Updated February 16, 2018 via
thoughtco.com
Word lovers and Scrabble players
alike often seek out and celebrate weird and interesting words, challenging
themselves to include these unusual terms in their everyday speech. We've
amassed 11 of those weird words here; challenge yourself to use some of them in
your conversations this week and see how your friends and teachers react.
01
of 11
adjective bam·boo·zled \ bam-ˈbü-zəld \
Definition: thrown into a state of confusion or bewilderment
especially by being deliberately fooled or misled.
History: A word, a Spike Lee movie, a game show that Joey from
“Friends” auditions for, and it’s even an app game... this word has made the
rounds. It seems that most everyone agrees on the definition of this word,
even Urban Dictionary, which defines it as, to be tricked or cheated.
According to Merriam-Webster, bamboozle (verb) first appeared in 1703, derived
from the 17th-century word “bam” which means to trick or con. More »
02
of 11
adjective kat-ee-wom-puh s
Definition: askew; awry; positioned diagonally.
History: Cattywampus comes from catawampus, which, according to Dictonary.com,
likely came about between 1830 and 1840. It is derived from the
prefix cata, meaning diagonally and likely wampus, which
the site says is akin to the word wampish, meaning
to flop about. More »
03
of 11
verb dis-kuh m-bob-yuh-leyt
Definition: To confuse, upset, frustrate.
History: An American word first used in 1825-1835, according to Dictionary.com,
it’s a fanciful alteration of discompose or discomfort. More »
04
of 11
verb flab-er-gast
Definition: To overcome with surprise and bewilderment; astound.
History: There’s not much known about the origins of this word,
though Dictionary.com says it’s from 1765-1775. More »
05
of 11
adjective fop·pish \ ˈfä-pish \
Definition: foolish, silly, obsolete.
History: This funky little word is derived from the word fop, which
is used to redescribe a man who is excessively vain and worried about his dress
and appearance; it also can mean a foolish or silly person. The adjective of
foppish is similarly used to mean that something is obsolete, foolish or silly.
It has been rolling off tongues for centuries now, first appearing in the late
1500s. More »
06
of 11
noun ja·lopy \ jə-ˈlä-pē \
Definition: an old, decrepit, or unpretentious automobile.
History: An oldie but goodie, jalopy seems to be getting some love
from “New York Post.” This word, an American word, dating back to 1925-1930, is
often used when referencing items other than vehicles despite its specific
meaning. According to Dictionary.com, a “Post” article recently
revived the word once again, this time in an article about people updating
their phones rather than buying new ones. The use of
jalopy in this article spurred a more than 3,000% increase in searches for the
word online. More »
07
of 11
noun loh-THAIR-ee-oh
Definition: a man whose chief interest is seducing women.
History: There’s something about this word that seems slick and
seductive, so it’s no wonder that it literally means "a man who seduces
women." The word made its debut in Nicholas Rowe’s “The Fair Penitent” in
the early 1700s. The lead character, Lothario, was a notorious seducer; an
attractive man with a charming exterior, he was really a haughty scoundrel
whose main interest was in seducing women. More »
08
of 11
noun \ ˈmēm \
Definition: an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person
to person within a culture.
History: Believe it or not, the word meme was first used in 1976, as an
abbreviation of the word mimeme in Richard Dawkins' book "The Selfish
Gene" in which he discussed how ideas and styles spread within a
culture over time. Today, the word has become synonymous with amusing
captioned pictures and videos online. Think, Grumpy Cat or Salt Bae. More »
09
of 11
adjective scru·pu·lous \ ˈskrü-pyə-ləs \.
Definition: having moral integrity; acting in strict regard for what is
considered right or proper; punctiliously exact, painstaking.
History: Scrupulous means that you are proper and have moral
integrity and on the flip side, unscrupulous means, well, you aren’t. An
unscrupulous person lacks morals, principles, and a conscience. The word is
derived from scruple, which means a weight of a mere 20 grains, which was a
meticulous measurement for apothecaries. More »
10
of 11
verb [tur-ji-ver-seyt]
Definition: to change repeatedly one's attitude or opinions with respect
to a cause, subject, etc.
History: This unique word holds an honor that very few words can
claim: it was named the 2011 Word of the Year by Dictionary.com. Why? According
to the website, this weird word rose to fame “because it described so much of
the world around us. Editors at Dictionary.com saw the stock market, political
groups, and public opinion go through a roller coaster of change throughout
2011.” More »
11
of 11
noun zen-uh-foh-bee-uh
Definition: fear or hatred of foreigners, people from different
cultures, or strangers; fear or dislike of the customs, dress, etc., of people
who are culturally different from oneself.
History: Another Dictionary.com Word of the Year, this time for
2016, Xenophobia has a special claim to fame. Meaning, fear of the other, the
folks at Dictionary.com asked readers to reflect on its meaning rather than
celebrate
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