The most beautiful words word lists

What makes a word beautiful?

Is it the sound of the word or its meaning?

The study of the pleasantness or unpleasantness of the way words and phrases sound (regardless of their meaning) is called phonaesthetics.

But I think the combination of sound and meaning is what makes for pretty words.

Consider the word “diarrhea” which trills off the tongue but isn’t a pleasant topic to ponder.

But the word “diary” is equally pleasing to the ear and has an intriguing meaning.

What Are the Most Beautiful Words?

The most beautiful words in English are those that thrill the ear and that stir the mind or soul.

They are words that inspire, uplift, excite, comfort, challenge, move and entice us. But they can also have a neutral or even unpleasant meaning (hemorrhage, flatulence, etc.).

British linguist, David Crystal, created a series of attributes of words that are commonly considered beautiful. Those attributes include:

• Having three or more syllables.
• Emphasis on the first syllable.
• The presence of particular letters people enjoy saying (like I and M).

Ultimately, the most beautiful words are the words that you find beautiful.

What is the Prettiest Word in the World?

There are more than 7000 languages in the world, with hundreds of thousands of words in most of them. So it’s difficult (if not impossible) to narrow the list to one word alone.

You might start by exploring the most beautiful languages in the world which are often considered Italian, French, Arabic, and Turkish.

But still, what each person finds beautiful is subjective.

Maybe we should just be happy there are so many lovely words in all languages.

How to Use Beautiful Words in English

Whether you are a logophile (a word lover) and simply enjoy the variety and character of words, or you’re a writer who is looking for the perfect word, you’ll find yourself needing to find aesthetic words at some point.

Maybe you wonder, “What are elegant words I can use to reflect my intelligence or sophisticated style.” The words you use do communicate to others who you are and how you see yourself.

You can use these words to . . .

Are you ready to explore some really good words that you can add to your vocabulary?

Our list of beautiful words below is a great resource to bookmark and keep handy whenever you need just the right word that sounds lovely.

Don’t have time to read the complete list of beautiful words? You can download the PDF here.

1. Abundance

A very large quantity of something.

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Again and again in the same way; forever

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3. Admirable

Arousing or deserving respect and approval.

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4. Adoration

Deep love and respect.

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5. Affable

Friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to.

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6. Agility

Ability to move or think quickly and easily.

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7. Ailurophile

A cat lover.

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8. Alacrity

Brisk and cheerful readiness.

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9. Alluring

Powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating; seductive.

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10. Aloha

A Hawaiian word used when greeting or parting from someone.

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11. Altruism

The belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.

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12. Amaranthine

From the Greek word amarantos, meaning immortal or unfading.

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13. Amiable

Having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner.

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14. Amorous

Showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire.

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15. Angelic

An exceptionally beautiful, innocent, or kind person.

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16. Apotheosis

The highest point in the development of something; culmination or climax.

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17. Assemblage

A collection or gathering of things or people.

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18. Astonishing

Extremely surprising or impressive; amazing.

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19. Astounding

Surprisingly impressive or notable.

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20. Ascension

The act of rising to an important position or a higher level.

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21. Astral

Of, connected with or resembling the stars.

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22. Audacious

Showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.

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23. Aurora

A natural electrical phenomenon characterized by the appearance of streamers of reddish or greenish light in the sky, usually near the northern or southern magnetic pole.

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24. Awe

A feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.

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25. Beatify

To make holy or sacred.

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26. Beauteous

Beautiful.

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27. Becoming

Flattering a person’s appearance.

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28. Beguile

To charm or enchant (someone), sometimes in a deceptive way.

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29. Belonging

An affinity for a place or situation.

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30. Beloved

Dearly loved.

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31. Benefactor

A person who gives money or other help to a person or cause.

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32. Benevolence

The quality of being well-meaning; kindness.

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33. Blazing

To burn fiercely or brightly.

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34. Blessing

A beneficial thing for which one is grateful; something that brings well-being.

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35. Bliss

Perfect happiness; great joy.

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36. Blossom

The state or period of flowering.

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37. Breathtaking

Astonishing or awe-inspiring in quality, so as to take one’s breath away.

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38. Breeziness

Fresh and animated;lively.

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39. Brilliance

An intense brightness of light.

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40. Brisk

Active, fast, and energetic.

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41. Bubbling

Characterized by cheerful high spirits.

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42. Bucolic

Relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.

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43. Bungalow

A low house, with a broad front porch, having either no upper floor or upper rooms set in the roof, typically with dormer windows.

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44. Buoyancy

The ability or tendency to float in water or air or some other fluid.

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45. Calcination

To heat (a substance) to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point, causing loss of moisture, reduction or oxidation, and the decomposition of carbonates and other compounds.

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46. Calm

Not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other strong emotions.

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47. Candor

The quality of being open and honest in expression; frankness.

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48. Caprice

A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior.

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49. Carpe Diem

Latin, ‘seize the day!’, a quotation from Horace.

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50. Cascade

A small waterfall, typically one of several that fall in stages down a steep rocky slope.

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51. Cashmere

Fine, soft wool, originally that from the Kashmir goat.

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52. Catharsis

The process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

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53. Celerity

The swiftness of movement.

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54. Centered

Well balanced and confident or serene.

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55. Champion

A person who fights or argues for a cause or on behalf of someone else.

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56. Charisma

Compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.

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57. Charm

The power or quality of giving delight or arousing admiration.

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58. Chatoyant

Of a gem, especially when cut en cabochon, showing a band of bright reflected light caused by aligned inclusions in the stone.

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59. Cheerful

Noticeably happy and optimistic.

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60. Chrysalis

A transitional state.

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61. Cinnamon

An aromatic spice made from the peeled, dried and rolled bark of a Southeast Asian tree.

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62. Clarity

The quality of being coherent and intelligible.

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63. Classy

Stylish and sophisticated.

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64. Clearheaded

Alert and thinking logically and coherently.

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65. Clinomania

An obsession with bed rest.

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66. Coalesce

Come together to form one mass or whole.

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67. Comely

Typically a woman who is pleasant to look at; attractive.

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68. Compassion

Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.

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69. Conflate

Combine (two or more texts, ideas, etc.) into one.

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70. Consciousness

The state of being awake and aware of one’s surroundings.

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71. Contentment

A state of happiness and satisfaction.

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72. Coruscate

Flash or sparkle of light.

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73. Creativity

The use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.

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74. Crepuscular

Of, resembling, or relating to twilight.

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75. Crystalline

Having the structure and form of a crystal; composed of crystals.

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76. Cuddle

Hold close in one’s arms as a way of showing love or affection.

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77. Cynosure

A person or thing that is the center of attention or admiration.

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78. Dalliance

A casual romantic or sexual relationship.

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79. Dandy

A man unduly devoted to style, neatness, and fashion in dress and appearance.

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80. Dapper

Typically a man who is neat and trim in dress, appearance, or bearing.

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81. Dauntless

Showing fearlessness and determination.

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82. Dazzling

Extremely bright, especially so as to blind the eyes temporarily.

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83. Debonair

A man who is confident, stylish, and charming.

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84. Delicate

Very fine in texture or structure; of intricate workmanship or quality.

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85. Delicious

Highly pleasant to the taste.

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86. Delightful

Causing delight; charming.

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87. Demesne

Land attached to a manor and retained for the owner’s own use.

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88. Demure

A woman who is reserved, modest, and shy.

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89. Denouement

The final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.

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90. Desirable

Wanted or wished for as being an attractive, useful, or necessary course of action.

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91. Desuetude

A state of disuse.

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92. Desultory

Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm.

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93. Devotion

Love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.

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94. Diaphanous

Light, delicate, and translucent, especially a fabric.

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95. Discombobulate

To disconcert or confuse someone.

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96. Dissemble

To conceal one’s true motives, feelings, or beliefs.

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97. Divinity

The state or quality of being divine.

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98. Doting

Extremely and uncritically fond of someone; adoring.

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99. Dreamy

Having a magical or pleasantly unreal quality; dreamlike.

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100. Dulcet

A sweet and soothing sound.

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101. Earnest

Resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction

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102. Ebullience

The quality of being cheerful and full of energy; exuberance.

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103. Ecstasy

An overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyful excitement.

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104. Effervescent

A liquid giving off bubbles; fizzy.

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105. Efflorescence

A state or time of flowering.

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106. Effortless

Requiring no physical or mental exertion.

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107. Elation

Great happiness and exhilaration.

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108. Elegant

Pleasingly graceful and stylish in appearance or manner.

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109. Elision

The omission of a sound or syllable when speaking

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110. Elixir

A magical or medicinal potion.

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111. Eloquence

Fluent or persuasive speaking or writing.

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112. Embrocation

A liquid used for rubbing on the body to relieve pain from sprains and strains.

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113. Emollient

Having the quality of softening or soothing the skin.

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114. Emulate

Match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation.

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115. Enamoured

To be filled with a feeling of love for someone or something.

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116. Enchanted

Placed under a spell; bewitched.

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117. Enraptured

Experiencing intense pleasure or joy.

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118. Enthralled

Experiencing fascinated attention.

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119. Ephemeral

Lasting for a very short time.

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120. Epiphany

A moment of sudden revelation or insight.

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121. Equanimity

Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.

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122. Equilibrium

A state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced.

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123. Erstwhile

Former.

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124. Ethereal

Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.

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125. Etiquette

The customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.

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126. Euphoria

A feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness.

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127. Evanescent

Soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing.

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128. Evocative

Bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind.

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129. Exonerate

To absolve someone from blame for a fault or wrongdoing, especially after due consideration of the case.

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130. Exquisite

Extremely beautiful and, typically, delicate.

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131. Exuberant

Filled with or characterized by a lively energy and excitement.

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132. Fabulous

Amazingly good; wonderful.

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133. Faithful

Loyal, constant, and steadfast.

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134. Fascination

The power to fascinate someone; the quality of being fascinating.

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135. Feasible

Possible to do easily or conveniently.

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136. Feisty

A person who is relatively small or weak but also lively, determined, and courageous.

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137. Felicity

Intense happiness.

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138. Festive

Cheerful and jovially celebratory.

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139. Fetching

Attractive.

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140. Fidelity

Faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support.

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141. Filament

A slender threadlike object or fiber, especially one found in animal or plant structures.

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142. Flawless

Without any blemishes or imperfections; perfect.

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143. Flourish

To grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment.

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144. Flowing

Hanging or draping loosely and gracefully.

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145. Forbearance

Patient self-control; restraint and tolerance.

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146. Fortitude

Courage in pain or adversity.

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147. Friendship

The emotions or conduct of friends; the state of being friends.

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148. Fugacious

Tending to disappear; fleeting.

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149. Fulfilling

Making someone satisfied or happy because of fully developing their character or abilities.

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150. Furtive

Attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive.

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151. Gambol

Run or jump about playfully.

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152. Gargantuan

Enormous.

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153. Giddy

Having a sensation of whirling and a tendency to fall or stagger; dizzy.

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154. Ginger

A hot, fragrant spice made from the rhizome of a plant, which may be chopped or powdered for cooking, preserved in syrup, or candied.

