Words at Play

Commonly Confused | New Words We're Watching | Usage Notes | Words of the Week | Word Histories

top 10 user submitted words vol 5 nonversation
What Exactly Is This "Nonversation" All About?

Top 10 User-Submitted Words, Vol. 5

top 10 most frequently searched words on m wcom pretentious
'Ubiquitous', 'Pretentious', and 8 More Frequently Looked-Up Words

The words you look up most

top 10 user submitted words vol 4 sanctimommy
What Makes Someone a "Sanctimommy"?

Top 10 User-Submitted Words, Vol. 4

top 10 commonly confused words founder
Top 10 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Commonly Confused Words, Vol. 1

video resuscitate stricken icon condolences rip and other words that spiked when michael jackson died
How News Coverage Impacts Dictionary Lookups

Michael Jackson's death sent many people to the dictionary. What did they look up?

video affect vs effect
Affect vs. Effect

Here's the lowdown on what may be the most confusing pair of words in the English language.

words from 1970s punk
How 'Punk Rock' Got Its Name

Top 10 Words of the '70s

top 10 favorite definitions camp
Top 10 Favorite Definitions

One of our favs is "alliterative, scientific & sexy"

top 10 words from peoples names ritzy
Who Gave 'Ritzy' All That Style?

Top 10 Words from People's Names

top 10 words of the 90s goth
Top 10 Words of the '90s

The decade of dot-com and d'oh

user submitted words volume 2 complisult
Would You 'Complisult' A Frenemy?

Top 10 User-Submitted Words, Vol. 2

top 10 words born in conflict waterloo
Top 10 Words Born in Conflict

When did the 'Riot Act' first get read?

top 10 new words for old things snail mail
10 New Words for Old Things

When did 'mail' become 'snail mail'?

top 10 words of the 80s hip hop
Where Did 'Hip Hop' Get Its Name?

Top 10 Words of the '80s

top 10 user submitted words vol 3 retrosexual
What Kind of Style is 'Retrosexual'?

Top 10 User-Submitted Words, Vol. 3

user submitted words volume1 bankster
New Words and Slang

Top 10 User-Submitted Words, Vol. 1

words for underwear merrywidow
10 Better Ways to Say Underwear

Get your knickers in a twist

words from filmmakers hitchcockian
Language Inspired by Filmmakers

'Hitchcockian,' 'Felliniesque,' and other styles inspired by film legends

mashup words blog
Strange Words for Body Functions

Did you know that you 'micturate' and 'sternutate'?

sarah palin photo
Top 10 Words of the '00s

When 'google' became a verb

mashup words celebutante
What Crisis Did 'Celebutante' Emerge From?

Top 10 Mashup Words

words from place names badminton
10 Words from Place Names

Bikini, bourbon, and badminton were places first

uncommon phobia haphephobia
14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Words for uncommon fears

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Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of lachrymose

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Words Named After People

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  • Namesake of the leotard, Jules Léotard had what profession?
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Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

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