Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 26, 2023 is: grok \GRAHK\ verb

To grok something is to understand it both profoundly and [intuitively](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intuitive).

// She enjoyed the deep discussions in her metaphysics class that helped her grok some of the main themes of Western philosophy.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grok)

Examples:

"The thing that marketing teams can’t fully grok is that TikTok interest is organic, growing like a mushroom, sending out spores that germinate and thread through existing cultural [ephemera](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ephemera)." — Chelsea G. Summers, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2022

Did you know?

Grok may be the only English word that derives from Martian. Yes, we do mean the language of the planet Mars. No, we're not getting spacey; we've just ventured into the realm of science fiction. Grok was introduced in [Robert A. Heinlein](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-A-Heinlein)'s 1961 science fiction novel [Stranger in a Strange Land](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Stranger-in-a-Strange-Land). The book's main character, Valentine Michael Smith, is a Martian-raised human who comes to Earth as an adult, bringing with him words from his native tongue and a unique perspective on the strange ways of earthlings. Grok was quickly adopted by the youth culture of America and has since peppered the vernacular of those who grok it.