Wordplay: For the Love of Language | Merriam-Webster

Popular

9 Other Words for Beautiful

Here are some additional words for calling something lovely

Why do we park in the driveway and drive on the parkway?

The answer to one of life's big questions

Was 'nervous Nellie' a Real Person?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

We’ve seen fire, we’ve seen rain, and we have many words for them

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

And why isn't it 'bury the lead'?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

A bouquet of floral origin stories

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

10 words expert players use

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Words With Remarkable Origins, Vol. 2

Word Choices

Gabrielle Zevin

Emily Flake

New Yorker Cartoonist

Celeste Ng

Eli Cymet

Video Game Writer/Producer, Cuphead

Emma Straub

Novelist and Children’s Book Author

Arts & Culture

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

We know you're going to look these up

Where does the phrase 'barn burner' come from?

This one's pretty exciting

Top Banana, Kingpin, and Other Nicknames for Important People

Big wigs, big enchiladas, and big shots

The Left Hand of (Supposed) Darkness

It depends on what side you're coming from.

Merriam-Webster's Short List of Gender and Identity Terms

In case you (or someone you know) has questions about what they mean

Foreign

'In Vino Veritas' and Other Latin Phrases to Live By

Top 10 Latin Phrases

10 of Our Favourite British Words

Please don't whinge about being knackered, you prat.

Digging Up the Latin Roots of 14 Abbreviations

Beyond 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

All About Latin Plurals

Check your dictionary

Skunk, Bayou, and Other Words with Native American Origins

You've used more than you might think

Games & Hobbies

10 Words for Lesser-Known Games and Sports

Are you ready for some stoolball?

Winning Scrabble Words for Everyday People

You don't have to be a pro to play these words.

12 Words From Basketball

Plus a few terms that never quite made it

Popular Gaming Terms Explained

Nerfs, MMORPGs, and who the final boss really is

A Player's Guide to 'Q' without 'U' Words

Remember this and win.

Science & Nature

Useful and Obscure Words for Autumn

Settle in and get cozy with them

Amber, Auburn, Crimson and Other Colorful Words for Autumn Foliage

Peep these leaves.

Possum vs. Opossum: Is There a Difference?

On a marsupial with various names

12 Bird Names that Sound Like Compliments

From the godwits at your favorite dictionary

12 Words for Signs of Spring

Spring is springing

Word History

Eavesdrop, Fiasco, and 8 More Words with Surprising Origins

Including some trivia on ‘trivia’

What does it mean to 'endorse' a presidential candidate?

It's kind of like "endorsing" a check

Funner, Stupider, and Other Words That Are in Fact Real

Don't argue with the dictionary

The Curious History of 'Filibuster'

The Curious History of "Filibuster"

'Dord': How a Non-Word Made it into the Dictionary

It once haunted our books.