Sepulchral: a Study in Favorite Words

I like fun, positive words like “blithe” and “robustious” and “uberty,” but every now and then (actually, it’s more than every now and then; I really enjoy the dark words, too), I add a negatively-associated word to my list of favorites.

Like “sepulchral.”

Isn’t that a fantastic word? [Pronunciation: Səˈpəlkrəl] You must say it out loud.

Listen to the way it rolls off your tongue. Feel its enormity. Revel in its peculiarity.

Sepulchral is a word that means “dismal” or “gloomy,” like the day t...