Only Italian can boast having more words in the dictionary than English. With such a wealth to choose from, it is no wonder that many people find that they appreciate some words more than others – words that are unusual, pleasing to say, or have a poetic meaning. In this text, we will take a look at some of the words that have made it onto lists of the most beautiful words in the English language, but which are perhaps rather unusual and obscure.
Gossamer
As a noun, this word means very light threads or a light film of cobwebs. It can also be used as an adjective to describe something that is very light, insubstantial, delicate, or thin, for example light silk.
Examples:
Cinderella's dress was as light as gossamer.
The superhero wore gossamer armour.
Incandescent
This adjective can be used about anything that is emitting light as a result of being heated, for example a lightbulb. It can also be used figuratively about a person if we want to say they are full of strong emotion or passionate about something.
Examples:
In the evening, the sun made the snow-capped mountains glow incandescent against the evening sky.
He was incandescent with rage over losing the game.
Sumptuous
This adjective is used when something is extremely costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent.
Examples:
I stayed in bed all morning, wrapped in my sumptuous new kashmere blanket.
The leather of the car seats was silky smooth and sumptuous.
Nadir
This is a noun that comes from astronomy, and which originally meant the point on the celestial sphere directly below an observer. In everyday use it means the 'lowest point'.
Examples:
Being scolded by the PE teacher was the nadir of his high school experience.
Company profits reached their nadir in 2021, and he considered filing for bankruptcy.
Susurration
This noun means a whispering or rustling sound.
Examples:
The susurration of the trees made me very sleepy.
The recording was ruined by the susurration of voices in the background.
Lassitude
This noun means a state of physical or mental weariness, like a lack of energy.
Examples:
Overcome by lassitude, I slept on the ground underneath the whispering trees.
He was inflicted by lassitude and depression.
Scintilla
This noun means a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling.
Examples:
He didn't feel even a scintilla of guilt over going to the concert instead of reading for the test.
Looking up from the map, he began to feel a scintilla of doubt: were they heading in the right direction?
Pellucid
This is an adjective that is used when something is translucently clear, easily understood, or very pure.
Examples
The setting sun was reflected in the pellucid water.
His singing had a pellucid quality.
Serendipity
This noun is used when events develop in a positive and beneficial way by chance or accident. Serendipity describes a lucky accident or a lucky coincidence. 'Serendipitous' is an adjective we can use when we want to describe something as a fortunate accident.
Examples
It was through sheer serendipity that I met my best friend.
After finding a four leaf clover, my life has been filled with serendipity and good luck.
Eloquence:
Eloquence is a noun that is used to describe fluent or persuasive speaking or writing.
Examples:
For a politician, he was never eloquent, relying instead on boyish charm and simple jokes to win people over.
My teacher praised the eloquence of my answer, but also pointed out that I was entirely wrong when it came to the facts.
Further examples:
Here, you will find another ten examples of beautiful English words. Perhaps you can find your favourite word?