Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 6, 2023 is: dog days \DAWG-DAYZ\ noun

Dog days is a plural noun that refers to the hottest time of the year, which in the northern hemisphere is usually between early July and early September. Dog days can also refer to a period of stagnation or inactivity suggestive of hot, [sultry](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sultry) weather when it can be difficult to summon the energy required for hard work.

// The kids swim every afternoon during the dog days of summer.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dog%20days)

Examples:

“Streets with mature trees command higher home prices, temper the dog days of summer and draw more people outdoors for fresh air, walks and chats with neighbors.” — Celia Llopis-Jepsen, Kansas News Service, 9 May 2023

Did you know?

Idle hands may be the devil’s workshop, but let’s be serious: when it’s stiflingly hot outside, who among us isn’t tempted to [shirk](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shirk) work to go lie [doggo](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doggo) in the shade somewhere? Such is the desire of many a creature—not just dogs (or lexicographers)—during the dog days of summer. If you’re curious how dogs got singled out in this expression, however, you might say it was [in the stars](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in-the-stars). The dog in dog days is the Dog Star, aka [Sirius](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sirius), the star that represents the hound of the hunter [Orion](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Orion) in the [eponymous](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eponymous) constellation. The star has long been associated with sultry weather in the northern hemisphere because it rises simultaneously with the sun during the hottest days of summer.