Knowing a lot of words really matters. It helps you make a good impression, whether you’re hanging out with friends or at work. You can say what you mean more clearly, which makes it easier to talk to people. Plus, knowing more words can help you do better in school and at your job, paving the way for future success.
Express yourself effectively
Knowing lots of words helps you say what you mean more clearly and fully. When you pick just the right word, you can share not only simple facts but also the deeper and more complex parts of your thoughts.
This skill helps you connect better with people, as you can show exactly what you’re feeling and thinking. Plus, when you talk or write well, it makes listening or reading more enjoyable for others.
Improve professional and academic opportunities
Having a strong vocabulary really helps both in the workplace and in school. At work, knowing the right words makes you look smart and professional. This can be a big plus during job interviews or when working on team projects. It helps you communicate clearly, avoid confusion, and be more convincing.
Knowing a lot of words helps students understand difficult texts, do better on writing assignments, and participate in advanced discussions. This can lead to better grades and performance. Also, being able to express one’s thoughts clearly and effectively is important for leaders in both school and work settings, where good language skills often make a strong impression..
Express yourself effectively
Knowing lots of words helps you say what you mean more clearly and fully. When you pick just the right word, you can share not only simple facts but also the deeper and more complex parts of your thoughts. This skill helps you connect better with people, as you can show exactly what you’re feeling and thinking. Plus, when you talk or write well, it makes listening or reading more enjoyable for others.
Improve professional and academic opportunities
Having a strong vocabulary really helps both in the workplace and in school. At work, knowing the right words makes you look smart and professional. This can be a big plus during job interviews or when working on team projects. It helps you communicate clearly, avoid confusion, and be more convincing.
Knowing a lot of words helps students understand difficult texts, do better on writing assignments, and participate in advanced discussions. This can lead to better grades and performance. Also, being able to express one’s thoughts clearly and effectively is important for leaders in both school and work settings, where good language skills often make a strong impression.
115 Big Words to Elevate Your Vocabulary
Learning big words improves how we speak and helps us communicate better in work and social settings.
| # | Word | Definition |
| 1 | Pernicious | Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way. |
| 2 | Sesquipedalian | (of a word) polysyllabic; long; characterized by long words. |
| 3 | Obfuscate | Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. |
| 4 | Propinquity | The state of being close to someone or something; proximity. |
| 5 | Defenestration | The act of throwing someone out of a window. |
| 6 | Exsanguinate | To drain of blood. |
| 7 | Intransigent | Unwilling or refusing to change one’s views or to agree about something. |
| 8 | Sycophant | A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage. |
| 9 | Pulchritudinous | Physically beautiful. |
| 10 | Lugubrious | Looking or sounding sad and dismal. |
| 11 | Perspicacious | Having a ready insight into and understanding of things. |
| 12 | Supercilious | Behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others. |
| 13 | Antediluvian | Ridiculously old-fashioned or outdated. |
| 14 | Ubiquitous | Present, appearing, or found everywhere. |
| 15 | Jejune | Naive, simplistic, and superficial; (of ideas or writings) dry and uninteresting. |
| 16 | Nefarious | (typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal. |
| 17 | Ebullient | Cheerful and full of energy. |
| 18 | Pusillanimous | Showing a lack of courage or determination; timid. |
| 19 | Cacophony | A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds. |
| 20 | Vicissitude | A change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant. |
| 21 | Pejorative | Expressing contempt or disapproval. |
| 22 | Assiduous | Showing great care and perseverance. |
| 23 | Insouciant | Showing a casual lack of concern and indifference. |
| 24 | Acumen | The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain. |
| 25 | Byzantine | (of a system or situation) excessively complicated, and typically involving a great deal of detail. |
| 26 | Capricious | Given sudden and unaccountable changes in mood or behaviour. |
| 27 | Demagogue | A political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than reason. |
| 28 | Ennui | A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement. |
| 29 | Garrulous | Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters. |
| 30 | Hapless | (especially of a person) unfortunate. |
| 31 | Iconoclast | A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions. |
| 32 | Juxtapose | Place or deal with close together for contrasting effect. |
| 33 | Kaleidoscopic | Having complex patterns of colors; multifaceted. |
| 34 | Lachrymose | Tearful or given to weeping. |
| 35 | Mendacious | Not telling the truth; lying. |
| 36 | Nebulous | In the form of a cloud or haze; hazy. |
| 37 | Onerous | (of a task, duty, or responsibility) involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is burdensome. |
| 38 | Palliative | (of a treatment or medicine) relieving pain or alleviating a problem without dealing with the cause. |
| 39 | Quixotic | Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical. |
| 40 | Recalcitrant | Having an obstinately uncooperative attitude towards authority or discipline. |
| 41 | Salubrious | Health-giving; healthy. |
| 42 | Trepidation | A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen. |
| 43 | Unctuous | (of a person) excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily. |