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155. Glamour

An attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing.

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156. Glorious

Having a striking beauty or splendor that evokes feelings of delighted admiration.

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157. Goddess

A woman who is adored, especially for her beauty.

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158. Gorgeous

Beautiful; very attractive.

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159. Gossamer

Used to refer to something very light, thin, and insubstantial or delicate.

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160. Graceful

Having or showing grace or elegance.

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161. Halcyon

Denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.

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162. Handsome

A good-looking man.

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163. Harbinger

A forerunner of something.

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164. Harmony

The quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole.

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165. Heartfelt

A feeling or its expression that is sincere; deeply and strongly felt.

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166. Heartwarming

Emotionally rewarding or uplifting.

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167. Heavenly

Very pleasing; wonderful.

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168. Hilarity

Extreme amusement, especially when expressed by laughter.

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169. Holiness

The state of being holy.

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170. Hopefulness

Having or manifesting hope.

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171. Humility

A modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness.

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172. Idyllic

A time or place that is extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque.

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173. Illumination

Lighting or light.

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174. Illustrious

Well known, respected, and admired for past achievements.

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175. Imbrication

An overlapping of edges (as of tiles or scales).

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176. Imbroglio

An extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation.

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177. Imbue

To inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality.

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178. Incandescence

The light emmited by an incandescent object.

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179. Incipient

In an initial stage; beginning to happen or develop.

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180. Ineffable

Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.

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181. Ingenue

An innocent or unsophisticated young woman, especially in a play or film.

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182. Inglenook

A space on either side of a large fireplace.

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183. Insouciance

Casual lack of concern; indifference.

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184. Intrepid

Fearless; adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect).

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185. Inure

Accustom to something, especially something unpleasant.

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186. Invincible

Too powerful to be defeated or overcome.

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187. Iridescent

Showing luminous colors that seem to change when seen from different angles.

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188. Jaunty

Having or expressing a lively, cheerful, and self-confident manner.

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189. Jocular

Fond of or characterized by joking; humorous or playful.

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190. Jovial

Cheerful and friendly.

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191. Joyous

Feeling,showing,or causing joy; joyful

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192. Jubilant

Feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph.

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193. Judicious

Having or showing good judgment or sense.

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194. Juvenescent

Becoming young or youthful.

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195. Kindred

One’s family and relations.

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196. Kindliness

The quality of being kind, warmhearted, or gentle; kindness.

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197. Kissable

Capable of being kissed; inviting to be kissed through attractiveness.

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198. Labyrinthine

A network like a labyrinth; irregular and twisting.

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199. Lagniappe

Something given as a bonus or extra gift.

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200. Lagoon

A stretch of salt water separated from the sea by a low sandbank or coral reef.

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201. Languid

Displaying or having a disinclination for physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed.

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202. Languor

The state or feeling, often pleasant, of tiredness or inertia.

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203. Lassitude

A state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy.

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204. Leisure

Free time.

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205. Lilting

Speak, sing, or sound with a lilt.

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206. Lissome

A person or their body that is thin, supple, and graceful.

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207. Lithe

A person’s body that is thin, supple, and graceful.

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208. Lovable

Inspiring or deserving love or affection.

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209. Lullaby

A quiet, gentle song sung to send a child to sleep.

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210. Luminescence

The emission of light by a substance that has not been heated, as in fluorescence and phosphorescence.

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211. Luxury

Sumptuous or extremely comfortable living surroundings.

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212. Magnificent

Splendid in appearance;grand.

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213. Marvelous

Causing great wonder; extraordinary.

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214. Mellifluous

Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear.

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215. Mellow

Pleasantly smooth or soft; free from harshness.

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216. Mindfulness

A mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

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217. Minutiae

Small or trivial details.

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218. Moiety

Each of two parts into which a thing is or can be divided.

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219. Mondegreen

A misunderstood or misinterpreted word or phrase resulting from a mishearing of the lyrics of a song.

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220. Murmurous

Filled with or characterized by murmurs; low and indistinct

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221. Nemesis

A long-standing rival; an archenemy.

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222. Namaste

A respectful greeting said when giving a namaskar.

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223. Nebulous

Unclear, vague, or ill-defined concept or idea.

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224. Nirvana

A transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. It represents the final goal of Buddhism.

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225. Nourishment

The food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition.

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226. Nurture

Care for and encourage the growth or development of.

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227. Oblivion

The state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening.

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228. Omnipotent

Having unlimited power; able to do anything.

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229. Onomatopoeia

The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named

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230. Optimistic

Hopeful and confident about the future.

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231. Opulent

Ostentatiously rich and luxurious or lavish.

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232. Pacify

Quell the anger, agitation, or excitement of.

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233. Palimpsest

A manuscript or piece of writing material on which the original writing has been effaced to make room for later writing but of which traces remain.

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234. Panacea

A solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases.

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235. Panoply

A complete or impressive collection of things.

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236. Paradise

An ideal or idyllic place or state.

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237. Passion

Strong and barely controllable emotion.

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238. Pastiche

An artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period.

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239. Persevering

Persistent; constant in the execution of a purpose.

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240. Perspicacious

Clear-sighted; mentally perceptive or acute; keen.

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241. Petrichor

A pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.

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242. Phenomenal

Very remarkable; extraordinary.

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243. Phosphenes

A ring or spot of light produced by pressure on the eyeball or direct stimulation of the visual system other than by light.

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244. Piquancy

A pleasantly sharp and appetizing flavor.

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245. Plethora

A large or excessive amount of something.

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246. Precious

An object, substance, or resource of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly.

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247. Prevarication

To deviate from the truth

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248. Propinquity

The state of being close to someone or something; proximity.

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249. Prosperity

The state of being prosperous.

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250. Pyrrhic

A victory won at too great a cost to have been worthwhile for the victor.

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251. Quaint

Attractively unusual or old-fashioned.

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252. Quantum

A discrete quantity of energy proportional in magnitude to the frequency of the radiation it represents.

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253. Quickening

To enter into a phase of active growth and development

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254. Quiescent

In a state or period of inactivity or dormancy.

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255. Quietude

A state of stillness, calmness, and quiet in a person or place.

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256. Quintessential

Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.

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257. Radiant

Sending out light; shining or glowing brightly.

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258. Rapturous

Characterized by, feeling, or expressing great pleasure or enthusiasm.

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260. Ratatouille

A vegetable dish consisting of onions, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers, fried and stewed in oil and sometimes served cold.

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261. Ravel

Untangle or unravel something.

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262. Ravishing

Delightful; entrancing.

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263. Redolent

Strongly reminiscent or suggestive of something.

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264. Rejuvenate

Make someone or something look or feel younger, fresher, or more lively.

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265. Relent

Abandon or mitigate a harsh intention or cruel treatment.

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266. Repose

A state of rest, sleep, or tranquility.

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267. Resilience

The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.

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268. Resplendent

Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.

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269. Revelation

A surprising and previously unknown fact, especially one that is made known in a dramatic way.

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270. Reverence

Deep respect for someone or something.

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271. Rhapsodic

Immoderately empassioned or enthusiastic.

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272. Righteousness

The quality of being morally right or justifiable.

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273. Riparian

Relating to or situated on the banks of a river.

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274. Ripple

A small wave or series of waves on the surface of water, especially as caused by an object dropping into it or a slight breeze.

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275. Romance

A feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.

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276. Sacred

Connected with God (or the gods) or dedicated to a religious purpose and so deserving veneration.

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277. Salve

Something that is soothing or consoling for wounded feelings or an uneasy conscience.

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278. Sapphire

A transparent precious stone, typically blue, that is a variety of corundum (aluminum oxide).

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279. Savor

Enjoy or appreciate something pleasant completely, especially by dwelling on it.

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280. Scintilla

A tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling.

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281. Sempiternal

Eternal and unchanging; everlasting.

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282. Sequoia

A redwood tree, especially the California redwood.

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283. Seraglio

A large harem.

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284. Serendipity

The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

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285. Serenity

The state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.

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286. Silky

Of or resembling silk, especially in being soft, fine, and lustrous.

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287. Simplicity

The quality or condition of being easy to understand or do.

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288. Solitude

The state or situation of being alone.

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289. Somnambulism

An abnormal condition of sleep in which motor acts (such as walking) are performed

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290. Sonorous

Capable of producing a deep or ringing sound.

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291. Soulmate

A person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.

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292. Spacious

Having ample space.

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293. Spellbound

Hold the complete attention of someone as though by magic; fascinate.

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294. Spherical

Shaped like a sphere.

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295. Splendid

Magnificent; very impressive.

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296. Sprightliness

Marked by a gay lightness and vivacity.

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297. Statuesque

An attractively tall and dignified woman.

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298. Sublime

Of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe.

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299. Succulent

Tender, juicy, and tasty food.

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300. Summery

Characteristic of or suitable for summer.

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301. Sumptuous

Splendid and expensive-looking.

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302. Supine

Lying face upward.

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303. Surreptitious

Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.

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304. Susquehanna

A river 444 miles (714 kilometers) long in the eastern U.S. flowing from central New York south through Pennsylvania and into the Chesapeake Bay in northern Maryland

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305. Susurrous

Full of whispering sounds.

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306. Symphony

Something regarded, typically favorably, as a composition of different elements.

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307. Talisman

An object, typically an inscribed ring or stone, that is thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck.

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308. Tenacity

The quality or fact of being able to grip something firmly; grip.

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309. Tender

Showing gentleness and concern or sympathy.

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310. Tintinnabulation

A ringing or tinkling sound.

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311. Tolerance

The ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular, the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.

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312. Tranquility

The quality or state of being tranquil; calm.

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313. Transfiguration

A complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state.

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314. Triumph

A great victory or achievement.

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315. Umbrella

A device consisting of a circular canopy of cloth on a folding metal frame supported by a central rod, used as protection against rain or sometimes sun.

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316. Unabashed

Not embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed.

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317. Unflappable

Having or showing calmness in a crisis.

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318. Unification

The process of being united or made into a whole.

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319. Unique

Being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else.

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320. Varnish

Resin dissolved in a liquid for applying on wood, metal, or other materials to form a hard, clear, shiny surface when dry.

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321. Veneration

Great respect; reverence.

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322. Verity

A true principle or belief, especially one of fundamental importance.

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323. Vestigial

Forming a very small remnant of something that was once much larger or more noticeable.

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324. Vibrant

Full of energy and enthusiasm.

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325. Victorious

Having won a victory; triumphant.

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326. Virtuous

Having or showing high moral standards.

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327. Vitality

The state of being strong and active; energy.

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328. Vitriolic

Filled with bitter criticism or malice.

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329. Vortex

A mass of whirling fluid or air, especially a whirlpool or whirlwind

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330. Vulnerable

Susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm.

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331. Waft

Pass or cause to pass easily or gently through or as if through the air.

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332. Wanderlust

A strong desire to travel.

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333. Warmhearted

A person or their actions that are sympathetic and kind.

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334. Wherewithal

The money or other means needed for a particular purpose.

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335. Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and physical well-being.

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337. Wondrous

Inspiring a feeling of wonder or delight; marvelous.

