Using words you barely know the meaning of.

[Yarram]

Who among you uses words that you don't remember ever learning in conversation? Which words are these? How have you integrated them into your regular speech? Who enjoys being uncomfortably verbose?

I devote this thread to the discussion of thus, as I am a fan of this practice. Just today, I used the word aggregate in normal conversation. I was glad to have done so.

[Froogleyboy]

I use "Forsooth" alot and I have no idea what it means. It's one of my lines in the play

[Yarram]

It's an exclamation of shock and acknowledgement!

[Ravens_cry]

It's an exclamation of shock and acknowledgement!
Forsooth!Yeah, I can be a bit of a dork sometimes.

[arguskos]

I am frequently derided as being overly verbose. I tend towards complexity of syntax and have a bad habit of using longer and bigger words than I really need to. However, it's the only way to really get across my thoughts sometimes.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Oh, I'm bad. I tend not so much to verbosity as a 'romantic' or 'flowerdy' style. I actually do know what they mean, but the funny thing is is that I often don't know how to pronounce them correctly.

I've read them plenty to the point they come naturally in speech, but so rarely hear them in conversation, if ever, that I never really say them right. I love hearing new words though.

Oh, and 'whom'. I never use it correctly so just throw it in when I feel like it.

Otherwise I am the epitome of eloquent elocution :smallamused:

[Starscream]

When I was young I did a lot more reading than I did talking, so not only did I use words I didn't really understand, I also usually couldn't pronounce them either because I had only seen them written down. "Paradigm", for example.

[ForzaFiori]

Forsooth originally meant "in truth" but has since become an exclamation of disbelieve

IE: originally it would be used like this:
Person 1: "Forsooth, I went to the store today"

As the word progressed it is now used like this:
Person 1: "I went to the store today"
Person 2: "Forsooth?!"

[Tengu_temp]

I prefer to be overly verbose while using words I know the meaning of. I don't see how using words you don't know the meaning of is a good thing.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Conundrum is one of my favorites btw :smallbiggrin:

[Malfunctioned]

I learnt most of the complex words I know from reading and because of that often ended up pronouncing a lot of them wrong, quite a few of I knew the proper meaning for but many of them I didn't. The thing is, when you speaking in a voice that switches between sounding typically cockney and quite upper-class pretty much at random it apparently makes me sound as if I'm trying too hard to sound clever.

But most of the words I use are perfectly cromulent anyway.

[Dust]

I've been using the word apropos in casual conversation ever since I was very, very young. I have no idea where I might have picked that up or learned its meaning.

As a Canadian, I have intense difficulty pronouncing Massachusetts and avoid talking about the state whenever possible.

[Lord Loss]

I've been using the word apropos in casual conversation ever since I was very, very young. I have no idea where I might have picked that up or learned its meaning.

As a Canadian, I have intense difficulty pronouncing Massachusetts and avoid talking about the state whenever possible.

I'm not only canadian, I am also unable to pronounce ch sounds. fun fun fun :smallconfused:!

[Setra]

Any time I am about to use a word I barely remember the meaning of, or if I just used a word I barely remembered the meaning of.. I look it up to learn the exact definition.

I can be as verbose as I want, though much of my vocabulary has faded since my days of school, due to lack of use. I find the simplest way to state something is often the best, so much of the larger words in my vocabulary have shrunk.

[Raiki]

I am not alone!

I have words pop into my head all the time that I really don't know the definition of, but sound like they'd describe what I'm trying to say. It's a bit frustrating, but to be expected when you read through a good 70ish books a year. This is why dictionary.com is one of my bookmarked sites, I hate to use words improperly. And don't even get me started on pronunciation.

And on the topic of Forsooth, it means more or less the same thing as Verily, which is an exclaimation based off the latin word Veritas, which means universal Truth (as opposed to personal truth, which is Alethia).

~R~

[snoopy13a]

I can be as verbose as I want, though much of my vocabulary has faded since my days of school, due to lack of use. I find the simplest way to state something is often the best, so much of the larger words in my vocabulary have shrunk.

The simplest way to state something is nearly always the best, especially in verbal communication. Of course, if one is making a very fine point, a more precise word could be necessary. Overall, I don't believe using a large vocabulary is effective in most situations. If one's audience is ignorant of the word(s) they are using then the audience might not fully understand what is said. Secondly, the use of a complex word in verbal communication where a simple word is sufficient is often percieved as pretentious by both those ignorant of the word and by those who know the word and believe that a more common synonym should have been used.

[Mathis]

I've been using the word apropos in casual conversation ever since I was very, very young. I have no idea where I might have picked that up or learned its meaning.

Apropos is part of Norwegian everyday speech and I use it pretty frequently. Here it's meaning is something roughly translated into "Oh, and in addition to what I just mentioned".

I'm surprised to find it used outside of Norwegian though, can you clearify how you use it in casual conversation? And no, I'm not going to google it when I can get a perfectly reasonable answer from fellow, intelligent giantitpers.

[Mauve Shirt]

One day, when I was 12, "ubiquitous" randomly appeared in my vocabulary.

