Word of the Day — July 2026
Every day in July 2026, a new vocabulary-building word is revealed. All words for this month have been revealed.
31
Revealed
0
Locked
9.5
Avg Length
29
Top Score
Top Scoring Words
The act of placing things close together for comparison.
Unambiguous; without equivocation or ambiguity; singularly clear, unmistakable, or unquestionable
The most perfect embodiment of a quality.
A harsh discordant mixture of sounds.
Peculiar to an individual; distinctive.
Daily Words — July 2026
| Day | Word | Score | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OBLIVION 13 pts The state of being unaware or unconscious. Origin: From Latin oblivio — from oblivisci meaning to forget Example: Many once-famous actors have faded into oblivion within a generation. Spelling tip: OB + LIV + ION — you don't live in oblivion Fun fact: From Latin oblivio meaning forgetfulness — the River Lethe in Greek mythology caused oblivion in those who drank from it. 🌍 In other languages: The River Lethe in Greek mythology caused complete oblivion — dead souls drank from it to forget their earthly lives before reincarnation. | ||
| 2 | PARADOX 17 pts A statement that contradicts itself but contains truth. Origin: From Greek paradoxon — para (contrary to) + doxa (opinion) Example: It is a paradox that the busiest people often find time to help others. Spelling tip: PARA + DOX — para means beside, dox means opinion Fun fact: The oldest known paradox is the Liar's Paradox from 600 BC: Epimenides the Cretan said all Cretans are liars. 🌍 In other languages: Zeno's Paradox (450 BC) argues that motion is impossible — an arrow in flight must first travel half the distance, then half again, infinitely. | ||
| 3 | QUINTESSENCE 23 pts The most perfect embodiment of a quality. Origin: From Latin quinta essentia — the fifth element beyond earth, water, air, fire Example: This dish is the quintessence of Italian cooking — simple, fresh, and perfect. Spelling tip: QUINT + ESSENCE — the fifth (quint) essence Fun fact: Medieval alchemists believed quintessence was the fifth element (after earth, water, air, fire) composing celestial bodies. 🌍 In other languages: In modern physics, quintessence is a hypothetical form of dark energy that may explain why the universe's expansion is accelerating. | ||
| 4 | RESILIENT 9 pts Able to recover quickly from difficulties. Origin: From Latin resilire — re (back) + salire (to jump, spring) Example: Children are remarkably resilient and often bounce back faster than adults expect. Spelling tip: RE + SIL + IENT — re (back) + sil (jump) = bounce back Fun fact: From Latin resilire meaning to jump back — originally described the physical property of materials springing back to shape. 🌍 In other languages: Japan rebuilt Hiroshima in just 10 years after atomic devastation — one of history's most remarkable examples of urban resilience. | ||
| 5 | SANGUINE 9 pts Blood colour; red. Origin: From Latin sanguineus (of blood), from sanguis (blood). Entered English via Old French. Example: Despite the setbacks, she remained sanguine about the project outcome. Spelling tip: SANG (like sang a song) + U + INE. The U in the middle is easy to forget. Fun fact: In medieval medicine, sanguine was one of the four temperaments: a sanguine person was cheerful due to excess blood. 🌍 In other languages: In French: sanguin. In Spanish: sanguineo. The blood-red meaning is older than the optimistic one. | ||
| 6 | TANGIBLE 11 pts A physical object, something that can be touched. Origin: From Latin tangibilis, from tangere (to touch). Related words: tangent, contact, contagion. Example: The company needed tangible evidence of progress before approving the next funding round. Spelling tip: TANG (like the taste) + IBLE. Tangible things you can tang-touch. Fun fact: In law, tangible property refers to physical items you can touch, as opposed to intangible assets like patents. 🌍 In other languages: In French: tangible. In Spanish: tangible. In German: greifbar (literally graspable). | ||
