Oh, I LOVE gelatinous. It’s one of those words that makes your tongue happy when you say it.

My favorite word is:

in·cor·ri·gi·ble adj \(ˌ)in-ˈkȯr-ə-jə-bəl, -ˈkär-\
Definition of INCORRIGIBLE

: incapable of being corrected or amended: as
a (1) : not reformable : depraved (2) : delinquent
b : not manageable : unruly
c : unalterable, inveterate

(definition courtesy of m-w.com)

This is probably really dorky, but I love words not for their meanings, necessarily, but because of the way they feel in my mouth. And oftentimes, when I’m alone, I’ll read aloud as I’m making my way through a book. And I find this inexplicably satisfying. I’ll even just mouth words silently if my husband is nearby, so he doesn’t realize the extent of my lunacy.

Right now, I’m reading Jay McInerney’s A Hedonist in the Cellar so, not only does it include gems like “restaurateur” and “terroir,” but it also includes a shit-ton of Italian names thet just roll off the tongue: “Romano dal Forno” “Valpolicella” “Giuseppe Quinatarelli” “Stefano Cesari”

Bliss for the palate!

I like “glorious” because it just is.

@@kfwritesbooks, Ooh, yes! That is a brilliant one!

A perennial favourite of mine, (along with ‘perennial’ itself,) ‘Defenestrate’. So much fun to say, and it means ‘to throw something/someone out a window. Defenestrate. Mmm, makes me happy.

Perennial:
–adjective
1. lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring: her perennial beauty.
2. (of plants) having a life cycle lasting more than two years.
3. lasting or continuing throughout the entire year, as a stream.
4. perpetual; everlasting; continuing; recurrent.
–noun
5. a perennial plant: Daffodils and tulips are perennials.
6. something that is continuing or recurrent.

I was going to be thorough and put the ‘official’ definition of defenestrate here, but seems I got it bang on in the body of the post so, yeah. It is a pretty basic word, though.

fun·gi·ble [fuhn-juh-buhl]
adjective

1: being of such a nature that one part or quantity may be replaced by another equal part or quantity in the satisfaction of an obligation

2: interchangeable

Sussuration
noun

1. A faint, indistinct, or background sound resembling whispering

Twoddle.
Cobblers.
Discombobulated.

But enough about my life …

Iconoclast (Which describes most of my patron saints. Harlan Ellison, Hunter S. Thompson, Aleister Crowley…You get the idea.)

Bombastic (Which describes me, for the most part.)

Purple

Celibacy (Which i encountered as a very young lad, and for the longest time was convinced somehow had to do with banking. I guess it does…kind of .)

Rhinovirus

Antiquated

Thunder

My grandfather loved the Irish poets and was big on words. He died when I was ten, but I still remember snatches of Yeats from him, and a number of fun words. I remember sitting in our living room with him, watching the fires on the west side of Chicago after King was assassinated, and him shaking his head and saying “What rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches this time toward Bethlehem to be born?” When he’d come over, he grab me up and say “and how is my favorite wild obstreperous lad?” So, in honor of DaDa, I give you:

Obstreperous: 1. marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness : clamorous
2: stubbornly resistant to control : unruly

mal·a·droit (ml-droit)
adj. – Marked by a lack of adroitness; inept.
n. – An inept person.

pre·ter·nat·u·ral adj \ˌprē-tər-ˈna-chə-rəl, -ˈnach-rəl\
1: existing outside of nature
2: exceeding what is natural or regular : extraordinary
3: inexplicable by ordinary means; especially : psychic

Discombobulated is one of my favorites.

I’ll add: Flabbergasted.
[flab-er-gast]
–verb (used with object)
to overcome with surprise and bewilderment; astound.

Oooh. Sussuration is one of my faves, too. Mmm.

And @Steph, I don’t think that’s dorky at all. In fact, you’re embracing part of the fundamental nature of words — words on a page communicate the words that are spoken, which means the origin of roots (and the root cause of their delight) is born in the mouth.

– c.

My favourite word?
Floccinaucinihilipilification.
The act of making something seem minute or valueless.

@LivingStardust

Thank you so much for highlighting this topic! I am so happy to be among fellow word geeks. I love reading the origins of words, even when the debate ends up with “crap, we really don’t know how it started” it’s still interesting. Also the mouth-feel of certain words just makes me happy to say them.
Some of my favorites:
Prestidigitation
Maelstrom
Kerfuffle
Foible
Lugubrious
I have an extra page on my blog so that whenever I use a word in a post that I particularly love, I link to it and describe what I’ve read about it. I felt a little silly doing it, and worried readers might misinterpret that as patronizing, but words are too fantastic to ignore, dammit.

Recalcitrant (not dissimilar in meaning to obstreperous, another favorite) “Difficult to manage or operate, not responsive to treatment.”

I make wine and so, have found it useful recently. “Hey Dan, we need to get a handle on a couple of recalcitrant fermentations.”