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336. Worship

The feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.

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338. Xanadu

An idealized place of great or idyllic magnificence and beauty.

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339. Xenophobia

Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.

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340. Xylophone

A musical instrument played by striking a row of wooden bars of graduated length with one or more small wooden or plastic mallets.

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341. Yearling

An animal (especially a sheep, calf, or foal) that is a year old or that is in its second year.

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342. Yearn

Have an intense feeling of longing for something, typically something that one has lost or been separated from.

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343. Yesteryear

Last year or the recent past, especially as nostalgically recalled.

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344. Zealous

Having or showing zeal.

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345. Zenith

The time at which something is most powerful or successful.

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346. Zephyr

A soft gentle breeze.

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347. Zestful

Characterized by great enthusiasm and energy.

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348. Zinfandel

A variety of wine grape grown in California.

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349. Zither

A musical instrument consisting of a flat wooden soundbox with numerous strings stretched across it placed horizontally and played with the fingers and a plectrum. It is used especially in central European folk music.

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350. Zoophilic

Having an attraction to or preference for animals.

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Beautiful Words with Dark Meanings

There are some words that sound lovely but have darker or more negative meanings. Take a look at these pretty words whose sound belies their meanings.

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351. Amorphous

Without a clearly defined shape or form.

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352. Atrament

A very dark substance — usually liquid.

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353. Caliginous

Misty, dark, obscure.

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354. Cimmerian

A member of a mythical people living in perpetual mist and darkness near the land of the dead.

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355. Crepuscule

Twilight. Obscure, doubtful, or uncertain.

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356. Darkling

Growing dark or characterized by darkness.

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357. Dystopian

Relating to an imagined state or society where there is great suffering or injustice.

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358. Eigengrau

The dark grey color that human eyes see in perfect darkness.

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359. Gloaming

Twilight, dusk.

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360. Nebulochaotic

A state of being hazy and confused.

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361. Nefarious

Wicked or criminal.

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362. Nyctophilia

An attraction to darkness or night; finding relaxation or comfort in the darkness.

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363. Pernicious

Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.

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364. Photophobic

Having an extreme sensitivity to light; growing best under reduced illumination.

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365. Somber

Gloomy, sullen, melancholy; solemn in mood.

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366. Stygian

Extremely dark, gloomy, or forbidding.

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367. Tenebrous

Dark, shadowy, or obscure.

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368. Umbra

Shadow or darkness. A shaded area.

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369. Woebegone

Exhibiting great sorrow, or misery.

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Did you like these cool-sounding words?

Which of these beautiful words are your favorites?

How will you include them in your writing or conversation so you can make them a regular part of your vocabulary?

Learning good words that aren’t part of your current lexicon has a variety of benefits. Improving your vocabulary . . .

The most beautiful words in the English language don’t mean anything unless they are appreciated and used in communication, education, and writing.

Take advantage of this list of words, commit as many of them to memory as possible, and try to use a new word every day.

And . . . if you want to inspire others, please share this list of beautiful words on your favorite social media platform.

From Afrikaans to Zulu, here are 203 most beautiful untranslatable words in other languages from around the world that should exist in English.

If you’ve ever tried to learn a language, then you’ll know that translating is not always an easy task. There are over 7,000 languages in the world and just as many words and ideas that get ‘lost in translation’ due to differences in grammar and semantics, or even linguistic complications. When a language fails to convey the essence of a word during translation, the word is considered to be ‘untranslatable.’

There are many terms that drip with feeling and emotion that are simply untranslatable into English. By taking a closer look at some of the most beautiful untranslatable words from around the world, they can give us a glimpse into different cultures and belief systems that help us to understand the people who speak these marvellous languages. 

English is no stranger to borrowing words from other languages and even inventing new ones like ‘hangry‘, a combination of anger and hunger because you need something to eat asap. Then there is ‘nomophobia‘, an irrational fear or sense of panic felt when you’ve lost your phone or are unable to use it. Even English playwright William Shakespeare invented plenty of words too such as ‘faint-hearted‘ and ‘tongue-tied‘. These new words have entered English dictionaries at a fast pace, keeping up with the diversity of the English-speaking world. 

In spite of this, the English language can’t explain everything so succinctly, and yet there are many other languages that have, in just one word. This comprehensive list looks at some of the most beautiful words in different languages that are simply untranslatable into English. Many of which we should definitely borrow.

From Afrikaans to Zulu, here are 203 of the most beautiful untranslatable words from other languages.

Afrikaans

Loskop – Used to describe someone who is forgetful, absent-minded and a bit air-headed. It’s literally means, ‘loose (los) head (kop)’.

Learn Afrikaans for travel! Get my free Afrikaans travel phrase guide here.

Albanian

Besa –  An Albanian verb and pledge of honour that means to keep a promise by honouring your word. It’s usually translated as “faith” or “oath”.

Arabic

Samar (سمر) – Staying up late after the sun has gone down and having an enjoyable time with friends. Samar is also an Arabic name meaning ‘evening conversations including Arabic music and poetry’. Samar in Arabic is a cognate of the Hebrew name Shamar which means ‘to preserve’.

Taarradhin  (تراض) – Taarradhin is the act of coming to a happy compromise where everyone wins. It’s a way of reconciling without anyone losing face.

Ya’aburnee (يقبرني) –  This word is an emotional declaration of one’s hope that they’ll die before another person to express how impossible it would be to live without them. The literal meaning of the Arabic word ya’aburnee is ‘you bury me’. The underlying idea goes deeper than that (no pun intended). Ya’aburnee is said in the hope that a loved one will outlive you. It is a painful yet beautiful expression of a desire to save yourself the pain of a life without a person you love.

Learn Arabic for travel! Get my free Arabic travel phrase guide here.

Basque

Aspaldiko – This untranslatable Basque word describes the euphoria and happiness felt when catching up with someone you haven’t seen in a long time.

Learn Basque for travel! Get my free Basque travel phrase guide here.

Bengali

Ghodar-dim (ঘোড়ার ডিম) – Pronounced [gho-rar-deem], this Bengali word is a sarcastic term for ‘nothing’ or false hope. It literally means ‘horse’s egg’, therefore representing something that doesn’t exist.

Bulgarian 

Ailyak – Ailyak is a beautiful Bulgarian term for the subtle art of doing everything calmly and without rushing, whilst enjoying the experience and life in general.

Learn Bulgarian for travel! Get my free Bulgarian travel phrase guide here.

Chinese (Mandarin)

Guanxi (关系) – Pronounced [gwan-shee], guanxi is often translated as ‘connections’, ‘relationships’ or ‘networks’ and refers to having a strong personal relationship with someone which involves moral obligations and exchanging favours. This is one of the essential ways of getting things done in traditional Chinese society. To build up good guanxi, you do things for people such as give them gifts, take them to dinner, or other favours. If you need to call in a favour then you ‘use up’ your guanxi.

Once a favour is made, an unspoken obligation exists. Because of this, people often try to refuse gifts, because, sooner or later, they may have to repay the debt. However, the bond of guanxi rarely ends, because once the relationship exists, it sets up an endless loop that can last a lifetime.

Ré nao (热闹) – The Chinese word ré nao is usually translated as ‘lively’ or ‘bustling,’ but its true meaning goes beyond these adjectives. It refers to a fun, lively place with an inviting vibe that makes you want to be there.

Czech

Litost – Litost is nearly untranslatable, but Czech writer Milan Kundera describes it as ‘a state of torment created by the sudden sight of one’s own misery’. 

Mít kliku – This Czech verb means to have luck on your side or be lucky enough to achieve something. It literally means, ‘to have a door handle’.

Prozvonit – Prozvonitis when you call but only let it ring once so that the other person calls back without so you save money or minutes. 

Learn Czech for travel! Get my free Czech travel phrase guide here.

Danish

Arbejdsglæde – Pronounced [ah-bites-gleh-the], this compound word is make up of arbejde meaning ‘work’ and glæde meaning ‘happiness’ so arbejdsglæde literally means ‘job joy’, ‘job satisfaction’ or ‘happiness at work.’ It’s the heightened sense of happiness, fulfilment, and satisfaction you get from having a great job.  This untranslatable word also exists in the other Nordic languages, including Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and Icelandic.

Hygge – Pronounced [HEU-guh], Hygge is a well-known Danish term that describes the emotional warmth created by relaxing in the company of loved ones such as good friends and family. Hygge usually involves spending the evening at home, and getting cozy by candlelit with warm blankets, and maybe some alcohol. Watching the glow of a roaring log burner is hygge and so too is building a snowman with your children – however old they are. Similar words are also found in German (gemütlichkeit), Swedish (gemytlig) and Norwegian (hyggelig). 

Learn Danish for travel! Get my free Danish travel phrase guide here.

Dutch

Uitwaaien – Uitwaaien is an idiomatic Dutch expression which means to go out in windy weather, particularly into nature or a park, in order to refresh and clear one’s mind. Uitwaaien comes from the Dutch uit– ‘out-‘ and‎ waaien, ‘to blow’, of wind.

Voorpret – Voorpret is the build up of anticipation, joy or pleasure you feel ahead of the actual event such as setting up for a party and can’t help but dance as you do it. Voorpret literally means, ‘pre-fun’ but means more than just the anticipation of something fun, it’s enjoying the anticipation. It’s voorpret!

Gezelligheid – This Dutch word combines the Danish concept of hygge and the German gemütlichkeit. Gezelligheid is the idea of being in a comfortable, cozy atmosphere with loved ones, catching up with an old friend, or just the general togetherness that gives people a warm feeling. It suggests a sense of closeness that many consider encompasses the heart of Dutch culture.

Epibreren –  Pronounced [ep-i-BREER-un], epibreren describes giving the appearance of being busy and important in the workplace when in reality you’re being super lazy. This term comes with an interesting origin story too. It was originally coined by Simon Carmiggelt, a Dutch newspaper columnist who explained in one of his columns that this previously unknown term had been revealed to him in 1953 by a civil servant from whom he had requested some papers. The civil servant said that the papers still needed epibreren. Not knowing what he meant, Carmiggelt asked, and the civil servant eventually confessed that he had made it up to fend off enquiries.

Learn Dutch for travel! Get my free Dutch travel phrase guide here.

Estonian

Leiliviskaja – A person who throws water on hot rocks to make steam in a sauna.

Finnish

Hyppytyynytyydytys – This may look like I fell asleep on my keyboard, but this Finnish word literally means, ‘bouncy cushion satisfaction’. It describes the pleasure and satisfaction derived from sitting or bouncing on a bouncy cushion. I want to learn Finnish just so I can use this word!

Jaksaa – A severe absence of enthusiasm to do something. When you just don’t have enough strength, will power to do something or can’t be bothered.

Kaamos — Kaamos is more than just Polar Night when there are 24 consecutive hours of darkness,  kaamos describes the longing for sunshine, and a feeling of depression and lack of motivation and enthusiasm. It signifies long dark days and bad weather, no social life, and a lack of inspiration.

Lieko – A trunk of a tree that has submerged to the bottom of a lake.

