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Word definitions, word synonyms and word of the day

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Merriam-Webster provides definitions, pronunciations, examples, word histories, synonyms, antonyms, and related words for publicly listed entries, plus Word of the Day entries for today or published archive dates.

Define word

Look up a word or phrase in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and return pronunciation, meanings, examples, and word history. Only publicly listed dictionary entries are included.

Your information

The word or phrase to look up, for example serendipity.

1 credit per completed run

The same inputs also work from your code or an AI assistant. See For developers.

Example results

run

ˈrən

Hear pronunciation

Examples

  • When they heard the alarm ring, they ran.

  • let chickens run loose

  • a ram running with ewes

  • ran with a wild crowd when he was young

  • running about with no jacket

  • run and fetch the doctor

  • runs to mother at every little difficulty

  • ran over to borrow some sugar

  • running in a marathon

  • will run for mayor

  • file drawers running on ball bearings

  • a rope runs through the pulley

  • tights guaranteed not to run

  • run up the scale

  • the train runs between New York and Washington

  • The buses are running late.

  • a swiftly running grindstone

  • the engine runs on gasoline

  • didn't know the camera was still running

  • had the computer up and running in no time

  • software that runs on her computer

  • the contract has two more years to run

  • the play ran for six months

  • The movie ran over two hours.

    • Examples

    • goes out for a run every morning

    • When the robbers heard the alarm, they made a run for it. [=they ran away to avoid capture]

    • The dogs were coming toward us at a run. [=the dogs were running toward us]

    • a mile run

    • scored on a 25-yard run

    • making a run at the championship

    • an unsuccessful run for the senate seat

    • the first run of sap in sugar maples

    • the run of a mass of granite

    • a run of good/bad luck

    • a long run of cloudless days

    • a run of 20 in billiards

    • a long run on Broadway

    • a run on a bank

    • a press run of 10,000 copies

    • the average run of students

    • The place is different from the usual run of restaurants.

    • The bus makes four runs a day.

    • has the run of the house

    • a computer run

    • a sheep run

    • run -holder

    • View in Merriam-Webster

    Choose an action

    About the Merriam-Webster tool

    Merriam-Webster (MW) Define word returns pronunciation, definitions, examples, and word history for a word or phrase you provide.

    Get synonyms returns meanings, synonyms, antonyms, and related words for a word you provide.

    Get word of the day returns a word, meaning, pronunciation, example, and background note; provide a date for an archive entry or omit it for today.

    Built from merriam-webster.com. Last checked Sep 30, 2026.

    Actions

    Define word

    1 credit

    Look up a word or phrase in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and return pronunciation, meanings, examples, and word history. Only publicly listed dictionary entries are included.

    What you provide

    FieldTypeRequiredDescription
    WordwordTextRequiredThe word or phrase to look up, for example serendipity.Example: Run

    What you get

    FieldTypeDescription
    WordwordTextDictionary headword.Example: Run
    EntriesentriesListDictionary entries in page order.
    Etymologyentries[].etymologyTextExample: Middle English ronnen, alteration of rinnen, intransitive verb (from Old…
    Definitionsentries[].definitionsListNumbered definitions in displayed order.
    Part of Speechentries[].part_of_speechTextExample: Verb
    First Known Useentries[].first_known_useTextExample: before the 12th century
    Example Sentencesentries[].example_sentencesList
    PronunciationpronunciationTextPronunciation shown for the headword.Example: ˈrən
    Merriam Webster Linkmerriam_webster_linkTextPage for this dictionary word.Example: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/run
    Pronunciation Audio Linkpronunciation_audio_linkTextLink to the pronunciation audio when available.Example: https://media.merriam-webster.com/audio/prons/en/us/mp3/r/run00001.mp3

    Example result

    For Word: Run

    JSON
    {
  "word": "run",
  "entries": [
    {
      "etymology": "Middle English ronnen, alteration of rinnen, intransitive verb (from Old English iernan, rinnan & Old Norse rinna ) & of rennen, transitive verb, from Old Norse renna; akin to Old High German rinnan, …",
      "definitions": [
        "intransitive verb 1a. to go faster than a walk",
        "intransitive verb 1a. specifically: to go steadily by springing steps so that both feet leave the ground for an instant in each step"
      ],
      "part_of_speech": "verb",
      "first_known_use": "before the 12th century",
      "example_sentences": [
        "When they heard the alarm ring, they ran.",
        "let chickens run loose"
      ]
    },
    {
      "etymology": null,
      "definitions": [
        "1a. an act or the action of running : continued rapid movement",
        "1b. a quickened gallop"
      ],
      "part_of_speech": "noun",
      "first_known_use": "15th century",
      "example_sentences": [
        "goes out for a run every morning",
        "When the robbers heard the alarm, they made a run for it. [=they ran away to avoid capture]"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "pronunciation": "ˈrən",
  "merriam_webster_link": "https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/run",
  "pronunciation_audio_link": "https://media.merriam-webster.com/audio/prons/en/us/mp3/r/run00001.mp3"
}

    Get synonyms

    1 credit

    Get a word’s thesaurus meanings, examples, synonyms, antonyms, and related words from its public Merriam-Webster page.

