Word Cloud

Like many of you out there, I'm constantly trying to find unique and different words to replace the boring old ones that I always seem to turn to. Such words add a bit of spice and intrigue to our stories and, let's be honest, they make us look (and feel) a little smarter too.

Checking out a suggestion from one of my kids teacher, I signed up for StumbleUpon a few months ago to help me with this ongoing quest. I've actually gotten some pretty cool link suggestions. Two that have been very helpful.

The first was a blog post about creating Beautiful Word Clouds, like the one in the opening picture. Basically, you choose a word (like 'technology') then brainstorm on all words that are related to the main one. It really helped me in writing a short story I'm working on. "MAKE IT HAPPEN".  For writing books, though, I was looking for something more. And I came across something awesome the following week.

The light came from another blog post on DESHODA called, "100 of the Most Beautiful Words in the English Language" (which, for some reason, actually worked out to 103 words!) WOW! What an amazing list! Let's just say I printed it off and added it to my word folder to refer to whenever I get stuck. And I thought I'd share this list with all of you today so you can do the same.

Yeah, I'll probably still suffer with the occasional bought of 'Writer's Block', but never again will I be stuck with trying to find a beautiful, unique word when I need one. Conclusion? Start with a Thesaurus, move to creating your own Beautiful Word Cloud then add some of these words to it.

Happy writing to you all this week!

Until next time!

Khairu
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1. Ailurophile: A cat-lover.
2. Assemblage: A gathering.
3. Becoming: Attractive.
4. Beleaguer: To exhaust with attacks.
5. Brood: To think alone.
6. Bucolic: In a lovely rural setting.
7. Bungalow: A small, cozy cottage.
8. Chatoyant: Like a cat’s eye.
9. Comely: Attractive.
10. Conflate: To blend together.
11. Cynosure: A focal point of admiration.
12. Dalliance: A brief love affair.
13. Demesne: Dominion, territory.
14. Demure: Shy and reserved.
15. Denouement: The resolution of a mystery.
16. Desuetude: Disuse.
17. Desultory: Slow, sluggish.
18. Diaphanous: Filmy.
19. Dissemble: Deceive.
20. Dulcet: Sweet, sugary.
21. Ebullience: Bubbling enthusiasm.
22. Effervescent: Bubbly.
23. Efflorescence: Flowering, blooming.
24. Elision: Dropping a sound or syllable in a word.
25. Elixir: A good potion.
26. Eloquence: Beauty and persuasion in speech.
27. Embrocation: Rubbing on a lotion.
28. Emollient: A softener.
29. Ephemeral: Short-lived.
30. Epiphany: A sudden revelation.
31. Erstwhile: At one time, for a time.
32. Ethereal: Gaseous, invisible but detectable.
33. Evanescent: Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time.
34. Evocative: Suggestive.
35. Fetching: Pretty.
36. Felicity: Pleasantness.
37. Forbearance: Withholding response to provocation.
38. Fugacious: Fleeting.
39. Furtive: Shifty, sneaky.
40. Gambol: To skip or leap about joyfully.
41. Glamour: Beauty.
42. Gossamer: The finest piece of thread, a spider’s silk.
43. Halcyon: Happy, sunny, care-free.
44. Harbinger: Messenger with news of the future.
45. Imbrication: Overlapping and forming a regular pattern.
46. Imbroglio: An altercation or complicated situation.
47. Imbue: To infuse, instill.
48. Incipient: Beginning, in an early stage.
49. Ineffable: Unutterable, inexpressible.
50. Ingénue: A naïve young woman.
51. Inglenook: A cozy nook by the hearth.
52. Insouciance: Blithe nonchalance.
53. Inure: To become jaded.
54. Labyrinthine: Twisting and turning.
55. Lagniappe: A special kind of gift.
56. Lagoon: A small gulf or inlet.
57. Languor: Listlessness, inactivity.
58. Lassitude: Weariness, listlessness.
59. Leisure: Free time.
60. Lilt: To move musically or lively.
61. Lissome: Slender and graceful.
62. Lithe: Slender and flexible.
63. Love: Deep affection.
64. Mellifluous: Sweet sounding.
65. Moiety: One of two equal parts.
66. Mondegreen: A slip of the ear.
67. Murmurous: Murmuring.
68. Nemesis: An unconquerable archenemy.
69. Offing: The sea between the horizon and the offshore.
70. Onomatopoeia: A word that sounds like its meaning.
71. Opulent: Lush, luxuriant.
72. Palimpsest: A manuscript written over earlier ones.
73. Panacea: A solution for all problems
74. Panoply: A complete set.
75. Pastiche: An art work combining materials from various sources.
76. Penumbra: A half-shadow.
77. Petrichor: The smell of earth after rain.
78. Plethora: A large quantity.
79. Propinquity: Proximity; Nearness
80. Pyrrhic: Successful with heavy losses.
81. Quintessential: Most essential.
82. Ratatouille: A spicy French stew.
83. Ravel: To knit or unknit.
84. Redolent: Fragrant.
85. Riparian: By the bank of a stream.
86. Ripple: A very small wave.
87. Scintilla: A spark or very small thing.
88. Sempiternal: Eternal.
89. Seraglio: Rich, luxurious oriental palace or harem.
90. Serendipity: Finding something nice while looking for something else.
91. Summery: Light, delicate or warm and sunny.
92. Sumptuous: Lush, luxurious.
93. Surreptitious: Secretive, sneaky.
94. Susquehanna: A river in Pennsylvania.
95. Susurrous: Whispering, hissing.
96. Talisman: A good luck charm.
97. Tintinnabulation: Tinkling.
98. Umbrella: Protection from sun or rain.
99. Untoward: Unseemly, inappropriate.
100. Vestigial: In trace amounts.
101. Wafture: Waving.
102. Wherewithal: The means.
103. Woebegone: Sorrowful, downcast.