Myötähäpeä – Experiencing a shared embarrassment or shame when seeing someone else do something embarrassing. Myö means ‘we,’ myötä means ‘with’ and häpeä is ‘shame’, so it can be roughly translated to something like ‘co-embarrassment’ or ‘secondhand embarrassment’.

Poronkusema – Talk about very Finnish problems, poronkusema describes the distance a reindeer can comfortably travel before taking a break to urinate. In case you were wondering, it’s around, 4.7miles / 7.5km. Poronkusema was once an official unit of measurement until the metric system was introduced in the late nineteenth century.

Sauna – A sauna is a small room used as a hot-air or steam bath for cleaning and refreshing the body. Saunas were invented in Finland several millennia ago and are still a cornerstone of Finnish culture, as well as of every Finnish home. So much so that, traditionally, when people moved they used to build the sauna first, and only then the house. 

Sisu – Sisu is a Finnish concept that describes a stoic resilience, determination and hardiness considered to be necessary to face the difficulties of life in general and of life in harsh conditions in particular. This Finnish term that can be roughly translated as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity. Sisu isn’t momentary courage, but the power to sustain that courage to see something through.

Tokka – Pronounced [talk-uh] is a Finnish collective noun for a large herd of reindeer. It is said that there are as many reindeer as there are people in Finland.

Learn Finnish for travel! Get my free Finnish travel phrase guide here.

French

Bérézina – A sense of panic associated with a huge defeat. The word Bérézina is used in the French idom ‘C’est la Bérézina’ meaning a complete defeat, loss. The origin of this expression dates back over 200 years to the banks of the river Berezina in Belarus. It was here that a fierce battle took place between Napoleon’s retreating army and the Imperial Russian army. The battle ended in a victory for the Russian Empire and heavy losses for the French.

Dépaysement – Dépaysement is a feeling of restlessness that comes with being away from your country of origin and feeling like a foreigner. It’s a mix of disorientation to culture shock. Dépaysement can also be used when you’re a bit fed up with your environment and need a change of scenery. Literally, dépaysement means something like ‘to be uncountried’.

Bricoleur — A bricoleur is a handyman who uses whatever materials he can get his hands on to create a construction (or bricolage). Think of the well-known term Bric-à-brac –  miscellaneous objects and ornaments of little value. The closest equivalent in English would be something like a DIY-er. 

Flâneur –  Flâner is a verb meaning ‘to stroll’ but a flâneur is a person of leisure who enjoys wandering the streets and soaking in the city and surroundings and appreciating its beauty. The term flâneur was first coined in the 19th century to describe a literary man of a certain social class, who would spend his time exploring the streets of Paris.

La douleur exquise – If French is the language of love, then it seems only fitting that it has a term to describe all the feelings associated with unrequited love. La douleur exquise literally means ‘the exquisite pain’,  the pain of wanting something you can’t have, such as someone who will never return your feelings.

L’appel du vide – L’appel du vide is that little voice in your head telling you to do something stupid like jerking the steering wheel to the right and take a flying leap off the edge or staring out at the view from a balcony and have a sudden urge to jump over the ledge. In English, you might refer to it as the call of the Siren song.

L’esprit de l’escalier – Literally ‘stairwell wit’, l’esprit de l’escalier is the feeling that you’ve got the perfect comeback, but you think of it too late. Similar to the German, treppenwitz, mentioned earlier.

Retrouvailles – This beautiful French word means ‘refindings’, referring to the reunion you would have with someone you care deeply for but haven’t seen in a long time. The English word ‘reunion’ doesn’t quite capture this intense feeling.

Yaourt – The need to sing along to a song even though you don’t know the lyrics. Instead, you use nonsensical noises that vaguely resemble the lyrics of a song.

Learn French for travel! Get my free French travel phrase guide here.

Georgian

Shemomedjam – When you eat something because it’s so yummy and delicious, even though you’re not hungry.

German

Backpfeifengesicht – German is full of hilarious phrases and backpfeifengesicht is one of the most inventive. This German compound word literally means a ‘face that should be slapped’ or ‘a face in need of a slap!’ Backpfeifengesicht is made up of 3 separate words: back – from die Backe, meaning cheek; pfeifen – German verb meaning to whistle; das Gesicht – The German word for face. You might be thinking, but, Michele, that means ‘cheek whistle face’. True! But when you combine the words back and pfeife you get die Backpfeife, which means slap in German. 

Drachenfutter – Literally, ‘dragon fodder’, this is a gift someone gives to placate and apologise to someone, especially a spouse, after they’ve done something wrong or stupid.

Erklärungsnot – The urgent need to explain something, either yourself or the situation. It can also mean to struggle explaining something. Erklärungsnot is made up of the German words Erklärung (‘explanation’) and not (in this case, can be translated as ‘need.’)

Extrawunsch – A term used to call someone who complicates things by being fussy or picky, and thus slows things down.

Fachidiot – Fachidiot, literally it means ‘subject-idiot’. A fachidiot is a person with expert knowledge in their own field and are well-accomplished but are clueless when it comes to anything outside that area. 

Fahrvergnügen – The love and pleasure one feels from simply driving around. The German compound word fahrvergnügen comes from fahren (‘to drive’) and‎ vergnügen (‘pleasure’). This term was popularised in the USA by Volkswagen advertisements in the 1990s.

Fernweh – Fernweh is one of my favourite travel words that describe wanderlust perfectly. Fernweh is a feeling of homesickness for a place, even though you’ve never been there. The word fernweh is made up of fern (‘far’) and‎ weh (‘pain’) and can be literally translated as ‘farsickness’ or longing for far-off places. This is the opposite of heimweh, which means homesickness.

Fisselig – This represents a temporary state of sloppiness, usually elicited by a person’s nagging. This often means that a person is flustered to the point of incompetence.

Kabelsalat – Kabelsalat literally means, ‘a cable salad’, a beautiful word to describe the mess of tangled cables.

Handschuhschneeballwerfer – Handschuhschneeballwerfer is German slang for ‘coward’. It literally means, ‘someone who wears gloves to throw snowballs’. In other words, a cowardly person who criticises and abuses something from a safe distance.

Kummerspeck – Guilty of eating your feelings? That’s called ‘grief bacon’ or kummerspeck. This term refers binge eating as a result of an emotional blow and the excess weight you can gain from emotional overeating. 

Lebensmüde – Lebensmüde is a German compound noun made up of the words leben (life) and müde (tired), and literally means ‘life tired’. It describes the feeling of being tired or weary of life. Its closest English equivalents are probably world-weary, depressed, fed up, restless and dissatisfied.

Schadenfreude – A feeling of joy and pleasure that comes with seeing another’s misfortune. Usually. someone you really dislike.

Schilderwald – A street that is so overcrowded and rammed with street signs, that you’re more prone to getting lost rather than finding your way.

Schlimmbesserung – Something that was meant to be an improvement, but actually makes things worse.

Schnapsidee – Literally, ‘schnapps idea’, is a plan so ridiculous you must have been drunk when you thought it up.

Sitzfleisch – Literally translated, sitzfleisch means ‘sitting meat’ or ‘sitting flesh’ – in other words, your bottom. This German refers to a person with the ability to sit through something very boring. But not only. It’s also used to refer to someone who is hardworking and has the physical discipline to sit down and get on with the job. If you have, sitzfleisch, you possess the ability and the stamina to stay seated for extended periods of time in order to be productive and get the job done.

Torschlusspanik – This beautiful word is used to refer to the feeling you experience at a certain point in your life where you see an imaginary door closing on all your opportunities, and you wonder what could have been. Tor means ‘gate,’ schluss means ‘closing’ or ‘ending,’ and panik means, ‘panic.’ So, torschlusspanik literally translates to ‘gate closing panic.’

Treppenwitz – Possibly the most useful untranslatable word on this list, treppenwitz describes all the things you should have said in the heat of the moment but only think of when it is too late. Also known as, the best comeback line you never said.

Waldeinsamkeit – The feeling of being alone in the woods. Derived from two German words ‘wald,’ meaning forest, and ‘einsamkeit,’ meaning loneliness, it refers to a connectedness with nature and the peace experienced in that moment.

Weichei – Weichei is a German slang term which used to refer to a cowardly person. Literally meaning ‘a soft egg’, the closest English equivalent would be ‘wimp’.

Weltschmerz – The literal translation of the word is ‘world grief’, or ‘world-pain’,  a term first coined by the German author Jean Paul. Weltschmerz refers to a deep sadness about the imperfection and pain of the world.

Verschlimmbessern – Verschlimmbessern describes the act of trying to make something better, only to end up making it worse than it initially was. In English, you might say something like ‘to put your foot in it’.

Learn German for travel! Get my free German travel phrase guide here.

Greek

Filotimo (φιλότιμο) – Filotimo is almost impossible to translate but can be summed up as ‘love of honour’. It describes a person who understands the responsibility to themselves, as a human, being to always do the right thing and with honour. Even if their wealth, safety, freedom, or even life is at peril. No matter what, this person will do the honourable thing, regardless of the consequence.

Parea (παρέα) – In Greek culture, a parea is when a group of friends gather to share life experiences, philosophies, values, and ideas.

Psithurism (Ψυθισμός) – Psithurism is the rustling sound of leaves in the wind. It comes from the Greek psithuros, meaning ‘whispering, slanderous.’

Meraki (μεράκι) – Meraki is when you pour yourself wholeheartedly into doing something with soul, creativity, or love that you leave a piece of yourself in your work.

Learn Greek for travel! Get my free Greek travel phrase guide here.

Hawaiian

Pana Po’o – The act of scratching your head in an attempt to remember something you’ve forgotten.

Akihi –  When you ask someone for directions, walk off, then immediately forget what they said. You’ve gone ‘akihi’.

Hebrew

Firgun (פירגון) – Firgun is a Hebrew term and concept in Israeli culture used to describe genuine and sincere happiness for another person without any ulterior motives. This often means a feeling of pure joy on seeing someone else’s accomplishment.

Learn Hebrew for travel! Get my free Hebrew travel phrase guide here.

Hindi

Chai-Pani (चाय पानी)– The phrase ‘Chai-Pani’ literally meaning, ‘tea and water’, is used to offer welcome drinks and facilitate guests in houses of India. It can also refer to a bribe given to someone, often a bureaucratic worker, to get a job done quickly.

Jijivisha (जिजीविषा) – This Hindi word conveys an intense desire to live life to the fullest. The word often refers to a person who lives with intense emotions and ambitious desires, seeking to thrive.

Namaste (नमस्ते) – Namaste is both a gesture and divine greeting that sends a message of peace to the universe in the hopes of receiving a positive message back. Namaste comes from the Sanskrit namas (bowing) te (to you) and is often translated to ‘I bow to the divine in you’. 

Viraha (विरह) – Realising you love someone only after you’re separated.

Learn Hindi for travel! Get my free Hindi travel phrase guide here.

Hungarian

Elmosolyodni – A kind of smile that forms when something isn’t especially funny, but you can’t help but smile anyway.

Házisárkány – A nickname for your spouse or better half who is constantly nagging. It literally means an ‘Domestic Dragon’

Icelandic

Dalalæða – A low waist-deep fog that forms after a warm and sunny day. It literally means, ‘a fog that sneaks up from the bottom of a valley’ or ‘valley-sneak.’

