30 Words That Will Make You Sound Smarter (Not Pretentious)

[downtoearth]

30 Words That Will Make You Sound Smarter (But Not Pretentious)

www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/smart-living/30-words-that-will-make-you-sound-smarter-but-not-pretentious/ss-AAqBGPq?ocid=ientp#image=31

1. Cacophony

2. Ennui

3. Aquiver

4. Glib

5. Umbrage

6. Non-sequitur

7. Vamoose

8. Ubiquitous

9. Nefarious

10. Capricious

11. Boondoggle

12. Sycophant

13. Mellifluous

14. Brogue

15. Perfunctory

16. Tryst

17. Vitriol

18. Catch-22

19. Obtuse

20. Quagmire

21. Flummoxed

22. Cajole

23. Caustic

24. Fait accompli

25. Gregarious

26. Fastidious

27. Maudlin

28. Flabbergasted

29. Teetotaler

30. Empathy

Oh and the article has the best research link ever: Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly 

[sushi]

Some of those are my favorite. I must be smart

I use nefarious on probably a daily basis now.

[downtoearth]

This was brought to you by a report I was reviewing that used the work penultimate when talking about table columns.

[ESF]

I recently heard someone use the word "feckless" and decided I needed to start putting that into regular rotation. It really is a great word to describe the GOP and all its members.

[cinnamoncox0]

I use a lot of these frequently. I must sound wicked smaht:)

[Michelle]

emmmmm I use only a handful of those and am told I purposefully choose uncommon vocabulary because I'm pretentious and want to make others feel stupid.

I want to tell whoever wrote "(but not pretentious)":

[TR]

Sept 5, 2017 15:25:55 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

This was brought to you by a report I was reviewing that used the work penultimate when talking about table columns.

Penultimate is my favorite word. So much so that I looked up the words for third to last (antepenultimate), fourth to last (preantepenultimate), and fifth to last (propreantepenultimate), lol 

ETA: I don't use them, though. That would be pretentious. 

[mcsangel2]

I somehow always thought 'vamoose' was slang or something.

[smock]

How is "empathy" on this list?!? I mean, it's pretty obvious that most Americans don't have any empathy, but they don't even know what it means?!?

[meshaliuknits]

Sept 5, 2017 15:48:02 GMT -5 mcsangel2 said:

I somehow always thought 'vamoose' was slang or something.

Right? I certainly didn't think I was using a fancy word.

[bimbi284]

The word cacophony always makes me think of Cool Ethan.

[sushi]

I feel like quagmire will always be associated with w.

A word will have to be invented to explain trump years.

I still say mellifluous like my bff and I methodically said it in 9th grade (but only in my head. I'm not that weird!) Kind of like caterpillar in Alice in wonderland.

Ribald is another I like to use, and it's not there. Does that make me pretentious? Wouldn't be the first (or 10th time) my verbiage criticized for being too erudite (I can use that now because of divergent, right? )

[curtains]

I wish they included a pronunciation

I love a lot of those words from reading a lot but wouldn't say them out loud in case I am pronouncing them wrong.

[elleblue]

Sept 5, 2017 17:16:55 GMT -5 curtains said:

I wish they included a pronunciation

I love a lot of those words from reading a lot but wouldn't say them out loud in case I am pronouncing them wrong.

Have you tried googling the pronunciation of the ones you're unsure about? There are a ton of pronunciation videos on YouTube. Or even ask here.

[sushi]

Sept 5, 2017 17:16:55 GMT -5 curtains said:

I wish they included a pronunciation

I love a lot of those words from reading a lot but wouldn't say them out loud in case I am pronouncing them wrong.

There are 2 ways of pronouncing ennui. One makes you sound pretentious af. Don't use the French (ahnWEE); use the American phonetic

Since I can't see op in phone, that was the only one that jumped out

[LoveTrains]

I also like to use "behoove" when making recommendations at work.

[goldengirlz]

Sept 5, 2017 17:31:10 GMT -5 sushi said:

Sept 5, 2017 17:16:55 GMT -5 curtains said:

I wish they included a pronunciation

I love a lot of those words from reading a lot but wouldn't say them out loud in case I am pronouncing them wrong.