Also drivel. Yes, I know that classically it means “to drool or let saliva flow from the mouth”, but I also find it useful as a noun when referring to the predictable kind of remarks made when say, describing a particular wine. “I’ll be there in just a minute. I’m just writing the back-label drivel for the Zinfandel.”

@Steph Same here. Particularly words with P’s in them. Population, Pamplona, Papillon, Plosive. It’s like eating candy.

I love “defenestrate”. Not so much the word as the fact that it’s apparently happened often enough that someone felt it NEEDED a word.

“Syzygy” is a great one… I was going to say awesome, but you’re right, it is overused.

And just because I was impressed with myself for being able to learn how to spell them when I was 8, “Massachusetts”, “Mississippi” and “Sphygmomanometer”.

I remember, when I was young and learning to write, the teacher wanted us to make sentences with a word we picked up. Il always ended up with “avec” (French word for “with”, like in “with”.) Then I found out I love long words with more or less meaning. And “anticonstitutionnellement” became one of my favorite, which means “in a way that is against the constitution”. And for English word, I’ve always like “sin” don’t ask why, I just love the sound of the word, and the good old platypus.
On an other note, I never expected to see French words on the list of English speaking people. That’s… interesting.

@Stephen:

A friend used to delight in the word “puddle.” Just because of the things it required of the mouth.

– c.

Oh, and anybody have a teacher who told you a real word wasn’t real?

Had that a few times.

“Rictus” is the one that stands out.

“Not a word,” the teacher said.

SUCK IT, TEACH: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rictus

– c.

Oh, and “Brouhaha”. And “Hoosegow”

Lots of good words out there, long ones, short ones, German ones, onomatopoeic ones, usually with oddly simple definitions.

Juxtaposition – things put side by side for comparison
Brennschluss -when a rocket stops burning fuel
Chuff – a sound tigers make when they’re happy
Heliotrope – a shade of pink
Jape – to make a joke.
And many others!
vorpal, jubilant, confluence, sanguine, lofasz, fjord, and so on.
Just imagine Walter from Fringe saying any of these from the depths of a really vivid acid trip.

I think the fun really does come from the sound or the ‘taste’ – the physical sensation of saying these words- like a really fantastic piece of candy.

Which brings me to the really, good, woody sort of words- http://youtu.be/T70-HTlKRXo

Oooh. I love and use:

Nonplussed. = Bewildered; unsure how to respond; Unfazed, unaffected, or unimpressed

Custos morum = A guardian of morals; censor.

Second on ‘kerfuffle’.

Kerfuffle, yes. YES.

Also: “Rara avis.”

Rare bird. As in, a thing (or person) that is uncommon.

– c.

@Chuck: All the fucking time. At the very least I demand a rudimentary knowledge of grammar from my English teachers and an attitude of “Huh. Hang on a second. Let’s go look that up”.

I love infinitesimal. (means real small) It was the word that knocked me out of the finals of the sixth grade state spelling bee champs.

Yes, defenestrate!

Ornery – which I’m proud of being able to spell.

Sasquatch.

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

@Stephen

Defenestration is supposedly a traditional method of disposing of tyrants and incompetent politicians in old Bohemia. Webster says the first known use is 1620, two years after the second “Defenestration of Prague.”

Oh, that reminds me of another good word. Pronk!

I adopted a word the other day – “fallaciloquence,” which means “deceitful speech” – and i’m taking my adoptive mother duties quite seriously.

But my favorite random word is “soporific.” It’s an adjective used to describe things that lull you to sleep or are sleep-inducing. I think it just rolls off the tongue, personally. Love it.

Soporific is fun.

As is: Solipsistic.

– c.

I also love words. Some of my favorites are below. Since I’m doing the sharing, I’m giving the definition/usage that I like the best. Don’t like that? Suck it, Trebek.

eviscerate: v. – to deprive of vital content or force

(and while we’re on the subject)

entrails: n. – the inner workings of something

lycanthropy: n. – the assumption of the form and characteristics of a wolf

encumbrance: n. – a burden, obstruction or impediment

ethereal: adj. – lacking material substance

ubiquitous: adj. – existing or being everywhere at the same time

ersatz: adj. – being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation

I’m not sure why, but I’ve always been fascinated by words that begin with a vowel. They just seem to slide off the tongue differently than consonant-heavy words. To quote the Merovingian from Matrix Reloaded (I know, the first movie was the only one that didn’t suck), “It’s like wiping your ass with silk.” Consonant heavy words are base, peasant words. Think about it. Why is the word “FUCK!” so satisfying to say when you drop a wrench on your toe? It almost seems like a release of base emotion just to pronounce the word. Vowel-intensive words just feel different.

Also, I learned a great number of words from my earlier exposure to Dungeons & Dragons and I give that game a lot of credit for my love of words. I also strongly recommend The Weighty Word Book ( http://www.amazon.com/Weighty-Word-Book-Janet-Stevens/dp/1570983135 ). It is ostensibly (see, there’s another one) a children’s vocabulary book, but contains words such as coruscate, dogmatic, juxtapose, ostracize, truculent, vacillate and xenophobia. Each word has an accompanying story to illustrate the meaning of the word.

ab·scond

to depart in a sudden and secret manner, esp. to avoid capture and legal prosecution: The cashier absconded with the money.

ram·page

violent or excited behavior that is reckless, uncontrolled, or destructive.

mal·e·fac·tor
 
1. a person who violates the law; criminal.
2. a person who does harm or evil, esp. toward another.

