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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utmost) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outmost), as in “the utmost point.” Utmost in fact traces back to the Old English word ūtmest, a [superlative](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devise) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invent) or [plot](https://bit.ly/3G1wMPp) in situations where the objective is difficult or complicated. Note that devise is often confused with another dividere (and deviser) descendent: [device](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meritorious) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/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. [See the entry >](https://bit.ly/4k7lV4C) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abject) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reject), its ultimate root is the Latin verb jacere, meaning “to throw.” [Subject](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tantalize) 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](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tantalus) of Lydia. The mythic monarch offended the ancient Greek gods, and was sentenced, according to Homer's [Odyssey](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Odyssey-epic-by-Homer), 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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nuance) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contrite) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/props) to [Elton John](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SorrySeemstoBetheHardestWord): [sorry](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sorry) really does seem to be the hardest word. But saying it (in something other than a [nonapology](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impunity) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pain), [penal](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penal), and [punish](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/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. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rescind) 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](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exscind) and [prescind](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/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.