Sound Smarter and Improve Your Vocabulary

Have you ever wanted to improve your vocabulary, whether to get a higher score on your SATs or GREs, or to be able to understand more, to write better, or simply to sound smarter? There are many ways you are told you can do this. You can read books, newspapers, and magazines. However, most books, especially contemporary books, use simple words you already know. If you're reading books by Faulkner this is another story, as he tends to riddle his pages with complicated prose. You can subscribe to a word-a-day email from many websites. However, once again many times you'll find you either know the word already, or, after a period of time those constant emails just start to annoy you. So I've decided to create my first list of 10 complicated words you probably don't know, to save you the trouble. Hopefully to be followed by more lists. These words are unlikely to come up in everyday conversation, and unless you're a fan of reading, writing, or have your SATs coming up, they're probably not essential. However, throw one of these words out in everyday conversation, and you're bound to sound intelligent. (Just make sure you use it correctly.)

1. Anfractuous - (adj) something that is full of twists and turns, such as an anfractuous road.

2. Coffle - (n) a group of animals or prisoners that are chained and driven along together in a line. He marched his slave coffle down along the anfractuous road.

3. Deracinate - (v) to separate someone from their environment. He was a deracinated man, forced into exile for his unique ideas.

4. Exordium - (n) the introduction to an oration or treatise. The exordium alone displays the intelligence of the upcoming speech.

5. Hirsute - (adj) hairy. She proclaimed her love of hirsute men.

6. Mellifluous - (adj) sweetly and smoothly flowing; smooth and sweet. The mellifluous sound of music.

7. Oenophile - (n) a lover of wine or connoisseur; pronounced (ee-nuh-fahyl). Our new wine will be a delight to any oenophile.

8. Ratiocination - (n) the process of logical reasoning; pronounced (rash-ee-os-uh-ney-shun); His power of ratiocination was exemplified in his ability to come up with quick solutions.

9. Salubrious - (adj) healthful or favorable to promoting health; exercise and fresh air are salubrious.

10. Uxorious - (adj) excessively submissive or devoted to one's wife. The uxorious man gave in to all his wife's requests, no matter how ridiculous.

If you liked this list, let me know if you'd like to see more.