Saturday, June 28, 2008

Beautiful Words


I googled beautiful words and this list came out. What do you guys think? For me, the two most beautiful words are pictured above.

Most beautiful words in the English language by diaskeaus


adroit: Dexterous, agile.
adumbrate: To very gently suggest.
aestivate: To summer, to spend the summer.
ailurophile: A cat-lover.
amaryllis: Bulbous plants which have large red or pink flowers.
anemone: Any of various plants of the buttercup family, having petal-like sepals.
aqua: A light greenish-blue color.
asphodel: Plants having white, pink, or yellow flowers in elongated clusters.
banana: Herbs having a crown of large, entire leaves and a hanging cluster of fruits.
beatific: Befitting an angel or saint.
beleaguer: To exhaust with attacks.
blandiloquent: Beautiful and flattering.
bliss
blossom
blue
bobolink
bubble
bumblebee
butterfly
caliginous: Dark and misty.
camellia
cerulean
chalice
champagne: An effervescent wine.
chatoyant: Like a cat's eye.
chattanooga
cherish
chiaroscuro: The arrangement of dark and light elements in a picture.
chimes
choas: The exponential divergence of two arbitrarily close points in phase space.
cockle: A heart-shaped bivalve or a garden flower.
coconut
colporteur: A book peddler.
conflate: To blend together, to combine different things.
cosmopolitan
cozy
cuspidor
cute
cynosure: A focal point of admiration.
damask
dawn
delicacy
destiny
desuetude: Disuse.
diaphanous: Filmy.
diffuse: Spread out, not focused or concentrated.
dulcet: Sweet, sugary.
ebullient: Bubbling with enthusiasm.
effervescent: Bubbly.
efflorescence: Flowering, the opening of buds or a bloom.
elixir: A good potion.
elysium: Any place or state of perfect happiness; paradise.
emollient: A softener.
encomium: A spoken or written work in praise of someone.
inglenook: The place beside the fireplace.
enthusiasm
ephemeral: Short-lived.
epicure: A person who enjoys fine living, especially food and drink.
epiphany: A sudden revelation.
erstwhile: At one time, for a time.
eschew: To reject or avoid.
esculent: Edible.
esoteric: Understood only by a small group of specialists.
eternity
ethereal: Gaseous, invisible but detectable.
etiolate: White from no contact with light.
evanescent: Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time.
explosion
extravaganza
exuberant: Enthusiastic, excited.
fantastic
fawn
felicitous: Pleasing.
fescue: A variety of grass favored for pastures.
flabbergasted
flip-flop
foudroyant: Dazzling.
fragile: Very, very delicate.
freedom
fugacious: Running, escaping.
fuselage
galaxy
gambol: To skip or leap about joyfully.
gazebo
giggle
glamour: Beauty.
golden
gorgeous
gossamer: The finest piece of thread, a spider's silk.
gothic
grace
gracious
gum
halcyon: Happy, sunny, care-free.
harbors of memory
hen-night
hiccup
hilarious
hippopotamus
hodgepodge
home
hope
hush
hymeneal: Having to do with a wedding.
if
imbricate: To overlap to form a regular pattern.
imbroglio: An altercation or complicated situation.
imbue: To infuse, instill.
incipient: Beginning, in an early stage.
ingénue: A naïve young woman.
inspissate: To thicken.
inure: To jade.
jejune: Dull; childish.
jonquil
kangaroo
lagniappe: A gift given to a customer for their patronage.
lagoon: A small gulf or inlet in the sea.
languor: Listlessness, inactivity.
lassitude: Weariness, listlessness.
laughter: The response to something funny.
liberty
lilt: To move musically or lively, to have a lively sound.
lithe: Slender and flexible.
lollipop
loquacious: Talkative.
love
lovely
lullaby
luminous
luxuriant: Thick, lavish.
marigold
meandering
mellifluous: Sweet-sounding.
melody
mignonette
missive: A message or letter.
mist
moiety: One of two equal parts, a half.
moment
mondegreen: A misanalyzed phrase.
mother
murmuring
myrrh
nebulous: Foggy.
nevermore
niveous: Snowy, snow-like.
nobility
obsequious: Fawning, subservience.
odalisque: A concubine in a harem.
oeuvre: A work.
offing: That part of the sea between the horizon and the offshore.
oi
oleander
onomatopoeia: The creation of words by imitating sound.
oriole
paean: A formal expression of praise.
palimpsest: A manuscript written over one or more earlier ones.
panacea: A complete solution for all problems.
panoply: A complete set.
paradox
passion
pastiche: A mixture of art work (art or music) from various sources.
pavement
peace
peccadillo: A peculiarity.
peek-a-boo
pelagic: Related to the sea or ocean.
penumbra: A half-shadow, the edge of a shadow.
peregrination: Wandering, travels.
petrichor: The smell of earth after a rain.
plethora: A great quantity.
porcelain: A fine white clay pottery.
potamophilous: Loving rivers.
propinquity: An inclination or preference.
pumpkin
pyrrhic: Victorious despite heavy losses.
quintessential: The ultimate, the essence of the essence.
rainbow
redolent: Sweet-smelling.
renaissance
rhapsody: A beautiful musical piece.
riparian: Having to do with the bank of a river or other body of water.
ripple: A small, circular wave emanating from a central point.
rosemary
scintillate: To sparkle with brilliant light.
sempiternal: Forever and ever.
sentiment
seraglio: Housing for a harem.
serendipity: Finding something while looking for something else.
shenandoah
shipshape
smashing
smile
smithereens
soliloquy: Dramatic speech intended to give the illusion of unspoken reflections.
sophisticated
summer: afternoon
sunflower
sunshine
surreptitious: Sneaky.
susurrus: Producing a hushing sound, like flowing water.
sweetheart
sycamore
symbiosis: Interdependence of two different species.
syzygy: The direct opposition of two heavenly bodies.
talisman: A symbolic object believed to have magical powers.
tendril
terpsichorean: Related to dance.
thrush
tickle
tintinnabulation: Ringing.
tranquil
tranquility
twinkle
umbrageous: Shady.
umbrella
vermillion
vestige: A small fragment.
whisper: Speaking without vibrating the vocal folds.
whoops
wisteria
zing
zyzzyva: A kind of beetle.