[absolmorph]

Sesquipedalian loquaciousness has made its way into my everyday conversations. I actually use it. Both words, occasionally separately.
Also, most of my vocabulary was picked up by reading and guessing the meaning using the context. When I was younger, I used a meaning of "fleet" my mother didn't know (she said it doesn't mean that) that I'd picked up from a Redwall book (which I started reading in first grade).
I can usually figure out where I got a word from, though.

[Em Blackleaf]

If the opportunity to use the word, "whom" arises, you'd better believe I'm using it.

I owe my verbosity to using a thesaurus on essays like a good girl and my superb memory when it comes to the weekly vocabulary my English teacher gives.

Oh, and dictionary.com surfing.

I used to have a word of the day too. I should still do that, but I'm pretty lazy.

I usually know what I mean, though.

I dunno, I don't talk like I type enough (except right there, with my "dunno"). I should smart-up my vocab, dudes. Totally.

[Asta Kask]

What are "shenanigans" and why do you call them?

[The Demented One]

I used to have a word of the day too. I should still do that, but I'm pretty lazy.

I'm helping!


Ablation: Surgical removal of bodily tissue.

Abnegate: To renounce or reject.

Abrasion: The process of scraping or wearing away.

Abstemious: Marked by restraint, especially in the consumption of food or alcohol.

Acrimony: Bitterness or ill feeling.

Actinic: Relating to or caused by light capable of causing photochemical reactions, as in photography.

Affinity: A spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for a person or thing.

Alight: To descend from the air and settle upon something.

Allay: To diminish, to relieve, to put to rest.

Aloof: Conspicuously uninvolved or uninterested.

Amanuensis: A person employed to take dictation or to copy manuscripts.

Amorous: Showing, feeling, or related to sexual desire.

Anodyne: Uncontentious or inoffensive, often deliberately so.

Aplomb: Confidence, coolness.

Apostasy: The abandonment or renunciation of religious or political beliefs.

Apotheosis: The act of deification, the culmination of a thing.

Arete: The aggregate of qualities and virtues that make up a good moral character.

Armoress: a female maker, supplier, or repairer of weapons and armor.

Arsenal: A collection of weapons or military equipment stored by a nation, group, or person.

Atelier: A workshop or studio.

Avarice: Extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

Azoic: Having no trace of life or organic remains.

Badinage: Banter, light playful talk.

Bailiwick: A person's sphere of operations or particular area of interest.

Beleaguer: To surround or beset, as with troubles.

Bellicose: Demonstrating aggression or willingness to fight.

Benison: A blessing.

Bibelot: A small household ornament or decorative object, a trinket.

Bier: A movable frame on which a coffin or corpse is placed before burial or cremation or on which it is carried to the grave.

Bilk: To defraud, to cheat, to frustrate, to escape.

Blazoned: Displayed prominently or vividly on a place or object.

Bravura: A showy or brilliant display.

Bumptious: Crudely or loudly self-assertive.

Burgeon: To begin to grow or increase rapidly.

Byzantine: Highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious.

Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable.

Caleficient: A drug causing a sensation of warmth.

Camaraderie: Mutual trust and friendship between people who spend a great deal of time together.

Camarilla: A group of secret and often scheming advisers.

Canicular: Relating to the dog days of summer.

Cataphract: A warrior in full armor.

Catatonic: In an immobile or unresponsive stupor.

Causerie: An informal conversation, a short essay.

Cessation: An ending or interruption.

Chimerical: Imaginary, fantastic, improbable.

Circumvent: To find a way around an obstacle.

Citrine: A light greenish-yellow.

Clamor: A loud and confused noise.

Clangor: A continuous loud banging or ringing sound.

Clerisy: A distinct class of learned or literary people.

Cogent: Having power to compel or restrain, appealing forcibly to the mind or reason.

Comminute: To reduce to minute particles, to pulverize.

Compunction: A feeling of guilt or moral scruple that follows the doing of something wrong.

Concatenate: To link things together in a chain or series.

Contemn: To view or treat with contempt, to scorn.

Conventicle: A secret or unlawful religious meeting.

Copse: A thicket or grove of small trees.

Cosset: To pamper, to treat as a pet.

Coterie: A small group of people with shared interests or tastes.

Cupidity: Greed for money or possessions.

Daedal: Complex, skillful, ingenious.

Dalliance: Playful flirtation, dawdling.

Daunt: To frighten, to make someone feel apprehensive.

Daymare: A nightmarish fantasy experienced while awake.

Decedent: A person who has died.

Delectation: Great pleasure, enjoyment, delight.

Desperado: A bold outlaw.

Desultory: Random, jumping from one thing to another without order or rational connection, disappointed in performance or progress.

Diablerie: Reckless mischief, charismatic wildness, sorcery

Diaphanous: Of so fine a texture as to be transparent, ethereal, insubstantial, vague.

Diatribe: A forceful or bitter verbal attack.

Diktat: An authoritative decree or order, a harsh settlement unilaterally imposed on a defeated party.

Dissolution: Disintegration, decomposition, the process of dissolving, or debauched living.

Dissuade: To persuade someone to not take a particular course of action.

Doughty: Valiant, brave.

Dross: Rubbish, something worthless, scum on the surface of molten metal.

Drub: To hit or beat repeatedly.

Durance: Imprisonment or confinement.

