Word of the Day: mirth

The word mirth has appeared in 19 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Dec. 12 in “Soccer Legends, Arab Viewers and the Man in the Middle” by Tariq Panja:

Tounakti suggested an impromptu demonstration, and Schmeichel gamely agreed. The goalkeeper then spent five minutes ruminating on his native Denmark’s early exit from the World Cup while Tounakti interpreted his every word. His translation, like his work on the broadcasts, was in fusha, a version of classical Arabic that is understood across the Arab world but not spoken in any particular country.

The discussion moved to idiomatic expressions and the challenges they posed: One in particular, a phrase long used as shorthand to gauge a player’s true quality in England — “Yes, but can he do it on a cold, rainy night in Stoke?” — can cause mirth, and no small degree of confusion. “What do you exactly mean when you say this?” Tounakti said. Schmeichel laughed and suggested it might translate as “a hot Wednesday in Mecca.” He then departed for the studio.

Daily Word Challenge

Can you correctly use the word mirth in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how mirth can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.