    What you provide

    FieldTypeRequiredDescription
    WordwordTextRequiredA word to look up in the thesaurus, for example happy.Example: Happy

    What you get

    FieldTypeDescription
    WordwordTextThe word shown on the thesaurus page.Example: Happy
    MeaningsmeaningsListMeanings in the order they appear on the page. Similar words appear under synonyms; related words are included only when shown separately.
    Meaningmeanings[].meaningTextExample: experiencing pleasure, satisfaction, or delight
    Antonymsmeanings[].antonymsList
    Synonymsmeanings[].synonymsList
    Page Linkmeanings[].page_linkTextExample: https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happy#thesaurus-entry-1-1
    Related Wordsmeanings[].related_wordsList
    Part of Speechmeanings[].part_of_speechTextExample: Adjective
    Example Sentencemeanings[].example_sentenceTextExample: made bread for the first time and was happy with the tasty result
    Thesaurus Linkthesaurus_linkTextLink to the word’s thesaurus page.Example: https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happy

    Example result

    For Word: Happy

    JSON
    {
  "word": "happy",
  "meanings": [
    {
      "meaning": "experiencing pleasure, satisfaction, or delight",
      "antonyms": [
        "unhappy",
        "sad",
        "dissatisfied"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        "delighted",
        "pleased",
        "glad"
      ],
      "page_link": "https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happy#thesaurus-entry-1-1",
      "related_words": [],
      "part_of_speech": "adjective",
      "example_sentence": "made bread for the first time and was happy with the tasty result"
    },
    {
      "meaning": "coming or happening by good luck especially unexpectedly",
      "antonyms": [
        "unhappy",
        "unfortunate",
        "unlucky"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        "lucky",
        "fortunate",
        "convenient"
      ],
      "page_link": "https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happy#thesaurus-entry-1-2",
      "related_words": [],
      "part_of_speech": "adjective",
      "example_sentence": "a happy discovery, finding the letter that would prove her innocence"
    },
    {
      "meaning": "feeling that one's needs or desires have been met",
      "antonyms": [
        "unhappy",
        "dissatisfied",
        "displeased"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        "satisfied",
        "pleased",
        "contented"
      ],
      "page_link": "https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happy#thesaurus-entry-1-3",
      "related_words": [],
      "part_of_speech": "adjective",
      "example_sentence": "has been much happier ever since she moved"
    }
  ],
  "thesaurus_link": "https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/happy"
}

    Get word of the day

    1 credit

    Get Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day for today or a past archive date, with its meaning, example, pronunciation, and background note. Dates without a published entry are unavailable.

    What you provide

    FieldTypeRequiredDescription
    DatedateDateOptionalDay to look up (YYYY-MM-DD), such as 2025-02-15. Omit for today.Example: 2025-02-15

    What you get

    FieldTypeDescription
    DatedateDatePublication date.Example: 2026-09-28
    LinklinkTextWord of the Day page link.Example: https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/fungible-2026-09-28
    WordwordTextWord of the Day.Example: Fungible
    DefinitiondefinitionTextMeaning in plain text.Example: Fungible describes things, such as currency, goods, and commodities, that can…
    Did You Knowdid_you_knowTextDid You Know? note in plain text.
    PronunciationpronunciationTextPronunciation shown on the page.Example: FUN-juh-bul
    Part of Speechpart_of_speechTextPart of speech shown on the page.Example: Adjective
    Example Sentenceexample_sentenceTextUsage example in plain text.Example: A dollar bill is considered fungible because it can easily and acceptably be…

    Example result

    For

    JSON
    {
  "date": "2026-09-28",
  "link": "https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/fungible-2026-09-28",
  "word": "fungible",
  "definition": "Fungible describes things, such as currency, goods, and commodities, that can be exchanged for something else of the same kind or value. In broader usage, fungible can also mean “interchangeable,” as …",
  "did_you_know": "Before expectations about the origins of fungible mushroom into mycological fantasy: no, fungible has no relation to the noun fungus and its plural fungi. The fungi in fungible is there because of the…",
  "pronunciation": "FUN-juh-bul",
  "part_of_speech": "adjective",
  "example_sentence": "A dollar bill is considered fungible because it can easily and acceptably be traded for ten dimes, four quarters, twenty nickels, or one hundred pennies, as well as any other dollar bill."
}

    For developers

    Call it from your code with one request. Change the values in input to run it on new data. To get an API key, open Developers at the bottom of Studio, turn on Developer mode and go to API keys.

    cURL
    curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 180 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "api": "@merriam-webster",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "define_word",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "word": "run"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'

    What you can do with it

    Questions about Merriam-Webster

    Can I run it with my own inputs?

    Yes. Change the inputs in Studio and press Run, or send new inputs from your code, or ask a connected AI assistant.

    Can I call this Merriam-Webster tool as an API?

    Yes. Send a POST request to /v1/query with your Fous API key and the inputs, and get JSON back.

    How much does it cost?

    Each completed run costs 1 credit. Failed runs without a completed receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. With pay as you go, a credit costs 1¢. Monthly plans cost less per credit.

    Do I need a Merriam-Webster account?

    No. You only need a Fous account.

    How current is the data?

    Fous gets the data from merriam-webster.com when you run it. Some results are reused for up to 24 hours, and results that use your account or key are never reused. It was last verified on Sep 30, 2026.

    What does a word mean?

    Use Define word with a word or phrase to get its meanings, pronunciation, examples, and word history.

    What are synonyms or antonyms for a word?

    Use Get synonyms with a word to see its meanings, synonyms, antonyms, and related words.

    What is today’s Word of the Day?

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