In this blog post, I’m going to explain why uncommon words can help you think, show you how to incorporate them into your writing and mindset, and give you a huge list of 150 uncommon words you can use, each with plain, simple definitions attached.
I’m not going to beat you over the head with complicated sentences. I’m just going to write plainly, as if we were sharing thoughts on a rainy night. Feel free to read slowly. Let these words wash over you. Use them when you need a way to describe a feeling, an image, or a small truth.
Why Uncommon Words Are Important
Language is how we make concepts concrete. When we put a name to something—to an emotion, a person, a feeling—we can hold that concept in our minds. Without a name, these vague things float around inside us: a phantom headache of anxiety or an indefinable buzz of happiness. Many times, these are things that common words can’t describe. That’s where the uncommon words come in.
There are a few reasons to care about uncommon words.
Uncommon Words Allow You to Pay Attention
Say you learn the word dlaicrima, which means “the act of weeping laughter.” You won’t run into that word very often. But now that you’ve heard it, you’ll start looking for it. Suddenly, you’ll notice those moments in your day when laughter brings tears to your eyes.
That awareness is a skill. By training yourself to notice the small details of life you used to overlook, you’re becoming a better observer—and careful observation is the heart of any good writing.
Uncommon Words Let You Say More With Less
If you know the word susurrus, a whispering or rustling sound, you don’t have to go on for thirty words to describe the way leaves rustle in the wind. You can be concise. Writing doesn’t always have to be verbose. Part of sleek writing is allowing yourself to communicate something complex with a single word.
Uncommon Words Are the Legacy of Thinkers Before You
Most of these words originate from ancient poems and texts, from languages you probably haven’t studied, and from people who took the time to notice what others didn’t. Using these words is not being pretentious. It’s allowing yourself to learn from the minds of those who came before you—and when you learn these words, you’re passing their tenderness forward.
Lastly, Not All Uncommon Words Are Bombastic
Some of these words are subtle. Some of them are quiet. They’ll help you when you need to slow down and find the right tone to console someone. They can help you describe the exact nuance of whatever it is you’re thinking. Some uncommon words are gifts.
How to Add These Words Into Your Life
Don’t try to memorize everything. You don’t need to shove these words into your conversations and essays at the expense of your own voice. If you take away one new word each time you read a list like this, that’s progress. If you take away three, even better. But don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to force tons of words into your mental vocabulary bank. Here are a few simple tips to help you add these words to your life. I wrote them plainly so you can go try them right now.
Take Your Time
Every time you read an uncommon word you don’t know, pause. Slow down and read the sentence again. Look at how the writer used that word. Is it describing an emotion? A color? A texture? Music? When you take a moment to let that word sink in, it becomes more than just a dictionary definition. It becomes practical.
Keep a Small Journal
This can be a notebook, a note on your phone, or a single page on your computer that you dedicate to new words and quick one-sentence definitions. Whenever you come across a word you don’t know, add it to the list. Later, when you see one of these words again in the wild, it will stick with you. Your vocabulary will grow without you forcing it to.
Challenge Yourself to Use One New Word Per Week
Incorporate it into a single sentence that feels natural. You’re not trying to take a test. You’re giving yourself permission to play with new words.
Read: 20 Strong Mind Quotes to Inspire You
150 Uncommon Words With Beautiful Meanings
- abibliophobia — the fear of running out of reading material.
- acatalepsy — the belief that perfect understanding is impossible.
- acersecomic — one who never cuts their hair.
- adeline — tender or naive kindness.
- aesthete — a person who loves and cultivates beauty.
- agelast — a person who never laughs.
- alexithymia — inability to identify and express emotions.
- ambiant — pertaining to both sides; being both.
- amaranthine — immortal; lasting forever.
- anamnesis — remembering something, especially religiously.
- anemoia — nostalgia for a time you’ve never known.
- anodyne — used to soothe or offer comfort.
- apricity — sunlight that feels warm when it’s cold outside.
- arpent — a unit of land measurement.
- atrail — a small trace.
- aubade — a morning song, especially one about death.
- aurora — seeing the northern or southern lights.
- autumnal — something reminiscent of autumn.
- axial — positioned at the center.
- bacchanal — wild and noisy festivities.
- balter — dancing clumsily but with joy.
- baroque — extravagantly and elaborately decorated.
- bauchery — happiness and comfort found through eating simple foods.
- bedizen — to dress excessively, often in poor taste.
- beleaguer — to attack a place from all sides.
- bellwether — a leader who shows the way forward.
- benedict — a quiet compliment or blessing.
- bereft — emptied of something important.
- bibliopole — book dealer.
- bibliophile — someone who loves and reads books.
- billet-doux — affectionate letter.
- blandishment — kind words meant to coax someone.
- blether — talk nonsense warmly.
- bucolic — life in the country.
- cacophony — a harsh discord of sounds.
- calumny — deliberately spreading false information.
- camarilla — secret council or advisors.
- candescent — glowing faintly from heat.
