100 Most Beautiful Words in the English Language

I admit, I lifted this from another site, but considering how many
word-aholics we have here, thought it might make an interesting topic
of discussion (if you would like to see the site, go he

http://www.alphadictionary.com/artic...ful_words.html

Ailurophile - A cat-lover. (as a dog person I might disagree with this
one. . .)
Assemblage- A gathering.
Becoming- Attractive.
Beleaguer - To exhaust with attacks.
Brood - To think alone.
BucolicIn - a lovely rural setting.
Bungalow - A small, cozy cottage.
Chatoyant- Like a cat's eye.
Comely- Attractive.
Conflate - To blend together.
Cynosure - A focal point of admiration.
Dalliance - A brief love affair.
Demesne - Dominion, territory.
Demure - Shy and reserved.
Denouement - The resolution of a mystery.
Desuetude - Disuse.
Desultory - Slow, sluggish.
Diaphanous - Filmy.
Dissemble - Deceive.
Dulcet - Sweet, sugary.
Ebullience - Bubbling enthusiasm.
Effervescent - Bubbly.
Efflorescence - Flowering, blooming.
Elision - Dropping a sound or syllable in a word.
Elixir - A good potion.
Eloquence - Beauty and persuasion in speech.
Embrocation - Rubbing on a lotion.
Emollient - A softener.
Ephemeral - Short-lived.
Epiphany - A sudden revelation.
Erstwhile - At one time, for a time.
Ethereal - Gaseous, invisible but detectable.
Evanescent - Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time.
Evocative - Suggestive.
Fetching - Pretty.
Felicity - Pleasantness.
Forbearance - Withholding response to provocation.
Fugacious - Fleeting.
Furtive - Shifty, sneaky.
Gambol - To skip or leap about joyfully.
Glamour - Beauty.
Gossamer - The finest piece of thread, a spider's silk
Halcyon - Happy, sunny, care-free.
Harbinger - Messenger with news of the future.
Imbrication - Overlapping and forming a regular pattern.
Imbroglio - An altercation or complicated situation.
Imbue - To infuse, instill.
Incipient - Beginning, in an early stage.
Ineffable - Unutterable, inexpressible.
Ingénue - A naïve young woman.
Inglenook - A cozy nook by the hearth.
Insouciance - Blithe nonchalance.
Inure - To become jaded.
Labyrinthine - Twisting and turning.
Lagniappe - A special kind of gift.
Lagoon - A small gulf or inlet.
Languor - Listlessness, inactivity.
Lassitude - Weariness, listlessness.
Leisure - Free time.
Lilt - To move musically or lively.
Lissome - Slender and graceful.
Lithe - Slender and flexible.
Love - Deep affection.
Mellifluous - Sweet sounding.
Moiety - One of two equal parts.
Mondegreen - A slip of the ear.
Murmurous - Murmuring.
Nemesis - An unconquerable archenemy.
Offing - The sea between the horizon and the offshore.
Onomatopoeia - A word that sounds like its meaning.
Opulent - Lush, luxuriant.
Palimpsest - A manuscript written over earlier ones.
Panacea - A solution for all problems
Panoply - A complete set.
Pastiche - An art work combining materials from various sources.
Penumbra - A half-shadow.
Petrichor - The smell of earth after rain.
Plethora - A large quantity.
Propinquity - An inclination.
Pyrrhic - Successful with heavy losses.
Quintessential - Most essential.
Ratatouille - A spicy French stew.
Ravel - To knit or unknit.
Redolent - Fragrant.
Riparian - By the bank of a stream.
Ripple - A very small wave.
Scintilla - A spark or very small thing.
Sempiternal - Eternal.
Seraglio - Rich, luxurious oriental palace or harem.
Serendipity - Finding something nice while looking for something else.
Summery - Light, delicate or warm and sunny.
Sumptuous - Lush, luxurious.
Surreptitious - Secretive, sneaky.
Susquehanna - A river in Pennsylvania.
Susurrous - Whispering, hissing.
Talisman - A good luck charm.
Tintinnabulation - Tinkling.
Umbrella - Protection from sun or rain.
Untoward - Unseemly, inappropriate.
VestigialIn - trace amounts.
Wafture - Waving.
Wherewithal - The means.
Woebegone - Sorrowful, downcast.