Gluggaveður – When the weather looks pleasant from your window, but is actually really cold that you need a jacket. Gluggaveður literally means ‘window-weather.

Þetta reddast – Pronounced [THETTA red-ahst], Þetta reddast is Iceland’s unofficial motto that loosely translates as ‘everything will work out in the end’.

Tima – Being unwilling to spend time or money on a particular thing, even though you can afford it.

Learn Icelandic for travel! Get my free Icelandic travel phrase guide here.

Indonesian

Jayus – A joke so terrible and unfunny that you can’t help but laugh. It’s funny because it’s not funny, kind of like a dad joke. 

Mencolek – A lighthearted prank where you trick someone by tapping their opposite shoulder from where you’re standing in order to fool them. That’s mencolek!

Inuit

Iktsuarpok (ᐃᒃᑦᓱᐊᕐᐳᒃ) – From the Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, one of the principal Inuit languages of Canada, Iktsuarpok is the act of repeatedly going outside to keep checking if someone (anyone) is coming. Somewhere between impatience and anticipation. Iktsuarpok refers to the feeling of anticipation and impatient excitement that the person you’re waiting for has arrived.

Irish

Cúbóg – A batch of Easter eggs. 

Learn Irish for travel! Get my free Irish travel phrase guide here.

Italian

Abbiocco – This is one of my favourite Roman dialect words. It describes the drowsiness or ‘carb coma’ you feel following having eaten a big meal. 

Attaccabottoni – Literally, ‘attach buttons’, an attaccabottoni is a chatty person who corners you to tell you long, meaningless stories, in endless detail about their life.

Cavoli riscaldati – Literally reheated cabbage, this is essentially an attempt to reheat an old romance. In other parts of Italy, ‘minestra riscaldata‘ or ‘zuppa riscaldata’, meaning reheated soup, is used to describe the same sentiment.

Commovente – Often translated as ‘heartwarming,’ but it directly refers to being moved to tears. The verb commuovere  means to move, to touch, to stir emotions.

Culaccino – Culaccino refers to the dregs in a glass but also the residue or water ring left on a surface by a moist, cold glass or other small container. In Italian, ‘culo‘ means bottom.

Gattara – A woman devoted to caring for and feeding stray or domestic cats. A more extreme version of a cat lover.

Fare la scarpetta – To finish up the contents of your plate, especially the sauce, with a piece of bread.

Meriggiare – An Italian verb meaning to rest or relax at midday, usually in a shady spot on a sunny day. From ‘meriggio’ meaning ‘midday’.

Learn Italian for travel! Get my free Italian travel phrase guide here.

Japanese

Age-otori (上げ劣り) – Pronounced [aah-gey-oh-toh-ree], Age-otori is a beautiful Japanese word that perfectly sums up a disaster haircut that makes you look worse than before.

Arigata-meiwaku (ありがためいわく) – This is used to refer to an act that someone does for you, even though you didn’t want to have them do it and tried to avoid having them do. They might have gone ahead,  determined to do you a favour, then things going wrong, causing you a lot of trouble. In spite of this, social conventions required you to still express gratitude. What a mouthful! Yet the Japanese have a simple concise term that says it all in just 2 words, arigata-meiwaku.

Bakku-shan (バックシャン) – This dating slang term literally means ‘back beautiful’ and is used to describe a girl who is beautiful, as long as you’re looking at her from behind! Harsh!  An English equivalent could be either ‘good from afar, but far from good’, or ‘Butter face’ – where everything but her face is attractive). What makes this Japanese word so interesting is that it’s not Japanese at all, it’s a composite of バック (bakku, ‘back’, from English back) and‎ シャン (shan, ‘beautiful’, from German schön).

Boketto (ぼけっと) – Gazing vacantly into the distance without thinking of anything specific, in other words, daydreaming.

Chindōgu (珍道具) – A prank originating from Japan, which is done by a person seemingly inventing ingenious everyday gadgets that seem like an ideal solution to a particular problem, but are in fact nothing more than a useless gag. Literally translated, chindōgu means unusual (珍, chin) tool (道具, dōgu). 

Ikigai (生きがい) – Ikigai is a Japanese concept often translated to ‘your life purpose’, ‘a reason for being’ or getting up in the morning. Ikigai refers to having a direction or purpose in life which makes one’s life worthwhile and full of meaning. But is not just limited to this, it can also be something as small as a daily ritual you enjoy.

Kaizen (改善) –  Kaizen is a Japanese term and method meaning ‘change for the better’ or ‘continuous improvement.’ It’s a method for transforming habits incrementally, one step at a time, in order to continuously improve. It’s also a famous Japanese business philosophy where employees make small adjustments to processes that compound over time resulting in increased productivity.

Koi no yokan (恋の予感) – The feeling of excitement you get when you first meet someone and know that you will eventually fall in love with them and are hopeful about being more than just friends. This is a more realistic version of ‘love at first sight’. Koi no yokan comes from 恋 (koi) is romantic love, and 予感 (yokan) roughly translates to ‘premonition’ or ‘hunch’, and roughly translates to ‘premonition of love’.

Komorebi (木漏れ日) – This Japanese word beautiful describes the scattered sunlight that filters through the leaves on the trees. The word is composed of three kanji and the hiragana particles れ. While the first kanji refers to ‘tree’ or ‘trees,’ the second one means to ‘escape,’ and the third signifies ‘light’ or ‘sun.’ 

Kyōiku mama (教育ママ) – Pronounced [ky-oh-ee-kuu-mama], Kyōiku mama is an offensive Japanese term used to describe a mother who relentlessly pushes her children to achieve academic excellence. It literally translates to ‘education mother’.

Mono no aware (物の哀れ) – Literally ‘the pathos of things’, and also translated as ‘an empathy toward things’. The term Mono no aware was coined by Motoori Norinaga, an eighteenth century literary scholar, who combined aware, which means sensitivity or sadness, and mono, which means ‘things.’ Norinaga believed that this feeling was at the very centre of Japanese culture. 

Nekama (ネカマ) – Nekama refers to a certain type of male, who in their normal daily life are usually heterosexual, however, online they represent themselves as female. Thus, this term commonly refers to a man pretending to be a woman on the internet, regardless of his sexuality.

Shouganai (しょうがない) – A Japanese philosophy that states that if something is meant to be and cannot be controlled, then why worry about it? The idea is that worrying won’t prevent the bad things from happening; it will only deprive you of the joy of enjoying the good things in life. Translated literally, shouganai means ‘it can’t be helped’.

Tatemae (建前) and Honne (本音) – Tatemae has the specific cultural meaning. It refers to the behaviour that Japanese people adopt in public, according to what is socially accepted or not by Japanese society. It could be translated as the ‘public facade’. Privately held views that you would never admit in public is called honne.

Tsundoku (積ん読) – How many times have you bought a book but never read it? This is called tsundoku, a beautiful word used to describe the act of buying books but letting them pile without ever reading them. The term originated in the Meiji era (1868–1912) as Japanese slang. The word consists of tsunde-oku (積んでおく, to pile things up ready for later and leave) and dokusho (読書, reading books). It is also used to refer to books ready for reading later when they are on a bookshelf.

Wabi-Sabi (侘寂) – This is a beautiful Japanese concept that represents finding beauty in imperfections. It allows us to accept that growth and decay are a natural process. In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection.  Wabi-sabi is a concept derived from the Buddhist teaching of the three marks of existence (三法印, sanbōin), specifically impermanence (無常, mujō), suffering (苦, ku) and emptiness or absence of self-nature (空, kū).

Yoko meshi (横飯) – Used to convey the stress-induced while speaking a foreign language, the literal meaning is ‘a meal eaten sideways’. Need help learning a language? Check out my guide to the best language learning resources here.

Yūgen (幽玄)  – Yūgen is an important concept in traditional Japanese aesthetics. It refers to the sad beauty associated with human suffering, coupled with a sense of profound mysterious sense and beauty of the universe.

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Related: 69 Wonderful Japanese Expressions That Will Brighten Your Day

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Kivila

Mokita – From the Kivila language native to Papua New Guinea, mokita is a commonly known truth that no one wants to admit or talk about. 

Korean

Dapjeongneo (답정너) – A situation where you’re ‘the right thing’ by telling the other person what they want to hear, even though you might not actually believe it. Sort of like telling a white lie to avoid causing offence.

Gosohada (고소하다) – The feeling you get when someone finally gets what they deserves. When you think to yourself ‘HA serves you right!’, that’s Gosohada.

Gilchi (길치) – What you call someone who has a terrible sense of direction and who constantly gets lost.

Hyo – Pronounced [hee-yo], this is both a name meaning ‘dutiful’ and a term to describe the sense of duty children have towards their parents and the expectation that they may need to make sacrifices for them out of respect.

Latvian

Kaapshljmurslis – Kaapshljmurslis is used to describe the uncomfortable cramped feeling you get when you’re in a crowded bus or train during rush hour.

Lithuanian 

Nepakartojama – A never-to-be-repeated perfect situation. Directly translated, it means ‘unable to repeat’

Malay

Manja – Manja is a person who shows so much outward love and affection towards someone they care about, like a spouse, partner, or child, to the point where they are pampering or spoiling them

Pisan Zapra – The time it takes to eat a banana. Which apparently, is roughly two minutes.

Māori (Cook Islands Maori) 

Papakata – To have one leg shorter than the other.

Norwegian

Dugnad – Is a type of community day where Norwegians get together to help clean up their neighbourhoods by fixing, cleaning, painting or just tidying things up. A dugnad takes place around the change in seasons. Every Norwegian has participated in a dugnad. It’s a great occasion to socialise with your neighbours, which – if you live in Norway – you will know is pretty rare. The added benefit is that a dugnad is usually accompanied by kaffe og kaker (coffee and cakes).

Forelsket – The indescribable euphoria you feel when you start to fall in love with someone.

Pålegg –  Anything that you can put on top of open-faced sandwiches, such as brun øst (Norwegian Cheese) cold cute, tomatoes, lettuce, spreads or other topping.

Utepils – Pronounced [OOH-ta-pilz], Utepils is a beautiful Norwegian compound word where ute means ‘out, outside, outdoors’ and pils means ‘lager’, so it literally translates to ‘outdoors lager’. Utepils is the act of enjoying a beer  while sitting outside on a sunny day – usually after surviving a long winter. Utepils is also the name of a famous brewing company.

Uffda! / Uff da!  – Is a versatile interjection and expression which basically means ‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that’. It expresses surprise, astonishment, exhaustion, relief, and can be used to express empathy. It means a combination of ‘Ouch for you!’ and ‘I’m so sorry that you hurt yourself’. Within Scandinavian-American culture, Uff da often translates to, ‘I am overwhelmed’. 

Yr – Yr can only be described as a very specific kind of rainfall with tiny, almost floating  raindrops (or snowflakes). It’s similar to drizzle or mist but one as one Norwegian puts it ‘It paints a picture not only in how it’s spelled but how it’s said, it’s more a sound than a word. Also when conjugated: ‘det yrer litt‘. I see foggy whispers of misty rain in the fjords.’ (Source). I think this is the most beautiful untranslatable word I’ve learned so far since learning Norwegian.

