More Advanced English Words That Maybe New to You
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In our previous article, you’ve already learned some advanced English words like ephemeral and obsequious. Do you remember what they mean? In this article, you’ll learn even more advanced English words that you can study as a student of the English language.
Especially if you’ve passed the ‘basic understanding’ level, learning the words in this article can be a great addition to the more complex grammar and other language aspects that you may be studying at the moment. To get more value out of this article, I’ve added the British English phonetic spelling of each word for you. This way, you can practise pronunciation!
So, let’s get started!
Nefarious
This word refers to a person, thing, or, most often, activities that are criminal or not morally sound. For instance, a company can be involved in nefarious practices. A synonym that could be used for nefarious is the word ‘villainous’.
How to pronounce this word?
The word nefarious is pronounced as ‘nuh-feuh-ree-uhs’.
Platitude
This word refers to a statement that has been said so many times that it becomes boring and meaningless. To give you an idea, an example of a platitude is ‘time heals all wounds.’
How to pronounce this word?
The word platitude is pronounced as ‘pla-tuh-chood’.
Ineffable
You use this word when you are referring to something, often a feeling, that is too great to be expressed in words. For instance, looking out from the top of a mountain, and seeing all the natural beauty of the landscape could cause ineffable joy.
How to pronounce this word?
The word ineffable is pronounced as ‘in-eh-fuh-bl’.
Palaver
This word refers to something excessively elaborate or complex. You could, for instance, say that moving to a new house is ‘such a palaver’. The palaver also describes a discussion or speech that goes on for too long and is not important.
How to pronounce this word?
The word palaver is pronounced as ‘puh-laa-vuh’.
Gambit
This word refers to a clever action in a game or situation that is used to achieve an advantage. You may recognise this word from the drama series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ about chess. In this context, the word gambit describes a tactic in which you lose a pawn at the beginning of the game to gain an advantage later in the game.
How to pronounce this word?
The word gambit is pronounced as ‘gam-buht’.
Evanescent
This word is a synonym for a word that was mentioned in the previous article on advanced English words. Can you guess which one? It describes the condition of lasting only for a short amount of time and then disappearing quickly. Synonyms for evanescent are fleeting and, as described in the previous article, ephemeral.
How to pronounce this word?
The word evanescent is pronounced as ‘eh-vuh-neh-snnt’.
Riposte
This word refers to a quick and clever remark. A riposte is often made in answer to an insult or criticism. It is both a verb and a noun: you can riposte or make a riposte. The English ‘borrowed’ this word from the French in the early 1700s, but further back in history, the term ultimately stems from the Latin word ‘respondēre’ (to respond).
How to pronounce this word?
The word riposte is pronounced as ‘ruh-powst’.
Fastidious
You use this word when you are describing someone as very concerned about details, accuracy or cleanliness. Most often, being fastidious is seen as a negative, but from time to time, it could be used as a compliment. A commonly used synonym for the word fastidious is meticulous.
How to pronounce this word?
The word fastidious is pronounced ‘fa-sti-dee-uhs’
Perfidious
This word describes someone who or something that is untrustworthy or deceitful. As such, besides a person being perfidious, a strategy or certain actions can also be perfidious. Another word for perfidious is treacherous.
How to pronounce this word?
The word perfidious is pronounced as ‘puh-fi-dee-uhs’.
Sanctimonious
This term describes someone who is acting as if they are morally superior to others. Sanctimonious is a derogatory or disapproving term that stems from the Latin word ‘Sanctus’, which means holy. Fittingly, another word for sanctimonious is ‘holier-than-thou’.
How to pronounce this word?
The word sanctimonious is pronounced as ‘sangk-tuh-mow-nee-uhs’.
Sanguine
Someone who is sanguine is positive or optimistic that things will work out in the end. While being optimistic is often seen as a positive character trait, if you are sanguine, too optimistic or cheerful, you run the risk of being seen as naïve.
How to pronounce this word?
The word sanguine is pronounced as ‘sang-whn’.
Mendacious
When you refer to something or someone that is mendacious, it means they are dishonest and not telling the truth. So, a statement can be mendacious or a lie. But a person who is dishonest can also be mendacious.
How to pronounce this word?
The word mendacious is pronounced as ‘men-day-shush’.
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I hope you enjoyed this second article on advanced English words and that learning the pronunciation of these words was also helpful! If you want to practice with these advanced English words, go to the ‘Practise Your Language’ forum in the community!
Warmly,
Marieke, OLS Community Manager – English