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Awesome and cool words in the English language! English is an odd language. It borrows so much from other languages that learning it can be a major challenge, even if English is the only language you know. However, it also has a lot of really cool words that are great to know! These cool words can help you sound smarter, feel smarter and more confident, or maybe just help you hate English a little less. Each word in the list below comes with a definition put into normal terms. Some of these cool words are on this list because they sound awesome, some are on the list because the definitions are cool, and some are on the list because the definitions are surprising.
Cool Words
Top 100 Coolest Words in English
Below are 100 cool words in the English language:
1. Abbreviate
To shorten a word or phrase, usually to just a couple of letters
2. Accidentology
The study of the prevention of accidents
3. Alliteration
Using two or more words close together that start with the same sound
4. Arithmetician
An expert in basic math functions
5. Bafflegab
Confusing or impossible to understand wording, such as legalese
6. Bibliotherapy
The use of reading as part of a therapy practice
7. Bluster
To be loud like the wind during a storm OR to make a lot of noise without anything to back it up
8. Bounden
Being bound to someone or something in an obligatory way
9. Calcariferous
A thing that has spurred on it
10. Cannetille
Gold or silver thread in a spiral twist
11. Centesimal
Hundredth
12. Charismatic
Description of someone who has charm and magnetism
13. Dastardly
Cowardly and sneaky or underhanded
14. Depigmentation
The loss of coloring (pigment)
15. Disambiguation
Clarifying different possible meanings
16. Doublespeak
Intentionally saying one thing that might mean something else
17. Eavesdrop
To listen in on others’ conversations
18. Eidetic
A description of visual input that’s reproducible with detail and accuracy
19. Empathetic
Being able to relate to someone else’s experience as if it’s your own
20. Etymology
The history and development of a word
21. Facetious
Not serious; like sarcasm, but not always with an obvious tonal difference
22. Finicky
Being hard to please; changing one’s mind a lot
23. Floriferous
A plant that grows flowers
24. Frippery
Something that looks nice but doesn’t always make things better
25. Gallivant
To go around looking for entertainment or pleasure
26. Gaunt
Thin, overly skinny
27. Glimmer
A faint light OR a tiny bit, as in a glimmer of an idea or thought
28. Gregarious
Someone who likes being around people
29. Hallucinate
To see something that isn’t there
30. Heliosphere
The area around the sun where solar winds happen
31. Histamine
The stuff that makes you itchy
32. Horripilation
Goosebumps
33. Ideation
The stage of creating ideas
34. Imperative
Important to the point of being required
35. Infatuation
Being really intensely caught up in a person or thing
36. Iterative
Something repetitive OR a rule that can be applied repeatedly
37. Jargon
The language that’s specific to a particular niche
38. Jovial
A happy manner
39. Julienne
A way to cut food into short strips
40. Juxtaposition
Two things put together for (or resulting in) a contrast
41. Kaleidoscope
A tube with colors and mirrors that moves to make varied patterns
42. Keen
Sharp, either literally or talking about somebody’s intelligence or observations
43. Kickstart
Like jumpstart, it means to give something a push to get it going
44. Knight-errant
A knight who goes out looking for adventure
45. Lair
A hidden, safe place
46. Letterboxing
The process of changing something widescreen to something standard ratio, without messing up the images
47. Linear
In a straight line or in order, including by time of occurrence
48. Lugubrious
Looking or sounding sad
49. Magnanimous
Generous, forgiving, especially if you’re the person in power
50. Matriculate
To be enrolled in a university
51. Mundane
Normal, usual
52. Monotony
When things are the same, such as a voice in the same tone, usually in a boring way
53. Narcissist
A person who sees the world as revolving around themselves
54. Nexus
A connection linking two or more things, like a web
55. Nidicolous
An animal raised in a nest
56. Nonsensical
Something that doesn’t make sense, usually in a silly way
57. Obfuscate
To hide or shadow something, sometimes literally, but often figuratively
58. Olfactory
