When it comes to fancy yet useful words, the English language has tons to offer. Here are 25 examples of smart words that you can use in daily conversation. 

As an English learner, one of the best feelings in the world is creating better English sentences. There’s just something very satisfying in knowing some smart words to use in a conversation and using them. We all had that “Yes, I did it!” moment after using something we learned in real life. 

Adding beautiful words in your vocabulary has some benefits as well. Some of the advantages of learning powerful words are improving English pronunciation, better-articulated speeches, and better reading and listening comprehension. Besides, it makes you feel and sound smart, which you can use to your advantage professionally.

Why Sounding Smart Is A Good Thing? 

Did you know that there’s a benefit when you sound fluent like a native speaker? According to a Harvard Business Review study, an applicant’s voice and sound can affect the employer’s impression during interviews. The more confident and smart-sounding your voice is, the better you can fare in job interviews. 

Using big words can be frowned upon and even ridiculed by some English speakers. After all, there are times that these complicated words can be frustrating and irritating to the listener. If misused, they make you sound incoherent instead of smart. Make sure that you understand the word you’re going to use in a sentence. Here are other tips to sound smarter and more confident when speaking in English. 

• Check and fix your posture (stand straight, but remain relaxed)
• Speak loud and clear
• Use matching body language 
• Use appropriate words based on the audience.
• Always practice your English daily.

25 Impressively Useful Words That Can Make You Sound Smarter

According to Merriam-Webster, no one knows the exact amount of English words ever created. However, an individual is said to use 20,000 to 30,000 words in daily conversations. New words are also made annually, primarily from interactions on the internet. If you want to spice up your speech and sound fluent, use these 25 smart words.

1. Repertoire

• A person’s list of talents and skills 
• In formal language, repertoire means all songs and plays a performer can perform without fail.

Example: 

Chris knows how to play the piano, bass, drums, and guitar. His musical repertoire is quite extensive.

Damian has a wide repertoire of champions he can play in League of Legends. 

2. Accolade 

• Acknowledgment of someone’s excellent performance
• A similar term for award or honor

Example:

The team’s hard work has finally paid off! Receiving the highest accolade in the contest is worth all the sacrifices they made. 

Did you hear? Allan received the highest accolade from the Science Fair. What a lucky guy. 

3. Exacerbate

• Worsen a situation that is already bad
• Make bad things severe.

Example:

Steven thought opening the window can put out the fire. Unfortunately, this further exacerbated the problem. 

Shouting at her while she’s mad will only exacerbate her mood, so calm yourself before making a conversation. 

4. Quid Pro Quo 

• A material or favor received for doing or giving something else. 
• A favor for a favor; give and take

Example:

How about this? I’ll give you this book when you give me that book? Quid Pro Quo? 

Daenerys and Jon agreed on a quid pro quo: she will help him defeat his enemies in exchange for his loyalty. 

5. Rendezvous 

• A meeting place and date agreed upon by two parties
• The location and time where two or more parties can meet together 

Example: 

Do you have any problem with the rendezvous? We can adjust the particular details when the boss gets back. 

Luffy is once again late for the rendezvous. I swear I’m going to give him an earful when he arrives. 

6. Touche 

• Acknowledging someone’s good point during an argument
• Can be used to appreciate someone’s clever point

Example: 

Danny: Do you think Jon knows how to solve this math problem? 

Tyrion: He knows nothing about math. 

Danny: Hmm, touche. 

7. Fiasco

• Can be used to describe something that failed miserably
• A complete failure; a great disaster

Example: 

Have you seen the last season of “Game of Thrones”? It was a total fiasco!

“The Room” is considered a fiasco by a lot of people. But the memes from that movie have been viral. 

8. Ostentatious

• An act which is done to obviously seek attention
• Giving a show to impress other people

Example: 

Darius likes showing off his wealth. He’ll grab every chance to show his ostentatious lifestyle. 

Garen has been admired in the military due to his display of skills and humility. He was never ostentatious nor arrogant when teaching his juniors. 

9. Tranquil

• The state of being relaxed/calm
• Free from any distraction or agitation
• A word to describe a peaceful and quiet environment

Example:

Nothing beats the tranquil ocean during the sunset. It’s a magnificent view worth seeing every day. 

The village is so tranquil, it's a nice place to settle down and start a family. 

10. Flummoxed

• Extreme confusion or bewilderment
• A state of utter confusion; perplexed

Example:

The instruction was written poorly; no wonder he got so flummoxed and made a wrong input. 

Cristina cannot understand anything about the lesson; she was so flummoxed. 

I hope this example doesn’t make you flummoxed. 

11. Capricious

• Sudden changes in mood or behavior
• Unpredictable
• Changing from time to time

Example:
She suddenly became angry and walked off, and I don’t know why. Women are so capricious sometimes!

Short-term stock trading is challenging when the economy and stock market are in a capricious state. 

12. Concur (Concurred)

• To agree to an opinion or a statement
• To have the same opinion as another person.
• Synonym of “agree.”

Example: 

The team concurred to spend the next vacation on a nearby beach resort. 

Now that I think about it, you’re right about the whole situation. I concur and support your decisions.  

