Wordsmith collection

Elegant Everyday Vocabulary

by Wordsmith @wordsmith

High-register synonyms for everyday words: swap 'big' for colossal and 'shy' for reticent. 88 words to make ordinary sentences sharper.

• adamant Firm and determined in a belief, and not willing to give way.
• adept Very skilled and good at doing something.
• affluent Having plenty of money and goods, well off.
• alleviate To make pain, stress or a problem less severe.
• ameliorate To make a bad situation or condition better.
• amiable Friendly, kind and easy to like.
• apathetic Showing no interest, feeling or concern about something.
• apprehensive Anxious, afraid or doubtful about something that may happen.
• archaic Very old-fashioned, as if belonging to a much earlier time.
• articulate Able to speak clearly and put thoughts into words well.
• auspicious Showing signs that things will go well in the future.
• belligerent Aggressively hostile and eager to fight.
• bewildered Confused and unable to think clearly about what is happening.
• candid Honest and open, saying what you really think.
• capricious Changing suddenly and for no clear reason, so nobody can predict it.
• clandestine Done or kept secret, sometimes to hide something wrong or improper.
• colossal Extremely large or on a very great scale.
• convoluted Complex and intricate, like something with many overlapping coils or folds.
• courteous Polite and thoughtful towards other people, with good manners.
• covert Secret or concealed, not done in the open.
• despondent Feeling very low because you have lost hope or courage.
• destitute Having no money at all and extremely poor.
• deteriorate To grow worse or lose quality.
• devastated Extremely upset and shocked by something bad.
• diligent Working hard and paying close, steady attention to the task.
• dubious Probably not true, honest or trustworthy.
• ecstatic Extremely happy and full of delight.
• elated Feeling very happy and excited about something good.
• elegant Graceful, refined and attractive in a simple, tasteful way.
• eloquent Good at expressing ideas clearly and persuasively in speech or writing.
• empathetic Able to see and share how other people are feeling.
• erudite Having or showing deep knowledge, especially knowledge learned from books.
• evasive Avoiding speaking openly or saying much about yourself.
• exacerbate To make a bad problem or situation even worse.
• forthright Direct and candid in what you say, with nothing evasive in it.
• frivolous Silly or unimportant, not worth taking seriously.
• gregarious Enjoying being with other people and happy in a crowd.
• immaculate Perfectly clean and tidy, with no mark or stain.
• impecunious Having little or no money.
• incessant Going on and on without stopping, often until it becomes annoying.
• indifferent Not caring about something or not interested in it one way or the other.
• industrious Working hard and keeping at it.
• inept Having no skill at doing something, and doing it badly.
• inevitable Sure to happen, and impossible to stop or avoid.
• innovative Bringing in new ideas, or thinking ahead of others.
• introverted Turned inward, focused on your own thoughts and feelings more than the world outside.
• irate Extremely angry, in a way that shows.
• jubilant Filled with great joy and high spirits.
• livid Extremely angry, so angry that the face goes pale.
• loquacious Talking a lot, chatty.
• lucid Clear and easy to understand.
• meticulous Giving very careful and precise attention to small details.
• minuscule Very small, tiny.
• miserable Very unhappy and suffering, from sadness, illness or being poor.
• myriad Too many to count.
• negligent Careless and not giving something the attention it needs.
• negligible So small or unimportant that you can safely ignore it.
• novel A long made-up story written in prose.
• obsolete No longer in use or useful, often replaced by something newer or better.
• obstinate Refusing to change a view or give way, often past all reason.
• ominous Suggesting that something bad is going to happen.
• omnipresent Present in every place at the same time.
• overt Done openly, not kept hidden or secret.
• pensive Deep in serious thought, often looking a little sad.
• perpetual Going on forever, or continuing without a break.
• perplexed Confused or puzzled by something.
• plethora A very large, often too large, amount or number of something.
• pragmatic Practical and focused on what is useful in real life, not just in theory.
• pristine Completely clean and unspoiled, just as it was at the start.
• profuse Given or produced in very large amounts, often more than is needed.
• prudent Careful and sensible, thinking ahead before acting and not wasting money.
• quaint Unusual in a charming way, often with an old-fashioned feel.
• resilient Able to return quickly to normal after something damaging happens.
• reticent Not willing to talk about what you think or feel.
• scarce Hard to find, and not enough to meet the need.
• scrupulous Very careful and exact, and unwilling to do anything wrong.
• sophisticated Advanced and complicated, built with a lot of skill or technology.
• sporadic Happening now and then, at irregular times and in scattered places.
• steadfast Firmly loyal and steady, never changing.
• substantial Large in size, amount or value.
• superficial Not thorough or deep, dealing only with what is obvious.
• sympathetic Feeling or showing that you understand and care about someone's troubles.
• transient Lasting or staying for only a short time.
• trivial Small and of little importance or value.
• ubiquitous Seeming to be everywhere at once, or very widespread.
• vigilant Watching carefully and staying alert for danger or trouble.
• vintage Old enough to look clearly dated, but classic and not yet antique.
• volatile Changing often and unpredictably, as a price can.

Definitions from Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0) and Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).