150+ Sophisticated Words to Sound More Eloquent & Intelligent

Words are the bricks used to build language, and they come in all shapes, sizes, and syllables. Some are short and sweet, like “yes,” while others feel long and busy in the mouth, like “tintinnabulation.” If you’re trying to improve your vocabulary game to sound smarter when you speak, you’ve come to the right place. Stick around for a comprehensive list of big words to impress in every situation, from the office to happy hour. Keep reading to add them to your arsenal, or collection of (word) weapons!

Common Long Words to Sound Smarter

Ambivalent: having contradicting feelings.
Acumen: experience or knowledge in a specific field.
Cerebral: describing the brain or intellect.
Eloquent: gifted in speaking or writing.
Incandescent: glowing and bright with heat.
Lucrative: very profitable.
Serendipity: a happy accident.

Section 1 of 8:

Big Words to Sound Smart in the Workplace

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Use the following words to impress your co-workers. If you want your colleagues to finally recognize your unparalleled genius, try razzle-dazzling them with a shiny new vocabulary. You might use them to compliment your peers by praising their countless “accolades,” or to pressure them to finish a project by demanding that they be “diligent,” or to simply show off how passionate and “zealous” you are about your job. Here are some more options:^{[1]
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- Accolade: award or praise.
- Adept: highly skilled at something.
- Acumen: experience or knowledge in a specific field.
- Adequate: of an acceptable quality.
- Ambivalent: having contradicting feelings.
- Anomaly: an exception or outlier.
- Articulate: express.
- Brevity: a short period.
- Cerebral: describing the brain or intellect.
- Conundrum: a problem or dilemma.
- Diligent: thorough and careful at work.
- Eloquent: gifted in speaking or writing.
- Fastidious: disciplined and headstrong.
- Juxtaposition: to compare and contrast.
- Lucrative: very profitable.
- Nebulous: murky or hazy; vague.
- Pejorative: expressing strong disapproval.
- Penultimate: the one before the last in a series.
- Perspicacious: having a deep understanding of something.
- Rapport: a relationship built upon mutual interests.
- Quintessential: a peak component or example.
- Sisyphean: a seemingly impossible task.
- Tantamount: equal to.
- Vernacular: specific language used by a group of people.
- Zealous: enthusiastic.

Section 2 of 8:

Big Academic Words to Sound Smart

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Stand out among your peers in academia with this updated vocabulary. Whether you’re working in academia or pursuing a higher education, working toward a more advanced set of verbal and written skills is an important step.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Alison Betts
Trivia Expert and Jeopardy! Contestant

Expert Interview} Inserting “cacophony” in place of noises or “granular” instead of “tiny” will let everyone around you know that you’re not to be trifled with when it comes to language. Beware though— they might try to “ostracize” you for your genius!^{[3]
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- Acrimony: a bitter and painful situation.
- Bona fide: authentic.
- Brusque: abrupt and blunt.
- Cacophony: loud and chaotic sounds.
- Caustic: able to destroy via chemical reaction.
- Dichotomy: two different categories.
- Ephemeral: a fleeting moment.
- Equanimity: maintaining a cool head under stress.
- Euphemism: a polite term used to replace a rude or taboo one.
- Faux pas: a social blunder.
- Finagle: to accomplish something via trickery.
- Granular: on a very small scale.
- Hedonist: someone who heavily indulges.
- Idiosyncratic: having unique quirks or qualities.
- Idyllic: beautiful and peaceful.
- Malaise: an ill feeling.
- Maudlin: overly sentimental.
- Modicum: a very small amount.
- Non sequitur: an irrelevant response to something.
- Ostracize: to push out of a group and isolate.
- Perfunctory: not thorough and done only for appearances.
- Stigma: something condemned by society.
- Untenable: unable to be justified.
- Vicarious: experiencing something via another person.
- Zeitgeist: the spirit of the culture or time.

