play mrs malaprop
Words at Play

What is a Malaprop?

Editor Peter Sokolowski will tell you all the perpendiculars


A malapropism, or malaprop, is the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase, especially the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in context—like polo bears instead of polar bears.

Up next

play mrs malaprop
What is a Malaprop?

 

We'll tell you all the perpendiculars

play image1815466723
How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

 

And is one way more correct than the others?

play hot mess
Hot Mess

 

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings

play video drive safe ly
Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs

 

You don't have to end all your adverbs in -ly to talk right.

play videos pictures in the dictionary
Pictures in the Dictionary

 

The story of those iconic illustrations.

play video how a word gets into the dicionary
How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

 

What our editors are looking for when they enter words in Merriam-Webster.

play video his or her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

 

The awkward case of 'his or her'