Cool Words in English

Discover 45 of the coolest English words you can use to impress your friends.

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Barney Meekin Author Avatar

Barney Meekin

Jun 18, 2024
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Of the thousands and thousands of existing English words, there are some cool words that have such a unique sound or meaning that you’ve just got to learn them. Including these cool-sounding words in your communication adds depth to your descriptions and makes your language more interesting. And they can break up the repetitiveness of always using the same words.

If you’re still a beginning English learner, you’ll probably want to stick to the most common words in English. You’ve likely heard many of these two or three thousand common words in everyday conversation. But if you’re further along your journey, you can start adding some more unique words to your vocabulary.

A word of warning, though. When it comes to unique words, less is more. Don’t use them too much, or your meaning will become unclear, and people might think you’re a show-off.

In this article, you'll discover 45 cool English words you might not have seen or heard before.

45 Cool words in English

Below is a list of 45 interesting, unique and cool words you can sprinkle into your communication. The table shows each word with its part of speech, pronunciation and meaning. There’s also an example sentence so you can see how to use each word.

All of the words on the list are interesting and unique. They have interesting pronunciation, spelling or meaning. Mastering these words will help you be creative with your English. You can add color and interest to your communication. And you can use them to engage your audience. But remember, don’t use them too much, or you’ll have the opposite effect.

