When writing an essay, you might realise that you repeated the same word ten times, like "but," "as," or "then," so you end up scouring the internet for synonyms. Don't worry, it happens to everyone. But of course, knowing a few standout vocabulary words could make you sound more confident and help you express your ideas more clearly.

And no, you don’t have to talk like Shakespeare or throw around complicated jargon. The following words can be used even in everyday conversations, but make sure you really know the meaning before using them!

Tip: Throw in a word or two when you're talking to your friends. If you're able to explain the word's meaning and usage, then you really understand it.

1. Abate

• Part of Speech: Verb
• Meaning: To gradually decrease in strength, intensity, or amount.
• Example: The storm began to abate just as emergency crews arrived.

2. Abysmal

• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: Shockingly poor in quality or condition.
• Example: His performance at the interview was abysmal.

3. Ameliorate

• Part of Speech: Verb
• Meaning: To enhance or make a situation more tolerable.
• Example: Installing better lighting helped ameliorate the safety issues in the parking lot.

4. Corroborate

• Part of Speech: Verb
• Meaning: To confirm or give support to a statement or theory.
• Example: Multiple witnesses came forward to corroborate her account of the accident.

5. Demarcate

• Part of Speech: Verb
• Meaning: To clearly define or separate boundaries.
• Example: The fence demarcated the private property from the public hiking trail.

6. Desultory

• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: Unfocused and lacking a consistent plan or direction.
• Example: His desultory studying habits led to inconsistent test scores.

7. Diminutive

• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: Extremely small or tiny.
• Example: She held a diminutive puppy that could fit in the palm of her hand.

8. Efficacious

• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: Effective or successful in producing the desired outcome.
• Example: The new software update proved efficacious in fixing the recurring bugs.

9. Equanimity

• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning: Mental or emotional stability, especially under stress.
• Example: He accepted the unexpected resignation with surprising equanimity.

10. Innocuous

• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: Harmless or inoffensive
• Example: The email seemed innocuous at first, but it contained a hidden virus.

11. Misanthropic

• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: Distrusting or disliking people or human interaction.
• Example: Her misanthropic tendencies made team collaboration a challenge.

12. Paucity

• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning: An insufficient quantity or number of something.
• Example: The paucity of data made it difficult to draw solid conclusions.

13. Pernicious

• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: Causing slow and subtle harm over time.
• Example: The pernicious influence of misinformation spread rapidly on social media.

14. Perspicacious

• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: Having a sharp understanding or keen perception.
• Example: The perspicacious judge noticed inconsistencies in the witness’s story.

15. Postulate

• Part of Speech: Verb
• Meaning: To assume or propose a theory.
• Example: The researchers postulated that a new treatment could significantly reduce recovery time.

16. Recalcitrant

• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: Stubbornly resistant to authority.
• Example: The recalcitrant employee was eventually dismissed for repeated insubordination.

17. Spurious

• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: False or deceptive; fake.
• Example: The lawyer dismissed the spurious allegations as baseless and misleading.

18. Stymie

• Part of Speech: Verb
• Meaning: To hinder or block.
• Example: Complicated regulations continued to stymie the startup’s launch plans.

19. Ubiquitous

• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: Present everywhere.
• Example: Wi-Fi access has become ubiquitous in modern cities.

20. Verisimilitude

• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning: The appearance of being true or real.
• Example: The documentary’s use of actual footage lent it a powerful sense of verisimilitude.

Whether you're writing an essay, have a presentation in class, or just trying to win an argument with your sibling, having a few sharp words in your back pocket can impress your teachers or catch your opponents off guard. Start small, but don’t be afraid to mess up. Good luck!