Master your vocab: 10 words in conversations to sound like an English expert

Words to ace

Ephemeral

Ephemeral refers to something that lasts for a very short time. To use it in a sentence, one can say ‘The beauty of a sunrise is ephemeral, disappearing as quickly as it appears.’

​Serendipity

Serendipity means an occurrence of events by chance in a happy way. To use it in a sentence, you can say - ‘Finding my old friend in CP today was pure serendipity.’

​Ubiquitous

Referring to something as ubiquitous means that it can be found everywhere. For example, one can say that ‘Smartphones have now become ubiquitous’.

​Torrential

While people prefer saying that it is ‘raining heavily’, a more advanced way of saying it is ‘The rain is torrential tonight’.

​Avant-garde

A word that sounds regal and out of the world is Avant-garde. It refers to new and experimental ideas and methods in art, music, or literature. To use it in a sentence, just say ‘His avant-garde music style was ahead of its time.’

​Cacophony

A cacophony is a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds that is usually not pleasant to the ears. To use it in a sentence you can say ‘The cacophony of traffic near the metro is overwhelming.’

Ennui

An ennui refers to the feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction. To put it in simpler terms, it is the feeling that something does not excite you. As a sentence, one can say ‘As the pandemic furthered and isolation increased, humans felt a deep sense of ennui.’

​Faux pas

A Faux pas refers to an embarrassing mistake or a big blunder that should be avoided at all costs. To flex this word in a sentence, one can say ‘When he gave out that secret to the group, it was a major Faux pas.’

​Machiavellian

A person who is Machiavellian is very cunning and scheming, and this word has come from Machiavelli. To say it in a sentence, use it like ‘The regime’s Machiavellian tactics are going to cost them a great deal in the future.’

​Sagacious

Referring to a person, someone who is sagacious is very wise, and has great judgment. When using in a sentence, one can say ‘Our class teacher in 7th standard was extremely sagacious. I haven't come across anyone like her.’