sesquipedalian
ses-kwih-puh-DAYL-yuhn, adjective
Given to using long words.
“His sesquipedalian emails required a second reading and a dictionary.”
Where sesquipedalian comes from
The Roman poet Horace mocked words a foot and a half long, and this is his phrase.
Difficulty: advanced. One of 440 entries written and checked by hand.
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More advanced words
- sycophant A person who flatters the powerful to gain advantage.
- taciturn Habitually quiet and reserved in speech.
- vociferous Expressing opinions loudly and forcefully.
- alacrity Brisk, cheerful readiness or eagerness.
- cacophony A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
- deleterious Causing harm or damage, often in an unexpected way.
- fastidious Extremely attentive to detail and accuracy; hard to please.
- abstruse So difficult to understand as to be obscure.
Nearby: serendipity shiver All 440 words More word origins
Found in: Big words worth using Words for talking