25 Unique English Words You Should Add To Your Vocabulary

Posted by , Updated on November 15, 2023

There are many reasons one might wish to expand their English vocabulary: Impressing someone on a first date or interview, finally beating your mom at scrabble, expanding your understanding of a second language, finding new PG-rated insults, or simply because English is fun.

Much like American culture, the English language has become a mix of words from many different languages and cultures over the centuries and has eight different dialects spoken in North America alone.

In addition to that, new words – such as glamping (noun: a mix of glamorous and camping, where you camp with air conditioning and other luxuries) – are evolving all the time and being added to the dictionary.

If you are one who wishes to add to your mental word bank, for whatever reason, here are 25 words that can be worked into your daily vocabulary with only a little bit of effort. Here are 25 Unique English Words You Should Add To Your Vocabulary.

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Source: aschmann.net; oxforddictionaries.com

25

Corpulent: Adjective meaning fat

pigSource: http://www.neatorama.com/, Image: www.pixabay.com User: Tappancs
24

Skulduggery: Noun meaning dishonest or underhanded behavior or activity.

Boss_Tweed_NastSource: http://lifestyle.allwomenstalk.com/, Image: en.wikipedia.org
23

Impavid: Adjective meaning fearless.

fearless boy with capeSource: http://lifestyle.allwomenstalk.com/, Image: www.pixabay.com User: dlewisnash
22

Limerence: Noun mean the euphoric feeling of being in love and desiring to have those feelings reciprocated.

black-and-white-loveSource: http://lifestyle.allwomenstalk.com/, Image: /pixabay.com User: Unsplash
21

Licentiousness: Adjective meaning a disregard for morals or legality.

Vandalised_glass_cageSource: www.youtube.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org/
20

Luddite: Noun meaning one who is reluctant about new technology or change.

AmishRakingHaySource: http://www.merriam-webster.com/, Image: en.wikipedia.org
19

Eschew: Verb meaning to purposely avoid something, usually on moral grounds.

Avoid_Area_sign_Millbank_LondonSource: http://www.merriam-webster.com/, Image: Commons.wikimedia.org
18

Ubiquitous: Adjective used to describe something that seems to be everywhere. Can be used to describe feelings, pop culture, or physical things.

FogSource: http://www.dictionary.com/, Image: www.pexels.com
17

Vapid: Adjective meaning dull or uninteresting. Often used to refer to someone in an insulting manner.

boredSource: http://www.merriam-webster.com/, Image: www.pexels.com
16

Loquacious: adjective meaning extremely and easily talkative.

person-woman-hand-smartphoneSource: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary, Image: www.pexels.com
15

Parlance: Noun meaning speech used by a specific group of people (often related to a job or hobby) or time period, much like slang but more formal.

Arnold_Lakhovsky_ConversationSource: http://www.merriam-webster.com/, Image: en.wikipedia.org

Looking for other ways to improve your vocabulary? Take a look at 25 Super Cool Idioms You Should Use All The Time.

14

Bescumber: Verb meaning to throw dung at.

Ateles_fusciceps_ColombiaSource: http://www.yourdictionary.com/, Image: en.wikipeia.org
13

Foofaraw: Noun meaning a big deal made over a small thing, or needless frills.

Two_Chinese_Crested_Dogs_in_wedding_costumesSource: http://www.dictionary.com/, Image: commons.wikimedia.org
12

Pogonotrophy: Noun meaning the act of purposefully growing and grooming a beard or mustache.

Pedro_II_of_Brazil_BeardSource: http://www.theprojecttwins.com/, Image: en.m.wikipedia.org
11

Fanfaronade: Noun meaning boasting, empty bragging; A fancy way to say trash talk.

marketing-man-person-communication-largeSource: http://www.theprojecttwins.com/, Image: www.pexels.com/
10

Nefarious: Adjective meaning wicked or underhanded, usually referring to plans or actions.

villianSource: http://www.dictionary.com/, Image: en.wikipedia.org
9

Draconian: Adjective meaning severe and harsh, usually used in reference to rules or laws.

Execution_a_la_guillotineSource: https://en.wikipedia.org/, Image: commons.wikimedia.org
8

Ineffable: Adjective meaning too great or overwhelming to be expressed in words.

GalaxySource: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/, Image: commons.wikimedia.org
7

Vexed: Adjective meaning irritated or annoyed; sometimes meaning an internal debate.

annoyed-tabby-catSource: https://www.vocabulary.com, Image: www.publicdomainpictures.net
6

Vehement: Adjective meaning very emotional or passionate.

protestSource: http://www.dictionary.com/, Image: www.pixabay.com user: niekverlaan
5

Soliloquy: Noun meaning the words said when talking to one's self, whether alone or not. Often used in theater when a character is sharing thoughts out loud.

Bernhardt_Hamlet2Source: http://www.dictionary.com/, Image: en.wikipedia.org
4

Catawampus: Adjective meaning out of order, askew or diagonal.

Leaning_tower_of_pisaSource: http://wordsmith.org/, Image: en.wikipedia.org
3

Hypergamy: Noun meaning the practice of marrying into a higher social or economic class than you were raised in.

Anne_boleynSource: http://www.dictionary.com/, Image: en.wikipedia.org
2

Cacophony: Noun meaning a discordant, disturbing combination of sounds.

NoiseSource: https://www.vocabulary.com, Image: en.wikipedia.org
1

Serendipity: Noun meaning finding something pleasant that you were not looking for; a fortunate happenstance.

birds-nestSource: http://www.merriam-webster.com/, Image: www.pixabay.com user: Pezibear

If you enjoyed this post, you may also want to take a look at 25 Super Cool British Slang Phrases To Liven Up Your Vocabulary.