April marks the celebration of National English Month. Today, let's explore the intriguing word "sesquipedalian." Pronounced as sess-kwip-pay-day-lee-ann, this formal adjective originates from Latin and describes a particular affinity for using long words or an inclination to overuse them. It can also refer to a fondness for employing lengthy syllables.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, English literary theorists and critics first utilized this term in 1656 to critique the excessive use of long words. A "sesquipedalist" is the noun form, referring to a person who loves to use or overuse long words. Meanwhile, "sesquipedality" represents the quality of being sesquipedalian.
For example, one might say, "My best friend is a sesquipedalist, so I always make it a priority to communicate using grandiloquent vocabulary."
Synonyms for sesquipedalian include euphuistic, lengthy, long, pleonastic, polysyllabic, polysyllable, pretentious, and sententious. On the other hand, antonyms include brachysyllabic, monosyllabic, short, and unpretentious.
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