Tongue Twister Vocabulary: Sesquipedalian

Wondrous Words Wednesday

wondrous memeWelcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a chance to learn a few more word nerdy words!  Thanks to Kathy at bermudaonion.net for hosting this fun meme.

This five syllable gem popped up in my inbox a few weeks ago, thanks to the Merriam-Webster’s word of the day email.    Say it five times fast; I dare you!

sesquipedalian \sess-kwuh-puh-DAIL-yun\ adj; from Latin sesquipedalis, sesqui – one and a half, ped- footliterally a foot and a half long; having many syllables; characterized by the use of long words.

Supposedly the Roman poet Horace originally came up with this word to warn young poets against using exceptionally big words.  Centuries later, English literary critics started using it to criticize verbose writing.

My eldest son, an avid reader, likes to use sesquipedalian words to impress his peers; usually they just think he’s weird.

Word Nerd Workout

Don't be afraid to use the dictionary for this workout!
Don’t be afraid to use the dictionary for this workout!

Think of some sesquipedalian words and share them below.  For example: indubitably, perfunctoriness, vituperation.

Thanks for working out your brain with me today!

Julia 

Julia Tomiak
I believe in the power of words to improve our lives, and I help people find interesting words to read. Member of SCBWI.

6 Comments

  1. Now THAT is a cool word. You win the award for “word it’s taken longest for me to pronounce this year”. Maybe this decade. If I get it down, I will sound crazy-smart when I use it in conversation!

  2. I too saw this theme on Bermudaonion’s blog, great idea. This word ‘sesquipedalian’ has come up recently quite a bit. It sounds very clever and erudite but the danger is it being overused for the wrong reasons. I shall watch out for more unusual words from you both 🙂

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