150+ cool, unique, and beautiful English words to spark a little joy

Author

Karolina Assi

Editor

Berlitz China

Have you ever experienced serendipity? Do you have a nemesis? Are you a flibbertigibbet? Unless you know what these words mean, you won’t know the answer to these questions!

And if you don’t know what these words mean - don’t worry! It’s estimated that there are 171,146 words in use in the English language, plus around 47,156 obsolete words. That’s a lot of words! No wonder you don’t know all of them, especially if you’re not a native speaker.

However, if you’re as passionate about learning languages as we are (and if you’re reading our blog, then you must be), you know how fun it can be to learn new words in a foreign language. Having a vast vocabulary can not only help you express yourself better, but it’ll also make you sound more eloquent.

So, in this list, we’ve gathered over 150+ unique, cool, and beautiful English words that you will love.

Script writers enjoying cool, unique and beautiful English words.

Beautiful English words and their meanings

While it’s often said that French and Spanish are the most romantic and beautiful languages, English also has its fair share of beautiful words. You may already know a couple, such as solitude, euphoria, or labyrinth.

If you want to expand your vocabulary with beautifully-sounding words, below you’ll find a list of what we believe to be the most beautiful English words, accompanied by their meanings.

Beautiful English words

While the beauty of a word is subjective and may differ for each of us, many English words are undeniably mellifluous (yes, that’s one of them). This list is the quintessence of the most beautiful English words.

English PronunciationMeaning
Aurora/ əˈrɔːrə /The dawn in the early morning
Bungalow/ ˈbʌŋɡələʊ /A type of house with a sloppy roof
Chatoyant/ ʃəˈtɔɪənt /Light reflecting in a gemstone
Demure/ dɪˈmjʊə /Reserved, modest, shy
Denouement/ ˌdeɪˈnuːmːmənt /Resolution of a narrative
Effervescent/ ˌefəˈvesənt /Lively, full of energy, bubbly
Elegance/ ˈelɪɡəns /High quality of style and class
Elixir/ ɪˈlɪksə /A (magical) potion
Eloquence/ ˈeləkwəns /Ability to beautifully express oneself
Ephemeral/ ɪˈfemərəl /Short-lived
Epiphany/ ɪˈpɪfəni /A life-changing realization
Eternity/ ɪˈtɜːnɪti /A limitless amount of time
Ethereal/ ɪˈθɪərɪəl /Heavenly, not from this planet
Eudaemonia/ˌjuːdɪˈmɒnɪə /The state of being lucky
Euphoria/ juːˈfɔːrɪə /A state of extreme happiness
Extravagance/ ɪkˈstrævəɡəns /Excessive elaboration or lack of restraint in spending money
Felicity/ fəˈlɪsɪti /Happiness
Idyllic/ ɪˈdɪlɪk /Picturesque, beautiful, almost fairytale-like
Incandescent/ ˌɪnkænˈdesnt /Emitting light as a result of being heated
Incendiary/ ɪnˈsendɪəri /Very hot or inflammatory
Ineffable/ ɪnˈefəbl̩ /Difficult to accurately describe
Infatuation/ ɪnˌfætʃʊˈeɪʃn̩ /A really strong desire to be close to someone, mostly romantically
Labyrinth/ ˈlæbərɪnθ /A complex set of passageways
Lagoon/ ləˈɡuːn /A body of water
Lithe/ laɪð /Slim and full of grace
Love/ ˈlʌv /A beautiful feeling of affection
Lullaby/ ˈlʌləbaɪ /A melody that mothers sing to their babies to get them to sleep
Luminescence/ ˌluːmɪˈnesns /Light produced by electric, chemical, or physiological means
Lyrical/ ˈlɪrɪkl̩ /Beautifully said
Melancholy/ ˈmeləŋkɒli /A feeling a pensive sadness
Mellifluous/ meˈlɪflʊəs /Beautifully sounding
Miraculous/ mɪˈrækjʊləs /Something that is a miracle
Nefarious/ nɪˈfeərɪəs /Wicked, evil
Nemesis/ ˈneməsɪs /A rival; an arch-enemy
Oblivion/ əˈblɪvɪən /A state of unawareness of what’s going on around you
Onomatopoeia/ˌɒnə(ʊ)matəˈpiːə/Something that uses the sounds it makes to form its name
Opulence/ ˈɒpjʊləns /Luxury, abundance
Paradox/ ˈpærədɒks /Something that contradicts itself
Peace/ piːs /A state of freedom in the mind
Picturesque/ ˌpɪktʃəˈresk /Visually pleasing, beautifully looking, for example a landscape
Plethora/ ˈpleθərə /An abundance of something
Pristine/ ˈprɪstiːn /Extremely clean
Propinquity/ prəˈpɪŋkwɪti /Another word for proximity
Quintessence/ kwɪnˈtesns /The most perfect example
Rainbow/ ˈreɪnbəʊ /An arch of colours in the sky
Renaissance/ rɪˈneɪsns /The period between the 14th and 17th centuries
Ripple/ ˈrɪpl̩ /A small movement or wave
Sanguine/ ˈsæŋɡwɪn /Optimistic and positive
Scintilla/ sɪnˈtɪlə /A trace or spark of something
Sequoia/ sɪˈkwoɪə /A type of tree
Serendipity/ ˌserənˈdɪpɪti /A chain of events that occurs in a favorable way
Sibilant/ˈsɪbɪl(ə)nt/Making a hissing sound
Silhouette/ ˌsɪluːˈet /An outline of a figure
Solitude/ ˈsɒlɪtjuːd /A state of isolation or loneliness
Sonorous/ səˈnɔːrəs /A deep and full sound
Sumptuous/ ˈsʌmptʃʊəs /Rich, luxurious
Surreptitious/ ˌsʌrəpˈtɪʃəs /Clandestine
Syzygy/ˈsɪzɪdʒi/An alignment of 3 celestial bodies
To cherish/ tu ˈtʃerɪʃ /To care about something and cultivate it with affection
Tranquility/ trænˈkwɪlɪti /Another word for peace
Umbrella/ ʌmˈbrelə /The thing you hold to protect yourself from the rain
Wanderlust/ ˈwɒndəlʌst /A strong desire to travel
Wherewithal/ ˈweəwɪðɔːl /Strength and tenacity
Wistfulness/ ˈwɪstfl̩nəs /Yearning or desire
Zenith/ ˈzenɪθ /The highest, most successful point of a situation

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.

In the library you will find books with beautiful English phrases, sayings, and idioms.

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.

English PronunciationMeaning
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 a lot fun American slang expressions here.

Friend laughing at a TikTok video with beautiful English words used in a completely different context.

English PronunciationMeaning
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.

Beautiful English word for a cat lover is an Ailurophile.

English PronunciationMeaning
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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