A Growing Vocabulary

[Silent Sage]

Feel free to share any interesting new (real) words you come across here.
I'll go first:

Floccinaucinihilipilification
- to estimate something as useless
- longest non-scientific word in dictionary

"Apropos", I haven't actually ever heard that used in conversation


and

Heterological
-A word that's definition describes it's opposite. For example, "miniscule" means the same thing as tiny, but "miniscule" is quite large for a word. This mismatch makes "miniscule" heterological.

-heterological is a paradox. If it is a heterological word, that means it doesn't describe itself, so therefore it isn't heterological. If it is homeological, it describes itself, making it not homeological.


Homeological
-A word that describes itself. For example, "noun" is a noun, so it is a homeological word.

-homeological is itself a homeological word. The reasoning is highly circular though. Homeological is homeological because it is homeological.

 

[PaulMaster]

One of my current favorite words is Preposterous. I know its common, but its an outstanding word.

 

[Sinny91]

Has anyone else ever surprised themselves by using a new word in a sentence - prior to which you never conciously knew that you knew? Happens to me all the time.

 

[Silent Sage]

Preposterous is one of my favorites as well, though I hardly ever use it.
Well, I've been able to recall words where I'm dubious of its meaning and origin (as in original source), if that's what you mean. Words that sound right in a phrase but not sure if I'm using it correctly.

 

[Rook]

I've written down and forgotten many, here's a few my brain clings to as of late:

usquebaugh: whiskey is derived from this word

eldritch: pertaining to something supernatural, usually in a dark or dire manner iirc

algolagnia: sexual pleasure attained through masochism or sadism

susurrus: whispering/rustling sound

scapegrace: a reckless miscreant, unprincipled rascal

ensorcelled: enchanted or bewitched, under a spell.


--Edit (Two more I just read)

kith: friends (as in kin = family)
monomaniac(monomania: madness restricted to one thing or idea)

 

[Silent Sage]

Nice

Two for today, they don't particularly stand out to me though, in fact my retention remains low despite several previous exposures:

Laudatory- (of speech or writing) expressing praise and commendation
Sardonic- grimly mocking or cynical

 

[Tannhauser]

For some reason, I like the expression "as it were". In general, it's cool when obscure expressions are made by arranging usual words in unusual permutations.

 

[Silent Sage]

weird... I've heard "as you were", but not "as it were", though I have heard "as it was".

 

[peoplesuck]

mostly medical terms, i know more but these are the interesting ones.

archaic, agrestic-rural,akward, fasciculation-twitchin,fenestration-in architecture locations of openings. in medical terms surface holes in organs, hyperagesia-hyper sensitivity to pain,polymicrogryia-undersized gryi due to reelin defect,macrocephaly-big head,idk what causes, soma-cell body,ameliorate-to make better,
affinity is the best,smoothest word ever.also fibrilis is a great word

 

[Sly-fy]

Floccinaucinihilipilification
- to estimate something as useless

How ironic, since that`s the most useless word in history! Whoever came up with it had a healthy sense of humor.

Bill O`Reilly is not my favorite talking head, but I try to catch his "word of the day" every time at least. I can never seem to remember the most recent one though. Had to look it up again: "Don`t be draffish."

 

[TBerg]

My lexicographical emiseration can be quantified by the supercilious motif obtruding into this thread.

 

[Brontosaurie]

Rad shizzle dawg

 

[paradoxparadigm7]

Sehnsucht. The German word for "thoughts and feelings about all facets of life that are unfinished or imperfect, paired with a yearning for ideal alternative experiences. It has been referred to as “life’s longings”; or an individual’s search for happiness while coping with the reality of unattainable wishes. Such feelings are usually profound, and tend to be accompanied by both positive and negative feelings. This produces what has often been described as an ambiguous emotional occurrence."

Got ta love those German's!

 

[Perfectly Normal Beast]

agalmatophilia: a paraphilia characterised by the sexual attraction to a statue, doll, mannequin, or other similar figurative object.

 

[PaulMaster]

Rad shizzle dawg

This is the only one I could envision actually coming up in a conversation.

 

[Yellow]

macarism
n. - pleasure in another's joy; a beatitude. macarize, v. pronounce blessed; praise; congratulate.

saros
n. - cycle of about 6,585 days after which a sequence of eclipses repeats itself

witzelsucht
n. - emotional state characterized by futile attempts at humor

gyromancy
n. - fortunetelling by walking in a circle until dizzy; the fortune is determined by where the person falls

 

[Sly-fy]

^Good to know! XD Thanks. And surprisingly, that last one makes some sense!

 

[Tannhauser]

Im gonna start making all my life decisions using gyromancy.

 

[Sly-fy]

Im gonna start making all my life decisions using gyromancy.

LOL I meant that it makes lexicological sense! XDDD

 

[Silent Sage]

Still fun either way

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

One of my all time favourite words in German:

herzzerreißend, adjective meaning heartbreaking or literally 'tearing apart the heart', very picturesque and evocative. It comprises two words; the noun Herz - heart and the verb zerreißen - to rip to tear apart where the prefix zer denotes the quality of dissolving, moving or being apart which can be added to many verbs in order to convey the act of destruction and the core reißen which is a verb meaning to tear, break or pull something.

ß denotes a double s, so this word has 3 doubled letters, z r and s and that's just awesome, doubled letters sound great. They give this word a very rhythmical and delivering pace.

 

[Silent Sage]

LOL I meant that it makes lexicological sense! XDDD

One of my all time favourite words in German:

herzzerreißend, adjective meaning heartbreaking or literally 'tearing apart the heart', very picturesque and evocative. It comprises two words; the noun Herz - heart and the verb zerreißen - to rip to tear apart where the prefix zer denotes the quality of dissolving, moving or being apart which can be added to many verbs in order to convey the act of destruction and the core reißen which is a verb meaning to tear, break or pull something.

ß denotes a double s, so this word has 3 doubled letters, z r and s and that's just awesome, doubled letters are great.

"Got ta love those German's! " -paradoxparadigm7

What he/she said

 

[Rook]

Morganatic:

• Of or being a legal marriage between a person of royal or noble birth and a partner of lower rank, in which it is agreed that no titles or estates of the royal or noble partner are to be shared by the partner of inferior rank nor by any of the offspring of the marriage.

 

[Happy]

I was failed on an English exam once for using a word the marker did not understand (anagnorisis), despite using it correctly and in context. Since then, and after comparable occurrences, I've learned to avoid using archaic or rare words as it doesn't really help you...

#debbiedowner