From the nose, or a scent
59. Omnipotent
To be all-knowing and have all potential
60. Onomatopoeia
Writing out of a sound (buzz, plop, etc)
61. Pacifist
Someone who doesn’t fight
62. Pedagogue
A teacher, usually a boring one
63. Pictography
A story told with pictures
64. Polylingual
Ability to speak more than one language
65. Quadrennial
Something that happens every four years
66. Quandary
The state of being stuck on a decision
67. Quibble
To argue over little details instead of the point
68. Racketeer
Someone who gets money illegally, usually through intimidation
69. Recant
To take back what’s been said
70. Rodomont
Someone who brags a lot (outdated but fun)
71. Rusticate
To go live in the countryside
72. Saccharine
Overly sweet, either literally or in behavior
73. Scrawl
Messy handwriting
74. Shod
Wearing shoes
75. Synthesize
To bring things together to make one product
76. Tactile
Something you can touch, or the act or feeling of touching
77. Tensile
Relating to tension, how tight something is
78. Throng
A big group of people
79. Typographic
Relating to typing or font; a typographic error is a typo
80. Ubiquitous
Something that’s used a lot, everywhere, or gratuitous
81. Umbra
The shadowy or dark part of a light source, to include sun and (reflection of) moon
82. Unbridled
Without restraint, with no holding back
83. Vagabond
Someone who wanders, without a set home
84. Velocity
How fact something goes
85. Vicissitude
Something being changeable
86. Voiceprint
Like a fingerprint, it’s the individual characteristics, but of a person’s voice
87. Waggle
To move side to side
88. Wieldy
Something easy to hold and use
89. Writhe
To twist and distort
90. Wyvern
A mythological creature like a dragon
91. Xenophile
Someone who likes people, styles, things that are different
92. Xylotomy
The art of preparing pieces of wood for study
93. Yearning
Wanting someone or something
94. Yestereve
Last night (outdated)
95. Yonder
Far away, but often in sight
96. Yurt
A circular or dome tent. Asian in origin
97. Zeal
Eagerness and excitement for something
98. Zenith
The high point in an arc, often sun or moon
99. Zoniferous
Having to do with a zone or zones
100. Zoogenic
Something caused by or associated with animals
Use any of these words as often as you’d like!
Cool English Words Images
Cool Words Image 1
Cool Words Image 2
Awesome and Cool Sounding Words
Funny Sounding Words
- Brouhaha – “a noisy and overexcited reaction to something”
- Kerfuffle – “a commotion or fuss, especially one caused by conflicting views”
- Flummox – “to confuse or perplex”
- Blubber – “to cry noisily and uncontrollably”
- Gobbledygook – “language that is meaningless or difficult to understand”
- Lollygag – “to spend time aimlessly or to be idle”
- Malarkey – “meaningless talk or nonsense”
- Skedaddle – “to run away hurriedly”
- Smorgasbord – “a variety or assortment of something”
- Waddle – “to walk with short steps, swaying from side to side”
Beautiful Sounding Words
- Serenity – “calmness and peacefulness”
- Euphoria – “a feeling of intense happiness and excitement”
- Ethereal – “delicate, light, and airy; having a heavenly or spiritual quality”
- Luminescence – “soft, glowing light”
- Mellifluous – “pleasant-sounding; musical”
- Sonorous – “deep, rich, and full in sound”
- Effervescence – “bubbling over with high spirits”
- Luminous – “radiating or reflecting light; bright or shining”
- Aurora – “a natural electrical phenomenon characterized by colorful lights in the sky”
- Halcyon – “calm, peaceful, and tranquil”
Romantic Sounding Words
List of cool words that are romantic in English.
- Serenade – “a love song sung or played outdoors at night, usually beneath someone’s window”
- Enamored – “charmed or captivated by someone; in love”
- Elysium – “a state or place of perfect happiness; paradise”
- Adore – “to love and respect someone deeply; to be fond of”
- Devotion – “great love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for someone or something”
- Bliss – “supreme happiness or joy”
- Cherish – “to hold dear and treasure something or someone”
- Passionate – “intense and ardent feelings of love, desire, or enthusiasm”
- Romance – “a love affair or love story, often one that is idealized or fanciful”
- Endearment – “a word or phrase used to express love or affection, often between romantic partners”
Positive Sounding Words
List of cool words that are positive in the English language.
