A Comprehensive List Of Big Words To Sound Smart

What are Fancy Words?

Fancy words, also known as big words or sophisticated words, are usually complex, unusual words rarely used in daily language or conversations. Most of the time, they come from academic backgrounds, niche topics, or are archaic and used by few people nowadays. Such cool words are usually used to express abstract concepts, technicalities or to purely add some sophistication to one’s speech. 

Examples of fancy words include pulchritude (beauty), sesquipedalian (using long words), obfuscate (to confuse or bewilder), abrogate (to abolish or annul), mellifluous (pleasing or musical sounding), and plenty more. 

What Makes You Sound Smart? 

Well, that’s a question that requires a multi-pronged approach, but we’ll try to keep it as short as possible. And yes, using big words to sound smart is partly an answer! However, there are more things that make you sound smart than just the use of beautiful words, such as: 

• Articulation. You could know all the smart words there are, but it won’t do you any good if you aren’t speaking clearly and confidently! Avoid filler words like ‘um’ and ‘ehrm’ at all costs — they aren’t doing any good to upkeep that intelligent front. 
• Knowledge. This part requires a bit more time and patience! Being well-read, keeping the pulse on current worldly happenings, and having deep knowledge of various topics are the things that not only make you sound smart but also actually make you smart. 
• Critical thinking. Analyzing information and asking relevant questions reflects intelligence. Offering different approaches to a problem and delivering logical solutions will make you sound smart. Pepper your speech with big words to sound smart, and you’ll blow everyone away!
• Active listening. Yup, listening is just as important as speaking when it comes to intelligence! Paying close attention to what others are conveying and replying in a thoughtful manner is a clear sign of being one smart cookie. 

Always remember that purely using big words to sound smart without understanding their meaning or in the wrong context might make you look a bit like a hoax. Even if you choose such big words as axiom, bourgeois, and cacophony, that sound exceptionally intelligent! Be as it may, intelligence is a genuine thing and well worth the investment. 

Should You Use Big Words to Sound Smart?

If you read the paragraph that came before this one, you might be wondering if using words to make you sound smart is such a good idea after all. Well, it is, and it isn’t! It all depends on how and when you use them: 

• Using fancy words can absolutely make you sound smart, but be mindful that you fully understand their meaning and that you’re using them in the right context. 
• If you choose big words to use in your speech without fully understanding the terminology, you might cause further confusion rather than infusing your talk with intelligence. And nobody would want that! 
• All in all, if in doubt whether you should be using, say, a big word for smart, such as astute or clever, in a given setting, or if bona fide (spelled boh-nah fih-deh not bone a fied) works in your sentence, stick to expressing yourself clearly and concisely, instead. That always does the trick!  

Naturally, learning a bit about words that make you sound smart will do you no harm — on the contrary! As your vocabulary expands, you’ll find yourself not only sounding but actually getting smarter, and that’s a huge bonus. 

That said, shouldn’t you be reading the sophisticated words on our list? Keep scrolling and enjoy these big words to sound smart!