Ebon: Dark black or brown.

Eleemosynary: Dependent on or supported by a charity.

Embouchure: The way in which a musician applies the mouth to the mouthpiece of a brass or wind instrument.

Enmity: Active opposition or hostility.

Ennead: A group of nine.

Ennui: A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.

Enthymeme: A syllogistic statement in which one premise is not stated.

Ephemeral: Lasting for a very short time.

Epilithic: Growing on a rock, of a plant.

Equipoise: A state of equilibrium.

Erstwhile: Former.

Esculent: Fit to be eaten, edible.

Escutcheon: A shield or emblem bearing a coat of arms.

Exalted: Placed at a high or powerful level of rank or status, held in high regard.

Expatiate: To move about freely, to wander, to speak or write in length or detail.

Expiate: To atone for guilt or sin.

Exult: To show or feel elation or jubilation.

Factotum: An employee who does all kinds of work.

Filament: A slender, thread-like fiber.

Filigree: Ornamental work of fine wire formed into delicate tracery.

Flexuous: Full of bends and curves.

Flout: To mock, to show contempt for.

Footpad: A highwayman operating on foot, rather than riding a horse.

Frisson: A moment of intense excitement, an emotional thrill.

Fulgurate: To flash like lightning.

Fulminate: To explode violently, to express vehement protest.

Fusillade: A series of shots fired or missiles thrown all at the same time or in quick succession.

Gallimaufry: A hodgepodge.

Gambol: To dance or skip, to frolic.

Gauche: Tactless, lacking social polish.

Gelid: Icy, extremely cold.

Glad-hand: To greet or welcome warmly or with the appearance of warmth.

Glebe: A field.

Glisten: To reflect a sparkling light or a faint, intermittent glow.

Glower: To have an angry or sullen look on one's face, to scowl.

Gossamer: Light, thin, and insubstantial.

Hale: Strong and healthy.

Hidebound: Narrow-minded and stubborn.

Highhanded: Acting or done in a bold, arbitrary way.

Holus-Bolus: All at once.

Horripilation: The erection of hairs on the skin due to cold, fear, or excitement.

Iconoclast: One who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.

Imbroglio: An extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation.

Immaculate: Free from flaws or mistakes, perfectly clean.

Impervious: Unable to be affected by a specific thing.

Immanent: Existing or operating within, inherent.

Immure: To enclose or confine someone against their will.

Incarnadine: A bright crimson or pinkish-red color.

Inchoate: Just begun, not fully formed.

Incommunicado: Not able, wanting, or allowed to communicate with other people.

Indolent: Lazy.

Infernal: Of or relating to hell or the underworld.

Ingratiate: To gain favor or acceptance with deliberate effort.

Injunction: An authoritative warning or order.

Inordinate: Exceeding reasonable limits.

Insouciant: Carefree, nonchalant.

Insuperable: Impossible to overcome.

Internecine: Mutually destructive.

Intestate: Having made no valid will, not disposed of by a will.

Intransigent: Unwilling or refusing to change one's views or agree about something.

Invective: Insulting, abusive, or critical language.

Ire: Intense anger or wrath.

Irenic: Favoring, conducive to, or operating towards peace, moderation, or conciliation.

Jackleg: Unscrupulous and dishonest, lacking skill or training, makeshift.

Jacquerie: A peasants' revolt.

Janissary: A devoted follower or supporter.

Jape: A joke, trick, or jest.

Jettison: To throw away, to discard.

Jounce: To jolt or bounce.

Kakfaesque: Characterized by surreal distortion and a sense of impending danger.

Kakistocracy: A system of government in which the worst or least-qualified rule.

Katabatic: Caused by a downward motion of cool air, of a wind.

Kismet: Destiny, fate.

Lacuna: A blank space, a missing part.

Lambaste: To criticize harshly.

Legerdemain: Skillful use of one's hands when performing conjuring tricks, deception.

Levigate: To polish or smooth.

Lilliputian: Extremely small or of little significance.

Limn: To suffuse with a bright color or light.

Lineament: A distinguishing or characteristic feature.

Longueur: A dull or tedious passage in a book or similar work.

Louche: Disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way.

Lugubrious: Mournful, dismal, or gloomy.

Lumpen: Boorish and stupid.

Machination: The act of plotting or scheming.

Magnanimous: Very generous or forgiving, especially to one less powerful than one's self.

Mandate: An official order or commission to do something.

Mandarin: A powerful official or senior bureaucrat.

Manse: A large, stately house.

Maraud: To roam in search of things to steal or people to attack.

Marmoreal: Made of or like marble.

Maunder: To talk or wander aimlessly.

Megrim: A headache, a lowness of spirits.

Mendicant: A beggar.

Mien: A person's look or manner indicating their character or mood.

Misconstrue: To interpret a thing wrongly.

Motic: Of or related to motes of some substance.

Munificent: Generous.

Mythos: A set of myths, beliefs, or assumptions.

Nekromachy: A war fought against zombies or similar undead beings.

Nocuous: Hurtful.

Nubile: Sexually mature or suitable for marriage, of a girl or young woman.

Obsequious: Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

Offal: Waste, refuse, rotting animal flesh.

Omphalos: The center or hub of a thing.

