10 Old-Fashioned Words That Make You Sound Smart

Reader's Digest Editors

By Reader's Digest Editors

Updated on Jan. 06, 2023

Freck your eyes over these ludibrious definitions, and you'll be kenching in no time.

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10 Old-Fashioned Words That Make You Sound Smart
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Freck

Definition: Verb—”To move swiftly or nimbly”

Usage: The only way to survive the streets of New York City is to freck through the crowds, especially the slow movers, and never turn around.

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Laughing at his own jokes
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Kench

Definition: Verb—”To laugh loudly” (Middle English)

Usage: I was scrolling through Reader’s Digest jokes on my phone, and I kenched right in the middle of the airport! Everyone was staring at me.

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Woman in bathtub
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Deliciate

Definition: Verb—”To take one’s pleasure, enjoy oneself, revel, luxuriate”

Usage: After an exhausting week, we deliciated in a spa day, complete with mani/pedis and a full-body massage. Check out these other fancy words that make you sound smarter.

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Businessmen having argument
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Brabble

Definition: Verb—”To quarrel about trifles; esp. to quarrel noisily, brawl, squabble”

Usage: Don’t mention Friends around Mike and Tony. They’ll brabble for hours over whether Ross and Rachel were really on a break.

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DRUM BEAT
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Ludibrious

Definition: Adj.—”Apt to be a subject of jest or mockery”

Usage: Joan’s classmates found her ludibrious because of her cassette tape collection.

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10 Old-Fashioned Words That Make You Sound Smart
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Jollux

Definition: Noun—”A fat person” (18th-century slang)

Usage: Old King Clarance was a bit of a jollux, but he did serve the best food in all the land.

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Confused woman on telephone
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Jargogle

Definition: Verb—”To confuse, jumble” (coined by John Locke in 1692)

Usage: Please write down your phone number for me. If I try to memorize it, I’ll just jargogle all the numbers. Here are 10 more funny vintage words people should start using again.

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10 Old-Fashioned Words That Make You Sound Smart
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Facinorous

Definition: Adj.—”Atrociously wicked”

Usage: As soon as he was released from prison, the convict began concocting a facinorous plot to get his revenge. Avoid these 20 words and phrases that smart people never use.

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Couple kissing passionately
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Deosculate

Definition: Verb—”To kiss warmly”

Usage: Overcome with emotion, Sam deosculated his girlfriend as soon as she walked in the door.

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Man and woman in Office
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Éclaircissement

Definition: Noun—”A clearing up of something obscure”

Usage: I need an éclaircissement on just how these fantastic old-fashioned words ever went out of fashion.