Learn Norwegian for travel! Get my free Norwegian travel phrase guide here.

Pascuense (Easter Island)

Tingo – Continuously borrowing items  from a neighbour’s house and not returning them, thereby gradually stealing everything from them one-by-one until there is nothing left.

Persian

Zhaghzhagh – Pronounced [zhaang-zhaah-gh], it’s the uncontrollable chattering of teeth, either due to the cold, or from intense rage.

Polish

Dożywocie – A contract between parents and children, guaranteeing lifetime care in exchange for real estate.

Formacja – Formacja is used in colloquial speech to describe a state of mind that is widespread across a particular generation or period of time. The closest English word would be ‘zeitgeist’.

Kilkanaście – This Polish word refers specifically to any number between 12 and 19 and is used in a similar way as the English ‘umpteen’ or ‘many’, but neither translation is quite correct. 

Kombinować – To make something or try to resolve a problem with the bare minimum and in an unusual way. This could be as a result of having limited access to resources or knowledge.

Radioukacz – Telegraphists who were part of the resistance movements on the Soviet side of the Iron Curtain.

Zalatwic – Zalatwic means ‘to get done’, but in a very specific way and is often either illegal or bends the rules. It involves using a bribe, political clout or connections, or simply personal charm to get the job done. This was especially common in Poland during the days of communism in Poland where it was probably impossible to live without ‘zalatwic’.

Portuguese

Saudade – Saudade is an untranslatable Portuguese term that describes a solemn and melancholic feeling of longing. Saudade can be a longing for something which does not and probably cannot exist or refer to the love that remains long after someone or something is gone and may not return – a nostalgic longing for a person or thing that was loved once, but is now lost. This feeling is a recurring theme in Portuguese and Brazilian literature. Brazil celebrates a day of Saudade every January.

Desenrascanço – Desenrascanço literally means ‘disentanglement’, a term used in Portugal to describe the act of ‘disentangling’ oneself from a difficult situation by using all available means to solve the problem. 

Cafuné – The act of tenderly running your fingers through someone’s hair in a loving way. 

Learn Portuguese for travel! Get my free Portuguese travel phrase guide here.

Romanian

Dor – A sad longing or yearning for someone.

Soare cu Dinti – When you look out the window and it looks lovely and sunny until you actually step outside. Soare cu Dinti describes a beautiful sunny, but very cold day.

Rukwangali (Namibia)

Hanyauku – Pronounced [ha-ahn-yoh-kuu], this Rukwangali word spoken by Namibians, refers to the act of tiptoeing across warm or hot sand.  

Russian

Listopad (листопа́дъ) – The falling of leaves.

Odnoliub (однолюб) – Someone that only has one love in their life or is only capable of a single person at a time.

Pochemuchka (почемучка) – Pochemuchka is a person, usually a child, who asks too many questions. Pronounced [POH-chay-MOO-chka[, it comes from the Russian word pocemu [POH-chay-MUH], which means ‘Why?.’ Pochemuchka was first used in a popular Soviet-era children’s book whose boy hero was given the nickname Alyosha Pochemuchka because he was never satisfied with the answers he got. Pochemuchka is a light-hearted put-down that might be expressed in English with a warning like ‘curiosity killed the cat’.

Razljubit (разлюбить) – Razljubit is the opposite feeling of the Norwegian forelsket when you first fall in love. It’s the feeling you have towards someone you were once in love with. When you see or think of them, you may feel a twinge of affection, but by now it’s totally platonic. That’s razljubit.

Toska (тоска) – Toska is the feeling of anguish, sadness, or melancholia, even though there’s no specific cause. Often spiritual in nature, this is a deep sadness that touches the soul.

Zapoi (Запой) – Zapoi describes being drunk for several days and waking up in an unexpected place that you don’t recognize.

Zloradstvovat (злорадствовать) – Zloradstvovat means to be devilishly happy’, in the evil way, when seeing someone’s misfortune, pain, or loss.

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Learning Russian? Check out these hilarious Russian idioms and expressions

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Samoan

Faamiti – Pronounced [fah-mih-tee], faamiti is a high-pitched noise made by sucking air through tightly-sealed lips in order to attract the attention of a pet or children.

Scottish

Sgrìob –  This Scottish Gaelic term describes the tingle of anticipation felt in the upper lip before drinking whisky.

Suilk – Pronounced [swilk], this Scottish word means to make an abnormal amount of noise whilst such as to swallow, gulp, or suck with a slobbering noise. Suilk is now used in English and even has English verb conjugations, ‘suilking‘ is the act, and a ‘suilker‘ is one who suilks.

Tartle – The moment where you hesitate when introducing someone because you’ve just forgotten their name. You’ve just tartled, so you say, ‘Pardon my tartle!’

Learn Scots for travel! Get my free Scots travel phrase guide here.

Serbian

Merak – This beautiful Serbian word refers to the pursuit of small pleasures everyday, which all adds up to a feeling of contentment, fulfilment and oneness with the larger purpose and the universe.

Slovenian

Vedriti – To shelter from the rain, either literally or metaphorically, such as when you’re in a bad mood and you’re waiting for the negative emotions to pass.

Spregledati – To simultaneously understand someone on a deeper level, whilst also overlooking it.

Spanish

Anteayer – This single word means ‘the day before yesterday’. Anteayer is made up of the Spanish word ante, meaning before or in front of, and ayer, meaning yesterday. In some parts of Latin America and rural Spain, antier is used instead. 

Chingada – Chingada is a vulgar term commonly used in colloquial Mexican Spanish that shouldn’t be thrown around lightly. It can either refer to a special kind of hellish place that’s far away, where you send anyone who irritates you, like when you say ‘go to Hell’, or can be used as a variation of the f-word. Chingada stems from the verb chingar which means to ruin, annihilate, screw or f**k. Like I said, be careful how you use it, if at all!

Desvelado – While the Spanish are known for their siestas, they also have a word which means the complete opposite. Desvelado literally means ‘awake’ and comes from the verb desvelar, which means ‘to reveal’ or ‘to keep awake’. It can also be translated into English as being wide awake, unable to sleep, or sleepless. 

Duende – The word duende has two distinct meanings. The term derives from ‘duen de casa‘ (master of the house), referring to a magical, mythical creature or spirit such as an elf, leprechaun, or even a goblin found in Spanish and Latin American folklore.  The second, and more interesting and beautiful definition, describes the heightened state of emotion, expression, and expression that a performer gives off that draws in the audience. Duende or tener duende (‘to have duende’) is a Spanish term that is traditionally connected with flamenco and other activities that evoke Spanish fiery passion, like bullfighting. In some parts of Spain, duende is used to describe someone who is charming or alluring.

Encandilar – The aftermath of seeing a sudden bright flash of light, often associated with seeing spots. Encandilar comes from the Spanish verb encandilarse, meaning ‘to be dazzled/blinded by’.

Estrenar – Estrenar means ‘first time’ or the beginning of something. It’s used to describe the first time you do, wear or use something for the first time. Don’t you just love that feeling?

Friolero – Friolero describes a person who is particularly susceptible and sensitive to cold weather, prone to easily feeling cold. A similar term also exists in Italian, freddoloso.

Madrugada – The term madrugada is both Spanish and Portuguese and means to get up early in the morning at twilight – the time between midnight and the crack of dawn.

Pena ajena – Ajeno/a generally means ‘someone else’s’ or ‘other people’s’. Literally, meaning ‘sorry for others’, pena ajena is the feeling of humiliation or embarrassment you get upon watching another person’s embarrassment. It’s so embarrassing that it makes you cringe. 

Sobremesa – Shared mealtimes are a very important part of Spanish culture, and the time spent after the meal just chatting and relaxing is very important. So important that they even have a word to describe it. Sobremesa literally means ‘over the table,’  is a Spanish expression that describes that wonderful period after the meal is finished but you continue sitting at the table chatting and enjoy each other’s company.

Tuerto – A one-eyed man, blind in one eye .

Tutear – To speak to someone you know well (usually friends and family) informally by addressing using the ‘tú‘ form instead of the more formal ‘usted‘. The term tutoyer is used in French to describe the same thing where the speaker uses the informal second-person pronoun tu rather than the formal vous.

Vacinlando – Vacilando is a beautiful Spanish word which describes the journey or experience of travelling, is more important than reaching the specific destination.

Learn Spanish for travel! Get my free European Spanish travel phrase guide here and my Latin American travel phrase guide here.

Swahili

Hakuna matata – In the Swahili language, Hakuna matata can be directly translated to ‘there are no troubles’. This phrase was made popular in the English-speaking world thanks to the 1994 Disney movie The Lion King. It can be translated to ‘no worries’ or ‘no dramas’ and means to avoid worrying about things outside of your control. If you’re a fan of the film, here are 20 beautiful African words in ‘The Lion King’ that will make you smile. 

Swedish

Badkruka – A person who feels somewhat hesitant or doesn’t like to swim in an open body of water due to its low temperature.

Blunda – Blunda is a Swedish word that means to close or cover your eyes to avoid seeing something or facing a hard truth. It’s similar to the English expression ‘turn a blind eye’, or can be the simple act of ignoring something.

Duktig – If a Swede says you’re duktig, that’s a huge compliment, because they are saying you’re skilled, capable, or hard-working. Duktig comes from the Swedish verb duga, which means ‘to be good for / to be acceptable for’. You can use duktig on its own, just as you would say ‘you’re such a hard-worker!’ or  ‘good girl/boy!’ to a child. Duktig refers to an action of some sort, whether that’s a job or a specific task.

Fika – Fika is a special kind of Swedish coffee break that could go on for hours and is more about socialising than drinking coffee. It’s all about gathering together to enjoy coffee, pastries, and conversation.

Gökotta – I adore this beautiful untranslatable Swedish word. Gökotta describes waking up at dawn, and going outside, just to hear birds chirping and singing.

Harkla – Harkla is a fantastic verb that means something very similar to ‘to clear one’s throat’. A perfect example would be the moment before you’re about to give a speech and make a half-cough so you can speak clearly.

Hinna – Hinna is a common Swedish verb that means ‘to be on time’ ‘to find the time’. 

Jobbig – Jobbig is an all-encompassing word that means troublesome or trying, annoying or difficult. It can be used to refer to people, things, events – almost anything that is difficult, annoying, or tedious.

Lagom – Lagom means ‘just the right amount’, it’s neither too much, nor too little, but juuuuuust right. Lagom is important in Swedish culture, where you don’t want to ‘stand out’ but having or doing too much.

Mångata – Mångata refers to a long, wavy, road-like reflection of the moon that often appears on water. It draws its origin from ‘måne‘ meaning moon, and ‘gata‘ meaning street or road. So, mångata literally means ‘moon road’.

Mormor / farmor / morfar / farfar – We could definitely use these genius Swedish compound words in English to describe each of our grandparents. Mormor, farmor, morfar, farfar literally means mothermother, fathermother, motherfather, fatherfather – respectively. That is, mormor is your mother’s mother, farmor is your father’s mother, morfar is your mother’s father and farfar is your father’s father. So, the question is, do you want to see more of mormor and less of farfar? So see farmor far less? And while we’re at it, barnbarn (literally, ‘childchild’) is the Swedish word for grandchild.

