It’s not clear how many words there are in the English language. Some sources report a rough number of 470,000 words, while others estimate our vocabulary includes about 1 million words. But some linguists have shared that they wouldn’t be surprised if the number was off the mark by a quarter-million.
Words are the building blocks of a language, and with so many terms, it’s no surprise that some of them can get a little… creative, if not utterly weird. When it comes to strange words, our dear English language is a whole treasure chest of oddities.
If weirdness is your cup of tea, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most unusual, creative, and downright funniest words in English, each with its own meaning explained. Whether you’re looking for some lesser-known words to spice up a conversation or just want to be able to say, “Wait, I know what that means”, these are the words for you!
#1
Collywobbles
Meaning: icky feeling due to illness or anxiety.
#2
Gobbledygook
Meaning: a language that is incomprehensible or is made unintelligible by excessive use of technical terms.
#3
Snollygoster
Meaning: a shrewd, unprincipled person, especially a politician.
#4
Brouhaha
Meaning: a noisy and overexcited reaction or response to something.
#5
Nincompoop
Meaning: a foolish or stupid person.
#6
Flibbertigibbet
Meaning: a silly person who talks too much.
#7
Everywhen
Meaning: an unusual way to say “always” or “all the time.”
#8
Rigamarole
Meaning: a long and complicated and confusing procedure.
#9
Lackadaisical
Meaning: a person who is lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy.
#10
Whippersnapper
Meaning: a young and inexperienced person considered to be presumptuous or overconfident.
#11
Dragooned
Meaning: coerce (someone) into doing something.
#12
Lollygag
Meaning: This word describes a person that is messing around and doing something that isn’t useful.
#13
Shenanigans
Meaning: high-spirited or mischievous activity.
#14
Canoodle
Meaning: kiss and cuddle amorously.
#15
Bamboozle
Meaning: to confuse, frustrate, or throw off thoroughly or completely.
#16
Malarkey
Meaning: insincere or foolish talk.
#17
Cantankerous
Meaning: difficult or irritating to deal with.
#18
Sozzled
Meaning: intoxicated, very drunk.
#19
Wassail
Meaning: spiced ale or warmed wine drunk during celebrations for Twelfth Night and Christmas Eve.
#20
Quomodocunquizing
Meaning: making money in any way you can.
#21
Bloviate
Meaning: talk at length, especially in an inflated or empty way.
#22
Chockablock
Meaning: crammed full of people or things.
#23
Lickety-split
Meaning: at great speed.
#24
Argle-bargle
Meaning: Meaningless gibberish — whether done by talking or writing.
#25
Bumbershoot
Meaning: an umbrella.
#26
Woebegone
Meaning: sad or miserable in appearance.
#27
Spondulicks
Meaning: money, cash.
#28
Hullaballoo
Meaning: a commotion or uproar that’s on the unpleasant side.
#29
Doozy
Meaning: an extraordinary one of its kind.
#30
Nudiustertian
Meaning: relating to the day before yesterday or very recent.
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