The term really got its start back in the late 1990s, and was added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2002. Ayana Archie, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025 Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia — fear of long words (The longest word found in major English dictionaries is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, a 45-letter word describing a lung ... Go beyond dictionary lookups with Word of the Day, facts and observations on language, lookup trends, and wordplay from the editors at Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Learn a new word every day! Follow Merriam-Webster for the most trusted Word of the Day, trending info, word games, and more. Search the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus for millions of synonyms, similar words, and antonyms. Our unique ranking system helps you find the right word fast and expand your English vocabulary.
