words that make people sound intelligent

[Devra]

if there are words that make people sound dumb there must be some that make people sound smart. as long as they are used correctly

[Devra]

1. how about cacophony

[Floogeldy]

2. Thrombolysis

:bounce:

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

3. "Vacillate" sounds intelligent...."flip-flop" sounds stupid

IMHO

[Jamastiene]

14. There is actually a technical term in the computer world

for a flip flop register. It actually does just that too. And it's called a flip flop too.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

16. Sorry, I should have specified in the "04 political lexicon"

It made me want to :spank: the various talking head using it.

[sendero]

4. OOOhhhh...

... I just LOVE hundred dollar words! And I fling them around like so much monkey-poop!

[Sugar Smack]

5. "Hyperbole"

nice word; comes in handy. Used often.

[nini]

6. I'm a Democrat

:D

[GoddessOfGuinness]

27. You must be brilliant!

:D

[nini]

28. Of course... I know I used a phrase and not a word but..

it means I am of the superior mental abilities to be a Dem.

:hi:

[leftstreet]

7. self-deprecating

[trof]

8. corpulent and pugilistic

I use those a lot so I'll sound intelligent.

[Jamastiene]

9. Ascertain is one word that makes a person

sound intelligent, because it basically means find out or figure out. The person could have spared themselves the longer multi-syllable word, but they chose to use a big word instead.

I do know one word above all others that definitely makes a person sound unintelligent. That word isn't even a real word, but my stepfather uses it endlessly. The word is "irregardless." It irritates me when he says that.

[SmileyBoy]

10. A phrase - "Be that as it may..."

Makes a person sound like they're in control of the conversation.

[the_spectator]

19. Don't agree here. It's too close to the kind of second-hand "legalese"...

that way too many people are picking up from all the lawyer shows on TV. The worst of this is "said" -- often needlessly used in blogs and journals by young feather-headed teenage types, as in, "So at the mall this morning I saw the hottest guy, and later saw said guy again when out at the movies with my friends! OMG!!!! I think he noticed me! This is HUGH!!!!!!1!!!!1"

[Debi]

20. But legalese can be intelligent if used by legal experts

(I love a lawyer and I love it when he talks in legalese)

Therefore (hehehe) my word is Exacerbate.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

11. exacerbation

[Debi]

21. Doh! I should have read all the posts

x( now I have to come up with a new word.

[CanuckAmok]

12. proactive.

I hate the term "proactive".

[GoddessOfGuinness]

24. I think it's a BS term

designed to keep people from accomplishing anything for fear of something else happening.

[SofaKingLiberal]

13. vociferous

:evilgrin:

[Jamastiene]

17. That picture is just vulgar.

And I like it. :evilgrin:

[malta blue]

15. hubris. n/t

[Callalily]

18. Culpable

Oh and my new favorite phrase "wax rhapsodic". I'm quite the smarty-pants, huh?

edit: add text

[grannylib]

22. Onomotopoeia. Always loved that one.

[StellaBlue]

23. ubiquitous

[hvn_nbr_2]

25. perfidy. I just used that on DU today somewhere. n/t

[Robb]

26. Notwithstanding and irrespective in casual conversation.

I find myself using them any time I'm answering a question I actually know the answer to. :)

[necso]

29. Typically, none. /nt