Mysa – Mysa is a Swedish verb for feeling content, cozy and enjoying oneself, especially at home. Not to be confused with the Danish, hygge which relates to any activity or part of your day, mysa refers specifically to being at home. 

Orka – This common verb in the Swedish language means ‘to have the energy’.

Resfeber – Resfeber refers to the mixture of anxiety and anticipation before a trip or journey begins. Resfeber is considered one of the most beautiful travel words.

Tidsoptimist  – Literally, a ‘time optimist’ this is a person who is constantly late because they think they have more time than they actually do.

Tretår – When two cups of coffee isn’t enough, you go for a second refill or ‘threefill’ of coffee. In Swedish, ‘tår’ means a cup of coffee and ‘patår’ is the refill of said coffee. A ‘tretår’ is therefore a second refill, or a threefill.

Vobba – Describes the very specific act of a parent taking a paid day off to take care of their sick child but still work, for example they check emails or take calls. Vobba is a mash-up of the two verbs att vabba (to take care of a child) and att jobba (to work).

Vabba – From vobba, comes vabba, a shortened version of vård av barn, which means ‘to be at home with the kids’.

Learn Swedish for travel! Get my free Swedish travel phrase guide here 

Tagalog

Gigil – Gigil is the overwhelming feeling that comes over you when you see something unbearably cute that you want to squeeze or pinch it. Kind of like when your grandma wanted to pinch your cheeks when you were a child.

Tampó – In Filipino culture, tampó is when a person withdraws his or her affection or cheerfulness towards someone who has hurt them. A mild case of ‘to hold a grudge’ where you’re someone between hurt and disappointed.  It usually occurs between people related to each other. For example, when a husband forgets to bring his wife flowers for their anniversary, she can have ‘tampó‘ against him.

Kilig – Kilig can be roughly translated as ‘romantic excitement’, it describes the happiness and giddiness you feel when something romantic takes place, either to you or someone else. It’s the feeling of butterflies in your stomach when you catch your crushes’ eye for the first time, witnessing a marriage proposal, or watching your favourite TV show couple. 

Tamil

Oodal – An exaggerated, fake anger that usually follows a quarrel between lovers.

Tshiluba (Congo)

Ilunga – Pronounced [ee-lun-ga], this is a person who is ready to forgive someone once, tolerate it a second time, but never a third time. Kind of like, three strikes and you’re out!

Tulu (Indian)

Karelu – The mark left on the skin from wearing something tight, such as jeans, socks, or a bra.

Turkish

Ciğerpare – This beautiful word literally has Persian origins and literally means ‘liver part’. It refers to someone that you love as much as your own body. Lovers or friends may call each other ciğerparem, meaning ‘my liver part.’

Urdu

Goya – This Urdu word refers to a feeling of wonder and disbelief that accompanies a particularly realistic fantasy. The suspension of disbelief makes it seem so real that it temporarily becomes reality. This is usually associated with good storytelling.

Wagiman

Murr-ma – This beautiful word comes from Wagiman, an almost extinct Australian Aboriginal language spoken in Australia’s Northern Territory. It describes feeling around in water with your feet to find something.

Welsh

Glas wen – The literal translation is ‘blue smile’, and is used to describe a mocking sarcastic smile.

Hiraeth – Pronounced [here-eyeth] (roll the ‘r’), this beautiful Welsh word is much like the Portuguese saudade mentioned earlier or the Romanian dor,  it conveys a feeling of homesickness, sense of regret, along with a general sadness over the lost or departed. This is a longing for one’s homeland, or even a romanticized past, with a yearning for it to come back.

Yaghan 

Mamihlapinatapei – The word mamihlapinatapai (sometimes also spelled mamihlapinatapei) comes from the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego in Southern Argentina. Mamihlapinatapai is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the ‘most succinct word’ and is considered extremely difficult to translate. Mamihlapinatapai is a meaningful, but wordless exchange between two people, who both desire to initiate something but are hesitant to act on it. It also can refer to a private but non-verbal exchange shared by two people, one where each knows that the other understands and agrees what is being expressed. 

Yiddish

Shlimazl (שלימזל) – A chronically unlucky, usually inept, clumsy person.

Trepverter – Literally, ‘staircase words’, trepverter is a witty comeback you think of only after it’s too late. 

Luftmensch (לופֿטמענטש‎) – Luftmensch is used to refer a person with their head in the clouds. They are more concerned with airy intellectual pursuits than practical matters like earning an income. From the Yiddish לופֿט‎ (luft, ‘air’) and מענטש‎ (mentsh, ‘man’).

Farpotshket – Pronounced [fahr-POTS-SKEHT], farpotshket is when you or someone you trust tries to fix something but only ends up making things worse, causing irreparable damage. All you can do is shrug, knowing that you should’ve known better. Farpotshket also has an associated verb – potshky (POTs-ski), which means ‘to fiddle with something in a well-meaning and purposeful way, but with a complete lack of competence.’

Chutzpah – Is an untranslatable Yiddish word for adopting a ‘don’t-take-no-for-an-answer’ attitude where you’ll build up the guts to do something ballsy.

Zulu

Ubuntu – The act of being kind to others because of one’s common humanity. Ubuntu is frequently translated as ‘I am because we are,’ or ‘humanity towards others’. 

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Over to you!

Which one of these words in your favourite? Was it the Malay, pisan zapra – the time it takes to eat a banana or the Portuguese cafuné – the act of tenderly running your fingers through someone’s hair. Share your favourites in the comments.

Can you think of any other ‘untranslatable’ words? Have you ever come across words and phrases that could not be translated into your native language? Let me know in the comments and I’ll add them to the list!

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The English language offers a plethora of words belonging to a wide range of categories. You may find certain words attractive because of their sound or maybe the meaning it conveys. So even though it’s difficult to define the beauty of a word, beautiful words refer to those words that attract you instantly. The addition of such beautiful words will surely increase your vocabulary. However, a point to be noted is that the beauty of a word is not objective but rather depends on the user’s perception. Hence it is subjective in nature.

• List of Beautiful Words to Use in Writing
• Beautiful Words that Signify Appearance
• Beautiful Words To Describe Someone
• Beautiful Words for Growth
• Beautiful Words for Girls
• Why Use Beautiful Words?
• Give examples of beautiful words?
• What are some of the words that refer to appearance?
• Define Beautiful Words?

List of Beautiful Words to Use in Writing

Have a look at some of the most attractive or beautiful words used in English:

• bucolic – beautiful aspect of life
• conflate- combine things together
• dalliance- refers to a casual or romantic relationship
• elixir- a medicinal portion
• eloquence-to express oneself in an expressive manner
• emollient – soothing effect
• epiphany- sudden realization
• forbearance- to put off something
• harbinger- a signal referring to the approach of something
• incipient- refers to something that is in the beginning stage
• plethora- a large quantity
• scintilla- a small amount
• summery- refers to warm conditions

Beautiful Words that Signify Appearance

Given below is a list of words that refers to an emotion or signify appearance:

• aesthetic- that which appears pleasing
• ambivalence- conflicted feelings
• demure- modest
• evanescent- fleeting
• evocative- bubbly
• exhilaration- extreme happiness
• glamorous- extremely beautiful
• gossamer- sheeror filmy
• halcyon- calm and peaceful
• diaphanous- delicate
• dissemble- to hide true feelings
• jubilation- feeling of joy
• Photogenic- beauty that can be captured in a photo.

Read Similar:

• Opposite Words
• Funny Words
• Negative Words

Beautiful Words To Describe Someone

Given below is a list of words that can be used to describe a person:

• Adventurous- someone who enjoys adventures
• Amorous- relating to sexual desire
• Diligent- someone who is caring
• Humble- modest
• Courageous- someone who is brave
• Efficient- someone who works hard
• Enchanting- attractive or charming
• Generous- ready to give up everything you have

Beautiful Words for Growth

Have a look at some of the beautiful words used to highlight the notion of growth:

• Advance
• Expand
• Maturation
• Blossoming
• Refinement
• Perfection
• Development

Beautiful Words for Girls

The English language has several words that describe a girl. Have a look at some of these:

• Lovely- describe feminine beauty
• Gorgeous- refers to a beautiful girl
• Creative- someone who comes up with new ideas
• Innovative- someone who executes new ideas
• Observant- someone who notices each and every detail
• Quick witted- an intelligent woman
• Sincere- someone who is true
• Resourceful- someone who helps solve problems.

Why Use Beautiful Words?

The use of beautiful words can be beneficial to you in different ways. These include:

• Expands your vocabulary
• Helps you to be expressive
• Helps you to write in a creative manner
• Enhance your description of places, people, and events
• Gives a mood and feeling to what you write

FAQs on Beautiful Words

1) Give examples of beautiful words?

Examples of beautiful words include

• conflate
• dalliance
• erstwhile
• forbearance
• harbinger
• imbue
• incipient

2) What are some of the words that refer to appearance? 

Beautiful words that signify appearance include

• aesthetic
• ambivalence
• demure
• evanescent
• evocative

3) Define Beautiful Words?

Though it’s difficult to define the beauty of a word, beautiful words refer to those words that attract you instantly. The addition of such beautiful words will surely increase your vocabulary.

Conclusion

The use of beautiful words in your writings will help attract the attention of readers. It will make your writings more creative and innovative. However, be sure to stay away from the overuse of such words. Even though beautiful words can enhance your vocabulary, the overuse of these words can take the readers away from the original meaning of the word. Hence use such words wisely!

While languages like Portuguese and French are known for their romantic words and aesthetically pleasing phrases, there’s a lot to say about the beauty of the English language. After all, English has brought us stunning, showstopper words such as incandescent and euphoria, mellifluous and demure. So if you’re feeling inclined to increase your vocabulary while making it as easy on the ears as possible, then you’re in for a serendipitous treat. For 60 of the most beautiful words in the English language, which are guaranteed to make you absolutely ebullient, read on. And for more words to share with your friends, check out The 30 Funniest Words in the English Language—And How to Use Them.

1. Labyrinth

Do you ever find yourself working on a tedious task with many twists and turns? If you’re stuck doing something that’s extremely complex, you can call it a labyrinth. Additionally, any maze or place with «intricate passageways» can be described by this word.

2. Ineffable

Sometimes, almost every word fails. When that happens, you can turn to the word «ineffable,» which means «unspeakable» or «indescribable.» For example, if your feelings about someone are almost impossible to accurately pin down, you can say they’re ineffable.

3. Incendiary

Meaning extremely hot or inflammatory, anything that causes a fire is incendiary. However, when used in contexts that aren’t related to fire, this word can also describe someone who likes to start quarrels.

4. Ephemeral

Things that don’t last forever are ephemeral. From conversations to arguments, some things just tend to be short-lived, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

5. Cynosure

Back in the 17th century, the word cynosure was used to describe the northern constellation, Ursa Minor. And while this is still the case now, Merriam-Webster additionally notes that anyone who is the «center of attention» or «serves to guide» is cynosure.

