This list of 50 Advanced Words is a gift to my fellow lovers of words from my coach, Terry Brock, a long-time word lover (both written and spoken). Like me, Terry is a member of the grammar patrol and a journalist, and enjoys using this list. How many of these 50 advanced words do you know?

Aberration

Definition: A departure from what is normal or expected; something unusual or atypical.

Example: The extreme heatwave in January was an aberration for the region.

Abstruse

Definition: Difficult to understand; complex and obscure, often used for ideas or language.

Example: His abstruse explanation of quantum mechanics puzzled the entire class.

Alacrity

Definition: Cheerful and eager willingness or readiness to do something. Example: She responded to the invitation with alacrity, excited to join the event.

Anachronistic

Definition: Belonging to a period other than the present; out of place in time.

Example: The presence of smartphones in the 19th-century drama was anachronistic.

Anomaly

Definition: Something that deviates from the expected or normal pattern; an irregularity.

Example: The sudden spike in sales was an anomaly that surprised the marketing team.

Aplomb

Definition: Self-confidence, especially in a challenging situation; composure.

Example: She handled the difficult interview questions with aplomb.

Apocryphal

Definition: Of doubtful authenticity; probably not true, although widely circulated as being true.

Example: The story of the haunted house is likely apocryphal, but locals still share it.

Assiduous

Definition: Showing great care, attention, and perseverance in carrying out a task.

Example: The scientist was assiduous in recording every detail of the experiment.

Beguile

Definition: To charm, enchant, or deceive, sometimes in a misleading way.

Example: The magician tried to beguile the audience with his tricks.

Bellicose

Definition: Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight; warlike.

Example: His bellicose attitude during the debate made everyone uncomfortable.

Bombastic

Definition: High-sounding but with little meaning; inflated or pretentious.

Example: The politician’s bombastic speech failed to address the real issues.

Cacophony

Definition: A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

Example: The city’s streets were filled with the cacophony of traffic and construction.

Capitulate

Definition: To surrender or give in, especially after resistance.

Example: The army had no choice but to capitulate after weeks of fighting.

Cogent

Definition: Clear, logical, and convincing; persuasive.

Example: Her cogent argument convinced the board to approve the proposal.

Conundrum

Definition: A confusing and difficult problem or question.

Example: Deciding which job offer to accept was quite a conundrum for him.

Debacle

Definition: A sudden and complete failure; a fiasco.

Example: The company’s new product launch turned into a debacle when the software crashed.

Deleterious

Definition: Causing harm or damage.

Example: Smoking has a deleterious effect on health.

Demagogue

Definition: A leader who gains support by appealing to emotions and prejudices rather than reason.

Example: The demagogue roused the crowd with passionate but misleading rhetoric.

Didactic

Definition: Intended to teach, often with a moral lesson; instructive.

Example: The didactic tone of the book made it less entertaining but very informative.

Disparate

Definition: Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.

Example: Their ideas were so disparate that they struggled to find common ground.

Ebullient

Definition: Cheerful and full of energy; exuberant.

Example: The ebullient host welcomed every guest with a big smile.

Eclectic

Definition: Deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.

Example: Her music collection is eclectic, including jazz, hip-hop, and classical.

Enervate

Definition: To weaken or drain energy from; to make someone feel tired.

Example: The long, hot day enervated everyone at the picnic.

Ennui

Definition: A feeling of boredom or listlessness due to lack of excitement.

Example: After weeks of doing nothing, he was overcome with ennui.

Esoteric

Definition: Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small, specialized group.

Example: The professor’s lecture on string theory was so esoteric that only a few students understood.

Evanescent

Definition: Quickly fading or disappearing; short-lived.

Example: The beauty of the sunrise was evanescent, gone within minutes.

Exacerbate

Definition: To make a problem or bad situation worse.

Example: Yelling only served to exacerbate the argument.

Fastidious

Definition: Very attentive to detail; hard to please; meticulous.

Example: The chef was fastidious about the presentation of every dish.

Flummox

 Definition: To bewilder, confuse, or perplex completely.

Example: The complicated instructions flummoxed the new employee.

Garrulous

Definition: Excessively talkative, especially about trivial matters.

Example: The garrulous neighbor kept him talking for hours.

Harangue

Definition: A lengthy and aggressive speech; to lecture someone aggressively.

Example: The manager delivered a harangue about the importance of punctuality.

Hegemony

Definition: Leadership or dominance, especially by one country or group over others.

Example: The company’s hegemony in the tech industry was unchallenged for years.

Iconoclast

Definition: Someone who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or institutions.

Example: The artist was considered an iconoclast for his radical style.

Insidious

Definition: Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects.

Example: The disease was insidious, spreading without obvious symptoms at first.

Insipid

Definition: Lacking flavor, interest, or vigor; dull or boring.

Example: The soup was insipid and needed more seasoning.

Juxtapose

Definition: To place side by side for comparison or contrast.

Example: The artist juxtaposed light and dark colors in the painting.

Loquacious

Definition: Very talkative; fond of talking.

Example: The loquacious host kept the conversation lively.

Mendacious

Definition: Lying or untruthful; dishonest.

Example: The mendacious rumors spread quickly through the office.

Obfuscate

Definition: To deliberately make something unclear or difficult to understand.

Example: The instructions were obfuscated by technical jargon.

Ostensible

Definition: Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so; apparent.

Example: His ostensible reason for quitting was health, but he really wanted a career change.

Paradox

Definition: A statement that seems contradictory but may be true.

Example: It’s a paradox that standing is more tiring than walking.

Pejorative

Definition: Expressing disapproval or criticism; derogatory.

Example: The reviewer used pejorative terms to describe the film.

Perfunctory

Definition: Carried out with minimum effort or reflection; routine.

Example: She gave a perfunctory nod and continued working.

Quixotic

Definition: Extremely idealistic, unrealistic, and impractical.

Example: His quixotic plan to build a flying car fascinated his friends but never succeeded.

Recalcitrant

Definition: Stubbornly refusing to obey rules or orders; resistant to authority.

Example: The recalcitrant student refused to do his homework.

Sanguine

Definition: Optimistic or positive, especially in a difficult situation.

Example: Despite the setbacks, she remained sanguine about the future.

Trepidation

Definition: A feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen.

Example: He approached the stage with trepidation before his speech.

Ubiquitous

Definition: Present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Example: Smartphones are now ubiquitous in society.

TerryBrock.com

Used with permission of Terry Brock

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