One of my favorite ways to work on becoming a better writer is by building my vocabulary. The point is not to pepper posts with words that make me sound like I am competing with Shakespeare or trying to write a legal document because that tends to bore readers.
Rather I see it is being similar to cooking a great meal where the secret lies in the spices and sauce(s) you use. Here is a snapshot of some words I have collected over the years.
- adjunct– Noun: A thing added to something else as a supplementary rather than an essential part. Adjective: Connected or added to something, typically in an auxiliary way: “alternative or adjunct therapiesâ€
- augur- : an official diviner of ancient Rome 2: one held to foretell events by omens
- bete noire– a person or thing strongly detested or avoided
- ecumenical– 1: worldwide or general in extent, influence, or application 2 a : of, relating to, or representing the whole of a body of churches
- fait accompli– a thing accomplished and presumably irreversible
- inveigle– to win over by wiles : entice 2: to acquire by ingenuity or flattery : wangle<inveigled her way into a promotion>
- lagniappe– a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase;broadly : something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure
- poltroon– a spiritless coward
- truckle– to act in a subservient manner
- vacuous- : emptied of or lacking content 2: marked by lack of ideas or intelligence :stupid, inane <a vacuous mind> <a vacuous movie> 3: devoid of serious occupation
- vagary– an erratic, unpredictable, or extravagant manifestation, action, or notion.
- Opsimath– N. a person who becomes a student or learner late in life.
- Climacteric– n.1Â :Â a major turning point or critical stage
- 2 a : menopause b : a period in the life of a male corresponding to female menopause and usually occurring with less well-defined physiological and psychological changes
- 3Â :Â the marked and sudden rise in the respiratory rate of fruit just prior to full ripening.
- Prolix-adj. 1 : unduly prolonged or drawn out : too long
- 2Â :Â marked by or using an excess of words
- Confluence: n. 1 : a coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one pointÂ
2 a : the flowing together of two or more streams b : the place of meeting of two streams c : the combined stream formed by conjunction -
English: Cobbe portrait, claimed to be a portrait of William Shakespeare done while he was alive Lëtzebuergesch: Uelegporträt vum William Shakespeare am Alter vu 46 Joer, gemoolt 1610 zu Liefzäite vum Dichter, haut am Besëtz vum Konschtrestaurator Alec Cobbe. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) - Tendentious-adj. marked by a tendency in favor of a particular point of view.
- esurient- hungry, greedy
- Nugatory–1 : of little or no consequence  2 : having no force.
- acatalepsy-Incomprehensibility of things; the doctrine held by the ancient Skeptic philosophers, that human knowledge never amounts to certainty, but only to probability.
- acephalist– One who acknowledges no head or superior.
- Raconteur-One who tells stories and anecdotes with skill and wit.
- Callipygian-adj.Having beautifully proportioned buttocks.
- Lachrymose-adj.
- Weeping or inclined to weep; tearful.
- Causing or tending to cause tears.
- Perspicacious-adj. Having or showing penetrating mental discernment; clear-sighted.
- Flibbertigibbet-n. A silly, scatterbrained, or garrulous person.
- Jejune-adj. Not interesting; dull: “and there pour forth jejune words and useless empty phrases†(Anthony Trollope).
- Lacking maturity; childish: surprised by their jejune responses to our problems.
- Lacking in nutrition: a jejune diet
- Ollendorffian– in the stilted language of foreign phrase-books.
- gerascophobia -a morbid, irrational fear of, or aversion to, growing old.
- bathysiderodrophobia -the fear of subways, undergrounds or metros.
- hormephobia-Fear of shock.
- cacoethes loquendi-the irresistible urge to speak.
- cacoethes scribendi-the irresistible urge to write
- saudade-[Port.] yearning or longing, but more than that…
- Scaturient-L. scaturiens, p. pr. of scaturire gush out, from scatere to bubble, gush.]
- Gushing forth; full to overflowing; effusive. [R.]
- Walpurgisnacht1) the eve of May Day on which witches are held to ride to an appointed rendezvous
- 2) something (as an event or situation) having a nightmarish quality
- barlafumble[fr. parley, call for truce + ?]Â Scot. obs.
- a call for a truce by one who has fallen in fighting or play; a request for a time out
- defalcate-intr.v., -cat·ed, -cat·ing, -cates. To misuse funds; embezzle.
- Dactylonomy-n.[Gr. da`ktylos finger + no`mos law, distribution.]
- The art of numbering or counting by the fingers.
- recrudesce-intr.v., -desced, -desc·ing, -desc·es.To break out anew or come into renewed activity, as after a period of quiescence.
- videlicet-vÄ-dÄ•l’Ä-sÄ•t’, vÄ«-, wÄ-dÄ’lÄ-kÄ•t’) pronunciation
- adv. (Abbr. viz.)
- That is; namely. Used to introduce examples, lists, or items.
