25+ Unusual English Words with Their Meaning and Uses

English has a vast and diverse vocabulary when compared to other languages. Learning new and unusual words is a process of increasing vocabulary. When you come up with new words, you look for their meaning, appropriate use, and how you can use them in normal conversations. You can impress your classmates, teachers, friends and even add them to your academic portfolio. Learning new and unusual words will not only improve your vocabulary but will also enhance your communication skills.

English has a vibrant tradition of slang and informal expressions. These colloquial terms can be inventive and playful, adding a layer of informality and expressiveness to the language.

If you are excited to learn new and unusual English words, check out this article. We have listed some of the most unusual English words with their meaning and Uses.

Most Popular Unusual English Words with Their Meaning

Professionals like writers, poets, and artists often use language in inventive ways to convey their ideas and emotions. You don’t need to be any of them to learn unusual words. Creative use of language can introduce unique or unusual words that may not be commonly used in everyday conversation. Below we have highlighted some of the most popular unusual English words with their meaning.

1. Aurora

Meaning: The dawn in the early morning

Example: ‘The aurora shimmered across the northern sky, casting an ethereal glow.’

2. Brouhaha

Meaning: An uproar or hubbub; a noise and overexcited reaction or response to something.

Example: ‘The unexpected announcement caused a brouhaha among the audience, with people expressing both surprise and excitement.’

3. Comely

Meaning: Attractive or pleasing in appearance; having a wholesome beauty.

Example: ‘Priya’s comely features and warm smile made her the centre of attention at the party.’

4. Discombobulate

Meaning: To confuse or disconcert; upset the normal operation or function of something.

Example: ‘The complex instructions seemed to discombobulate him, leaving him confused and unsure of where to begin.’

5. Disparate

Meaning: Essentially different; not allowing comparison.

Example: ‘The couple had disparate approaches to marketing, reflecting their different philosophies and goals in the industry.’

6. Flummox

Meaning: To bewilder or confuse someone.

Example: ‘The intricate puzzle managed to flummox even the most experienced crossword enthusiasts.’

7. Gobbledygook

Meaning: Language that is meaningless or hard to understand, especially jargon or technical language.

Example: ‘The technical manual was filled with jargon and gobbledygook, making it nearly impossible for the average person to understand the instructions.’

8. Hobbledehoy

Meaning: An awkward or gawky young person

Example: ‘The gangly hobbledehoy struggled to navigate through the crowded hallway, his awkward movements drawing a few amused glances from passersby.’

9. Juxtapose

Meaning: To place or deal with close together for contrasting effect.

Example: ‘The artist chose to juxtapose light and shadow in the painting.’

10. Limerence

Meaning: The intense, involuntary emotional state where a person feels infatuated with another person.

Example: ‘Her limerence for him was evident in the way she blushed and stammered when he entered the room.’

11. Lollygag

Meaning: To spend time aimlessly; to dawdle or be lazy.

Example: ‘Instead of working on the project, they chose to lollygag by the beach, enjoying the sunny weather.’

12. Nefelibata

Meaning: A cloud walker; is someone who lives in the clouds of their imagination or dreams.

Example: ‘The poet, a true nefelibata, found inspiration in the clouds, weaving dreams and verses from the shapes that danced in the sky.’

13. Peregrinate

Meaning: To travel or wander around from place to place.

Example: ‘After years of working in the same city, Mark felt the need to peregrinate and experience new adventures.’

14. Pulchritude

Meaning: Physical beauty or attractiveness, often used to describe a person’s appearance.

Example: ‘The painting captured the model’s pulchritude, showcasing her beauty in exquisite detail.’

15. Pernicious

Meaning: Having a harmful effect, especially gradually or subtly.

Example: ‘The pernicious influence of gossip within the small community led to strained relationships and mistrust among neighbours.’

16. Pogonotrophy

Meaning: The act of cultivating, or growing and grooming, a beard.

Example: ‘His impressive beard was a result of dedicated pogonotrophy, showcasing meticulous grooming and care.’

17. Quibble

Meaning: To argue or raise objections about a trivial matter.

Example: ‘Although they generally agreed on the plan, they couldn’t help but quibble over minor details during the meeting.’

18. Serendipity

Meaning: The occurrence and development of events by chance happily or beneficially.

Example: ‘Meeting my school friends at the mall was a serendipity that brightened my day.’

19. Sesquipedalian

Meaning: A long word, or characterized by long words; someone who uses long words.

Example: ‘His sesquipedalian writing style, filled with long and complex words, often left readers reaching for a dictionary.’

20. Snollygoster

Meaning: A clever, unscrupulous person, especially a politician.

Example: ‘The cunning politician was often referred to as a snollygoster, as he seemed to prioritize personal gain over the welfare of his constituents.’

21. Sycophant

Meaning: A person who acts obsequiously towards someone important to gain an advantage.

Example: ‘The employee’s constant flattery and eagerness to please the boss earned him a reputation as a sycophant in the office.’

22. Tintinnabulation

Meaning: The ringing or sound of bells.

Example: ‘The quiet church was filled with the sweet tintinnabulation of wind chimes as a gentle breeze passed through the open windows.’

23. Umbra

Meaning: The fully shaded inner region of a shadow cast by an opaque object.

Example: ‘As the moon moved in front of the sun, the observers witnessed the umbra, casting a perfect shadow and creating a moment of solar eclipse.’

24. Yuck

Meaning: An expression of disgust.

Example: ‘Yuck, what a horrible smell.’

25. Zenith

Meaning: The time at which something is most powerful or successful

Example: ‘The summer sun was at its zenith in a cloudless sky.’

This was all about the most popular unique English words with their meaning and usage. We hope the above-listed unique English words will help you improve your vocabulary and communication skills. For more information on such informative topics, visit GeeksforGeeks.

Unusual English Words with their Meaning and Uses- FAQs

What are the most unusual English words?

Here are some popular unique English words: Quip, Quibble, Zap, Jinx, Yak, Pique, Twig, Zest, Whim, Dusk and Bilk. Make sure to understand their meaning before using them.

What are some unique English words for school?

Here are some popular unique words for school students: Didactic, Pedagogy, Quizzaciously, Cogitate, Mnemonic, Symbiosis, Ubiquitous, Obfuscate, and Pulchritude.

What are the best unusual words for beauty?

Here are some unusual words for beauty: Cynosure, Winsome, Vorfreude, Serphic, Efflorescence, Pulchritudinous and Ephemeral.

How to say ‘thank you’ in unusual ways?

Use these words instead of ‘thank you’: Kudos, Gracias, Cheers, Merci beaucoup, Thanks a million, Arigato, Cheers Mate, Big Thanks, You are a lifesaver, etc.