10 words that sound smart

Teacher Richie

1. Caustic (kôstik)

Adjective: sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way.

Synonyms: derisive, acerbic, abrasive

Example: I didn’t appreciate the caustic tone of that email.

Note: Yes, it also means “able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action” or “formed by the intersection of reflected or refracted parallel rays from a curved surface,” but this is less likely to be applicable in the workplace. Unless of course you are a chemist or physicist, in which case a liberal arts major who works in book publishing is unlikely to be of much assistance anyway.

2. Idiosyncrasy (idēəˈsiNGkrəsē)

Noun: a distinctive or peculiar feature or characteristic of an individual, place, or thing.

Synonyms: peculiarity, oddity, eccentricity

Example: Ah, just another charming idiosyncrasy of our printers I see. [sarcasm]

3. Paradoxical (par-uh-DOK-si-kuhl)

Adjective: having the nature of a paradox; self-contradictory.

Synonyms: contradictory, incongruous, anomalous

Example: I know that this idea sounds paradoxical, but I believe it’s our most effective solution.

4. Beleaguer (biˈlēɡər)

Verb: to cause constant or repeated trouble for a person, business, etc.

Synonyms: harass, pester, badger, vex

Example: The beleaguered school system can’t take much more of this.

5. Exacerbate (iɡˈzasərˌbāt)

Verb: make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.

Synonyms: inflame, aggravate

Example: I understand that you’re trying to help, but what you’re doing is only exacerbating the situation.

6. Didactic (dīˈdaktik)

Adjective: in the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way.

Synonyms: patronizing, pedantic

Example: He would be a good choice for the conferences if his speeches weren’t so didactic.

7. Innocuous (iˈnäkyo͞oəs)

Adjective: not harmful or offensive.

Synonyms: harmless, innocent

Example: There’s no need to be defensive, it was an innocuous question.

8. Parsimonious (pärsəˈmōnēəs)

Adjective: unwilling to spend money or use resources.

Synonyms: stingy, frugal, cheap

Example: In this campaign, there is no room to be parsimonious.

9. Bloviate (blōvēˌāt)

Verb: talk at length, especially in an inflated or empty way.

Synonyms: spiel

Example: It’s tough to watch them bloviate about sweeping change when our internal processes are still such a mess.

10. Aplomb (əˈpləm)

Noun: self-confidence or assurance, especially when in a demanding situation.

Synonyms: poise, composure

Example: It was a tense meeting, but you carried the presentation with aplomb.