To chant or intone a passage of religious text.Ĭonvulsive or involuntary movements made by delirious patients, such as plucking at the bedclothes. CamisadoĪ military attack carried out at night. Like a discordant band or a noisy parade. CacoethesĪn urge to do something inadvisable. BurnsidesĪ mustache in combination with whiskers on the cheeks but no beard on the chin. BumboĪ drink of rum, sugar, water, and nutmeg. Involuntary and habitual grinding of the teeth. Gigantic, from Brobdingnag, a country in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. BreatharianĪ person who believes that it is possible, through meditation, to reach a level of consciousness where one can exist on air alone.

BorborygmusĪ rumbling or gurgling noise in the intestines. Informal a surprise result in a sporting event. Informal a joke that gets a loud or hearty laugh. Bobsy-dieĪ great deal of fuss or trouble. Informal a place where alcoholic drinks are sold illegally. The very forefront of technological development. BindlestiffĪ person who talks at great length without making much sense. BilboesĪn iron bar with sliding shackles, used to fasten prisoners’ ankles. BibliopoleĪ person who buys and sells books, especially rare ones. BergschrundĪ small hard, solid mass which may form in the stomachs of animals such as goats or sheep. The flora and fauna on the bottom of a sea or lake. Barn burnerĪ very exciting or dramatic event, especially a sports contest first used of an exceptionally good hand at bridge. Illusory or imaginary and therefore disappointing. BadmashĪ sticky preparation used for setting hair.Ī humorous excessive admiration of Shakespeare. The casting off of a limb or other part of the body by an animal under threat, such as a lizard. AstroblemeĪn eroded remnant of a large, ancient crater made by the impact of a meteorite or comet. ArguteĪn implement used for sprinkling holy water in religious ceremonies. Vigilant, referring to Argos, a Greek mythological watchman with a hundred eyes.

Argle-bargleĬopious but meaningless talk or writing. Informal an ignorant or unsophisticated person. The death of cells which occurs as a normal part of an organism’s growth or development. AmphisbaenaĪ mythical serpent with a head at each end. AmphibologyĪ phrase or sentence that is grammatically ambiguous, such asShe sees more of her children than her husband. AlbertopolisĪ group of museums and other cultural institutions in South Kensington in London, named after Prince Albert.Ī Spanish palace or fortress. AfreetĪ powerful jinn or demon in Arabian and Muslim mythology. AdscititiousĪ unique word that means additional. The fourth stomach of a ruminant, such as a cow or sheep. But you can also find them right here! AbayaĪ full-length, sleeveless outer garment worn by Arabs. If you want to educate yourself, you can find words in the dictionary. Here are some of the most unique words in the English language: Unique Words You Should Start Using Unsplash / Brett Jordan It will teach you plenty of new words you can use in everyday conversations. If you want to expand your vocabulary, this list is just what you need. This thought works for phrases like “might could,” too, which I used even though some of your commenters had negative things to say about it.īut my question really is whether it is ok to use obscure words when it’s likely no one knows it/them and unless the reader has access to the OED, which most people don’t, and won’t be able to define it/them, but can probably figure out the meaning from the context of the sentence.By January Nelson Updated September 24, 2021 My vote was to use it because, hey, it is a word, why confine myself to commonly used words, if we don’t keep up or revive the more obscure words then we’ll lose them forever, and worse, we’ll be overrun by new words being invented not in a smart Joycean fashion but rather inspired by the world of texting and internet chatting fashion. What do you think about using obscure and out-of-use words, such as “ebulliate”? You won’t find it on or even if you google it, but it is in the OED and appears to be a verb-form of “ebullient,” which, of course, is a commonly used word today.

Obscure words