100 Words To Make You Sound Smart
propriety
correct or appropriate behavior
panacea
cure-all; remedy for all diseases
fastidious
difficult to please
vicarious
done or felt for, or on behalf of, another
peevish
easily irritated or annoyed
rhetoric
effective writing or speaking
élan
enthusiastic vigor or liveliness
zealous
enthusiastic; fervent; fanatical
cloying
excessively sweet or sentimental
lurid
ghastly pale
perfunctory
hasty and without attention to detail
suave
having a sophisticated charm
baroque
having elaborate symmetrical ornamentation
byzantine
highly involved or intricate
infinitesimal
immeasurably small
capricious
impulsive and unpredictable
disheveled
in disarray
untenable
indefensible
esoteric
intended for or understood by only a small group
ubiquitous
being present everywhere at once
acrimony
bitterness
ennui
boredom
scintillating
brilliantly clever
charisma
charm
idyllic
charming in a rustic way; suggestive of an idyll
red herring
any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue
litany
any long, repetitive, or dull recital
nirvana
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
precocious
appearing or developing early
kitsch
art in pretentious bad taste
glib
artfully persuasive in speech
carte blanche
authority with no bounds
Svengali
A person who exercises excessive control or influence over another person
avant-garde
Ahead of the times, especially in the arts
waft
be driven or carried along, as by the air
heresy
a belief that rejects the orthodox tenets of a religion
mantra
a commonly repeated word or phrase
fiasco
a complete failure
paradox
a contradiction or dilemma
dichotomy
a division into two parts
tirade
a long, angry speech, usually very critical
Catch-22
a lose lose situation
cacophony
a loud harsh or strident noise
bourgeois
a member of the middle class; belonging to the middle class
philistine
a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
minimalist
a person who practices arts in less detailed ways
hedonist
a pleasure seeker
white elephant
a possession that costs more to keep than its worth
tête-à-tête
a private conversation between two people
mercenary
a professional soldier hired by a foreign army; profit oriented
antidote
a remedy that stops or controls the effects of a poison
tryst
a secret meeting of lovers; rendezvous
sycophant
a self-serving flatterer, a brownnoser
faux pas
a social blunder
bravado
a swaggering show of courage
stigma
a symbol of disgrace or infamy
accolade
a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
brogue
a thick and heavy shoe; a strong dialectal accent
junket
a trip taken by an official often times for pleasure at public expense
epitome
a typical example
Freudian slip
a verbal mistake that is thought to reveal an unconscious belief, thought, or emotion
anomaly
abnormality
angst
an acute but unspecific feeling of anxiety
misnomer
an incorrect or unsuitable name
euphemism
an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive
fait accompli
an irreversible accomplishment
harbinger
an omen or sign; forerunner
indelicate
lacking propriety and good taste in manners and conduct
ogle
look at with amorous intentions
spartan
marked by simplicity and lack of luxury
vile
morally reprehensible
nouveau riche
newly rich
bona fide
not counterfeit or copied
unrequited
not returned in kind
teetotaler
one who does not drink alcohol
maudlin
overemotional
idiosyncratic
peculiar to the individual
quintessential
perfect example
malaise
physical discomfort (as mild sickness or depression)
brusque
rudely abrupt
caustic
sarcastic
dilettante
showing frivolous or superficial interest
ostentatious
showy
gregarious
sociable
narcissist
someone in love with themselves
non sequitur
something that does not logically follow
equanimity
steadiness of mind under stress
déjà vu
the experience of thinking that a new situation had occurred before
quid pro quo
this for that
equivocate
to be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
malinger
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
ostracize
to exclude from a group; banish; exile
revel
to take delight in
finagle
to trick, swindle or cheat
oblivion
total forgetfulness
insidious
treacherous
camaraderie
trust among friends
stoic
unaffected by pleasure or pain
Machiavellian
unprincipled and crafty
boondoggle
work of little or no value done merely to look busy