17 comments:

Annie Coe said...

My favorite word is askew,but I like effervesent and aqua too. Dazzle is also a good one and bliss is sweet :-).

FishermansDaughter said...

I love words, especially the obtuse and antiquated.

Tess Kincaid said...

Lovely words....and nice music! :)

Maia said...

I like "caliginous". That's a new one for me, and I love nothing so much as a new word. I also love chiaroscuro, which is a familiar one to the daughter of two artists.

Actually, my favorite words tend to be ones that are funny to say, like Haggis and Lutefisk.

I hate the word "doily".

kitchu said...

Oh caliginous- thank you for this new word (at least to me)- i absolutely love words!

kerri said...

The words are beautiful, I want to add Jeff, Jill and Jack, my favorite J words. ;)
I love to say Chinchilla, the kids always giggle silly, haven't a clue why but they think it's hilarious, LOL.

Anonymous said...

I like that list. some are odd. I hate the word 'yogurt' and the name 'sheila'

rochambeau said...

Hi Yoli,
A word can convey so many things. It's important to consider the power of our words. Also, to use our language in an artful manner. Thank you for sharing this "most beautiful" word list.

Great Post!
xox
Constance

Anonymous said...

another inspirational post rife with ideas for the rest of us mortals. i would like to create a list of my own and spend 36 days pondering out loud on each...oh a photo to go with each would be intriguing as well.

kneesee said...

bliss, epiphany, porcelain.. i had to scroll down the list fast because a lot of those words are beautiful!

Keri said...

This has nothing to do with this post, but I came across a children's clothing website tonight that made me think of you. They are having a sale on some things you may like. Scroll down the page for some items you may recognize.
https://www.achildscloset.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=1312

Keri

tangobaby said...

chiaroscuro, esculent, luminous, seraglio.

Love this post and these words. Now I'm thinking about ones I would add to my list.

Sara said...

One of my favourite English words is ashtray, not for its meaning (obviously) but for how it sounds...

You’ve created a lovely atmosphere in here – the music and the header are such a perfect match!

Relyn Lawson said...

This is a fantastic post. I love it completely.

I love the word Chattanooga. It is so much fun to say. I graduated from high school in Chattanooga, Tennessee so the word also brings back lovely memories. My favorite words change regularly, but blue always tops the list. It can mean so many things. Another word I love: daughter.

Gill said...

aestivate is a good one...but so is blue!
How are you Yoli? I have been away from blogging for a few days and I see you have gone into hibernation. I hope it is a good thing, and that you are enjoying yourself, and your summer.
xoxo

Stacie said...

i forgot to tell you when i first commented on your blog- my grandfather's sister was named salome. He said she was an angel on earth....i imagine your salome is as well. I agree it is one of the most beautiful names/ words and hope to use it for my next child if i am so fortunate!

A Cuban In London said...

I like adumbrate and the noun, adumbration. I try to use as often as I can.

Thanks for popping by.

Saludos desde Londres.