Ordure: Excrement, dung.

Ossify: To turn into bone or bony tissue.

Outworld: An outlying or alien planet.

Pact: A formal agreement between individuals or parties.

Panoply: A complete or impressive collection of things.

Pavane: A stately dance.

Pellucid: Translucently clear.

Peripatetic: Relating to walking about or traveling from place to place, itinerant.

Petulant: Childishly sulky or poorly-tempered.

Phantasmagoria: A sequence of real or imaginary images like that seen in a dream.

Pinion: A bird's wing.

Pink: To pierce or stab, to wound by irony, criticism, or ridicule.

Prestidigitation: Magic tricks performed as entertainment.

Primeval: Of or resembling the earliest ages in the history of the world, based on primitive instinct.

Promulgate: To promote or make widely known.

Propitious: Favorable, indicating a good chance of success.

Proscribe: To forbid or denounce.

Puissant: Having great power, prowess, or influence.

Pule: To whimper, to whine.

Pulverize: To defeat utterly, to reduce to dust.

Quaff: To drink heartily.

Quiescent: In a state of dormancy or inactivity.

Quisling: A traitor who collaborates with an enemy force occupying their country.

Rancor: Hatred or malice.

Rapacious: Aggressively greedy or grasping.

Rapine: The violent seizure of someone else's property.

Rapport: A close relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other's feelings and communicate well.

Rasp: A harsh, grating noise.

Recourse: A source of help in a difficult situation.

Rectify: Put something right, correct.

Redivivus: Living again, brought back to life, revived.

Reify: To make something abstract more concrete or real.

Repast: A meal.

Rescind: To revoke, cancel, or repeal.

Resplendent: Attractive or impressive through being richly colorful.

Resurgent: Increasing or reviving after a period of little activity, popularity, or occurrence.

Retinue: A group of advisers, assistants, or others accompanying an important person.

Reverberate: To echo, to vibrate or be disturbed by a loud noise.

Ripsnorter: Something extraordinary.

Riverine: Of, related to, or situated on a river or riverbank.

Rivulet: A very small stream.

Roil: To move, as a liquid, in a turbulent, swirling manner.

Saffron: The orange-yellow color of dye made from the saffron crocus flower.

Saga: A long story of heroic achievement.

Salacious: Lustful, lecherous, treating sexual matters in an indecent way.

Sallow: Having a sickly, yellow color.

Salubrious: Health-giving, healthy.

Saturnalia: An occasion of wild revelry.

Scintilla: A tiny spark or trace of a quality or feeling.

Scourge: A person or thing that causes great suffering or trouble.

Seep: To flow or leak slowly through a substance.

Seraglio: A harem.

Sidereal: Of or related to the distant stars.

Sidewise: Sideways.

Skirl: A shrill sound.

Skitter: To move lightly and quickly or hurriedly.

Slake: To satisfy or quench.

Slough: To cast off or be cast off, to crumble slowly and fall away, to get rid of or discard a thing.

Sparge: To sprinkle or spray.

Spoony: Sentimentally or foolishly in love.

Sobriquet: A nickname.

Sough: To make a low sighing or rustling sound, of a wind.

Spindrift: Spray blown from the crests of waves by the wind, driving snow or sand.

Squalid: Extremely dirty or unpleasant, showing a contemptible lack of moral standards.

Stultify: To make a person or thing appear stupid or ridiculous, to render useless.

Suppurate: To, as a wound, fester or form pus.

Surreptitious: Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.

Suspire: To breathe.

Sybarite: A person devoted to luxury or pleasure.

Sycophant: One who acts obsequiously towards someone in order to gain advantage.

Tantivy: In a headlong dash.

Tatterdemalion: A person dressed in tattered clothing.

Temperance: Moderation or self-restraint.

Temporize: To avoid making a decision in order to gain time, to temporarily adopt a particular course in order to conform to the circumstances.

Tenebrous: Dark, shadowy, or obscure.

Tetchy: Irritable, peevish.

Thews: Strong muscles and tendons.

Truckle: To act in a subservient manner.

Twilit: Dimly illuminated by or as if by twilight.

Tyro: A novice, a beginner in learning.

Umbles: The entrails of an animal, used for food.

Unlimber: To unpack or unfasten something ready for use.

Vatic: Describing or predicting the future.

Vehement: Forceful, passionate, or intense.

Vignette: A brief, evocative description.

Viridescent: Greenish, or becoming green.

Vitiate: To spoil or impair the quality, efficiency, or legal validity of something.

Vitrify: To convert something to glass or a glass-like substance.

Vitriol: Acid, cruel and bitter criticism.

Vituperative: Bitter and abusive.

Volant: With wings extended in a flying position.

Voluble: Characterized by a ready flow of speech.

Wrest: To forcibly pull a thing from a person's grasp.

Wroth: Angry.

Xeric: Dry, containing little water, of an environment or habitat.

Yawp: A harsh or hoarse cry or yelp.

Zaftig: Having a full, rounded figure, of a woman.

[Dust]

Spoiler, please!

[Dienekes]

I use a few big words that are simply fun to say that others at times don't know the meaning of, pissed off my friends a few times, but oh well.

