I really love words. I love small words and big words. I love words that sound funny and ones I can barely pronounce. As a reader and a writer, I think it is so vastly important that we try to broaden our vocabulary and actively learn new words. There are so many words out there that you never hear in conversation and ones you rarely even see in a book. So, I made a list of words that I have come across recently that I don’t see or hear very often. I’m not saying to go overboard and substitute every single word with something different. I’m only suggesting that these words need a little love too.
ameliorate (v.): to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory
anthophilous (adj.): attracted by or living among flowers
antipathy (n.): a natural, basic, or habitual repugnance (2) an instinctive contrariety or opposition in feeling; strong dislike
atemporal (adj.): free from limitations of time
attenuate (v.): to weaken or reduce in force (2) to make thin
beguile (v.): to influence by trickery, flattery, etc. (2) to charm or divert
clandestine (adj.): characterized by, done in, or executed with secrecy or concealment
claque (n.): a group of persons hired to applaud an act or performer
credulous (adj.): willing to believe or trust too readily, especially without proper or adequate evidence; gullible
doleful (adj.): sorrowful; mournful; melancholy
egress (n.): the act or an instance of going (2) a means or place of going out; an exit
embullient (adj.): overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement
enjambment (n.): the running on of the thought from one line, couplet, or stanza without a syntactical break
ethereal (adj.): light, airy, or tenuous (2) extremely delicate or refined (3) heavenly
eurhythmic (adj.): characterized by a pleasing rhythm; harmoniously ordered
extraneous (adj.): introduced or coming from without; not belonging or proper to a thing; external; foreign (2) not pertinent; irrelevant
fortitudinous (adj.): marked by bravery or courage; having or showing fortitude
gobsmacked (adj.): utterly astounded; astonished
idyllic (adj.): suitable for or suggestive of an idyll; charmingly simple or rustic
ineffable (adj.): incapable of being expressed or described in words
kerfuffle (n.): a fuss; commotion
macaronic (adj.): composed of a mixture of languages
mellifluous (adj.): sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding
mollycoddle (v.): to coddle; pamper
musette (n.): a small leather or canvas bag with a shoulder strap, used for carrying personal belongings (2) a woodwind instrument similar to but smaller than a shawm
obfuscate (v.): to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy
pneumatic (adj.): of or relating to air, gases, or wind
preta (n.): a wandering or disturbed ghost
psychomancy (n.): occult communication between souls or with spirits
scintillate (v.): to emit sparks (2) to sparkle; flash
tendentious (adj.): having or showing a definite tendency
ululate (v.): to howl, as a dog or a wolf; hoot, as an owl (2) to lament loudly and shrilly
vulpine (adj.): of or resembling a fox
wastrel (n.): a wasteful person
*A lot of these words came from various ‘Word of the Day’ calendars. All the Definitions came from Dictionary.com.
