Dictionary.com

A levitating jack-o’-lantern would be an impressive display of Halloween thaumaturgy. 🎃 Our #WordOfTheDay, “thaumaturgy,” means the working of wonders, miracles, or magic. One of its Greek roots is connected to the idea of a spectacle or something seen. What other word sounds as magical as its meaning?

We're thrilled to announce the Judge's Choice and Fans' Choice winners of Dictionary.com's Haunting Hooks Writing Contest! 🕯️This year, writers crafted original story openings inspired by our theme: The Invitation, in 50 words or fewer. bit.ly/4hFa8MA Congratulations to Ashlee Vieregger, selected by our guest judge, Kimberly Ramsawak, founder of Horror Concierge. They'll receive a $100 Amazon gift card and Dictionary.com swag. And congratulations to our Fans' Choice winner, A.C. Frei, who takes home a $50 Amazon gift card and some Dictionary.com swag, too! Read the runner-ups at the link above. Thanks to everyone who invited us into their darkest imaginations! Until next Halloween… 🎃✍️ #WritingContest #HorrorWriting #ScaryStories #CreativeWriting #WritingCommunity #HalloweenWriting

Today's #WordOfTheDay is thaumaturgy. Learn more about this word: bit.ly/3V84M3T

What's the difference between "terror" and "horror?" The distinction is subtle, but each word has its own nuances and fascinating history. Join language expert @jesszafarris as she breaks down their meanings and origins just in time for spooky season! 👻 Do you differentiate between these words in everyday speech? #Etymology #WordOrigins #LanguageHistory #SpookySeason #Halloween #Linguistics #WordNerd #EnglishLanguage

A pale-blue chalcedony pendant might provide a little extra confidence before a big speech. 💎 “Chalcedony” is a translucent variety of quartz that is often milky, grayish, or blue. In gemstone lore, blue chalcedony is associated with reflection and communication. What other gemstone names do you know, besides our #WordOfTheDay?

Today's #WordOfTheDay is chalcedony. Learn more about this word: bit.ly/4AvAJmV

Colorful costumes, cool vehicles, and distinctive gadgets can make a character especially toyetic. 🧸 Today's #WordOfTheDay, “toyetic,” describes something with strong merchandising potential or the ability to be marketed as a toy. The term is credited to a toymaker commenting on Close Encounters of the Third Kind. What fictional creation would you call toyetic?

Today's #WordOfTheDay is toyetic. Learn more about this word: bit.ly/3TpzV2c

A few senescent leaves don’t necessarily mean the entire plant is unhealthy. 🍂 Our #WordOfTheDay, “senescent” means growing old or aging. In plants, senescence is an active process through which nutrients from an aging leaf can be reused elsewhere. What other scientific words do you know?

Today's #WordOfTheDay is senescent. Learn more about this word: bit.ly/4hq8Vrn

A warm stroopwafel balanced over a cup of coffee makes for a delicious afternoon treat. ☕ A “stroopwafel” is a Dutch confection made from two thin waffle cookies joined by a layer of caramel. Its name literally translates to “syrup waffle.” What other foods have wonderfully literal names? #WordOfTheDay

Today's #WordOfTheDay is stroopwafel. Learn more about this word: bit.ly/4xNTVK1

Finding a long-sought treasure at a garage sale would be quite the Our #WordOfTheDay “trouvaille” refers to a lucky discovery or found treasure. It comes from a French word meaning “to find” and is related to the English word “trove.” What’s another French-rooted word you love to use?

Dictionary.com’s 2026 Word of the Year is “maxxing!” bit.ly/4ikEsLA “Maxxing” refers to the practice of pursuing an activity to the fullest, or optimizing a certain aspect of your life. It’s used as a suffix as well as a standalone word, embodying our modern obsession with doing everything to the max. This use of “maxxing” might have started with looksmaxxing, but lately the word has been turning up in beauty and fitness content, workplace discussions about AI, wellness advice, and many other areas of everyday life. Whether you’re earnestly self-improving, aspiring to more, or just mocking the pressure to optimize, “maxxing” reflects both the ambitions and anxieties of modern life. Read more at our link above! And tell us below... What are you maxxing? 👀 #WordOfTheYear #Maxxing #2026Trends #EnglishLanguage #2026Wrapped

Today's #WordOfTheDay is trouvaille. Learn more about this word: bit.ly/4hncdLN

A cabin bereft of cell service might be the perfect place to finish a book. 📖 “Bereft,” our #WordOfTheDay, means deprived of or lacking something. It can also describe someone experiencing grief, but its more general sense of “deprived” is much older. What other words convey powerful emotions?

Have you heard of ghost words? 👻 These are words that appear in dictionaries or other reference works even though they were never actually used in real language. They can begin as typos, misreadings, or printing errors. Once they appear in an authoritative source, other writers assume they're legitimate and copy them. 📖 Some eventually disappear, but others become accepted parts of the language. A famous example is “dord:” an editor's note reading "D or d" (the abbreviation for density) was accidentally interpreted as a new word. “Dord” appeared in print from 1934 to 1947 before the error was discovered!

Today's #WordOfTheDay is bereft. Learn more about this word: bit.ly/4juWwoq

A knowledgeable cicerone can make every portrait, doorway, or landmark part of the story. Our #WordOfTheDay, “cicerone,” refers to a guide who conducts sightseers. The word comes from Cicero, the Roman statesman celebrated for his eloquence. What word have you discovered recently that deserves more attention? 💬

From politics to pop culture, we track how language shows up in the headlines each week. These are the words shaping the news. dictionary.com/articles/this… #ThisWeekInWords