I always enjoyed saying discombobulated, hither, thither, or ursine though that last one rarely comes up in conversation unfortunately.

My big linguistic problem is that a lot of the words I use I read before I ever heard them pronounced so I pronounce them as I did in my head. The biggest problems are beta (which I still pronounce bee-tah), and subtle (sub-tel).

[Solaris]

Apropos is part of Norwegian everyday speech and I use it pretty frequently. Here it's meaning is something roughly translated into "Oh, and in addition to what I just mentioned".

I'm surprised to find it used outside of Norwegian though, can you clearify how you use it in casual conversation? And no, I'm not going to google it when I can get a perfectly reasonable answer from fellow, intelligent giantitpers.

Main Entry: 1ap·ro·pos
Pronunciation: \ˌa-prə-ˈpō, ˈa-prə-ˌ\
Function: adverb
Etymology: French à propos, literally, to the purpose
Date: 1668

1 : at an opportune time : seasonably
2 : by way of interjection or further comment : with regard to the present topic.

[Superglucose]

I used the word Verily for a very long time. I even used it accurately! But one day someone asked me the definition and all I could say is, "Verily means... well... like verily, the sky is blue." Never knew the dictionary definition until I just looked it up a few seconds ago.

[Tricksy Hobbits]

I second the spoiler request.

More on topic, I sometimes will make extensive use of my vocabulary, but only when I can't say the same thing with less words. To me, the point of language is to convey the most meaning with the least effort and I despise it when people take 4 paragraphs to say what they could in 2 sentences. I will give long explanations when shorter ones would suffice, but that's only to give more detail, not more words.
As for where I picked up my vocabulary, I learnt it mostly from books but was to lazy to look it up, so many of my mental definitions of words are a list of synonyms rather than an actual definition.

[deuxhero]

Being that we are on an internet fourm, I think "conversation" needs a bit a of clarification here.

[The Demented One]

...I promise that I remember that list not being absurdly long. :smallredface:

[Elentari]

For some reason, I can always pass my vocab tests (25 very random words) every week and have no problem figuring out what words mean, but I tend to not use them in normal conversation. I've never been able to figure out why.

[Shas aia Toriia]

As a Canadian, I have intense difficulty pronouncing Massachusetts and avoid talking about the state whenever possible.

Why would you not be able to say Massachusetts? :smallconfused:

[Tricksy Hobbits]

Why would you not be able to say Massachusetts? :smallconfused:

Just a guess, but here we have to learn French as a second language, so when he reads the word he might be trying to pronounce it in French.

[Totally Guy]

There's....


Aardvark abating abet abdicating abandon abase and abreast
Ablaze and ablution abhor and abusion abbreviate abbey abscessed
Abduct and ablation abridge and abrasion abash and abrupt and abride
Abscond and absentia absent abstentia abdomen ably abide

Abominable abrogate absolute absent absorbent abstention abstraction
Absurd and abundant abusive abutment acacia academy action
Accede and accost and accept and across and accompany acre accord
Accomplish account and accrue and amount acrimonious active adored

Adrenaline adulate, adder and advocate advertise adverse abrade
Advice adversarial advent and aerial affluent after afraid...

I believe that you've got to test words in a social context to really gain full appreciation of their meanings and connotations. That means that you've got to make mistakes at some point. Avoiding mistakes at all costs will slow down your ability to communicate (even if it doesn't slow down your actual on paper vocabulary).

[Quincunx]

After two successive weekends with a lot of Swedish flying around, I had this happen a few times: I would point at the object of my desire, let loose a short burst of words half of which I had no idea what they individually meant, and get my point across. Even now, reporting this, I have no idea what prepositions mean "adjacent to" or "above" or "the one after the next", but I had to have used the correct ones; pointing alone wouldn't've conveyed the messages. What's strangest about this, to me, is knowing that when I was learning to speak, the same thing happened: sentences would pop out of my mouth and I wouldn't respond when asked to break down the statements. The words must be known to me, but not accessible, and that is frustrating.

[Ravens_cry]

Some words are just fun to say, they have texture that adds just that little extra something to conversation. As well, they are often more specific then the general words, allowing one to be more precise, while using less individual words. Of course, if one reads many words, but says few, therein lies a danger of mispronunciation. To wit, as a young child I read a word and gauged it's meaning by context. Oh, but how to say. When I brought it up in casual conversation, my listeners did not discern the meaning my turn of speech, I having pronounced it 'un-queue'.
I meant 'unique'.

[absolmorph]

I'm helping!


Ablation: Surgical removal of bodily tissue.

Abnegate: To renounce or reject.

Abrasion: The process of scraping or wearing away.

Abstemious: Marked by restraint, especially in the consumption of food or alcohol.

Acrimony: Bitterness or ill feeling.

Actinic: Relating to or caused by light capable of causing photochemical reactions, as in photography.

Affinity: A spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for a person or thing.

Alight: To descend from the air and settle upon something.

Allay: To diminish, to relieve, to put to rest.

Aloof: Conspicuously uninvolved or uninterested.

Amanuensis: A person employed to take dictation or to copy manuscripts.

Amorous: Showing, feeling, or related to sexual desire.

Anodyne: Uncontentious or inoffensive, often deliberately so.

