20 “Big” Words That Can Make You Sound Smarter

Expanding your vocabulary can help you get the right reaction from people—if you do it right. Plus 20 big words and how to use them.

Why say “that’s an anomaly,” when you can just say “that’s odd”? Maybe it’s because you’re trying to look more intelligent. A study by the education platform Preply, found that nearly three in five people have used complex vocabulary to appear smarter. Often, it’s to make a good impression. The survey found that seven in 10 said they had used complex vocabulary to impress someone in a professional setting, most often their boss and colleagues.