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Cool words in English

WordPart of speechPronunciationMeaningExample sentence
1. AcquiesceVerbak-wee-ESTo agree or comply reluctantlyShe acquiesced to his request, even though she didn't want to.
2. BamboozleVerbbam-BOO-zulTo confuseThe salesman tried to bamboozle the customer with his fast-talking pitch.
3. BrouhahaNounBROO-hah-hahA noisy and overexcited reaction or response to somethingThe announcement about the new player caused quite a brouhaha among the fans.
4. CacophonyNounkuh-KOF-uh-neeA harsh and unpleasant mixture of soundsThe cacophony of the city streets was overwhelming after I moved there from the peaceful countryside.
5. CelestialAdjectivesuh-LES-chuhlBeing in the sky or outer space or relating to heavenCelestial bodies are planets, stars, moons and other things you can see in outer space.
6. ChrysanthemumNounkri-SAN-thuh-muhmA flowerHer favorite flowers are chrysanthemums – she gets a bunch every Mother’s Day.
7. CrestfallenAdjectiveKREST-faw-luhnSad and disappointedHe was crestfallen when he didn't get the job.
8. DefenestrationNoundee-fen-uh-STREY-shuhnThrowing someone or something out of a windowThe defenestration of the politician caused a national scandal.
9. DiscombobulateVerbdis-kuhm-BOB-yuh-leytTo confuse or disconcertHe was discombobulated, having no idea what had happened.
10. EtherealAdjectiveih-THEER-ee-ulLight, delicate and heavenlyHer ethereal beauty captivated everyone in the room.
11. FiascoNounfee-AS-kohA complete failure, especially in a ludicrous or humiliating wayThe product launch turned out to be a complete fiasco.
12. FlabbergastedAdjectiveFLAB-er-gas-tidGreatly surprised or astonishedShe was flabbergasted by the unexpected news.
13. GobbledygookNounGOB-ul-dee-gookLanguage that is meaningless or is made unintelligible by excessive use of technical termsThe contract was full of legal gobbledygook that I couldn’t understand, so I asked them to rewrite it.
14. HarmonyNounHAHR-muh-neeThe combination of different musical notes played or sung at the same time that produces a nice soundThe choir sang in perfect harmony.
15. HijinksNounHI-jinksBoisterous or carefree funAs soon as the teacher left the classroom, hijinks started.
16. HullabalooNounhul-uh-buh-LOOA loud noise or commotion, especially when expressing protest or enthusiasmThe hullabaloo of the crowd could be heard from miles away.
17. IncandescentAdjectivein-kuhn-DES-uhntBright and light because of heatThe light from the incandescent light bulb brightened up the room with a warm glow.
18. JuxtaposeVerbJUK-stuh-pohzTo place different things close together (or side-by-side) for comparison or contrastThe artist juxtaposed black-and-white photographs with color photographs to create a striking effect.
19. KismetNounKIZ-metDestiny, fateShe was sure meeting him at the coffee shop was kismet.
20. LabyrinthNounLAB-uh-rinthA confusing network of paths or passages that is easy to get lost inThe old town was a labyrinth of little streets and back alleys – it was easy to get lost so we had to be careful.
21. MellifluousAdjectivemuh-LIF-loo-uhsHaving a smooth, rich, musical and pleasant sound or flowThe audience loved her mellifluous voice.
22. MesmerizeVerbMEZ-muh-rahyzTo fascinate someone, to hold their attention completelyThe magician's performance mesmerized the audience.
23. NonchalantAdjectivenon-shuh-LAHNTBeing calm and relaxed due to not caring about something or not worrying about somethingHe was nervous but did his best to appear nonchalant.
24. OxymoronNounok-si-MOR-onA in which contradictory terms appear together‘Minor crisis’ is an example of an oxymoron.
25. PerplexingAdjectiveper-PLEK-singConfusing or puzzlingThe crime scene was perplexing. The detectives had no idea what had happened.
26. PortmanteauNounport-MAN-toeA word made from a combination of words or word parts‘Romcom’ is a portmanteau of ‘romantic’ and ‘comedy.’
27. PlethoraNounPLETH-er-uhA large or excessive amount (or number) of somethingThere were a plethora of dishes at the dinner party.
28. QuintessentialAdjectivekwin-tuh-SEN-shulThe most perfect or typical example of a quality or classHe’s a quintessential Londoner.
29. RagamuffinNounRAG-uh-muf-inA dirty, messy child in ragged clothesThe local ragamuffins are up to no good on the streets again.
30. RazzmatazzNounraz-muh-TAZA noisy and noticeable action intending to attract attentionThe product launch was full of razzmatazz and excitement.
31. RhapsodizeVerbRAP-suh-dahyzTo talk or write about something (or someone) with enthusiasm or delightHe rhapsodized about the beautiful sunset.
32. SchadenfreudeNounSHAH-dun-froy-duhHappiness and enjoyment gained from the misfortunes of othersWhen rich and famous people fail, there is plenty of schadenfreude.
33. SerendipityNounser-uhn-DIP-i-teePositive and valuable events that happen by chanceTheir first meeting was pure serendipity – neither of them was looking for love, but a chance meeting in a cafe changed their lives forever.
34. SilhouetteNounsil-oo-ETThe dark shape of someone or something against a lighter backgroundWith the sun behind them, the city buildings appeared as silhouettes.
35. SkedaddleVerbski-DAD-ulTo run awayWhen the police arrived, the kids skedaddled.
36.SvelteAdjectiveSVELTSlim and gracefulThe actress looked svelte in her designer dress.
37. SynchronicityNounsin-kruh-NIS-i-teeEvents happening at the same timeThe dancers danced in perfect synchronicity.
38. TantalizingAdjectiveTAN-tuh-lahyz-ingExciting, arousing desires and interests but often out of reachThe tantalizing smell of freshly baked cookies filled the house.
39. UbiquitousAdjectiveyoo-BIK-wi-tuhsBeing present everywhere at onceSmartphones have become ubiquitous in modern society.
40. UnctuousAdjectiveUNK-choo-uhsExcessively and annoyingly complimentary or flatteringThe unctuous response to the boss’s new haircut was really over the top.
41. VirtuosoNounvur-choo-OH-sohA person highly skilled in musicThe piano virtuoso received a standing ovation.
42. WhimsicalAdjectiveWHIM-zi-kuhlPlayfully fanciful and strange in a way that could be funny or annoyingThe children's book was full of colorful characters and whimsical places.
43. XylophoneNounZAI-luh-fohnA musical instrument with a row of bars played by striking with two small malletsThe child enjoyed playing the xylophone in music class.
44. ZephyrNounZEF-erA gentle breezeThe warm zephyr coming from the west rustled the leaves on the trees.
45. ZigzagNoun, Verb, AdjectiveZIG-zagA line or course that has short, sharp turns and anglesThe skier went down the mountain in a zigzag to control her speed.

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Cool words to impress your friends and engage your audience

As you can see, these 45 words are not the typical ones you see when you start learning English. But if you want to take your English skills to the next level, try adding these 45 cool words to your conversations.

Be careful not to overuse them, though. These aren’t super common words. You can sprinkle them in when it feels right to add uniqueness to your English. The important word here is ‘sprinkle.’ Less is more with these words. Your goal when communicating is to always be clear and easy to understand.

Use these words rarely but in the right places, and you’ll interest and engage your audience. Use them too much, and you’ll have the opposite effect. People will switch off, thinking you're showing off your vocabulary knowledge.

In short, prioritize speaking clearly over everything else (even sounding cool). But above all else, keep learning more vocabulary, and your English skills will continue to improve!

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AUTHOR

Barney Meekin Author Avatar

Barney Meekin

Barney Meekin is a former language teacher with 15+ years of experience and a master's degree in applied linguistics. His first language is English and he's fluent in Japanese. Barney loves chess, martial arts, and going to the beach with his kids.

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