Bombastic English Words

| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example | |------|--------------|---------|---------| | | pul-kri-TOO-di-nus | Physically beautiful (ironically ugly-sounding) | “Her pulchritudinous grace left the courtiers stammering.” | | Defenestration | dee-fen-es-TRAY-shun | The act of throwing someone out a window | “The committee resorted to verbal defenestration.” | | Perspicacious | per-spi-KAY-shus | Keenly perceptive | “A perspicacious observation, my lord.” | | Melifluous | mel-IF-loo-us | Sweetly flowing (sound or voice) | “His mellifluous baritone silenced the tavern.” | | Sesquipedalian | ses-kwi-pe-DAY-lee-an | Given to using long words | “His sesquipedalian monologue lost the audience by line three.” | | Floccinaucinihilipilification | flok-si-naw-si-ni-hi-li-pi-li-fi-KAY-shun | The act of estimating as worthless | “His floccinaucinihilipilification of my efforts was… thorough.” | | Petrichor | PET-ri-kor | The earthy smell after rain | “The petrichor rose like incense from the heated pavement.” | | Ultracrepidarian | ul-tra-krep-i-DAR-ee-an | One who gives opinions beyond their knowledge | “Every ultracrepidarian in the comments had a hot take.” | | Antidisestablishmentarianism | an-tee-dis-es-tab-lish-men-TAIR-ee-an-izm | Opposition to the disestablishment of a state church | “A word known chiefly for its length, not its dinner-party utility.” | | Insuperable | in-SOO-per-a-bul | Impossible to overcome | “The insuperable boredom of the lecture broke his spirit.” |

A "bombastic word" is typically characterized by: bombastic english words

Why do speakers and writers employ these words? The motivation can generally be categorized into three distinct psychological drivers: | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example