| 7 | UNEQUIVOCAL 25 pts Unambiguous; without equivocation or ambiguity; singularly clear, unmistakable, or unquestionable Origin: From UN- (not) + EQUIVOCAL, from Latin aequus (equal) + vox (voice): not speaking with two voices. Example: The evidence was unequivocal: there was no room for doubt about what had happened. Spelling tip: UN + EQUI (equal) + VOC (voice) + AL. Not equal-voiced means only one clear voice. Fun fact: Politicians are often criticized for giving equivocal answers. Unequivocal means absolutely clear with no wiggle room. 🌍 In other languages: In French: sans equivoque. In Spanish: inequivoco. In German: unmissverstaendlich. | ||
| 8 | VERBOSE 12 pts Abounding in words, containing more words than necessary; long-winded. Origin: From Latin verbosus (full of words), from verbum (word). Related: verb, verbal, verbatim. Example: His verbose emails were legendary: what could be said in two sentences took two paragraphs. Spelling tip: VERB + OSE. A verbose person uses too many verbs (and every other part of speech). Fun fact: The word verbose is itself rather concise at 7 letters. A verbose person would need many more words to say the same thing. 🌍 In other languages: In French: verbeux. In Spanish: verboso. In German: weitschweifig (literally far-sweeping). | ||
| 9 | WHIMSICAL 19 pts Given to whimsy. Origin: From whimsy + -ical. Whimsy itself may come from whim-wham, a fanciful object or notion. Example: The whimsical garden featured topiaries shaped like chess pieces and teapots. Spelling tip: WHIM + S + ICAL. Start with WHIM (a sudden fancy), add the rest. Fun fact: Tim Burton and Roald Dahl are often described as whimsical: combining fantasy with dark humour in unexpected ways. 🌍 In other languages: In French: fantaisiste. In Spanish: caprichoso. In Japanese: kimagure-na. | ||
| 10 | ZENITH 18 pts The point in the sky vertically above a given position or observer; the point in the celestial sphere opposite the nadir. Origin: From Arabic samt ar-ras (direction of the head), misread as senit in Medieval Latin, then zenith. Example: The Roman Empire reached its zenith under Emperor Trajan in 117 AD. Spelling tip: ZEN + ITH. Think of zen (calm peak state) + ith (like monolith, a high structure). Fun fact: The zenith of the sun varies by latitude. At the equator on equinox days, the sun reaches true zenith (directly overhead). 🌍 In other languages: In French: zenith. In Spanish: cenit. The opposite (nadir) is also from Arabic. | ||
| 11 | ABERRATION 12 pts The act of wandering; deviation from truth, moral rectitude; abnormal; divergence from the straight, correct, proper, normal, or from the natural state. Origin: From Latin aberratio (a wandering away), from ab- (away) + errare (to wander, err). Example: The test result was dismissed as a statistical aberration rather than a genuine finding. Spelling tip: AB + ERR + ATION. You ERR when you ABerrate from the correct path. Fun fact: In astronomy, aberration of light was discovered by James Bradley in 1725: starlight appears shifted due to Earth motion. 🌍 In other languages: In French: aberration. In Spanish: aberracion. In German: Abweichung (deviation). | ||
| 12 | BENEVOLENT 15 pts Having a disposition to do good. Origin: From Latin benevolens meaning well-wishing, from bene (well) + volens (wishing). Example: The benevolent donor funded scholarships for underprivileged students. Spelling tip: BENE (good) + VOLENT (willing) — good + willing = kind-hearted Fun fact: Shares the Latin root bene with benefit, benediction, and benign. 🌍 In other languages: bienveillant (French) · benévolo (Spanish) · wohlwollend (German) | ||
| 13 | CACOPHONY 21 pts A harsh discordant mixture of sounds. Origin: From Greek kakophonia — kakos (bad) + phone (sound) Example: The cacophony of car horns and shouting made the intersection unbearable. Spelling tip: CACO + PHONY — caco means bad, phony means sound Fun fact: From Greek kakos (bad) + phone (sound) — the opposite is euphony, meaning pleasing sound. 🌍 In other languages: John Cage's 4'33 (1952) challenged cacophony by presenting silence — the audience's shuffling and coughing became the music. | ||