Section 3 of 8:

Big Words to Sound Smart in a Social Setting

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Express yourself articulately around your friends. Having the gift of gab can certainly be considered an asset, and it’s likely to make you very popular. When hanging out with friends, implement some of these brainy, thought-provoking words to add depth and dynamism to the conversation. You might leave a long-time friend feeling “nonplussed” at your “candor” and mastery of language, or they may become “lachrymose” upon realizing that their vocabulary can’t hold a candle to yours.^{[4]
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- Ambivalent: having contradicting feelings.
- Ambiguous: vague or murky.
- Aesthetic: pertaining to the beauty or physical qualities of something.
- Belligerent: eager to fight.
- Candor: honest expression in conversation.
- Capricious: fickle in temperament.
- Ebullient: bubbly and energetic.
- Ennui: a state of boredom and dissatisfaction.
- Incandescent: glowing and bright with heat.
- Insouciant: apathetic.
- Intransigent: stubborn.
- Lachrymose: prone to tears and weepiness.
- Nefarious: ill-intended or sinister.
- Nonplussed: surprised to the point of not knowing how to react.
- Ostentatious: over the top in personality or style.
- Opulent: luxurious and lavish.
- Propinquity: closeness to something.
- Quixotic: problematic and unrealistic.
- Salubrious: good for the health.
- Serendipity: a happy accident.
- Surreptitious: done secretly in fear of disapproval.
- Sycophant: someone who flatters others to get ahead.
- Trepidation: fear or anxiety.
- Ubiquitous: existing everywhere.
- Xenophobia: fear of foreign people, cultures, or ideas.

Section 4 of 8:

Big Words to Sound Smart in a Romantic Context

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Seduce your crush with your silver tongue. If romance is a rose in bloom, words are the seeds, water, and sunlight. Inarguably, the relationship between words and romance dates back to the dawn of man. Humans have been verbalizing their “amorous” feelings for one another since they could speak, and when they could write, they put it in writing, too! If you want to find clever and creative ways to complement your significant other’s “bodacious” bod, “luscious” lips, or unmatched “pulchritude,” keep reading:^{[5]
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- Alluring: attracting and enticing.
- Amorous: showing sexual desire.
- Ardent: passionate.
- Arresting: captivating.
- Beguiling: enchantingly charming.
- Bewitching: enchanting.
- Bodacious: excellent or voluptuous.
- Bucolic: describing the charming countryside.
- Chiseled: having a defined physique.
- Chivalrous: courteous.
- Demure: shy and reserved.
- Debonair: sophisticated and stylish.
- Enticing: tempting and attractive.
- Ethereal: heavenly and delicate.
- Euphoric: a feeling of intense joy.
- Exquisite: beautiful and divine.
- Luscious: having a pleasant taste or feel.
- Pulchritude: beauty.
- Rapturous: expressing enthusiasm and pleasure.
- Resplendent: shining and brilliant
- Ruminate: to think deeply.
- Scintillating: very clever.
- Statuesque: tall and shapely like a statue.
- Sublime: extremely pleasing to the senses.
- Sumptuous: luxurious.

Section 5 of 8:

Big Words to Sound Smart When Describing Others & Yourself

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Select more interesting adjectives to spruce up your daily conversations. When catching up with friends or loved ones, adding some flair to your daily vernacular can, by extension, add some flair to your life. If you’re tired of describing people with words like “nice,” “mean,” or “weird,” try some of these elevated alternatives:^{[6]
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- Affable: friendly.
- Assiduous: demonstrating great care.
- Benevolent: good in nature.
- Bellicose: aggressive and ready to fight.
- Cordial: polite and warm.
- Disarming: able to remove tension or hostility via charm.
- Dubious: of a questionable intent or nature.
- Eclectic: representing a wide range of styles or choices.
- Eccentric: unconventional or strange.
- Effervescent: bubbly and energetic.
- Empathetic: able to feel other people’s emotions.
- Flamboyant: bold and loud in style or character.
- Gregarious: social and outgoing.
- Jejune: naive and immature.
- Judicious: apt at making good decisions.
- Iconoclast: someone who attacks established belief systems.
- Indefatigable: relentless in their pursuits.
- Loquacious: talkative.
- Melancholic: prone to sadness.
- Pedantic: informative in a condescending way.
- Pensive: thoughtful.
- Querulous: whining and complaining.
- Truculent: quick to fight.
- Venerable: worthy of respect due to age, wisdom, or experience.
- Whimsical: amusing and playful.