Aplomb: Confidence, coolness.

Apostasy: The abandonment or renunciation of religious or political beliefs.

Apotheosis: The act of deification, the culmination of a thing.

Arete: The aggregate of qualities and virtues that make up a good moral character.

Armoress: a female maker, supplier, or repairer of weapons and armor.

Arsenal: A collection of weapons or military equipment stored by a nation, group, or person.

Atelier: A workshop or studio.

Avarice: Extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

Azoic: Having no trace of life or organic remains.

Badinage: Banter, light playful talk.

Bailiwick: A person's sphere of operations or particular area of interest.

Beleaguer: To surround or beset, as with troubles.

Bellicose: Demonstrating aggression or willingness to fight.

Benison: A blessing.

Bibelot: A small household ornament or decorative object, a trinket.

Bier: A movable frame on which a coffin or corpse is placed before burial or cremation or on which it is carried to the grave.

Bilk: To defraud, to cheat, to frustrate, to escape.

Blazoned: Displayed prominently or vividly on a place or object.

Bravura: A showy or brilliant display.

Bumptious: Crudely or loudly self-assertive.

Burgeon: To begin to grow or increase rapidly.

Byzantine: Highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious.

Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable.

Caleficient: A drug causing a sensation of warmth.

Camaraderie: Mutual trust and friendship between people who spend a great deal of time together.

Camarilla: A group of secret and often scheming advisers.

Canicular: Relating to the dog days of summer.

Cataphract: A warrior in full armor.

Catatonic: In an immobile or unresponsive stupor.

Causerie: An informal conversation, a short essay.

Cessation: An ending or interruption.

Chimerical: Imaginary, fantastic, improbable.

Circumvent: To find a way around an obstacle.

Citrine: A light greenish-yellow.

Clamor: A loud and confused noise.

Clangor: A continuous loud banging or ringing sound.

Clerisy: A distinct class of learned or literary people.

Cogent: Having power to compel or restrain, appealing forcibly to the mind or reason.

Comminute: To reduce to minute particles, to pulverize.

Compunction: A feeling of guilt or moral scruple that follows the doing of something wrong.

Concatenate: To link things together in a chain or series.

Contemn: To view or treat with contempt, to scorn.

Conventicle: A secret or unlawful religious meeting.

Copse: A thicket or grove of small trees.

Cosset: To pamper, to treat as a pet.

Coterie: A small group of people with shared interests or tastes.

Cupidity: Greed for money or possessions.

Daedal: Complex, skillful, ingenious.

Dalliance: Playful flirtation, dawdling.

Daunt: To frighten, to make someone feel apprehensive.

Daymare: A nightmarish fantasy experienced while awake.

Decedent: A person who has died.

Delectation: Great pleasure, enjoyment, delight.

Desperado: A bold outlaw.

Desultory: Random, jumping from one thing to another without order or rational connection, disappointed in performance or progress.

Diablerie: Reckless mischief, charismatic wildness, sorcery

Diaphanous: Of so fine a texture as to be transparent, ethereal, insubstantial, vague.

Diatribe: A forceful or bitter verbal attack.

Diktat: An authoritative decree or order, a harsh settlement unilaterally imposed on a defeated party.

Dissolution: Disintegration, decomposition, the process of dissolving, or debauched living.

Dissuade: To persuade someone to not take a particular course of action.

Doughty: Valiant, brave.

Dross: Rubbish, something worthless, scum on the surface of molten metal.

Drub: To hit or beat repeatedly.

Durance: Imprisonment or confinement.

Ebon: Dark black or brown.

Eleemosynary: Dependent on or supported by a charity.

Embouchure: The way in which a musician applies the mouth to the mouthpiece of a brass or wind instrument.

Enmity: Active opposition or hostility.

Ennead: A group of nine.

Ennui: A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.

Enthymeme: A syllogistic statement in which one premise is not stated.

Ephemeral: Lasting for a very short time.

Epilithic: Growing on a rock, of a plant.

Equipoise: A state of equilibrium.

Erstwhile: Former.

Esculent: Fit to be eaten, edible.

Escutcheon: A shield or emblem bearing a coat of arms.

Exalted: Placed at a high or powerful level of rank or status, held in high regard.

Expatiate: To move about freely, to wander, to speak or write in length or detail.

Expiate: To atone for guilt or sin.

Exult: To show or feel elation or jubilation.

Factotum: An employee who does all kinds of work.

Filament: A slender, thread-like fiber.

Filigree: Ornamental work of fine wire formed into delicate tracery.

Flexuous: Full of bends and curves.

Flout: To mock, to show contempt for.

Footpad: A highwayman operating on foot, rather than riding a horse.

Frisson: A moment of intense excitement, an emotional thrill.

Fulgurate: To flash like lightning.

Fulminate: To explode violently, to express vehement protest.

Fusillade: A series of shots fired or missiles thrown all at the same time or in quick succession.

Gallimaufry: A hodgepodge.

Gambol: To dance or skip, to frolic.

Gauche: Tactless, lacking social polish.

Gelid: Icy, extremely cold.

Glad-hand: To greet or welcome warmly or with the appearance of warmth.

Glebe: A field.

Glisten: To reflect a sparkling light or a faint, intermittent glow.

