Do you ever find yourself in a colloquial rut? Bored with your day-to-day jargon? Falling prey to cliche? Well, there are plenty of stimulating words that deserve to be broken out of the woodworks. Here is a list of 11 words you can (and should) use more often to spruce up your vernacular repertoire.
1. Persnickety
A dainty little number that is just fun to say.
Definition: devoting too much attention to details
Synonym(s): fussy, picky, meticulous
2. Ferocious
Not an unfamiliar word, but definitely a powerful one.
Definiton: savagely fierce, cruel, or violent
Synonym(s): aggressive
3. Mottled
This one rolls off the tongue. Just say it. You will agree.
Definition: marked with spots or smears of color
Synonym(s): blotchy, speckled
4. Rove
This word either makes you feel floaty with its sense of dream-like meandering, or makes you think of the Mars Rover, the cutest robot known to man. So really, you cannot go wrong with this one.
Definition: to travel mindlessly without a fixed destination
Synonym(s): wander
5. Squelch
You can actually hear the squishy, sucking noises when you say this word.
Definition: to make a soft, sucking sound (like the sound made when walking through thick mud)
Synonym(s): squish
6. Sardonic
Basically another form of sarcasm (which is most people's second language).
Definition: grimly mocking or cynical
Synonym(s): sarcastic, satirical
7. Fret
When you want to feel slightly posh, give this word a go.
Definition: to be constantly and visibly worried or anxious
Synonym(s): stress, overanalyze, brood
8. Mollycoddle
I am sure everyone has felt this about their parents at some point or another.
Definition: to treat someone with aggressive indulgence or protection
Synonym(s): smother, pamper, spoil
9. Chagrin
When you feel so embarrassed that the word embarrassed does not quite describe how you feel.
Definition: distress or embarrassment from failing
Synonym(s): humiliation
10. Terpsichorean
I stumbled across this word while reading a book and I had to do a double take to pronounce it.
Definition: relating to dance
Synonym(s): (professional) dancer
11. Dicty
Short, sweet, cute. Everything one needs in a word.
Definition: ostentatiously stylish
Synonym(s): pretentious
Vocabulary does not have to be bland, but that also does not mean it has to be hard or ostentatious. There are plenty of words out there that are easy to pronounce and easy to remember. Download a word of the day app. Create notecards. Purchase a dictionary (if people still use those in today's technologically domineering society). Just have fun with it and you might find new doors opening in rooms you would never have considered entering before.