Sesquipedalian can also be used to describe someone or something that overuses big words, like a philosophy professor or a chemistry textbook. If someone gives a sesquipedalian speech, people often assume it was smart, even if they don’t really know what it was about because they can’t understand the words.
In this post
What do you call someone who uses the wrong words?
The word you’re looking for is acyrologia. The person who uses such words could probably be called an acyrolog, although that’s a bit of a neologism. If the words being confused are similar sounding, you’re dealing with a subcategory of acyrologia called a malapropism or (less frequently) a dogberryism.
What is it called when big words are wrong?
Definition of malapropism
1 : the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase especially : the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context “Jesus healing those leopards” is an example of malapropism. 2 : malaprop.
What is it called when you use too many big words?
Pleonasm. noun 1 : the use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense (as in “the man he said”) : redundancy 2 : an instance or example of pleonasm.
What is a sesquipedalian person?
sesquipedalian (plural sesquipedalians) A long word. quotations ▼ A person who uses long words.
Why do I use the wrong words when talking?
Speaking problems are perhaps the most obvious, and people with aphasia may make mistakes with the words they use. This could be sometimes using the wrong sounds in a word, choosing the wrong word, or putting words together incorrectly.
What does Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness mean?
Advertisement: Sesquipedalian: A long word, or characterized by the use of long words. From the Latin roots meaning “a foot-and-a-half long.” Loquaciousness: That would be garrulousness, verboseness, effusiveness.
Is using big words pretentious?
Stop trying to sound so smart!
Being a clever wordsmith won’t impress everyone you run into, as 43 percent of respondents assume that people who use overly complex language are just trying to sound smarter than they really are. If you’re looking for a big word for that — it’s pretentious.
What is Sesquipedalian an example of?
adjective. 1. The definition of sesquipedalian is something eighteen inches in length, is very lengthy or uses long words. An example of sesquipedalian is half a yard of fabric. An example of sesquipedalian is someone who says they are magnanimous and ebullient.
What does it mean when a person is pedantic?
Pedantic is an insulting word used to describe someone who annoys others by correcting small errors, caring too much about minor details, or emphasizing their own expertise especially in some narrow or boring subject matter.
What is a loquacious person?
Definition of loquacious
1 : full of excessive talk : wordy. 2 : given to fluent or excessive talk : garrulous.
What is the meaning of the term pretentious?
: trying to appear better or more important than is really the case a pretentious snob. Other Words from pretentious. pretentiously adverb. pretentiousness noun.
What is Floccinaucinihilipilification?
of estimating something as worthless
The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘floccinaucinihilipilification’ as “the action or habit of estimating something as worthless”.
What is a Pauciloquent person?
pauciloquent in British English
(pɔːˈsɪləkwənt ) adjective. rare. using few words in speech or conversation.
What is a definition for logophile?
: a lover of words.
What is the meaning of antidisestablishmentarianism?
What does antidisestablishmentarianism mean? Antidisestablishmentarianism is opposition to a breaking away from an established church. Antidisestablishmentarianism is used to specifically refer to people who opposed withdrawing support of the Anglican Church of England during the 1800s.
What is it called when you mix up words when speaking?
What is aphasia? Aphasia is a communication disorder due to brain damage in one or more areas of the brain that control language. It can interfere with your verbal communication (getting words mixed up when speaking), written communication, or both. Aphasia can cause problems with your ability to: read.
Why am I suddenly mixing up my words?
When stress responses are active, we can experience a wide range of abnormal actions, such as mixing up our words when speaking. Many anxious and overly stressed people experience mixing up their words when speaking. Because this is just another symptom of anxiety and/or stress, it needn’t be a need for concern.
Can anxiety cause you to say the wrong word?
Anxiety disorders often cause a wide variety of chronic symptoms, such as fatigue, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and more. For some people, anxiety can even affect the way they speak, leading to speech that is faster, slower, or possibly even slurred.
What does Sesquipedality mean?
(ˌsɛskwɪpɪˈdælɪtɪ ) noun. literary. the quality or condition of being sesquipedal or a foot and a half long or high; by extension, lengthiness.
What is vocabulary of loquacious?
Definitions of loquacious. adjective. full of trivial conversation. synonyms: chatty, gabby, garrulous, talkative, talky voluble. marked by a ready flow of speech.