Glower: To have an angry or sullen look on one's face, to scowl.

Gossamer: Light, thin, and insubstantial.

Hale: Strong and healthy.

Hidebound: Narrow-minded and stubborn.

Highhanded: Acting or done in a bold, arbitrary way.

Holus-Bolus: All at once.

Horripilation: The erection of hairs on the skin due to cold, fear, or excitement.

Iconoclast: One who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.

Imbroglio: An extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation.

Immaculate: Free from flaws or mistakes, perfectly clean.

Impervious: Unable to be affected by a specific thing.

Immanent: Existing or operating within, inherent.

Immure: To enclose or confine someone against their will.

Incarnadine: A bright crimson or pinkish-red color.

Inchoate: Just begun, not fully formed.

Incommunicado: Not able, wanting, or allowed to communicate with other people.

Indolent: Lazy.

Infernal: Of or relating to hell or the underworld.

Ingratiate: To gain favor or acceptance with deliberate effort.

Injunction: An authoritative warning or order.

Inordinate: Exceeding reasonable limits.

Insouciant: Carefree, nonchalant.

Insuperable: Impossible to overcome.

Internecine: Mutually destructive.

Intestate: Having made no valid will, not disposed of by a will.

Intransigent: Unwilling or refusing to change one's views or agree about something.

Invective: Insulting, abusive, or critical language.

Ire: Intense anger or wrath.

Irenic: Favoring, conducive to, or operating towards peace, moderation, or conciliation.

Jackleg: Unscrupulous and dishonest, lacking skill or training, makeshift.

Jacquerie: A peasants' revolt.

Janissary: A devoted follower or supporter.

Jape: A joke, trick, or jest.

Jettison: To throw away, to discard.

Jounce: To jolt or bounce.

Kakfaesque: Characterized by surreal distortion and a sense of impending danger.

Kakistocracy: A system of government in which the worst or least-qualified rule.

Katabatic: Caused by a downward motion of cool air, of a wind.

Kismet: Destiny, fate.

Lacuna: A blank space, a missing part.

Lambaste: To criticize harshly.

Legerdemain: Skillful use of one's hands when performing conjuring tricks, deception.

Levigate: To polish or smooth.

Lilliputian: Extremely small or of little significance.

Limn: To suffuse with a bright color or light.

Lineament: A distinguishing or characteristic feature.

Longueur: A dull or tedious passage in a book or similar work.

Louche: Disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way.

Lugubrious: Mournful, dismal, or gloomy.

Lumpen: Boorish and stupid.

Machination: The act of plotting or scheming.

Magnanimous: Very generous or forgiving, especially to one less powerful than one's self.

Mandate: An official order or commission to do something.

Mandarin: A powerful official or senior bureaucrat.

Manse: A large, stately house.

Maraud: To roam in search of things to steal or people to attack.

Marmoreal: Made of or like marble.

Maunder: To talk or wander aimlessly.

Megrim: A headache, a lowness of spirits.

Mendicant: A beggar.

Mien: A person's look or manner indicating their character or mood.

Misconstrue: To interpret a thing wrongly.

Motic: Of or related to motes of some substance.

Munificent: Generous.

Mythos: A set of myths, beliefs, or assumptions.

Nekromachy: A war fought against zombies or similar undead beings.

Nocuous: Hurtful.

Nubile: Sexually mature or suitable for marriage, of a girl or young woman.

Obsequious: Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

Offal: Waste, refuse, rotting animal flesh.

Omphalos: The center or hub of a thing.

Ordure: Excrement, dung.

Ossify: To turn into bone or bony tissue.

Outworld: An outlying or alien planet.

Pact: A formal agreement between individuals or parties.

Panoply: A complete or impressive collection of things.

Pavane: A stately dance.

Pellucid: Translucently clear.

Peripatetic: Relating to walking about or traveling from place to place, itinerant.

Petulant: Childishly sulky or poorly-tempered.

Phantasmagoria: A sequence of real or imaginary images like that seen in a dream.

Pinion: A bird's wing.

Pink: To pierce or stab, to wound by irony, criticism, or ridicule.

Prestidigitation: Magic tricks performed as entertainment.

Primeval: Of or resembling the earliest ages in the history of the world, based on primitive instinct.

Promulgate: To promote or make widely known.

Propitious: Favorable, indicating a good chance of success.

Proscribe: To forbid or denounce.

Puissant: Having great power, prowess, or influence.

Pule: To whimper, to whine.

Pulverize: To defeat utterly, to reduce to dust.

Quaff: To drink heartily.

Quiescent: In a state of dormancy or inactivity.

Quisling: A traitor who collaborates with an enemy force occupying their country.

Rancor: Hatred or malice.

Rapacious: Aggressively greedy or grasping.

Rapine: The violent seizure of someone else's property.

Rapport: A close relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other's feelings and communicate well.

Rasp: A harsh, grating noise.

Recourse: A source of help in a difficult situation.

Rectify: Put something right, correct.

Redivivus: Living again, brought back to life, revived.

Reify: To make something abstract more concrete or real.

Repast: A meal.

Rescind: To revoke, cancel, or repeal.

Resplendent: Attractive or impressive through being richly colorful.

