10 Old-Fashioned Words That Make You Sound Smart

Reader's Digest EditorsUpdated: Jan. 06, 2023

Freck your eyes over these ludibrious definitions, and you'll be kenching in no time.

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10 Old-Fashioned Words That Make You Sound Smart

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Freck

Definition: Verb—”To move swiftly or nimbly”

Usage: The only way to survive the streets of New York City is to freck through the crowds, especially the slow movers, and never turn around.

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Kench

Definition: Verb—”To laugh loudly” (Middle English)

Usage: I was scrolling through Reader’s Digest jokes on my phone, and I kenched right in the middle of the airport! Everyone was staring at me.

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Deliciate

Definition: Verb—”To take one’s pleasure, enjoy oneself, revel, luxuriate”

Usage: After an exhausting week, we deliciated in a spa day, complete with mani/pedis and a full-body massage. Check out these other fancy words that make you sound smarter.

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Brabble

Definition: Verb—”To quarrel about trifles; esp. to quarrel noisily, brawl, squabble”

Usage: Don’t mention Friends around Mike and Tony. They’ll brabble for hours over whether Ross and Rachel were really on a break.

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Ludibrious

Definition: Adj.—”Apt to be a subject of jest or mockery”

Usage: Joan’s classmates found her ludibrious because of her cassette tape collection.

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Jollux

Definition: Noun—”A fat person” (18th-century slang)

Usage: Old King Clarance was a bit of a jollux, but he did serve the best food in all the land.

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Jargogle

Definition: Verb—”To confuse, jumble” (coined by John Locke in 1692)

Usage: Please write down your phone number for me. If I try to memorize it, I’ll just jargogle all the numbers. Here are 10 more funny vintage words people should start using again.

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Facinorous

Definition: Adj.—”Atrociously wicked”

Usage: As soon as he was released from prison, the convict began concocting a facinorous plot to get his revenge. Avoid these 20 words and phrases that smart people never use.

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Deosculate

Definition: Verb—”To kiss warmly”

Usage: Overcome with emotion, Sam deosculated his girlfriend as soon as she walked in the door.

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Éclaircissement

Definition: Noun—”A clearing up of something obscure”

Usage: I need an éclaircissement on just how these fantastic old-fashioned words ever went out of fashion.

Originally Published: January 04, 2019