| 14 | DICHOTOMY 20 pts A separation or division into two; a distinction that results in such a division. | ||
| 15 | ENIGMATIC 14 pts Pertaining to an enigma. | ||
| 16 | FASTIDIOUS 14 pts Excessively particular, demanding, or fussy about details, especially about tidiness and cleanliness. Origin: From Latin fastidium — a loathing or disgust, combining fastus (arrogance) + taedium (weariness) Example: The fastidious chef inspected every plate before it left the kitchen, sending back anything less than perfect. Spelling tip: FAST + IDIOUS — think of someone who is FAST to find fault in the most tIDIOUS details Fun fact: The word comes from Latin fastidiosus meaning full of disgust. Romans used it to describe people who were overly squeamish about food. 🌍 In other languages: In competitive Scrabble, FASTIDIOUS scores 14 points and uses 10 tiles — too long for a standard rack but a strong word to know for board extensions. | ||
| 17 | GRATUITOUS 11 pts Given without good reason; uncalled for. Origin: From Latin gratuitus — meaning freely given, from gratia (grace) Example: The film was criticised for its gratuitous violence that added nothing to the story. Spelling tip: GRATU + ITOUS — gratu like gratitude (free) Fun fact: From Latin gratuitus meaning free/spontaneous — shares its root with gratitude and grace. 🌍 In other languages: The word gratuity (tip) shares the same root — something given freely without obligation, though tipping culture has made it expected. | ||
| 18 | HARBINGER 15 pts A person or thing that foreshadows or foretells the coming of someone or something. | ||
| 19 | IDIOSYNCRATIC 21 pts Peculiar to an individual; distinctive. Origin: From Greek idios (own) + synkrasis (mixture, temperament) Example: His idiosyncratic habit of wearing odd socks became his trademark. Spelling tip: IDIO + SYN + CRATIC — one's own (idio) mixed (syn) nature Fun fact: From Greek idios (own) + synkrasis (mixture) — originally a medical term for an individual's unique physical constitution. 🌍 In other languages: Einstein's idiosyncrasies (no socks, wild hair, playing violin to think) became as famous as his physics. | ||
| 20 | JUXTAPOSITION 29 pts The act of placing things close together for comparison. Origin: From Latin juxta (beside) + French position (placement) Example: The juxtaposition of extreme wealth and poverty in the city was jarring. Spelling tip: JUXTA + POSITION — beside + position Fun fact: A favourite technique in art criticism — Picasso's Guernica famously juxtaposes humans, animals, and geometric forms. 🌍 In other languages: Banksy is famous for juxtaposing innocent childhood imagery with dark social commentary — his art sells for millions. | ||
| 21 | KALEIDOSCOPE 21 pts A constantly changing pattern of shapes and colours. Origin: From Greek kalos (beautiful) + eidos (form) + skopein (to look) Example: The market was a kaleidoscope of colours, sounds, and exotic spices. Spelling tip: KALEIDO + SCOPE — beautiful form viewer Fun fact: Invented by Sir David Brewster in 1816 — from Greek kalos (beautiful) + eidos (form) + skopein (to look). 🌍 In other languages: Sir David Brewster sold 200,000 kaleidoscopes in the first three months after inventing them in 1816 — the Victorian fidget spinner. | ||
| 22 | LETHARGIC 15 pts Affected by lack of energy; sluggish. Origin: From Greek lethargos — lethe (forgetfulness) + argos (idle) Example: The heat made everyone lethargic — nobody wanted to do anything but sleep. Spelling tip: LETHAR + GIC — lethar(gy) + gic Fun fact: From Greek lethe meaning forgetfulness — in mythology, the River Lethe made dead souls forget their earthly lives. 🌍 In other languages: Koalas sleep 22 hours a day due to their low-energy eucalyptus diet — they are nature's most lethargic mammals. | ||