Resurgent: Increasing or reviving after a period of little activity, popularity, or occurrence.

Retinue: A group of advisers, assistants, or others accompanying an important person.

Reverberate: To echo, to vibrate or be disturbed by a loud noise.

Ripsnorter: Something extraordinary.

Riverine: Of, related to, or situated on a river or riverbank.

Rivulet: A very small stream.

Roil: To move, as a liquid, in a turbulent, swirling manner.

Saffron: The orange-yellow color of dye made from the saffron crocus flower.

Saga: A long story of heroic achievement.

Salacious: Lustful, lecherous, treating sexual matters in an indecent way.

Sallow: Having a sickly, yellow color.

Salubrious: Health-giving, healthy.

Saturnalia: An occasion of wild revelry.

Scintilla: A tiny spark or trace of a quality or feeling.

Scourge: A person or thing that causes great suffering or trouble.

Seep: To flow or leak slowly through a substance.

Seraglio: A harem.

Sidereal: Of or related to the distant stars.

Sidewise: Sideways.

Skirl: A shrill sound.

Skitter: To move lightly and quickly or hurriedly.

Slake: To satisfy or quench.

Slough: To cast off or be cast off, to crumble slowly and fall away, to get rid of or discard a thing.

Sparge: To sprinkle or spray.

Spoony: Sentimentally or foolishly in love.

Sobriquet: A nickname.

Sough: To make a low sighing or rustling sound, of a wind.

Spindrift: Spray blown from the crests of waves by the wind, driving snow or sand.

Squalid: Extremely dirty or unpleasant, showing a contemptible lack of moral standards.

Stultify: To make a person or thing appear stupid or ridiculous, to render useless.

Suppurate: To, as a wound, fester or form pus.

Surreptitious: Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.

Suspire: To breathe.

Sybarite: A person devoted to luxury or pleasure.

Sycophant: One who acts obsequiously towards someone in order to gain advantage.

Tantivy: In a headlong dash.

Tatterdemalion: A person dressed in tattered clothing.

Temperance: Moderation or self-restraint.

Temporize: To avoid making a decision in order to gain time, to temporarily adopt a particular course in order to conform to the circumstances.

Tenebrous: Dark, shadowy, or obscure.

Tetchy: Irritable, peevish.

Thews: Strong muscles and tendons.

Truckle: To act in a subservient manner.

Twilit: Dimly illuminated by or as if by twilight.

Tyro: A novice, a beginner in learning.

Umbles: The entrails of an animal, used for food.

Unlimber: To unpack or unfasten something ready for use.

Vatic: Describing or predicting the future.

Vehement: Forceful, passionate, or intense.

Vignette: A brief, evocative description.

Viridescent: Greenish, or becoming green.

Vitiate: To spoil or impair the quality, efficiency, or legal validity of something.

Vitrify: To convert something to glass or a glass-like substance.

Vitriol: Acid, cruel and bitter criticism.

Vituperative: Bitter and abusive.

Volant: With wings extended in a flying position.

Voluble: Characterized by a ready flow of speech.

Wrest: To forcibly pull a thing from a person's grasp.

Wroth: Angry.

Xeric: Dry, containing little water, of an environment or habitat.

Yawp: A harsh or hoarse cry or yelp.

Zaftig: Having a full, rounded figure, of a woman.
I'm going to save and use this list.
And I intend to say every single word on here at least once in an unplanned conversation.

[littlebottom]

i remember the first real time i used a word i was unsure of. when i was much much younger (still a child) i said "vividly" about a dream, when i infact meant "vaguely" so when i said "i remember the dream vividly" i was asked to explain the dream in detail, at which point i realised something was up, i was highly embaressed when i found out i used the wrong word:smalltongue: but i was only young.

[Danne]

I, too, suffer from the "I've read it so many times I know what it means, but darned if I know how to pronouce it" syndrome. "Hyperbole" was a big one. (Hint: It's not pronounced "HI-per-bowl.")

I'll occasionally be having a conversation with someone, see that they're giving me a funny look, realize that I must have mispronounced a word, and have to explain, "What? I've only ever read it! It's not like people use it in casual conversation very often!"


As a Canadian, I have intense difficulty pronouncing Massachusetts and avoid talking about the state whenever possible.

You wound me. :smallfrown:

Edit: Awesome list, Demented. Thanks!

[Remmirath]

I don't recall making a concerted effort to learn any particular words, so I suppose by that logic every word I use would count. Mostly I've just picked them up from reading. When I was very young, I used to read the dictionary at times when I was bored, but it was mostly just through reading various books.

I use whatever word seems to make the most sense at the time. Sometimes it ends up being a rather cumbersome word, or sometimes the entirely wrong word if I mix things up in my head. This typically happens if I'm tired.

I also have no qualms whatsoever about pronouncing things the moment I look at them, and I will usually do it the way they look to me. I've gotten somewhat better at this over the years, luckily.

If I am unsure of the meaning of a word, however, I will generally look it up. I prefer to know what I'm saying.

[banjo1985]

I use big words in conversation all the time, whether I remember what they mean or not, it's one of the more annoying habits I have. Why use a four letter word when a string of long ones will do the same job? :smalltongue: