Your favorite ten WORDS in the English language
 

Give me a list of your ten most favorite words in the english language, along with a BRIEF explanation for each one. Please do not include profanity, foreign terms, scientific or technical words; just good words for a writer to use. I'll start:

My Ten Favorite Words In the English Language

1) HOKUM

Pleasing to the skeptic in me. It calls a thing into question and insults it at the same time.

2) EMPATHY

Better than any other word at making you walk in someone else's shoes.

3) RAUCOUS

Boisterous and disorderly, which I like to be from time to time.

4) ASTUTE

I would love to have my speech and writing described as being astute.

5) MELLIFLUOUS

A word that describes itself well, it rolls off of the tongue.

6) INGENUE

I just love the way it's pronounced.

7) BURNING

I really enjoy every song I've ever heard with the word burning in it. I don't know why.

8) VORACIOUS

Best word ever for describing an intense desire, hunger or lust.

9) ICONOCLAST

I love rebellion against convention; this is particularly appealing to me considering the madness of crowds.

10) GRACE

In one word, so many definitions ... and each one of them something to be desired. If I were to sum up in one word all the goals and aspirations for what I want to become, this is it.

Okay, your turn!

Damn, I have a hard time thinking of ten.

I tried, can't do it.

Ok...

These are not necessarily my favorite words, but they are the wierdest to say:

1.) Juice

2.) Cake

3.) Anti-antidisestablishmentaryism (the longest word in the english language)

4.) Empathy (I with you, Ben, on this one)

5.) Atheist

6.) Nihilist

7.) Apocalyptic

8.) Pestilence

9.) Beauty

10.) I have always had a strange attraction to the word Gothic. I don't know why.

1. Mischievous

2. Sophist

3. Fuck

4. Fanaticism

5. Cuntweasel (coined here by one of my favorite posters) :)

6. Latter

7. Devices

8. Ravenous

9. Heliophobe (didn't know that word existed, thx blushing!)

10. Abhorrent

These are chosen more for the way they feel when you say them, the way they roll off of the tongue. Something about these 10 (among others) I find physically pleasing.

I'll try to do all ten, but I might not know that many words.

1) Orgiastic. Enough said.
2) vinegar
3) curry
4) Gin
5) tome
6) Treachery
7) Revolutionary
8) Testicle
9) Stench
10) Voracious

Fuck.

Fucker.

Fuckly.

Fucking.

Fuckerly.

Foo-kit.

Fucked.

Fucken.

Fuckard.

Fucknutts.

Actually it isn't the longest.

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (I've actually learned how to pronounce this word although most the time I fuck up) and tied for it is it's plural counterpart

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconioses (which the i is changed to an e)

and the word you have stated isn't even a word, 2 anti's cross eachother out and as well you misspelled and left out a few letters. (not trying to flame you, just giving you the facts.) I flame with legomen, so you'd know =D

Now for my ten:

1- Paradox

2- Roads (due to it's pronunciation in the movie Black Sheep)

3- Resplendent

4- Ataraxis

5- Deoxyribonucleic Acid

6- Eye ( I love everything about eyes, the way the look, how they work, the fact that it's a palindrome, just everything about eyes is remarkable)

7- Penguin (obvious reasons)

8- Fraggle

9- Kleptomaniac (I just think that's a cool word)

10- Somber

You're welcome. It is so goth of me :)

Okay, I really like some of the contributions here. I am a little disappointed that some folks felt that they couldn't or didn't want to follow my suggestion:

The profanity is objectionable not because I'm a prude ... no, far from it. Although, to be honest, I am pretty judicious about when I will use a vulgarity. (My girlfriend's daughter's faces go white with fear when I actually use a word like "fuck" when yelling at them. I do it so rarely that when I do, they know they're really in trouble.)

It's just that it's too easy and doesn't require any work. Like a standup comedian working blue, it's just the easy way to get to the goal, but doesn't require any work or creativity.

