Grow your vocabulary with this rich list of 20 of my favorite words. Use these words more often in writing and everyday life.
20+ Vocabulary Words You Should Use More Often
A rich vocabulary can strengthen your essay, advance your career, and give you a robust way to express yourself. Throughout college, grad school, and beyond: use these words to elevate your speech and your writing.
1. Archaic (adjective)
Definition: very old or old-fashioned
Example: Record players are archaic and are not commonly used.
2. Zephyr (noun)
Definition: a brief gusty wind
Example: There was a nice zephyr outside today.
3. Quiescent (adjective)
Definition:peacefulness, dormant, inactive
Example: It is nice to have a quiescent day to spend with friends and family.
4. Plethora(noun)
Definition:excess, a large amount
Example: Johannes has a plethora of oranges in his cart.
5. Ersatz (adjective)
Definition: used instead of something else, often because the alternative is expensive
Example: Mary ate the ersatz chocolate because of the war rations, but it didn’t taste like real chocolate.
6. Poignant (adjective)
Definition:touching and moving
Example:The Pursuit of Happyness is a memorable and poignant movie.
7. Abate (verb)
Definition:to become smaller
Example: It seemed that over time, the football team’s wins began to abate.
8. Sycophant(noun)
Definition:a person who flatters to gain personal favors
Example: We all become sycophants when a cop pulls us over for a speeding ticket!
9. Ravenous (adjective)
Definition:extremely hungry
Example: Goldilocks was ravenous, but she could not eat the first two bowls of porridge!
10. Defunct (adjective)
Definition:no longer existing or functioning
Example: Funky music, hair, and clothes from the 1970s are now defunct!
11. Munificence (noun)
Definition:being extremely generous, the quality of being lavishly generous
Example: The king’s munificence helped feed thousands of the poor, starving villagers.
12. Juxtaposition (noun)
Definition:two different, contrasting things being compared side by side
Example: Today, I juxtaposed the difference between Mac and Windows computers.
13. Alacritous (adjective)
Definition:brisk or lively
Example: The alacritous young boy jumped into a pile of leaves.
14. Exquisite (adjective)
Definition: extremely beautiful and flawless, often delicate
Example: The queen wore an exquisite ring that had been in the royal family for centuries.
15. Altercation (noun)
Definition: a noisy argument or disagreement
Example: Olivia and Alyssa had a loud altercation in the mall.
16. Obsolete (adjective)
Definition:no longer used
Example: New technology can quickly become obsolete as new technology comes out.
17. Polychromatic (adjective)
Definition:multicolored, showing a variety or change of color
Example: The beautiful painting was polychromatic.
18. Albeit (conjunction)
Definition: although
Example: Tom began painting the fence, albeit with a grumpy attitude.
19. Incandescent (adjective)
Definition:giving off light after being heated, someone brilliant
Example: The incandescent lightbulb shone brightly in the whole room.
20. Banal (adjective)
Definition:boring and lacking in originality
Example: That new pop song is so banal!
Enjoy this list? You’ll Love TheUltimate Language ArtsCheat Sheets, filled with grammar hacks and vocabulary substitutions!
