Beautiful English phrases, sayings, and idioms
Beautiful words lead to beautiful phrases and expressions. English is full of literal and metaphorical expressions that inspire us, bring us joy, or make us wonder about the meaning of life.
Below is a list of some of the most beautiful English phrases, sayings, and expressions.
| English | Meaning |
|---|
| A change of heart. | To suddenly change your mind. |
| Adventure is the champagne of life. | Adventure is what makes life bubbly! |
| Every cloud has a silver lining. | Even a negative situation has something positive. |
| It takes two to tango. | Two people are responsible for a situation. |
| The calm before the storm. | A period of unusual calm that usually means something bad is coming. |
| To be on cloud nine. | To be in a wonderful situation. |
| To burn the midnight oil. | To stay up all night, usually studying or working. |
| To spread one’s wings. | To reach one’s full potential. |
| To take one’s breath away. | To astonish someone. |
| To touch someone’s heart. | To make someone feel sympathy. |
| To wear your heart on your sleeve. | To be very transparent with your emotions and feelings. |
| Variety is the spice of life. | In life, one needs variety to avoid boredom and monotony. |
| Water under the bridge. | A difficult situation that passed and no longer affects you. |
| What goes around, comes around. | Another version of “you reap what you sow.” |
Cool English words that will make you chuckle
The English language is full of strange, funny words. Some of them are so odd that you can’t help but wonder how they became part of the language! Others sound so funny that they’ll certainly make you chuckle. Love a bit of gibberish? You might enjoy being flabbergasted when you discover the longest words in English here!
| English | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|
| Argle-bargle | /ˈɑːɡ(ə)lˌbɑːɡ(ə)l/ | Meaningless chatter or written words |
| Bodacious | /bəʊˈdeɪʃəs/ | Attractive; with a curvy body |
| Brouhaha | / ˈbruːhɑːhɑː / | An over-excited reaction to something, usually a conflict or commotion |
| Bumbershoot | /ˈbʌmbəʃuːt/ | Just a cool word for “umbrella” |
| Bumfuzzled | / bumfuzzled / | Very confused |
| Bumfluff | /ˈbʌmflʌf/ | The first beard grown by an adolescent |
| Cattywampus | / cattywampus / | Something that is askew or isn’t directly in front of something |
| Collywobbles | / ˈkɒlɪwɒbl̩z / | A weird feeling in your stomach |
| Cromulent | /ˈkrɒmjʊlənt/ | Acceptable or adequate |
| Fanty-sheeny | / fanty-sheeny / | Fancy or ostentatious |
| Flabbergasted | / ˈflæbəɡɑːstɪd / | To be shocked or surprised by something |
| Flawsome | / flawsome / | A person who accepts their flaws and is awesome regardless |
| Flibbertigibbet | / ˌflɪbətɪˈdʒɪbɪt / | Someone who can’t stop talking (usually silly things) |
| Funambulist | / fjuːˈnæmbjʊlɪst / | A tightrope walker |
| Gibberish | / ˈdʒɪbərɪʃ / | Meaningless words |
| Gobbledygook | / ˈɡɒbldɪɡʊk / | Incomprehensible or meaningless language |
| Hoosegow | /ˈhuːsɡaʊ/ | Jail |
| Hullabaloo | /ˌhʌləbəˈluː/ | An unpleasant uproar |
| Inkling | / ˈɪŋkl̩ɪŋ / | A slight suspicion |
| Kakorrhaphiophobia | / kakorrhaphiophobia / | Fear of failure |
| Kerfuffle | / kərˈfəfəl / | A commotion, a conflict, a fuss |
| Lackadaisical | / ˌlækəˈdeɪzɪkl̩ / | Lacking enthusiasm, very lazy |
| Lollygag | /ˈlɒlɪɡaɡ/ | To procrastinate, to spend time aimlessly |
| Mollycoddle | / ˈmɒlɪkɒdl̩ / | To treat someone in a very indulgent way |
| Nudiustertian | / nudiustertian / | The day before yesterday |
| Peripatetic | / ˌperɪpəˈtetɪk / | A nomad; someone who travels from place to place |
| Ragamuffin | / ˈræɡəmʌfɪn / | A person who wears scrappy clothes |
| Sozzled | / ˈsɒzl̩d / | Very drunk |
| Taradiddle | / ˈtærədɪdl̩ / | British word for a petty lie |
| Tittynope | / tittynope / | A small amount of leftovers |
| Wassail | / ˈwɒseɪl / | Mulled wine |
| Whippersnapper | / ˈwɪpəsnæpə / | A confident and cheeky person |
| Winklepicker | / winklepicker / | A shoe with a sharp-pointed toe |
| Woebegone | / ˈwəʊbɪɡɒn / | Looking sad |
Popular slang words in English you need to know
If you’re an internet person who scrolls through Instagram and watches TikTok, you might have seen some words you thought you knew used in a completely different context. While some vocabulary may seem like some sort of a Gen Z code to you, it’s actually quite fun to play around with once you understand it.