There are 2 ways of pronouncing ennui. One makes you sound pretentious af. Don't use the French (ahnWEE); use the American phonetic

Since I can't see op in phone, that was the only one that jumped out

Wait, what is the American phonetic way? I've never heard that one.

[noradog]

Sept 5, 2017 18:15:59 GMT -5 goldengirlz said:

Sept 5, 2017 17:31:10 GMT -5 sushi said:

There are 2 ways of pronouncing ennui. One makes you sound pretentious af. Don't use the French (ahnWEE); use the American phonetic

Since I can't see op in phone, that was the only one that jumped out

Wait, what is the American phonetic way? I've never heard that one.

I didn't know there was an American way either. I've never worked that one into speech because I figured it would be pretentious. 

I use detritus quite a bit. I think it should be on that list. 

[Michelle]

Sept 5, 2017 15:48:02 GMT -5 mcsangel2 said:

I somehow always thought 'vamoose' was slang or something.

I thought my dad didn't know how to say Vamanos... sorry dad.

[katfco]

Sept 5, 2017 16:09:52 GMT -5 sushi said:

I feel like quagmire will always be associated with w.

A word will have to be invented to explain trump years.

I still say mellifluous like my bff and I methodically said it in 9th grade (but only in my head. I'm not that weird!) Kind of like caterpillar in Alice in wonderland.

Ribald is another I like to use, and it's not there. Does that make me pretentious? Wouldn't be the first (or 10th time) my verbiage criticized for being too erudite (I can use that now because of divergent, right? )

Covfefe

[StrawberryBlondie]

Um. I use a lot of these regularly.

[MixedBerryJam]

Why is vamoose, which is not even a word, on that list but bloviate is not? Bloviate is about my favorite word of all time!

[raangoli]

Nefarious is one of my favorite words to use hah!

I also like to use the word bifurcate.

[OscarQ]

Umbrage. Such a good word. I also want to bring back fortnight into regular; American usage.

[simpsongal]

I like "festoon" and "extemporaneous" too. Ooh and "obtuse" -- thank you Shawshank.

[glitzy07]

I love the word cacophony.

[wawa]

Sept 5, 2017 19:15:05 GMT -5 MixedBerryJam said:

Why is vamoose, which is not even a word, on that list but bloviate is not? Bloviate is about my favorite word of all time!

What's with the vamoose is not a word thing?

[MixedBerryJam]

Sept 5, 2017 19:55:58 GMT -5 wawa said:

Sept 5, 2017 19:15:05 GMT -5 MixedBerryJam said:

Why is vamoose, which is not even a word, on that list but bloviate is not? Bloviate is about my favorite word of all time!

What's with the vamoose is not a word thing?

Isn't it j just a bastardization/Anglicization/misspelling of the Spanish for "let's go"? I see it's in the Merriaml Webster online dictionary, but is it in the actual OED? If it's in there I'll retract my characterization. But I still won't think using it will make a person seem smarter, which is the premise of the list in the first place.

[wawa]

Sept 5, 2017 20:01:06 GMT -5 MixedBerryJam said:

Sept 5, 2017 19:55:58 GMT -5 wawa said:

What's with the vamoose is not a word thing?

Isn't it j just a bastardization/Anglicization/misspelling of the Spanish for "let's go"? I see it's in the Merriaml Webster online dictionary, but is it in the actual OED? If it's in there I'll retract my characterization. But I still won't think using it will make a person seem smarter, which is the premise of the list in the first place.

well...yes, but one that's been codified since like 18something.

I don't have an OED handy to check but I'd be surprised if it's not in there. It's not as if borrowed words are that unusual.

[tiramisu]

Sept 5, 2017 17:31:10 GMT -5 sushi said:

Sept 5, 2017 17:16:55 GMT -5 curtains said:

I wish they included a pronunciation

I love a lot of those words from reading a lot but wouldn't say them out loud in case I am pronouncing them wrong.

There are 2 ways of pronouncing ennui. One makes you sound pretentious af. Don't use the French (ahnWEE); use the American phonetic

Since I can't see op in phone, that was the only one that jumped out

I can't help it, I studied French for too many years, starting too young, to not say many of these words and phrases in French. I'm sure I do sound pretentious as hell ordering my croissant but IDGAF.