adjective

Itinerant describes someone who travels from place to place or only stays in a place for a short amount of time. It is used especially for people who travel in a circuit for their profession.

// Being an itinerant musician gave her the opportunity to see the wonders of the world with her own eyes.

See the entry >





Examples:

“‘There has long been this masculine idea that a lone, itinerant male blues singer, travelling the South with a guitar slung over his back, was the authentic representation of the blues,’ she [Dr. Cookie Woolner] explains, ‘while female performers like [Ma] Rainey, who drew from vaudeville and blackface minstrelsy, were commercial entertainers and not artists.’” — Deborah Nicholls-Lee, BBC, 5 June 2025





Did you know?

Many a song in popular music has been penned about the itinerant lifestyle of touring, ranging from the exuberant (“Travelin’ Band” by Creedence Clearwater Revival) to the exhausted (“Lodi” by, er, Creedence Clearwater Revival). All journeys have their highs and lows, of course, and the word itinerant is all about the journey, not the destination. Indeed, itinerant comes from the Late Latin verb itinerari, meaning “to journey,” which in turn traipsed down the etymological trail from the noun iter meaning “way” or “journey.” Itinerant is usually encountered as an adjective used to describe traveling types, especially those—like touring musicians—whose itineraries (to use another iter descendent) are often circuits, but it can also be used as a noun. Itinerants, musical or otherwise, are those who never stay in one place for long, who whether by choice, profession, or circumstance, keep on chooglin’.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 23, 2026 is:





maverick • \MAV-rik\ • noun

Maverick refers to a person who refuses to follow the customs or rules of a group; in other words, a nonconformist.

// Ayo has always been a bit of a maverick in the fashion world, inventing new trends rather than following them.

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Examples:

“[Luis] Alvarez has been described as a scientific Indiana Jones, but his reputation as a maverick was built on a foundation of patience and discipline.” — Alec Nevala-Lee, Collisions: A Physicist’s Journey from Hiroshima to the Death of the Dinosaurs, 2025





Did you know?

When a client gave Samuel A. Maverick 400 cattle to settle a $1,200 debt, the 19th-century south Texas lawyer had no use for them, so he left the cattle unbranded and allowed them to roam freely (supposedly under the supervision of one of his employees). Neighboring stockmen recognized their opportunity and seized it, branding and herding the stray cattle as their own. Maverick eventually recognized the folly of the situation and sold what was left of his depleted herd, but not before his name became synonymous with such unbranded livestock. By the end of the 19th century, the term maverick was being used to refer to individuals who prefer, like cattle left to their own devices, to blaze their own trails.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2026 is:





stalwart • \STAWL-wert\ • adjective

Stalwart is a formal word used to describe someone or something that is very loyal and dedicated or that is physically or mentally strong.

// He was a stalwart civil rights supporter throughout his political career.

// The football team's stalwart defense only gave up a single field goal in the second half.

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Examples:

"Arbour is a stalwart defender of women's rights, having witnessed the struggle for equality during Quebec's Quiet Revolution." — Allison Hanes, The Montreal Gazette, 6 May 2026





Did you know?

Stalwart is a word with ancient roots that has lent its stalwart service to the English language for centuries. Coming, via Middle English, from the Old English word stǣlwierthe, meaning "serviceable," stalwart describes people or things that are marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind, or spirit, as revealed by traits such as loyalty and steadfastness, capability and dependability, or physical robustness. Old oak trees, for example, have long been described as stalwart for their imposing stature and endurance. A baseball team's closing pitcher may be deemed stalwart by showing mental fortitude in consistently striking out opposing batters in high-pressure situations. And a stalwart lover is one who, through thick and thin, is never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and hurt you.