| 23 | MAGNANIMOUS 16 pts Generous or forgiving, especially to a rival. Origin: From Latin magnanimis — magnus (great) + animus (soul, spirit) Example: In victory, she was magnanimous, praising her opponent's skill and courage. Spelling tip: MAGN + ANIM + OUS — great-souled Fun fact: From Latin magnus (great) + animus (soul) — Aristotle considered magnanimity the crown of all virtues. 🌍 In other languages: Nelson Mandela became the symbol of magnanimity — after 27 years in prison, he advocated reconciliation rather than revenge. | ||
| 24 | NOSTALGIA 10 pts A sentimental longing for the past. Origin: Coined in 1688 by Swiss doctor Johannes Hofer — Greek nostos (homecoming) + algos (pain) Example: The old photograph filled her with nostalgia for summers at her grandmother's house. Spelling tip: NOST + ALGIA — nost (home) + algia (pain) Fun fact: Coined in 1688 by Swiss doctor Johannes Hofer as a medical diagnosis for homesick soldiers — literally Greek for homecoming pain. 🌍 In other languages: Swiss soldiers in the 1600s were so nostalgic that hearing certain folk melodies could trigger fainting — doctors banned the songs in military camps. | ||
| 25 | OMNIPOTENT 14 pts Having unlimited power; all-powerful. Origin: From Latin omnipotens — omnis (all) + potens (powerful) Example: No leader is truly omnipotent — even dictators depend on their inner circle. Spelling tip: OMNI + POTENT — all + powerful Fun fact: The omnipotence paradox asks: Can God create a stone so heavy that even God cannot lift it? 🌍 In other languages: The omnipotence paradox (can God create a rock too heavy for God to lift?) has challenged theologians since the Middle Ages. | ||
| 26 | PERNICIOUS 14 pts Having a harmful effect in a subtle way. Origin: From Latin perniciosus — per (thoroughly) + nex (death) Example: The pernicious rumour spread quietly but caused lasting damage to her reputation. Spelling tip: PER + NI + CIOUS — thoroughly destructive Fun fact: Pernicious anaemia was once fatal before 1926 when liver extract treatment was discovered, winning a Nobel Prize. 🌍 In other languages: Pernicious anaemia was a death sentence before 1926 — the discovery that raw liver could treat it won Minot, Murphy, and Whipple the Nobel Prize. | ||
| 27 | QUERULOUS 18 pts Habitually complaining; whiny. Origin: From Latin querulus — queri (to complain) Example: The querulous neighbour complained about everything from noise to garden fences. Spelling tip: QUER + ULOUS — quer(y) + ulous (tendency) Fun fact: From Latin queri meaning to complain — related to quarrel and query, all from the same root. 🌍 In other languages: There is a recognised medical condition called querulous paranoia — pathological complaining driven by a sense of injustice. Some sue hundreds of times. | ||
| 28 | RECALCITRANT 16 pts Having an obstinately uncooperative attitude. Origin: From Latin recalcitrare — re (back) + calcitrare (to kick) Example: The recalcitrant student refused to complete homework no matter what incentives were offered. Spelling tip: RE + CALCI + TRANT — kicking back (calci = heel) Fun fact: From Latin recalcitrare meaning to kick back — literally describes a stubborn horse kicking its heels. 🌍 In other languages: Mules are stereotyped as recalcitrant, but their stubbornness is actually intelligence — they refuse to overwork themselves, unlike horses. | ||
| 29 | SYCOPHANT 19 pts One who uses obsequious compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another; a servile flatterer. Origin: From Greek sykophantes — fig-shower, informer Example: The king surrounded himself with sycophants who praised his every decision. Spelling tip: SY-CO-PHANT — think psycho + elephant without the ele Fun fact: In ancient Athens sycophants were professional informers who brought prosecutions for profit. The word literally meant fig-revealer. 🌍 In other languages: Shakespeare used the concept extensively. Polonius in Hamlet is often read as a sycophant to the king. | ||
| 30 | TENACIOUS 11 pts Clinging to an object or surface; adhesive. | ||
| 31 | UNCTUOUS 10 pts (of a liquid or substance) Oily or greasy. | ||
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