And, lest you think I only like the bad ones (oh, and also, lest, which I have used in a sentence to elucidate [also also, elucidate]):

mu·nif·i·cent

1. extremely liberal in giving; very generous.
2. characterized by great generosity:

My latest crush is Transliteration (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transliteration). I love what it means, how it sounds & how it feels being said. I like it when a word feels as big & important as what it means, & that happens with this word. I think it’s also somehow subtly onomatopoetic.

Omphaloskepsis: the contemplation of one’s own navel.

“I can’t help you move, man – my omphaloskepsis is acting up.”

Excruciatingly…..
When I was a very little kid, I used that word and thought it wasn’t really a word. I thought I made it up. It was mad love at first speak.
When I found out it was a real dictonarily defined word, I was heartbroken.
But like all first true loves, the memory lingers on.

P.S. If you look carefully, I think I just made up another one.

My favorite word is Mokita, it means the truth everyone knows, but does not talk about

It’s not English… but, hey it’s a cool word as are many of the words found here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1889330469/ref=ord_cart_shr

I tend to favor words with beautiful meanings but odd sounds.

cal·li·pyg·i·an/ˌkaləˈpijēən/
Adjective: Having well-shaped buttocks.

pul·chri·tude/ˈpəlkrəˌt(y)o͞od/
Noun: Beauty.

Also, I was recently reading a DFW article about Roger Federer and was stopped in my tracks by his masterful deployment of “annealed”.

@Dave T:

So you’re a fan of the entire German language then, I take it?

– c.

Fidget. I don’t think I have to define it, but is there another single verb that sounds so perfectly as what it describes as this?

I do admire the German predilection for crafting words of breath-stealing length, as well.

And just to change it up a bit, I also offer “gamine”. When used to describe the right woman, it’s a bolt of light to the brain.

Some of my favourite words in the english language (I’m not a native speaker; I’m brazilian, so I grown up with the portuguese.

Definitions quoted from http://en.wiktionary.org/

1) This OBNOXIOUS word is very amusingly used by a friend of mine, everytime he sees something bizarre, which obviously and obnoxiously isn’t the precise meaning of

OBNOXIOUS (comparative more obnoxious, superlative most obnoxious)
Very annoying, offensive, odious or contemptible.
(archaic) exposed to harm or injury.  

2) First time I saw this LUDICROUS word, I fell in love with her, confusing it with something lusty or luscious.

LUDICROUS (comparative more ludicrous, superlative most ludicrous)
Idiotic or unthinkable, often to the point of being funny.

3) I think amusing that something so MACABRE is true in french and english. Unlike the two words above, this one has a direct translation into my language: MACABRO. The others have to satisfy themselves with DESPREZÍVEL e RIDÍCULO.

MACABRE (comparative more macabre, superlative most macabre)
Representing or personifying death.  
Obsessed with death or the gruesome.  
Ghastly, shocking, terrifying.  

4) so many adjectives until now! why not a verb? TUMBLING. And ONLY the present participle satisfies me.

to TUMBLE (third-person singular simple present tumbles, present participle tumbling, simple past and past participle tumbled)
(intransitive) To fall end over end.
To perform gymnastics such as somersaults, rolls, and handsprings.
To roll over and over.

5) To end it all with an APOCRYPHAL is a must-have alternative ending.

APOCRYPHAL (comparative more apocryphal, superlative most apocryphal)
Of, or pertaining to, the Apocrypha.
Of doubtful authenticity, or lacking authority; not regarded as canonical.
Many scholars consider the stories of the monk Teilo to be apocryphal.
Of dubious veracity; of questionable accuracy or truthfulness; anecdotal or in the nature of an urban legend.

… has it ended?
No, I’ll throw away some words in portuguese, taken at random from my blog, just for you to appreciate its exquisiteness:

ESFARELADO – CRUMBLED
AMPULHETA – HOURGLASS
CARNIÇA – CARRION
SEQUIOSO – THIRSTY
ÃMAGO – CORE (as a noun)
GOTEJANTE – DRIPPING (as an adjective)

@Matt Ok, now I love defenestrate even more than ever. Brilliant!

My all time favorite word is onamonapia but it’s difficult to work it into every day conversation.

So many words to choose from…
I am partial to urchin. It is descriptive without being too derogatory.

And I love the word merde. It’s French so you can curse and sound classy at the same time.

Conglomeration.

An accumulation of miscellaneous things.

Widdershins – basically all it means is counter clockwise, but it’s damn fun to say. Also loam, which I was frequently told was not a word but which means the leaves and debris and such, usually partly composted or decayed, that covers a forest floor.