13. Quintessential

• Being the best example of something/someone
• A perfect representation of a class or a quality

Example:

Macky is a very reckless driver. He’s the perfect quintessential guy insurance companies would like to avoid. 

Jack Ma’s from-rags-to-riches tale is a quintessential success story of not giving up. 

14. Red Herring

• An idea or things  that takes the audiences’ attention away from the central matter
• Is a term that refers to a thing that diverts people’s attention from the main focal point

Example:

He’s just redirecting the attention to other people to bury his controversies away from the spotlight. Please don’t fall on his red herrings. 

The investigation revealed that one piece of evidence found on the scene was actually a red herring. 

15. Cacophony

• A loud and displeasing sound
• Deafening or boisterous noises

Example: 

The cacophony from my neighbor’s ridiculously large sound system never fails to wake me up each morning. 

Although the band has a lot of aesthetic qualities, the cacophony in their sound fails to maintain the crowd’s attention. 

16. Cajole

• To persuade someone with gentle coaxing
• Reducing reluctance  with praises and flattery

Example:

After a couple of voluntary housework and good grades, Rocky finally managed to cajole his parents to let him go on a hiking trip. 

The hardest thing to do when you’re under pressure is to cajole yourself to keep going. 

17. Revel 

• To greatly enjoy doing something
• To party and have a good time with other people
• Feasting/celebrating

Example: 

Happy Birthday! Let’s spend the night revealing with good food and good karaoke session. 

Chad is out and might not come back until tomorrow. He’s currently out with friends for their weekly late-night revels.

18. Dapper

• Someone (usually a man) dressed up in a classy and dashing fashion
• A man who is sporting a neat and elegant look

Example:

I remember him! He is that dapper gentleman who danced with me at the ball. 

Michael can’t seem to find the best outfit for a dapper-inspired look in his wardrobe. 

19. Fortuitous

• A very unexpected surprise; accidental; by chance
• When something pleasant happens unexpectedly
• Fortunate or lucky

Example: 

When Tom met Summer for the first time, he knew at that moment that it was a fortuitous event.

Norman deemed today’s routine walk fortuitous after bumping and catching up with an old childhood friend. 

20. Fastidious

• A very detail-oriented person
• Someone who likes everything to be perfect up to the smallest detail
• Having high standards (adj)

Example: 

Conny’s fastidious character makes her one of the best event organizers in the area. 

When it comes to food, the chef always makes sure that everything is perfect and passes his fastidious standards. 

21. Idyllic

• Extremely pleasant, peaceful, and safe;
• This word often used to describe time, place, or personal experiences

Example: 

She remembered her childhood as one of the most idyllic times of her life. 

 If you want to live an idyllic lifestyle, consider living close to nature. 

22. Bonafide

• A genuine classification
• Authentic and real 
• Can be used to describe a good intention

Example: 

It is confirmed that the excavated jars and cutleries from the new digging sites are bona fide relics from the Pax Romana era. 

Take it, it's a bona fide good offer if you ask me. 

23. Innocuous

• Harmless in nature
• Inoffensive
• Innocent and friendly

Example:

That innocuous puppy look was all it takes to convince me. 

Even behind those innocuous smiles, you can tell that he’s planning something wicked. 

24. Prolific

• Someone or something that has an abundant productivity
• Being extremely productive
• Fast growth or generation

Example:

The harshness of the weather in the wild prompted the prolific improvement of his survival skills. 

Beethoven was known as a prolific composer and pianist, as well as one of the best classical musicians ever.

25. Peevish

• The state of being extremely irritable
• Being irritated or frustrated over the smallest things
• Someone who is bad-tempered

Example: 

May is not very good at controlling her words and facial expressions when she’s peevish. 

Oh no, what have I done? She’s got that peevish face on, I’m in big trouble. 

The peevish patient has been waiting for the doctor’s arrival for 30 minutes.  

Final Thoughts

There’s nothing wrong with using fancy words that can make you sound smarter. The problem starts when you’re using words that you don’t fully understand. As always, practice makes everything perfect, so continue expanding your English vocabulary. Talk to other English speakers or learners to learn more about the language. 

If you’re interested in improving your English, consider these excellent online learning resources: Kick off your journey with Babbel, offering user-friendly, engaging lessons tailored to fit seamlessly into your daily schedule. If you want something more in-depth, there's a great English course on Coursera that covers everything from the basics to more advanced topics. For a more personalized learning experience, connect with native English tutors on Preply, enhancing your speaking and comprehension skills. Take advantage of a 50% discount on your first Preply session by using this link.

What are some smart words to use in conversation?

Repertoire, Accolade, Exacerbate, Quid pro quo, Rendezvous, Touche, Fiasco, Ostentatious, Tranquil, Flummoxed, Capricious, Concur, Quintessential, Red herring, Cacophony, Cajole, Revel, Dapper, Fortuitous, Fastidious.

What does Bonafide mean?

A genuine classification. Authentic and real. It can be used to describe a good intention.

What does Touche mean?

Touche is acknowledging someone’s good point during an argument. It can be used to appreciate someone’s clever point. For example: Danny: Do you think Jon knows how to solve this math problem? Tyrion: He knows nothing about math. Danny: Hmm, touche.

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