wrote:
I admit, I lifted this from another site, but considering how many
word-aholics we have here, thought it might make an interesting topic
of discussion (if you would like to see the site, go he

http://www.alphadictionary.com/artic...ful_words.html

Ailurophile - A cat-lover. (as a dog person I might disagree with this
one. . .)
Assemblage- A gathering.
Becoming- Attractive.
Beleaguer - To exhaust with attacks.
Brood - To think alone.
BucolicIn - a lovely rural setting.
Bungalow - A small, cozy cottage.
Chatoyant- Like a cat's eye.
Comely- Attractive.
Conflate - To blend together.
Cynosure - A focal point of admiration.
Dalliance - A brief love affair.
Demesne - Dominion, territory.
Demure - Shy and reserved.
Denouement - The resolution of a mystery.
Desuetude - Disuse.
Desultory - Slow, sluggish.
Diaphanous - Filmy.
Dissemble - Deceive.
Dulcet - Sweet, sugary.
Ebullience - Bubbling enthusiasm.
Effervescent - Bubbly.
Efflorescence - Flowering, blooming.
Elision - Dropping a sound or syllable in a word.
Elixir - A good potion.
Eloquence - Beauty and persuasion in speech.
Embrocation - Rubbing on a lotion.
Emollient - A softener.
Ephemeral - Short-lived.
Epiphany - A sudden revelation.
Erstwhile - At one time, for a time.
Ethereal - Gaseous, invisible but detectable.
Evanescent - Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time.
Evocative - Suggestive.
Fetching - Pretty.
Felicity - Pleasantness.
Forbearance - Withholding response to provocation.
Fugacious - Fleeting.
Furtive - Shifty, sneaky.
Gambol - To skip or leap about joyfully.
Glamour - Beauty.
Gossamer - The finest piece of thread, a spider's silk
Halcyon - Happy, sunny, care-free.
Harbinger - Messenger with news of the future.
Imbrication - Overlapping and forming a regular pattern.
Imbroglio - An altercation or complicated situation.
Imbue - To infuse, instill.
Incipient - Beginning, in an early stage.
Ineffable - Unutterable, inexpressible.
Ingénue - A naïve young woman.
Inglenook - A cozy nook by the hearth.
Insouciance - Blithe nonchalance.
Inure - To become jaded.
Labyrinthine - Twisting and turning.
Lagniappe - A special kind of gift.
Lagoon - A small gulf or inlet.
Languor - Listlessness, inactivity.
Lassitude - Weariness, listlessness.
Leisure - Free time.
Lilt - To move musically or lively.
Lissome - Slender and graceful.
Lithe - Slender and flexible.
Love - Deep affection.
Mellifluous - Sweet sounding.
Moiety - One of two equal parts.
Mondegreen - A slip of the ear.
Murmurous - Murmuring.
Nemesis - An unconquerable archenemy.
Offing - The sea between the horizon and the offshore.
Onomatopoeia - A word that sounds like its meaning.
Opulent - Lush, luxuriant.
Palimpsest - A manuscript written over earlier ones.
Panacea - A solution for all problems
Panoply - A complete set.
Pastiche - An art work combining materials from various sources.
Penumbra - A half-shadow.
Petrichor - The smell of earth after rain.
Plethora - A large quantity.
Propinquity - An inclination.
Pyrrhic - Successful with heavy losses.
Quintessential - Most essential.
Ratatouille - A spicy French stew.
Ravel - To knit or unknit.
Redolent - Fragrant.
Riparian - By the bank of a stream.
Ripple - A very small wave.
Scintilla - A spark or very small thing.
Sempiternal - Eternal.
Seraglio - Rich, luxurious oriental palace or harem.
Serendipity - Finding something nice while looking for something else.
Summery - Light, delicate or warm and sunny.
Sumptuous - Lush, luxurious.
Surreptitious - Secretive, sneaky.
Susquehanna - A river in Pennsylvania.
Susurrous - Whispering, hissing.
Talisman - A good luck charm.
Tintinnabulation - Tinkling.
Umbrella - Protection from sun or rain.
Untoward - Unseemly, inappropriate.
VestigialIn - trace amounts.
Wafture - Waving.
Wherewithal - The means.
Woebegone - Sorrowful, downcast.

They left out my favourite: abominable.

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

On 10/26/09 9:26 PM, "Trish Brown" wrote:

wrote:
I admit, I lifted this from another site, but considering how many
word-aholics we have here, thought it might make an interesting topic
of discussion (if you would like to see the site, go he