- Aurora – “dawn”
- Belle – “beautiful”
- Blossom – “to flourish or bloom”
- Celeste – “heavenly”
- Eden – “paradise”
- Elise – “pledged to God”
- Ember – “spark or glowing light”
- Grace – “elegance, kindness, or divine favor”
- Harmony – “agreement or peacefulness”
- Haven – “a place of safety or refuge”
- Hope – “optimism or expectation”
- Joy – “happiness or delight”
- Luminous – “bright or glowing”
- Melody – “pleasant or musical sound”
- Serenity – “calm or peacefulness”
- Trinity – “threefold or unity”
- Valor – “courage or bravery”
- Verity – “truth or accuracy”
- Violet – “purple flower”
- Zephyr – “a gentle breeze”
Inspiring Sounding Words
- Believe
- Dream
- Courage
- Hope
- Perseverance
- Strength
- Resilience
- Determination
- Faith
- Passion
- Ambition
- Optimism
- Empowerment
- Endurance
- Inspiration
- Creativity
- Gratitude
- Empathy
- Kindness
- Love
- Confidence
- Focus
- Dedication
- Commitment
- Discipline
- Patience
- Vision
- Growth
- Transformation
- Positivity
Cool Sounding Slang Words
- Ace – “excellent”
- Chillax – “to relax”
- Cray – “crazy”
- Dope – “awesome”
- Fly – “stylish”
- Gnarly – “cool or awesome”
- Groovy – “excellent or cool”
- Hella – “very or extremely”
- Lit – “awesome or amazing”
- Rad – “excellent or cool”
- Sick – “cool or awesome”
- Snazzy – “stylish or attractive”
- Swag – “style or confidence”
- Totes – “totally or completely”
- Yolo – “you only live once”
Awesome Sounding Words
- Aurora
- Bliss
- Cascade
- Celestial
- Conundrum
- Euphoria
- Exquisite
- Galaxy
- Incandescent
- Luminous
- Magnificent
- Melodic
- Mystical
- Nebula
- Oasis
- Radiant
- Resplendent
- Serendipity
- Stellar
- Tranquility
Unique Sounding Words
- Brouhaha – “an uproar or commotion”
- Defenestration – “the act of throwing someone or something out of a window”
- Ephemeral – “lasting for a very short time”
- Halcyon – “calm, peaceful, and happy”
- Ineffable – “too great or extreme to be expressed in words”
- Labyrinthine – “complicated, intricate, and confusing”
- Mellifluous – “sweet or musical sounding”
- Opulent – “luxurious and lavish”
- Petrichor – “the pleasant, earthy smell after rain”
- Quintessential – “the purest or most typical example of something”
- Susurrus – “a whispering or rustling sound”
- Ubiquitous – “present or existing everywhere”
- Verdant – “green with vegetation; lush”
- Wunderkind – “a child prodigy or someone who achieves great success at a young age”
- Zeitgeist – “the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history”
Awkward Sounding Words
- Cacophony – “a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds”
- Discombobulate – “to confuse or disconcert”
- Flummox – “to confuse or perplex”
- Gobbledygook – “language that is meaningless or hard to understand”
- Hodgepodge – “a confused mixture or jumble”
- Kerfuffle – “a commotion or fuss”
- Malarkey – “nonsense or foolishness”
- Nincompoop – “a silly or foolish person”
- Pizzazz – “attractive or exciting vitality”
- Skedaddle – “to run away quickly”
- Squelch – “to suppress or silence”
- Tchotchke – “a small trinket or knick-knack”
- Uglification – “the act of making something ugly”
- Viscous – “thick, sticky, and semi-fluid”
- Wobble – “to move unsteadily from side to side”
Old Sounding Words in Modern English
- Bequeath – “to leave something to someone in a will”
- Blithe – “happy or carefree”
- Clad – “dressed or clothed”
- Ere – “before or sooner than”
- Fain – “gladly or willingly”
- Hither – “towards this place”
- Lo – “look or see”
- Mirth – “amusement or laughter”
- Nay – “no”
- Quell – “to suppress or extinguish”
- Rouse – “to awaken or stir up”
- Thither – “towards that place”
- Wane – “to decrease or diminish”
- Whence – “from where”
- Yonder – “over there”
Top 100 Coolest Words | Image
100 Cool Words in English
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