List of 124 Words That Will Make You Sound Smart
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Want some words to use to make you appear more intelligent? Take a look at this list of relevant examples. In this collection, you'll find words that make you sound smart.
accolade | An expression of acknowledgment or praise; an award. |
acrimony | Ill feeling or bitterness. |
ambivalent | Being in two minds or having mixed feelings. |
angst | An unfocused feeling of deep anxiety or dread. |
anomaly | An exception to the norm. |
antidote | A substance that stops the effects of a poison. |
aquiver | Quivering, usually with emotion. |
avant-garde | Experimental or radically original. |
baroque | An ornate artistic and musical style from the 17th and 18th centuries. |
bona fide | Genuine; authentic. |
boondoggle | Valueless work done to create the appearance of activity. |
bourgeois | Of the middle class. |
bravado | A display of swaggering boldness. |
brogue | A tough, leather shoe. |
brusque | Curt, abrupt, or blunt. |
byzantine | Extremely complicated, involving excessive bureaucracy or red tape. |
cacophony | A loud and confusing assortment of sounds. |
cajole | To repeatedly coax or flatter a person. |
camaraderie | Friendship and mutual trust between two or more individuals. |
capricious | Given to sudden unexplained changes of behavior. |
carte blanche | License to act as one wishes. |
catch-22 | An inescapable situation created by contradictory or absurd rules. |
caustic | Extremely critical, incisive, or sarcastic. |
charisma | Personal charm capable of influencing people. |
chic | Fashionable, smart, or elegant. |
cloying | Excessively sweet. |
dapper | Elegant or smart. |
déjà vu | The experience of feeling like a certain event has happened before. |
dichotomy | A division between two diametrically opposed things. |
didactic | Designed or intended to teach. |
dilettante | A dabbler; an amateur without serious commitment. |
disheveled | Messy; extremely untidy. |
elan | Style and enthusiasm; vigorous energy. |
elucidate | To explain at greater length. |
empathy | The ability to relate to the feelings of others. |
ennui | Listlessness and boredom or dissatisfaction. |
epitome | A typical example of something. |
equanimity | Composure in the face of adversity. |
equivocate | To stall or be deliberately ambiguous or misleading. |
esoteric | Only understood by a small group of people with specific knowledge. |
euphemism | An inoffensive way of expressing something unpalatable. |
exacerbate | To make a bad situation worse. |
fait accompli | An accomplishment that cannot be reversed. |
fastidious | Concerned with attention to detail. |
faux pas | A gaffe or act betraying social awkwardness. |
fiasco | A complete, farcical failure. |
finagle | To obtain or achieve something in an underhand manner. |
flabbergasted | Extremely shocked and baffled. |
flummoxed | Totally confused and not knowing what to do. |
fortuitous | Fortunate; happening by chance. |
Freudian slip | A verbal slip that reveals the speaker's subconscious wishes. |
glib | Fluent and superficially convincing but lacking substance. |
gregarious | Sociable; enjoying the company of others. |
harbinger | An omen or indicator of a future event. |
hedonist | One motivated purely by sensory pleasure. |
heresy | A belief that is contrary to the orthodoxy of a religion. |
hyperbole | An exaggeration or overstatement. |
idiosyncrasy | A quirk or eccentricity. |
idyllic | Extremely serene, beautiful, and/or peaceful, often of a time or place. |
indelicate | Somewhat inappropriate. |
infinitesimal | Infinitely small. |
innocuous | Harmless; without malice. |
insidious | Operating in a concealed and usually harmful way. |
junket | An extravagant trip or celebration, usually by a public official at taxpayer expense. |
kitsch | Garish, campy, or sentimental art, often appreciated ironically. |
litany | A repetitive series of recitals. |
lurid | Overly colorful or vivid; sensationalistic. |
Machiavellian | Unscrupulous, cunning, or amoral, often in relation to politics. |
malaise | An overall feeling of uneasiness or listlessness. |
malinger | To exaggerate or fake sickness in order to avoid responsibilities. |
mantra | A regularly repeated slogan or motto. |
maudlin | Self-pityingly emotional, sometimes while inebriated. |
mellifluous | Sweet or pleasing to hear. |
mercenary | A soldier of fortune; an individual motivated solely by money. |
misnomer | An inappropriate or incorrect name. |
narcissist | A self-obsessed person. |
nefarious | Wicked or malignant. |
nirvana | A state of transcendence; an idealized location. |
non sequitur | A response or conclusion unrelated to what comes before. |
nouveau riche | A newly rich person, often perceived as lacking in social graces by those with rich backgrounds. |
obfuscate | To make confusing or unclear. |
oblivion | A state of complete forgetfulness, of being completely forgotten, or of extinction. |
obtuse | Slow-witted or slow to understand. |
ogle | To stare amorously. |
ostentatious | Designed to impress and attract attention. |
ostracize | To exclude from a community or society. |
panacea | A supposed remedy for many different diseases or problems. |
paradox | A seemingly self-contradictory statement that is nevertheless true; a seemingly logical statement that proves to contain a contradiction. |
parsimonious | Being careful with money, often to the point of stinginess. |
peevish | Easily annoyed by unimportant things. |
perfunctory | Done in a routine manner, without much attention or interest. |
philistine | An uncultured person; one uninterested in intellectual matters. |
precocious | Having developed an ability exceptionally early. |
propriety | Appropriate behavior. |
quagmire | A swamp or marsh; an inescapable predicament. |
quid pro quo | An exchange of favors. |
quintessential | Representing a perfectly typical example of something. |
red herring | Something that seems relevant but distracts attention from the real issue. |
rendezvous | A meeting at a prearranged location and time. |
revel | To have fun in a boisterous, noisy way. |
rhetoric | The art of persuasive public speaking. |
scintillating | Sparkling; shining. |
spartan | Austere; stern. |
status quo | The established state of sociopolitical affairs. |
stigma | A mark of disgrace or dishonor. |
stoic | One who endures adversity impassively and without complaint. |
suave | Sophisticated and charming. |
Svengali | A person who holds a controlling influence over another, often with ill intent. |
sycophant | A self-serving flatterer. |
teetotaler | One who does not drink alcohol. |
tête-à-tête | A private meeting or discussion between two persons. |
tirade | A rant; a long speech of denunciation. |
touché | An interjection acknowledging that the listener has in some way scored a point against the speaker. |
tryst | A secret romantic meeting. |
ubiquitous | Encountered seemingly everywhere at once. |
umbrage | Pique, annoyance, or resentment, generally in response to a comment. |
unrequited | (Of a feeling, often love) not returned or validated. |
untenable | Impossible to sustain or justify. |
vamoose | To leave in a hurry. |
vicarious | Experienced in the mind from observing the actions of others. |
vile | Repugnant; physically or morally repellent. |
vitriol | Venomous criticism. |
white elephant | Something that is impossible to dispose of and whose upkeep is disproportionate to its usefulness. |
zealous | Ardent; enthusiastically believing in or following something. |