- camaraderie — warmth from shared experience.
- candescence — the state of glowing faintly with heat.
- capricious — given to sudden changes in mood.
- catharsis — releasing emotions.
- ceaseless — never stopping.
- celerity — swiftness.
- chiaroscuro — stark contrast between light and dark.
- chimerical — unbelievable or imaginary.
- clarion — a clear, strong call or sound.
- coda — conclusion of a musical piece.
- coddiwomple — to travel toward a strange destination.
- comely — pleasing to look at.
- concinnity — beauty in harmonious arrangement.
- confluence — a coming together.
- contumacious — stubbornly refusing to obey.
- coup de foudre — love at first sight.
- crepuscule — twilight.
- crescendo — gradually increasing intensity.
- crystalline — very clear, glass-like.
- crux — the most important point.
- cubicular — relating to a small bedroom.
- culminate — reach the highest point.
- cynosure — center of attention.
- defenestration — throwing something out a window.
- defenestrate — remove or discard.
- deleterious — having a harmful effect.
- deliquesce — slowly melt away.
- demure — quiet, modest, shy.
- demur — hesitate politely.
- denouement — resolution.
- desuetude — state of being forgotten.
- diaphanous — light and transparent.
- diurnal — occurring during the day.
- doldrums — inactivity or stagnation.
- doppelgänger — someone who looks exactly like you.
- dormant — asleep but able to awaken.
- dulcet — sweet-sounding.
- ebullient — cheerful and energetic.
- éclat — success or admiration.
- elegy — a poem of mourning.
- elision — intentional omission.
- elucidate — clarify.
- emollient — comforting.
- empyrean — relating to heaven.
- encomium — warm praise.
- enervate — to weaken.
- ennead — a group of nine.
- ephemeral — short-lived.
- epiphany — sudden realization.
- epistolary — written in letters.
- eponym — one who gives their name to something.
- equanimity — calmness under pressure.
- ethereal — delicate and light.
- evanescent — quickly disappearing.
- evince — reveal clearly.
- exiguous — very small.
- exultant — joyful triumph.
- farrago — confused mixture.
- felicity — intense happiness.
- felicitous — fitting well.
- feral — wild.
- fervent — passionate.
- festoon — decorate with hanging elements.
- flâneur — an observant wanderer.
- florid — brightly colored.
- fontanel — soft spot on the skull.
- forlorn — lonely or abandoned.
- frisson — sudden thrill.
- fulgent — shining brightly.
- fuscous — dark or dusky.
- gambol — leap joyfully.
- garrulous — talkative.
- gossamer — light and delicate.
- halcyon — peaceful and happy.
- hiraeth — longing for a place that no longer exists.
- hubris — excessive pride.
- humblebee — a hardworking, patient person.
- iconoclast — one who challenges tradition.
- ignominious — shameful.
- imbroglio — a confusing situation.
- immure — imprison or confine.
- impecunious — poor.
- imperturbable — calm under pressure.
- incandescent — glowing.
- incunabula — early printed books.
- indelible — permanent.
- indolent — lazy or relaxed.
- ineffable — beyond words.
- ineluctable — unavoidable.
- insouciant — carefree.
- interstice — space between things.
- intrepid — fearless.
- iridescent — changing colors with light.
- isle — island.
- jejune — dull or simplistic.
- juxtapose — place side by side.
- kleos — glory earned.
- lacuna — a gap.
- lambent — softly glowing.
- lapidary — stone-carved.
- languid — slow and relaxed.
- lassitude — weariness.
- legerdemain — trickery.
- lenticular — lens-shaped.
- lenitive — soothing.
- lethargy — lack of energy.
- liaison — a connector.
- liminal — transitional.
- linchpin — crucial element.
- liripipe — dangling hood or cap.
- lissome — flexible and graceful.
- lucubration — studying late at night.
Closing Thoughts
Congratulations, you made it to the end of a giant word list. You’ll probably forget most of them. That’s okay. I want you to remember one or two that really speak to you. Learn them enough that you can use them yourself. See how they change the way you view certain things.
Remember, language is alive. Every time you read a book, listen to a friend, or open your mouth to speak, you’re letting language grow inside you. Be patient with words that are new to you. In time, they will become familiar.
Come back to this list in six months. I bet a different word will catch your eye. That’s the beauty of vocabulary: you never know when a word will become useful to you.
Thanks for taking the time to read this humble collection of words. If you’d like, I can email you a ten-word list of some of my favorites, complete with example sentences to try in your own writing. For now, just take one word with you and see what it shows you.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need to memorize all 150 words?
No. Taking away one or two words is more than enough.
2. Will using uncommon words make my writing pretentious?
No. Used naturally, they help you express ideas more clearly and precisely.
3. How often should I try to use a new word?
One new word per week is plenty.
4. What if I forget most of these words?
That’s expected. The right words will resurface when you need them.
5. Can vocabulary really change how I think?
Yes. Naming feelings and ideas helps you understand and process them more clearly.
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