It is suggested that the most common 100 English words
account for approximately 75% of all written English. Personally I think that
is a bit of a shame, why do we insist on using the same words over and over
when the English language is rich with options to choose from?
With this in mind today I thought we could look at a few
words to impress. The words we are going to look at are all correct and are
perfectly fine for you to start using in your everyday conversations and
writing, and I bet they will impress your friends, even those who have English
as their first language!
So, here we go :-
Aberration
An aberration is something that is a
departure from the usual or expected. So if you said that for Jan to fail the
exam was an aberration, it would mean that Jan usually passed all her exams and
this was a very unusual occurrence.
It can also be used to describe a deviation
from the norms of society, or a temporary lapse in a person’s mental
health.
Baffled
To be baffled is to be amazed, confused or
bewildered. You are left totally unable to understand. You may be baffled by
someone’s strange behaviour or the complicated way in which they are speaking.
Alternatively, you may be baffled when watching a magician demonstrating a
clever trick.
Cajole
To cajole someone is to persuade them to do
something that they may not necessarily want to do, through sweet talking and
flattery. The word is thought to have originated from the combination of two
French words meaning ‘to chatter like a jaybird’ and ‘to lure into a cage’.
Dogmatic
A dogmatic person is someone who holds and
expresses very strong opinions, which they believe cannot be challenged. They are
inflexible and advance their own personal opinions as if they are facts. Mmm I am
sure we all know someone who we could describe as dogmatic don’t we?
Erroneous
This is a lovely word describing something
or someone as wrong or incorrect. We may
talk of erroneous assumptions or information, or erroneously accuse someone of
something they did not do.
Flabbergasted
This is another of my favourite words. This
means to be more than just surprised, it is to be amazed, astounded,
overwhelmed. In fact when you see
or hear something that leaves you
speechless, you are flabbergasted!
Gratuitous
Be careful as this tricky little adjective has
two distinct meanings.
It can be used to describe something that
is uncalled for, unnecessary and unwarranted, such as gratuitous violence in a film.
However, it can also be used to describe
something that is given freely and without any obligation. It is not unusual
for solicitors to offer some gratuitous legal advice.
Hypocrisy
Is the pretence of holding strong moral or
religious beliefs and principles. A
hypocrite will pretend to uphold publicly approved attitudes, whilst in reality
they do not live by this standard. They talk the talk, but they can’t walk the
walk! It may not surprise you that you often hear this term used to describe
politicians.
Inept
If someone is inept they are not suitable
or capable of doing the job required. This may be due to lack of skill, ability
or competence. A person may also be
socially inept, meaning to be uneasy in social circumstances, and not to
respond in a socially acceptable way. Alternatively you can make an inept
comment, which means that you say something that is thoughtless, and not really
appropriate for the circumstances.
Finally, to end on a happier note, how about:
Jubilant
To be jubilant is a verb meaning to be
feeling or expressing great joy. It may be a feeling of triumph and success. It
is not just to be happy but to be ecstatic. It may also be used as an adverb as
in ‘The players celebrated their win jubilantly!’
Next week we will have a look at a few more
words to impress.
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