Whenever I run across a word that I really like, I get excited and write it down. Sometimes I find them in a book or article, sometimes they are the word of the day for some dictionary app. Here is a collection of 20 words and my compact definitions for them.

Amaroidal

This word basically means bitter, but slightly less than bitter.

Ancillary

Something that is just supportive or extra.

Begrutten

A Scottish term for tear-stained.

Crepuscular

Crepuscular animals come out at sunrise or sunset. A good example are fireflies.

Curmudgeon

Just think of that old guy down the street who can’t stand anything.

Flapdoodle

All that “fluff” we use to stretch out our papers.

Formosity

Something that is beautiful.

Kleptocracy

A government that seeks only to better itself by stealing from the governed.

Otiose

A fancier way to say useless.

Periphrastic

Something has to do with a paraphrase.

Perspicuity

The opposite of ambiguity.

Petulant

Rude, but in a smart way.

Pulchritude

Yet another way to say beauty. But maybe don’t tell your girlfriend she’s Pulchritudinous, it just doesn’t sound right.

Quagmire

A swamp.

Squinch

That face you make when you smell something so bad it starts to sting your eyes.

Vermillion

A shade of red.

Verisimilitude

This essentially means the same thing as similar. It just sounds a lot cooler.

Venust

Yes, this one also means beautiful. For all those of you writing love poems, you’re welcome.

Vicissitude

A much better way to say changeability.

Virulent

Bad… Very bad.