Here is our final look at words which are designed to impress.
These words just look and sound good.
Use them correctly and you will show people you really know what you are talking about.
outré – unusual or unconventional
paucity – a scarcity or lack of
pellucid – translucent
peremptory – arrogantly commanding;
abrupt and direct
perfidious – faithless; treacherous
perspicacity – the ability to analyse and
understand people and situations
plangent – resounding mournfully
precipitate – sudden, hasty, and not
properly thought through
prescient – seeming to have foresight
preternatural – beyond what is normal
according to the laws of nature
profligate – irresponsibly extravagant with
money or resources
promulgate – to spread or promote
pugnacious – given to fighting; combative
pusillanimous – lacking determination;
mean-spirited; cowardly
putative – commonly supposed to be, but
not necessarily
rambunctious – difficult to control,
boisterous, exuberant
refulgent – beaming
salient – prominent, striking
salubrious – pleasant, respectable, clean
sanguine – confident and inclined to hopefulness
sententious – laden with meaning; tending
to moralize
somnolent – sleep-inducing
specious – plausible, but wrong or
inaccurate in reality
stochastic – random
symbiosis – a mutually beneficial
relationship between two people or groups
tangential – involving only a slight
connection and relatively unimportant
temerity – extremely confident or bold behaviour
tendentious – deliberately and forcefully
biased and controversial
trenchant – forceful, direct, and effective
truculence – discourtesy; aggression
unconscionable – outrageous and completely unacceptable
unctuous – offensively suave and smug
vertiginous – dizzying
virulent – with extremely rapid and harmful effects
visceral – appealing to basic human instincts as opposed
to the intellect
vituperate – to attack with violently abusive criticism
Next week we will take a look at some words which really don’t impress.
* All words in this blog post have been supplied by The 12th edition of The Chambers Dictionary. ISBN 97805501002379
Ha Ha!
very informative, what a great idea! Thing is with using big words is that most people don’t understand them and the average internet user is pretty dim. I think the average level is 5th grade or something close to that. Do you reckon if you made a ton of sales your support desk might be bombarded with people who can’t read that well.
Keep up the good work Patrick
best wishes
Clive
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Twitter: chattopatrick
Hi Clive,
It is true that a lot of people (both online and offline) have difficulty using and understanding complex words.
However a lot of people also seem to like Words Wednesday too.
P.
Patrick Griffin thinks you may like this post too..Words designed to impress (iii)
I have to agree with you Clive about our average level! It might be 5th grade (these are the special ones) but I am afraid that is more like 3th-4th grade and I think the internet has its share of this. Just look at the kind of messages teenagers these days use on Facebook or any kind of social network sites, they have replaced the C with the K. It hurts your eyes and makes them bleed! If you try to talk to them, try to talk slowly and do not, I mean, DO NOT use phrases! Use simple words, with no more than 6 letters/word if you want to be understood!
Now I am sarcastic, but the future doesn’t look too bright!
Back on topic, Patrick, thanks for the Words Wednesday’s updates! I have improved my score, now it’s 40%, so I guess you made them easier
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Twitter: chattopatrick
Hi Freddie,
Good point there but I actually happen to know a few teenagers who write in full, proper sentences and not the abhorrent text speak which drives me crazy.
As for Words Wednesday being easier…well I guess you are right.
Previously it had concentrated on old and archaic words – so obviously these would be difficult (and all but useless to know as they were no longer generally in use.)
The last few weeks have concentrated on more modern words and I think the groups of words will remain relatively easy for the next few weeks at least.
P.
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“Good point there but I actually happen to know a few teenagers who write in full, proper sentences and not the abhorrent text speak which drives me crazy”.
I have to agree with you, Patrick, but they are more rare than the UFO’s! Everybody talks about them, but nobody has actually ever seen one
P.S. just joking, I really do believe you. After all, there must be some hope and trust in the new generation!
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