- temerarious-adj. Presumptuously or recklessly daring
- Tentiginous-[L. tentigo, -inis, a tension, lecherousness, fr. tendere, tentum, to stretch.]
- 1. Stiff; stretched; strained. [Obs.] Johnson. 2. Lustful, or pertaining to lust. [Obs.] B. Jonson
Urinator-n.[L., from urinari to plunge under water, to dive.] - One who dives under water in search of something, as for pearls; a diver.
- usufruct-n.The right to use and enjoy the profits and advantages of something belonging to another as long as the property is not damaged or altered in any way.
- Jackpudding-n.A merry-andrew; a buffoon.
- Jobbernowl-n.[OE. jobbernoule, fr. jobarde a stupid fellow; cf. E. noll.]
- A blockhead.
- nikhedonia-fr. Nike, the Greek goddess of victory + hedoné, pleasure] the pleasure derived from anticipating success
- quidnunckery-[fr. L. quid nunc, what now] nonce-word curiosity, love of news or gossip (also quid-nunc-ism)
- mancinism-the condition of being left-handed
- macroverbumsciolist– 1) a person who is ignorant of large words
- 2) a person who pretends to know a word, then secretly refers to a dictionary.
- mastigophorer-obs. a fellow worthy to be whipped.
- matutolypea-getting up on the wrong side of the bed.
- xenodochiophobia -the fear of foreign hospitality (worry about foreign hotels).
- Xenodochium-n.(a) (Class. Antiq.) A house for the reception of strangers. (b) In the Middle Ages, a room in a monastery for the reception and entertainment of strangers and pilgrims, and for the relief of paupers. [Called also Xenodocheion.]
- Knobstick-n. 1. One who refuses to join, or withdraws from, a trade union. [Cant, Eng.]
- 2. A stick, cane, or club terminating in a knob; esp., such a stick or club used as a weapon or missile; a knobkerrie.
- effulgence-i-FUL-juhn(t)s, noun:
- The state of being bright and radiant; splendor; brilliance.
- [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
- divaricate-To diverge at a wide angle; spread apart.
- Otiant– idle; resting.
- machicolation- n. apertures in parapet or floor of gallery for firing upon persons below. machicolate, v.t. furnish with these
- Secern– To discern as separate; discriminate.
- prothalamion -A song in celebration of a wedding; an epithalamium.
- a capite ad calcem-From head to heel.
- ad internecionem-Â To extermination.
- Abusus non tollit usum-Wrong use does not preclude proper use.
- ad captandum vulgus-To attract or to please the rabble.
- Abligurition- n.[L. abligurito, fr. abligurire to spend in luxurious indulgence; ab +ligurire to be lickerish, dainty, fr. lingere to lick.]
- Prodigal expense for food. [Obs.] Bailey.
- Anililagnia– an attraction to older women.
- Armsaye: the armhole in clothing.
- Euneirophrenia: peace of mind after a pleasant dream.
- Suppedaneum: foot support for crucifix victims.
- Adfenestration: V. The act of entering through a window, usually surreptitiously.
- Vatic-adj.Of or characteristic of a prophet; oracular.
(Visited 261 times, 1 visits today)
A fun list 🙂
I learned “callipygian” through a middle school Latin class, and throughout middle school and well into high school, it was one of my favorite kinda-dirty-but-academic-too-so-OK joke compliments. Ah, good dorky times haha..
One benefit of having a diverse vocabulary at one’s disposal – and the practice of seeking out new, interesting words – is they can give, in themselves, ideas for plot movements or character traits. “Inveigle” is a great example of this. Feeling stuck with a plot or character? Work in “inveigle” somehow, and see where it leads…
That’s quite the impressive list!
It is just something I have assembled over time, but it has been fun to build.
There’s a handful here I don’t know. I am tickled over “Callipygian”. We used to have such fun expanding our vocabulary as we grew up – using them on every occasion we could. I find that these days we “speak” less and write more….so the sounds are less. That makes a huge difference.
Interesting list. Hmmm.
I hear that- we definitely speak less than we used to which is part of the reason I like expanding the old vocabulary because some people deserve to be defenestrated for their defalcation.
I assume that people who use “big words” when talking to me don’t really like me all that much. 🙂
Hi Betsy,
I don’t know. Sometimes I think people are utterly oblivious to how they come off.
Ah yes, the ol’ knobstick; obviously we will have to defenestrate him…
I’m pretty well read and it is what helps me appear to be smarter than I really am; however, you have some words in here that take it to a whole different level…:).
Hi Bill,
I am always fixin to improve my edumucation by seeking out new words. I probably won’t use half of them, but then again maybe I will.
I just enjoy learning so this is fun.
Your SAT score must have been impressive! 😛
Mine were mediocre – despite the midway nap.
My verbal scores were pretty good, but my math looked horrible in comparison or so I remember.