But I understand that I can only suggest the rules for this thread. And it is possible that you feel very passionately that a profain word really is one of your 10 favorite words. In which case, who am I to argue.

And Wolfmoon, I'm not asking you to spontaneosly spit out a list. I've seen this kind of thing done before and have been shuffling words on and off of my list for years. In fact, my list will change from time to time throughout my life.

I spent 48 hours running the list and my explainations over in my mind before starting this thread. I expected this to be a slow exercise, with people replying after giving some thoughtful contemplation to their list of words, and the explanations of why they like them. So give it some time ... pick up a scratch pad and write a word or two down on it ... thumb your favorite book or a dictionary ... and consider this a bit. And after a while I feel confident that you will come up with a list of ten words that (while not etched in stone as the ultimate list of ten) you will feel comfortable as representing a list you are happy with.

And to the few people who just posted a list of 10 words ... I feel like you owe me something.

Try not to go all drama-queen over it, Ben. You set your bar too high, expected too much, and the fact to the matter…why just ten?

Why a list, even?

A list of words I find myself utilizing more than others?

Eh, in that case, here is that list.


…

The; a very functional all around word that I sometimes use to give definition to a noun type word, and also to enhance and set apart one type of noun from another type. THE word is very useful.

And; I like this conjunction because, with it, I can squish two ideas together in the same sentence, or connect two or more things…it’s difficult to construct a paragraph without it.

It; ah, yes. What thought would be complete without—it. *! has too much functionality, a duality of the person, place, or thing, and is just as comfortable standing in their stead…or all by its lonesome in an impersonal verb tense. It’s nifty.

That; a word I loath to use simply because of that versatility, which once jotted down, finds its way into every adjoining thought and paragraph. I’m thankful that, after the 10% cut, that’s usually not the case any longer.

He; I use this word, a lot. Especially after settling the formalities, or distinguishing one he from another, then I use it to exclusivity.

She; see the above.

A; how few thoughts would be complete without a little…a? Or a big A? It’s dependant on the order, of course, and the emphasis, but a little a or a lot of a goes a long way.

Was (and all its tense versions); puts the idea on the fast track, and says, in no uncertain terms, that a thing did, will, or is happening. I like that type of reasoning.

Were; for all the above reasons, plus, it has the added functionality of serving as a question word, and separates the singular from the plural. Also, if you toss an apostrophe between the second e and the r—you’ve got a whole new game. That is freaking schweet.

To, too; I use both words often, for different purposes, it’s just too easy to.

Eh, is that ten? I was going to include more, and would were it possible, but I hope Ben likes this list better. He, I’ve noticed, is easy to rile, and I would not like to be on his bad side. The man can be a little too harsh…heh :}

After going to your website and being pleased by what I read there, this is disappointing. It was supposed to be a fun exercise for people interested in literature.

Okay, when someone belittles an idea of mine twice and I'm sure it was a good idea in the first place, I no longer take it personally. It's just a sign of the critic's own weaknesses and foibles.

And TStone, what are you talking about? Harsh? Bah ... I'm just beginning to study at the feet of the flamemasters here.

Tenet, I like your list; apocalyptic and cake in particular.

Julia, I like sophist a lot, and could have replaced voracious with ravenous ... in fact, I like the way that sounds better.

Santerea, I like the whole list. And there's a musical rythym to it, a poetry to those words being ordered like that.

Fenris, what's not to like about orgiastic? And oh yes, revolutionary has a place dear to my heart.

Mortalis, iguana; reading that made me realize I like the way it sounds. And fellatio ... well ... Mmmmmmmmm! ;-) As long as I never see "iguana fellatio" in a list, it's all good. And deviant, pandemonium ... yep, like those too!

E Nigma, yep ... paradox is cool. And resplendent could have made my list.