6. Propinquity

Similar to the term proximity, the word «propinquity» is another way to talk about someone who lives near you. Aside from your next-door neighbors and roommates, it can also refer to «nearness of relation,» in terms of kinship.

7. Infatuation

Do you have a really strong desire to be near or know more about someone, you may have an infatuation. You can also use the term to describe your non-human obsession of the moment, whether it’s a TV show or your new puppy.

8. Incandescent

While the word «incandescent» is one way to talk about the electric lamps in your living room, it can also be used in reference to the brightness or someone’s intellect or personality.

9. Eudaemonia

Originated from the Greek word «eudaimon,» the word «eudaemonia» means the state of being lucky or happy. If you’re in a state of general well-being or feeling great joy, this is one way to express it.

10. Raconteur

Are you good at telling a story? Then you can start telling your friends that you’re a raconteur. Even if you’re not the best storyteller, it’s still a fun word to say.

11. Petrichor

The Greek words for «stone» and the «ethereal blood of the gods» combine to give us a perfectly beautiful term for the way the earth smells after it rains. Scientists have spent decades trying to determine exactly why that smell is so pleasing; in fact, two are credited for coining «petrichor» in a 1964 Nature article.

12. Sumptuous

Meaning «extremely costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent,» the word «sumptuous» can be used to describe anything from a five-star vacation to your favorite fluffy blanket.

13. Angst

If you’ve woken up with a prevailing sense of anxiety about how the day will go, you could say you’re experiencing some angst. It’s not a pleasant feeling, but the word for it, which dates back to the eighth century, does have a certain soothing sound.

14. Aesthete

An aesthete, according to Merriam-Webster, is «one having or affecting sensitivity to the beautiful especially in art.» You might be one if you’re frequently moved by sculptures and paintings…or if you pretend to be for the sake of other people. Either way, the word is a joy to say.

15. Nadir

An astronomical term that’s been co-opted for colloquial usage, nadir means the lowest point, as in the «nadir of her popularity.» Its opposite term, zenith, has a similar appeal.

16. Miraculous

That which seemed impossible or at least incredibly unlikely without the influence of some supernatural force can be described as «miraculous.» Maybe that’s the birth of a child or being able to carry on a morning conversation before a cup of coffee.

17. Lassitude

Suffering from a lack of energy? Describe your tiredness—whether it’s in your body, your mind, or both—with this term, and at least it will sound prettier.

18. Gossamer

One of several definitions of this word, per Dictionary.com, is «a fine, filmy cobweb seen on grass or bushes or floating in the air in calm weather, especially in autumn.» It’s thought to have come from the Middle English term gosesummer, «possibly first used as name for late, mild autumn, a time when goose was a favorite dish.» But it can also be used to refer to anything thin and airy, from a summer shawl to the wings of a butterfly.

19. Bungalow

Bungalow is a cozy word for a specific type of house: usually one that’s either a single story or two stories with a sloping roof. Though there may be additional criteria depending on where in the world you’re using the term.

20. Scintilla

Not to be confused with those furry crepuscular rodents, scintilla means a spark or a trace of something. Perhaps you feel a scintilla of guilt after eating the last cookie, or experience a scintilla of attraction to someone you just met.

21. Aurora

Originally the name of the Roman goddess of sunrise, the word aurora is now used to describe the dawn, as well as the stunning luminous phenomenon that takes place in the upper atmosphere of a planet’s magnetic polar regions. For example, you may have a trip to see the Aurora Borealis as an item on your bucket list.

22. Inure

Not all beautiful words have beautiful meanings. The word inure means to accept or grow accustomed to something undesirable. For example, your family’s constant criticism could inure you to toxic behavior from loved ones.

23. Mellifluous

This lyrical word refers to something that is sweet and enjoyable, especially when it comes to sound. You might find the early spring sounds of chirping birds to be quite mellifluous.

24. Euphoria

Derived from the Greek word for healthy, the word euphoria is now used to describe an intense feeling of happiness or elation. A sense of euphoria may be the result of a fortunate turn of events or an indescribable personal high.

25. Serendipity

You’ve probably experienced this phenomenon more than you realize—remember that time you went on a coffee run and stumbled upon the best chocolate cake your city has to offer? Or when you were cleaning your home and found those earrings you thought were gone years ago? Those happy coincidences are all cases of serendipity.

26. Cherish

The word cherish means to hold dear or cultivate with care and affection. Whether that’s your family, your home, or your most prized possession (or all three!), everyone has someone or something that they cherish.

27. Demure

One of our favorite beautiful words, demure is used to describe any modest and reserved behavior. Etymologists believe it may have been derived from the Anglo-French verb demorer or demourer, which means «to linger.»

28. Elixir

If you’re well-versed in the world of Harry Potter, you probably associate this word with the elixir of life derived from the Sorcerer’s Stone. In the 17th century, alchemists believed it was possible to create an elixir that would turn base metals to stone and allow people to live forever. Today, the word is used to identify a substance that’s capable of changing base metals into gold. You might also use it to describe that cocktail you just whipped up at your home bar.

29. Eternity

Forever; always; a limitless time. These are just some ways to describe the endless and sometimes frightening idea of eternity.

30. Felicity

This one’s just another word for a state of happiness. For example, you might find yourself in a state of felicity the next time you’re surrounded by people you love.

31. Languor

Another beautiful word with a not-so-beautiful definition, languor refers to lethargy or weakness in body and mind. You might experience this phenomenon when you’ve been working too many hours and are starting to hit burnout. All that means is it’s time to use that PTO!

32. Love

There’s way more than one definition for this feeling, action, phenomenon (etc, etc). But we can all agree that the word love is as beautiful as everything it describes.

33. Solitude

If you’re an extrovert, then solitude may not be ideal. But if you’re an introvert, you’ll probably enjoy and seek out solitude, or the act of being alone and away from society.

34. Epiphany

While there are several meanings of this word, most people associate an epiphany with a life-changing realization. You’ll find examples of these in your favorite books and movies, such as the classic scene in Clueless when Cher realizes she’s «majorly, totally, butt-crazy in love» with her stepbrother Josh.

35. Quintessential

Have you ever met someone who embodies all of the characteristics of the city they’re from or the career path they’ve chosen? Then you might have come across someone who is perfectly typical, otherwise known as quintessential. Snacking on strawberries and cream while sipping a Pimm’s Cup at Wimbledon? That’s so quintessentially British!

36. Plethora

This word has two definitions—one beautiful and one not so beautiful. While plethora is most commonly associated with having an abundance of something (close your eyes and picture a plethora of disposable income!), it’s also a medical word that’s used to describe increased blood in a specific area.

37. Nemesis

As beautifully as this word rolls off of the tongue, it is associated with a rival or arch-enemy and can be used to describe inflicting an act of vengeance. That friend-of-a-friend who grinds your gears every time he comes to Friday night drinks? He might be your nemesis.

38. Lithe

One syllable and full of grace, the word lithe is used to characterize flexibility and a slim figure. For example, you may have noticed the lithe ballerinas when you attended a performance of The Nutcracker at Christmastime.

39. Tranquility

Hopefully, you’ll achieve a state of tranquility on your next beach vacation. This is just another word for being free from agitation of mind or spirit.

40. Elegance

Another word that sounds exactly the way it’s defined, elegance is a quality of style and grace.

41. Renaissance

Whether you’re referring to your own personal revival in life or the transitional period between the 14th and 17th centuries, the word renaissance will roll off the tongue and fulfill all of your aesthetically pleasing linguistic needs.

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42. Eloquence

A quality found in the most skillful politicians, this word refers to persuasive expressiveness. Look out for eloquence in the 2020 presidential debates—which candidate’s eloquence will win your vote?

43. Sequoia

These larger than life trees can be found throughout California, particularly in their namesake national park in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Having a hard time differentiating between a sequoia and a redwood (or the Sequoia National Park and the Redwood National and State Parks)? Here’s an easy way to differentiate: if you’re on the coast, then you’re probably looking up at a redwood; if you’re inland, then you’ve definitely found yourself in the presence of a sequoia.

44. Peace

Ever versatile, the word peace can refer to a state of mind, freedom from civil disturbances, or a time without war.

45. Lullaby

There isn’t a better word to describe a soothing melody to get your child to sleep. But this word isn’t reserved for babies—it can also be used as a verb meaning to quiet with or as with a lullaby.

46. Paradox

The beginning of the end. Youth is wasted on the young. These are both examples of paradox, or a statement that seemingly contradicts itself.

47. Pristine

This beautiful word seems to sparkle—and that’s fitting, since pristine means «fresh and clean or as if new.»

48. Effervescent

Here’s a clever new way to describe the bubbly can-do person around your office. Instead of merely calling them fun to be around, you could take things up a notch and say they have an effervescent personality. That simply means they have an appealingly lively quality.

49. Opulence

Do you dream of owning a mansion in Beverly Hills with a Maserati in the driveway and regular shopping trips on Rodeo Drive? Then you might be pining for a life of opulence. Keep on grinding!

50. Ethereal

This light and airy word might remind you of celestial bodies. Ethereal can refer to the upper regions of space as well as anything that is heavenly and unworldly seeming.

51. Sanguine

A complicated and beautiful word, sanguine comes with several meanings. It’s typically used as a synonym for optimism, but it can also describe a blood-red hue or something relating to blood.

52. Panacea

Panacea means all-healing in Greek and, fittingly, Panacea was the Greek goddess of healing. Today, the word is used to refer to something that could fix everything. Imagine a remedy for all of the problems you face on a daily basis—that would be a panacea.

53. Bodacious

While this word is often used to describe a body’s curves, bodacious can also be used to describe something that is remarkable or admirable. For example, a person might have a bodacious energy or a home might have bodacious decor.

54. Axiom

An axiom is a statement that is widely accepted as true. For example, from the Declaration of Independence—»we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.» These «truths» could also be described as axioms.

55. Silhouette

Depending on the situation, seeing a silhouette—or the outline of a figure—may be beautiful or spooky. For example, seeing the silhouette of a young couple on a park bench is lovely, but if you see a shadowy silhouette in a house you thought was empty, then you might want to run away.

56. Surreptitious

This word means to act clandestinely or to do or acquire something by stealth. For example, that person at your job who always seems to be working on a secret project might be considered surreptitious.

57. Ingenue

You’ll find examples of this word in classic literature, film, and television. Naive and innocent female characters such as Sandy at the start of Grease and Ophelia from Hamlet are examples of ingenues.

58. Dulcet

This dainty word is another one that seems to describe exactly what it sounds like—which is anything that is generally pleasing. For example, you may have recently listened to particularly dulcet music or indulged in a dulcet chocolate cake.

59. Tryst

This crisp word is usually used to describe a somewhat discreet meeting between two lovers. While technically defined as any sort of meeting or appointment (not necessarily with romantic motivations), you probably don’t want to refer to the next meeting at your office as a «tryst».

60. Ebullience

A beautiful word that’s probably best used to describe a litter of golden retriever puppies, ebullience is the quality of excitement and enthusiasm.

And for how English is used in different regions of the U.S., here are 60 Words People Pronounce Differently Across America.