Section 6 of 8:

Big Words to Sound Smart When Discussing Art and Literature

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Sound like the ultimate fancy-pants when conversing about the arts. If you’ve always felt slightly intimidated by your artsy group of friends who can speak at length about Monet, Rimbaud, and Cezanne, look no further! Show them how “compelling” and “lyrical” you can be— they’ll wonder why you’ve been holding out on them this whole time!^{[7]
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- Alliteration: the repetition of identical sounds at the start of words.
- Allusion: a reference to literature, art, or history.
- Avant-garde: over-the-top and innovative.
- Abstract: describing a conceptual piece of art or writing.
- Baroque: describing the drama and intricacy of medieval art.
- Bourgeois: the higher class.
- Compelling: emotionally moving.
- Dystopian: an imagined world or future where society has collapsed.
- Enthralling: deeply captivating and engaging.
- Esoteric: belonging to a small select group of people.
- Lyrical: using figurative language full of emotion.
- Metaphor: a comparison without using “like” or “as.”
- Panegyric: high formal praise for someone.
- Picaresque: fiction featuring adventure and spunky characters.
- Poignant: evoking a deep emotion.
- Prosody: the musicality of a piece of writing.
- Rococo: an ornate style with tons of detail from medieval Europe.
- Satirical: using humor to criticize.
- Simile: a comparison using “like” or “as.”
- Wistful: experiencing sadness or melancholy.

Section 7 of 8:

Big Words to Sound Smart When Discussing Hobbies

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Describe your myriad hobbies with new and exciting terminology. The unwritten “three-hobby rule” states that everyone should have three hobbies: one to keep you active, one to inspire creative, and one to make you money. Whether you have one, two, or 3+ hobbies, use the following jargon to explain your passions to others. Maybe you’re a wine “connosseur” or a cheese pizza “connosseur.” Maybe you’re very “proficient” in martial arts. Maybe you’re just really, really good at using big words.
- Aesthete: a person who appreciates art and beauty.
- Agility: being quick and limber.
- Acrobat: someone who contorts their body and performs physical feats.
- Connoisseur: someone very well versed in a specific field.
- Cultivate: to nurture.
- Evocative: bringing certain memories or emotions to the forefront.
- Exertion: effort resulting in exhaustion.
- Exhilaration: excitement.
- Gastronomical: pertaining to gastronomy, or food.
- Immersion: to be fully submerged or involved.
- Invigorating: refreshing and energizing.
- Legerdemain: someone who practices sleight of hand.
- Leisure: free time.
- Mastery: having a high level of skill or knowledge.
- Proficiency: degree of skill in a given area.
- Polymath: someone with extensive knowledge in many fields.
- Polyglot: someone who speaks many different languages.
- Staccato: Short, sporadic sounds or movements.
- Varnish: to apply a coating that dries and shines.
- Virtuoso: a highly skilled musician.

Section 8 of 8:

How to Use New Words Confidently

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Use a thesaurus. One excellent way to continue improving your vocabulary is to use a thesaurus regularly.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Alison Betts
Trivia Expert and Jeopardy! Contestant

Expert Interview} Whether you’re writing a work email, text messaging a friend, or hoping to impress on a date later in the evening, a thesaurus can be a great resource to help you sound your best. Try thinking of some words you would regularly use and then look up their fancier, synonym counterparts. An online thesaurus is just one click away!^{[9]
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- For example, if you would typically use the word “important,” why not replace it with “paramount,” “germane,” or, “vital”?
- Instead of “happy,” you can describe yourself as feeling “euphoric,” “elated,” or, “delighted.”
- Whenever you find yourself recycling the same words over and over again, look to the thesaurus for potential synonyms. This creates a healthy connection and can help you expand your verbal horizons!
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Pick words you completely understand. Although some words sound really good and can make you sound really good when you say them— words like “acrimonious,” “pervasive,” and “indefatigable”— it’s essential that you know exactly what they mean. Using words whose meanings you don’t totally understand can lead to a few issues, like misusing them around someone who does understand their meaning, causing you chagrin, or embarrassment.
- If you’re not sure how a word is used or what it really means, do some quick research. Online dictionaries and thesauruses typically include definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences.
- Pick a new word, learn its meaning, and use it as many times as you can in a day. The following day, learn another one!
- You can subscribe to daily Word of the Day feeds or come up with your own word-of-the-day calendar.
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Consider your audience. Although it may be tempting to show off your big new vocabulary to everyone you cross paths with, tailor your vernacular to match your crowd. Your colleagues might understand all your shared jargon pertaining to your field, but your closest friends might not. Similarly, each word carries its own diction, or specific tone. For example, “stone” is different from “rock,” which is different from “boulder.” The deeper your understanding of these words is, the easier it’ll be for you to gauge what to say when and to whom.