It was fun, I used every word in my list (sands the she) in my closing statement, and in each description I either provided a pun of sorts, or gave an astute description of its use.

To be fair, I did have a rather lot of fun doing it. Levity seemed to be in order, so I tried my hand at it, and the end product seemed, to me, mellifluous and jam-packed with hilarity.

My list comprises (some of) those critical words needed in the writing process. Since we’ve had recent members ignorant of the basic rules of syntax; it seemed necessary to include those words. Furthermore, I didn’t like the idea of 10 favorite words. It struck me as hokum and ingenuous, without imparting the mood and tone of the voracious writer burning with the need to use every word, in every sense, without fear of restrictions.

Perhaps, then, you can empathize with my initial raucous? It wasn’t a slight against you, per say, but on the conventionalism of the thing. I’ve ever been iconoclastic, and this was just another instance where, with little grace and no finesse, I shat upon the alter of good intentions.

My bad.

*gives manly hug and pat on the back*

Halcyon

Asinine

Spiritual

Euphoric

Bliss

Chaotic

Breathless

Orbital

Aquarius

.....And I'm going to break up the pretty words with one dirty one. I can't help but anyone that knows I use this word a lot......

Fuck.

Your list was an inspiration Ben.

Ravenous, I think that's my favorite word on the whole list (if I had to pick). It really describes those moments of animalistic hunger. The way it rolls on the tongue too, almost seductive. It's also a close cousin of ravage, which is just a fun word.

Most of the lists on here are an give me hope that we're not completely surrounded by idiots. Although some posts on this site in general have brought me close to tears... *sigh*

Erg, you would think that someone would call me on using the word alter--when the word I really needed was altar.

Kind of screws up the entire intent, and for that fuckup, I humbly apologize. I shat upon the altar of good intentions, and with that slight alteration; it sounds more better.

ummm ... okay, so 'sands' that little mistake, it's perfekt now! :D

Julia, I like ravage too. I hear you concerning the posts you find elsewhere on this site that make you question the intelligence level. That was one of my thoughts in starting this thread; that it would be a topic that would encourage a more thoughtful conversation. The topic of words made sense because they are the building blocks we use here, and limiting it to ten would require more thought and some self-editing. And yes ... animalistic hunger ... creating that most primal emotional imagery is very powerful.

Eyes, euphoric is a great word both in meaning and in how it sounds. What power it has to make one relive an experience. And orbital, a three syllable word that rolls off of the tongue in a clean, simple rythym. Yes, I like it too.

Here’s something to wrap your brains around. There is no numerical representation of how many words are in the English language. It is incalculable (though leading scholars put it around a million) thus far no one’s been able to pen it down to an exact figure.

And here’s a word from a long list of a million or so that I rather like.

Supine.

I’ve only ever used it the once, “The cool waters rushed past her ankles and paused briefly--a change of inclination--and the flow reversed. Now it drew outward, back unto the dark mass of swelling supininity, to that great berth of liquid night-dream…the ocean.”

Though I had to create a new form to use it, I’m still quite fond of it.

Eeps, knock out roads and fraggle on my list and replace them with Ocular and Halcyon. (Thanks Eyes I forgot about that word).

Honestly my list changes all the time except for a select few. I read the dictionary in the course of a few weeks once. I'll admit I don't remember half the words. But it does brighten up your vocabulary.

Too right! We were neither hurling horse shoes, nor lobbing the hand grenades, and I thank you for calling me on the fuckup.

Sans it is.

I'm not surprised that it's a daunting task. It seems to me that new words come into being every day. For example, when did 'snarky' get into the dictionary? Has it been a word for a long time? I look up the word and there are supposed ancient root origins, but I could have sworn it was a recent internet invention.

Yes, it is rarely used. I do like it, but I think I would have a hard time finding a correct context to use it. Unless I was saying "Frankly my dear, I'd prefer you if you were more supine."

And this all serves to remind me why 'porcine' didn't make my list!