With this list of the most popular slang words in English, you’ll be fluent in the TikTok lingo in no time. You can also find 321 more fun American slang expressions here.
| English | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|
| Bae | / ˈbaɪ / | A romantic partner, “baby” in a romantic context |
| Extra | / ˈekstrə / | Excessive, over the top |
| Flex | / fleks / | To show off |
| Ghost someone | / ˈgəʊst ˈsʌmwʌn / | To stop talking to someone abruptly and without explanation |
| Hangry | / ˈhæŋɡri / | When someone is angry because they are hungry, they are “hangry” |
| I’m dead | / aɪm ded / | They’re not actually dead, they’re just dying of laughter |
| Lit | / lɪt / | Cool, fun |
| Lowkey | / ləʊkiː / | Secretly |
| Mood | / muːd / | Used to reaffirm something that is relatable |
| No cap | / ˈnəʊ kæp / | No lie, for real |
| Salty | / ˈsɔːlti / | Angry over something minor |
| Shook | / ʃʊk / | Shocked |
| Slay | / sleɪ / | To do an excellent job at something or to look amazing |
| Spill the tea | / spɪl ðə tiː / | To gossip |
| Yeet! | / ˈjiːt / | An expression of excitement |
And even more unique English words…
Did you know that English has a word for throwing someone out of the window? You’ll be surprised to find out that there are lots of English words that even native speakers aren’t always aware of!
From clinomania to petrichor, you’re about to discover a whole new world of unique words in English that you had no idea existed.
| English | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|
| Abibliophobia | / abibliophobia / | A phobia of running out of things to read |
| Acatalectic | /əˌkatəˈlɛktɪk/ | Having a full number of syllables |
| Aesthete | / ˈiːsθiːt / | Someone sensitive to the beauty of art |
| Ailurophile | /ʌɪˈljʊərəˌfʌɪl/ | A person who loves cats |
| Angst | / æŋst / | A state of deep anxiety, usually related to existential matters |
| Apricity | / apricity / | The warm rays of sun in the winter |
| Berserk | / bəˈsɜːk / | Going crazy with anger |
| Borborygmus | /ˌbɔːbəˈrɪɡməs/ | The sound your stomach makes when you’re hungry |
| Cacophony | / kæˈkɒfəni / | A noise made out of terrible sounds |
| Clinomania | / clinomania / | An obsessive desire to stay in bed |
| Conundrum | / kəˈnʌndrəm / | A difficult problem to solve |
| Defenestration | /ˌdiːfɛnɪˈstreɪʃ(ə)n/ | Throwing someone out of the window |
| Discombobulated | /ˌdɪskəmˈbɒbjʊleɪtɪd/ | Confused |
| Epeolatry | / epeolatry / | Admiration of words |
| Erinaceous | / erinaceous / | Something (or someone) that looks like a hedgehog |
| Eutony | / eutony / | Pleasantness of the word’s sound |
| Heliophilia | / heliophilia / | Love of the sun; a desire to stay in the sun |
| Iridescent | / ˌɪrɪˈdesnt / | Producing a display rainbow-like colors |
| Jentacular | / jentacular / | Anything related to breakfast is “jentacular” |
| Lamprophony | / lamprophony / | The act of speaking loudly |
| Languor | / ˈlæŋɡə / | Lethargy; weakness of body and mind |
| Lassitude | / ˈlæsɪtjuːd / | A state of physical or mental lack of energy; tiredness |
| Limerence | / limerence / | A state of being infatuated with another person |
| Logophile | /ˈlɒɡə(ʊ)fʌɪl/ | A person who loves words |
| Macrosmatic | / macrosmatic / | Having a good sense of smell |
| Mixologist | /mɪkˈsɒlədʒɪst/ | A person who mixes drinks |
| Mondegreen | /ˈmɒndəɡriːn/ | Incorrectly hearing or interpreting a song’s lyrics |
| Nadir | / ˈneɪdɪə / | The lowest point in a situation |
| Panacea | / ˌpænəˈsɪə / | A remedy or solution that could fix any problem |
| Pauciloquent | / pauciloquent / | Someone who says very little |
| Petrichor | /ˈpɛtrʌɪkɔː/ | The smell of earth after the rain |
| Pluviophile | / pluviophile / | Someone who loves rain |
| Raconteur | / ˌrækɒnˈtɜː / | Someone who’s very good at telling stories |
| Somnambulist | / sɒmˈnæmbjʊlɪst / | A person who sleepwalks |
| Sonder | / sonder / | The realization that each passerby has a life full of experiences, emotions, and problems, just like you |
| Supine | / ˈsuːpaɪn / | Lying on one’s back, facing upwards |
| Tergiversation | / ˌtɜːdʒɪvəˈseɪʃn̩ / | The art of twisting around someone’s statements |
| To absquatulate | / tu əbˈskwɒtʃʊleɪt/ | To leave without saying goodbye |
| To inure | / tu ɪˈnjʊə / | To get used to something unpleasant |
| Ulotrichous | / ulotrichous / | With curly hair |
| Vellichor | / vellichor / | The wistfulness of used bookshops |
| Xertz | / xertz / | Eating food or drinking something greedily, caused by excessive hunger or thirst |
Feeling effervescent?
Learning English words can leave you feeling light-headed! But there’s no need to be lackadaisical or woebegone about it. Everyone can learn new beautiful words in English with a bit of practice, even if it’s a lot of gobbledygook.
We hope that this list of the weirdest, funniest, and most beautiful English words will turn you into a true logophile with an ineffable epeolatry.
Keep up the free English vocabulary fun here.
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