http://www.alphadictionary.com/artic...ful_words.html

Ailurophile - A cat-lover. (as a dog person I might disagree with this
one. . .)
Assemblage- A gathering.
Becoming- Attractive.
Beleaguer - To exhaust with attacks.
Brood - To think alone.
BucolicIn - a lovely rural setting.
Bungalow - A small, cozy cottage.
Chatoyant- Like a cat's eye.
Comely- Attractive.
Conflate - To blend together.
Cynosure - A focal point of admiration.
Dalliance - A brief love affair.
Demesne - Dominion, territory.
Demure - Shy and reserved.
Denouement - The resolution of a mystery.
Desuetude - Disuse.
Desultory - Slow, sluggish.
Diaphanous - Filmy.
Dissemble - Deceive.
Dulcet - Sweet, sugary.
Ebullience - Bubbling enthusiasm.
Effervescent - Bubbly.
Efflorescence - Flowering, blooming.
Elision - Dropping a sound or syllable in a word.
Elixir - A good potion.
Eloquence - Beauty and persuasion in speech.
Embrocation - Rubbing on a lotion.
Emollient - A softener.
Ephemeral - Short-lived.
Epiphany - A sudden revelation.
Erstwhile - At one time, for a time.
Ethereal - Gaseous, invisible but detectable.
Evanescent - Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time.
Evocative - Suggestive.
Fetching - Pretty.
Felicity - Pleasantness.
Forbearance - Withholding response to provocation.
Fugacious - Fleeting.
Furtive - Shifty, sneaky.
Gambol - To skip or leap about joyfully.
Glamour - Beauty.
Gossamer - The finest piece of thread, a spider's silk
Halcyon - Happy, sunny, care-free.
Harbinger - Messenger with news of the future.
Imbrication - Overlapping and forming a regular pattern.
Imbroglio - An altercation or complicated situation.
Imbue - To infuse, instill.
Incipient - Beginning, in an early stage.
Ineffable - Unutterable, inexpressible.
Ingénue - A naïve young woman.
Inglenook - A cozy nook by the hearth.
Insouciance - Blithe nonchalance.
Inure - To become jaded.
Labyrinthine - Twisting and turning.
Lagniappe - A special kind of gift.
Lagoon - A small gulf or inlet.
Languor - Listlessness, inactivity.
Lassitude - Weariness, listlessness.
Leisure - Free time.
Lilt - To move musically or lively.
Lissome - Slender and graceful.
Lithe - Slender and flexible.
Love - Deep affection.
Mellifluous - Sweet sounding.
Moiety - One of two equal parts.
Mondegreen - A slip of the ear.
Murmurous - Murmuring.
Nemesis - An unconquerable archenemy.
Offing - The sea between the horizon and the offshore.
Onomatopoeia - A word that sounds like its meaning.
Opulent - Lush, luxuriant.
Palimpsest - A manuscript written over earlier ones.
Panacea - A solution for all problems
Panoply - A complete set.
Pastiche - An art work combining materials from various sources.
Penumbra - A half-shadow.
Petrichor - The smell of earth after rain.
Plethora - A large quantity.
Propinquity - An inclination.
Pyrrhic - Successful with heavy losses.
Quintessential - Most essential.
Ratatouille - A spicy French stew.
Ravel - To knit or unknit.
Redolent - Fragrant.
Riparian - By the bank of a stream.
Ripple - A very small wave.
Scintilla - A spark or very small thing.
Sempiternal - Eternal.
Seraglio - Rich, luxurious oriental palace or harem.
Serendipity - Finding something nice while looking for something else.
Summery - Light, delicate or warm and sunny.
Sumptuous - Lush, luxurious.
Surreptitious - Secretive, sneaky.
Susquehanna - A river in Pennsylvania.
Susurrous - Whispering, hissing.
Talisman - A good luck charm.
Tintinnabulation - Tinkling.
Umbrella - Protection from sun or rain.
Untoward - Unseemly, inappropriate.
VestigialIn - trace amounts.
Wafture - Waving.
Wherewithal - The means.
Woebegone - Sorrowful, downcast.

They left out my favourite: abominable.

Or reprehensible....

;^)

Ellice

ellice wrote:
On 10/26/09 9:26 PM, "Trish Brown" wrote:

wrote:
I admit, I lifted this from another site, but considering how many
word-aholics we have here, thought it might make an interesting topic
of discussion (if you would like to see the site, go he