| 44 | Verisimilitude | The appearance of being true or real. |
| 45 | Winsome | Attractive or appealing in appearance or character. |
| 46 | Xenophobia | Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries. |
| 47 | Yoke | To join together, to link. |
| 48 | Zealous | Having or showing zeal. |
| 49 | Abstruse | Difficult to understand; obscure. |
| 50 | Belligerent | Hostile and aggressive. |
| 51 | Circumlocution | The use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive. |
| 52 | Didactic | Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive. |
| 53 | Effervescent | (of a liquid) giving off bubbles; fizzy. Also, vivacious and enthusiastic. |
| 54 | Florid | Having a red or flushed complexion; elaborately or excessively intricate or complicated. |
| 55 | Grandiloquent | Pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially to impress. |
| 56 | Hegemony | Leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others. |
| 57 | Imbroglio | An extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation. |
| 58 | Jingoism | Extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive or warlike foreign policy. |
| 59 | Kinetic | Relating to or resulting from motion. |
| 60 | Luminous | Bright or shining, especially in the dark. |
| 61 | Munificent | More generous than is usual or necessary. |
| 62 | Nocturnal | Done, occurring, or active at night. |
| 63 | Ostentatious | Characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice. |
| 64 | Penultimate | Last but one in a series of things; second to the last. |
| 65 | Querulous | Complaining in a petulant or whining manner. |
| 66 | Reticent | Not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily. |
| 67 | Surreptitious | Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of. |
| 68 | Truculent | Eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant. |
| 69 | Umbra | The fully shaded inner region of a shadow cast by an opaque object. |
| 70 | Vivify | Enliven or animate. |
| 71 | Wheedle | Use flattery or coaxing in order to persuade someone to do something or give one something. |
| 72 | Xenial | (especially of a relationship between people) hospitable, especially to visiting strangers or foreigners. |
| 73 | Yen | A deep longing or desire, often for something or someone unattainable. |
| 74 | Zealot | A person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals. |
| 75 | Accolade | An award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit. |
| 76 | Bucolic | Relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life. |
| 77 | Conundrum | A confusing and difficult problem or question. |
| 78 | Desultory | Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm. |
| 79 | Equanimity | Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation. |
| 80 | Fecund | Producing or capable of producing an abundance of offspring or new growth; fertile. |
| 81 | Glib | (of words or a speaker) fluent but insincere and shallow. |
| 82 | Harbinger | A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another. |
| 83 | Idiosyncrasy | A mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual. |
| 84 | Jeopardize | Put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure. |
| 85 | Kowtow | Act in an excessively subservient manner. |
| 86 | Lassitude | A state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy. |
| 87 | Maverick | An independent-minded person who does not go along with a group or party. |
| 88 | Nadir | The lowest point in the fortunes of a person or organization. |
| 89 | Omnipotent | (of a deity) having unlimited power; able to do anything. |
| 90 | Plethora | A large or excessive amount of (something). |
| 91 | Quintessential | Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class. |
| 92 | Rhapsodic | Characterized by an enthusiastic or ecstatic expression of feeling. |
| 93 | Sanguine | Optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation. |
| 94 | Tantamount | Equivalent in seriousness to; virtually the same as. |
| 95 | Unilateral | (of an action or decision) performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved. |
| 96 | Venerate | Regard with great respect; revere. |
| 97 | Whimsical | Playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way. |
| 98 | Xeric | Characterized by or adapted to a dry habitat. |
| 99 | Yoke | To join or link. |
| 100 | Zeitgeist | The defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time. |
| 101 | Ambivalent | Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. |
| 102 | Bellicose | Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight. |
| 103 | Chicanery | The use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose. |
| 104 | Decadent | Characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline. |
| 105 | Empirical | Based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic. |
| 106 | Facetious | Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant. |
| 107 | Grandiose | Impressive and imposing in appearance or style, especially pretentiously so. |
| 108 | Holistic | Characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected. |
| 109 | Immutable | Unchanging over time or unable to be changed. |
| 110 | Judicious | Having, showing, or done with good judgment or sense. |
| 111 | Kitsch | Art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality. |
| 112 | Loquacious | Tending to talk a great deal; talkative. |
| 113 | Misnomer | A wrong or inaccurate name or designation. |
| 114 | Nonplussed | (of a person) surprised and confused so much that they are unsure how to react. |
| 115 | Oscillate | Move or swing back and forth in a regular rhythm. |
Conclusion
In short, learning big words really helps with talking better, coming off as smart, and getting your ideas across. When you know these words, people see you as educated and smart. This makes chats at work or school much smoother. So, putting in the effort to learn more words will make your conversations clearer and more interesting, helping you connect better with others.At the end of the day, our goal is to be understood, to build trust, and to connect with others through our words.