http://www.alphadictionary.com/artic...ful_words.html

Ailurophile - A cat-lover. (as a dog person I might disagree with this
one. . .)
Assemblage- A gathering.
Becoming- Attractive.
Beleaguer - To exhaust with attacks.
Brood - To think alone.
BucolicIn - a lovely rural setting.
Bungalow - A small, cozy cottage.
Chatoyant- Like a cat's eye.
Comely- Attractive.
Conflate - To blend together.
Cynosure - A focal point of admiration.
Dalliance - A brief love affair.
Demesne - Dominion, territory.
Demure - Shy and reserved.
Denouement - The resolution of a mystery.
Desuetude - Disuse.
Desultory - Slow, sluggish.
Diaphanous - Filmy.
Dissemble - Deceive.
Dulcet - Sweet, sugary.
Ebullience - Bubbling enthusiasm.
Effervescent - Bubbly.
Efflorescence - Flowering, blooming.
Elision - Dropping a sound or syllable in a word.
Elixir - A good potion.
Eloquence - Beauty and persuasion in speech.
Embrocation - Rubbing on a lotion.
Emollient - A softener.
Ephemeral - Short-lived.
Epiphany - A sudden revelation.
Erstwhile - At one time, for a time.
Ethereal - Gaseous, invisible but detectable.
Evanescent - Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time.
Evocative - Suggestive.
Fetching - Pretty.
Felicity - Pleasantness.
Forbearance - Withholding response to provocation.
Fugacious - Fleeting.
Furtive - Shifty, sneaky.
Gambol - To skip or leap about joyfully.
Glamour - Beauty.
Gossamer - The finest piece of thread, a spider's silk
Halcyon - Happy, sunny, care-free.
Harbinger - Messenger with news of the future.
Imbrication - Overlapping and forming a regular pattern.
Imbroglio - An altercation or complicated situation.
Imbue - To infuse, instill.
Incipient - Beginning, in an early stage.
Ineffable - Unutterable, inexpressible.
Ingénue - A naïve young woman.
Inglenook - A cozy nook by the hearth.
Insouciance - Blithe nonchalance.
Inure - To become jaded.
Labyrinthine - Twisting and turning.
Lagniappe - A special kind of gift.
Lagoon - A small gulf or inlet.
Languor - Listlessness, inactivity.
Lassitude - Weariness, listlessness.
Leisure - Free time.
Lilt - To move musically or lively.
Lissome - Slender and graceful.
Lithe - Slender and flexible.
Love - Deep affection.
Mellifluous - Sweet sounding.
Moiety - One of two equal parts.
Mondegreen - A slip of the ear.
Murmurous - Murmuring.
Nemesis - An unconquerable archenemy.
Offing - The sea between the horizon and the offshore.
Onomatopoeia - A word that sounds like its meaning.
Opulent - Lush, luxuriant.
Palimpsest - A manuscript written over earlier ones.
Panacea - A solution for all problems
Panoply - A complete set.
Pastiche - An art work combining materials from various sources.
Penumbra - A half-shadow.
Petrichor - The smell of earth after rain.
Plethora - A large quantity.
Propinquity - An inclination.
Pyrrhic - Successful with heavy losses.
Quintessential - Most essential.
Ratatouille - A spicy French stew.
Ravel - To knit or unknit.
Redolent - Fragrant.
Riparian - By the bank of a stream.
Ripple - A very small wave.
Scintilla - A spark or very small thing.
Sempiternal - Eternal.
Seraglio - Rich, luxurious oriental palace or harem.
Serendipity - Finding something nice while looking for something else.
Summery - Light, delicate or warm and sunny.
Sumptuous - Lush, luxurious.
Surreptitious - Secretive, sneaky.
Susquehanna - A river in Pennsylvania.
Susurrous - Whispering, hissing.
Talisman - A good luck charm.
Tintinnabulation - Tinkling.
Umbrella - Protection from sun or rain.
Untoward - Unseemly, inappropriate.
VestigialIn - trace amounts.
Wafture - Waving.
Wherewithal - The means.
Woebegone - Sorrowful, downcast.
They left out my favourite: abominable.

Or reprehensible....

;^)

Ellice

.... and execrable!

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

They left out my favourite: abominable.

Or reprehensible....

;^)

Ellice

... and execrable!

--
Trish Brown {|:-}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

....preternaturally

Dawne

"Dawne Peterson" wrote in message
el...
They left out my favourite: abominable.

Or reprehensible....

;^)

Ellice

... and execrable!

--
Trish Brown {|:-}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

...preternaturally

Dawne


This isn't really a word, just something a bright kid that worked for me
came up with. I always loved it. "generalfedupedness"

His used it when someone quit with no obvious reason other then that the
staff in the department she worked in sucked and she did a major part of the
work with little recognition and no more money.

Lucille

wrote:
I admit, I lifted this from another site, but considering how many
word-aholics we have here, thought it might make an interesting topic
of discussion

On the word "beautiful" - in the North of England when someone was
decorating their house (i.e. papering, painting etc) they would say they
were "beautifying".
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney UK
http://claremont.islandblogging.co.uk
"Resistance is NOT futile, it's voltage divided by current"

Where is "penultimate"? It has no synonym, sadly, and when used,
"penultimate" can be a word that is new to far too many people, some
of whom will think one who uses it to be a snob. It is, however, one
of my favorites.

"Bruce Fletcher wrote
On the word "beautiful" - in the North of England when someone was
decorating their house (i.e. papering, painting etc) they would say they
were "beautifying".
--
The store where I work used to be visited by a Regional Manager from the
West coast who originally came from England. He used to point out ways we
could "snazzify" our displays. Some of us liked the word so much we kept
it, and use it especially when someone has made an evident extra effort with
their apparel, e.g. "Oh my, aren't you snazzified this morning!"

Dawne

A couple of family words:

Ozarchitecture - tacky yard stuff, especially tires half buried and
used as decorations
Entrange - The range of prices at a restaurant

linda