English is a complex language with a variety of influences. While it has its roots in the Germanic languages (from which Dutch and German also developed), it has also absorbed many aspects of Latin and Greek.
And English is still constantly evolving, adding, changing, and adapting words as they become important to our vocabulary. As such, it has many words that even native speakers find odd and fascinating. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
English Words That Sound Made Up
They look wrong, they sound wrong, and they feel wrong—but they’re not! Here are some of the English language’s most weird, silly, and unbelievable words.
In building this list, I restricted my search to words that have already been accepted into the English dictionary. Some of these are regional, some are only used in one of the two main dialects of the language (British and American), while others are already archaic.
1. Friendlily
Trust me, it’s not misspelled. There’s actually an adverb form for the word “friendly”, meaning in a friendly way.
For example:
- He asked me a question friendlily.
- She friendlily gave me a wave from across the street.
2. Bumfuzzle
No, it’s not a dirty word. Bumfuzzle simply means to perplex, confuse, or fluster.
For example:
- In an attempt to bumfuzzle his teacher, Chris switched the whiteboard markers with permanent ones.
- The twists in the book were so many that it bumfuzzled many readers.
3. Fartlek
Fartlek means “speed play” in Swedish. It’s a type of endurance training where a person does fast running in intervals mixed with slower running.
For example:
- Marathon runners practice fartleks to build up their stamina for long runs.
- A fartlek can range from jogging and sprinting to walking and jogging.
4. Gardyloo
Gardyloo is a term that came from Scotland, specifically Edinburgh. It was something the people cried out before dumping their slops out of a window. It may have originated from the French garde à l’eau! (look out for the water!)
For example:
- People shouted gardyloo to warn passers-by of slops being thrown out of a window.
- “Gardyloo!” was all I heard before getting drenched with water.
5. Snickersnee
Snickersnee sounds like a fun word but it actually refers to a particularly large, sword-like knife. It originates from the Dutch steken of snijden, meaning “to stab or cut.”
For example:
- Snickersnees were primarily used in the cut-and-thrust fighting of the 1700s.
- Aside from the weapon, a snickersnee may also refer to the knife fight itself.
6. Bumbershoot
While it evokes the odd image of bums being shot out of something, a bumbershoot is simply another word for an umbrella. It’s apparently a portmanteau of the words “umbrella” and “parachute.”
For example:
- Gentlemen often carried bumbershoots on a date in case it rained.
- Some people think bumbershoot is the British word for umbrella, but it’s not.
7. Pandiculation
You know when you’ve just woken up and you do an involuntary stretch and yawn? Pandiculation is the word for that. It’s essentially your brain’s way of telling your body to prepare for motion after being sedentary for a while.
For example:
- A lot of movies depict characters pandiculating in bed.
- Humans tend to automatically pandiculate after not moving in a while.
8. Wabbit
No, I’m not channeling Elmer Fudd. Wabbit is actually a Scottish term for feeling very tired, weak, or not healthy.
For example:
- I still feel wabbit from the flu.
- People working jobs with heavy labor often feel wabbit after a shift.
9. Impignorate
Impignorate is a much fancier (and more fun) term that means to pledge, pawn, or put something up as security.
For example:
- Pawnshops are usually willing to impignorate items of small value.
- They were forced to impignorate their house after their business went under.
10. Ratoon
While it sounds like a portmanteau of a raccoon and a rat, this word means something else entirely. It actually pertains to a small shoot or sprout that grows from the base of a crop plant.
For example:
- You often see a lot of ratoons in the spring, when plants are starting to grow.
- Ratooning is the practice of cutting most of the above-ground part of a crop and leaving the base of the plant to recover and grow a new crop again.
11. Snollygoster
A snollygoster is a shrewd, unprincipled person. More specifically, it’s a politician who cares more about personal gain than serving the people.
For example:
- Understandably, a lot of people have a venomous hate for snollygosters.
- There’s always speculation as to whether a particular politician is a snollygoster.
12. Borborygmus
Do you know how sometimes your stomach makes these gurgling sounds? Borborygmus is the term for that. Specifically, it’s caused by gas moving in your intestines.
For example:
- If she had not gone to the doctor for her excessive borborygmus, she would not have known about the intestinal blockage.
- Borborygmus is often attributed to being hungry.
13. Absquatulate
To absquatulate is to either leave suddenly or to abscond with something. It’s more of a slang that’s used for humorous purposes.
For example:
- The dictator absquatulated to the Carribean when the rebels won.
- He can’t believe that one of his long-time accountants absquatulated with the money.
14. Donnybrook
A donnybrook is a slang term for a heated argument, riot, or free-for-all brawl. It takes its meaning from the Donnybrook Fair, which was notorious for the number of drunken fights that occurred through it.
For example:
- Alcohol and pride are often what starts a donnybrook.
- The political debate turned into an old-fashioned donnybrook when the candidates started insulting each other.
15. Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering is the practice of dividing a territorial unit (state, district, school) into political units that give one group an unfair advantage. It’s a combination of politician Elbridge Gerry’s surname and the word salamander (the map he drew up to divide districts looked like one).
For example:
- Gerrymandering is often considered a corruption of the democratic process.
- Politicians who gerrymander deserve to be called out.
16. Aa
Yup, it’s definitely a word! Aa is the name of basaltic lava that has a rough, broken surface. It was originally a Hawaiian term (ʻAʻā ) that was later adapted into English.
For example:
- Aa is composed of broken lava blocks called clinkers.
- Aa forms because viscous lava with brittle crusts are broken and heaped up by the molten lava beneath it.
17. Mixology
It sounds like a very serious word that’s up there with pharmacology, psychology, and other –ology words. But it actually refers to the art or skill of mixing drinks.
For example:
- A mixologist is another word for a bartender.
- Mixology is a fun career if you enjoy the night scene.
18. Kakorrhaphiophobia
This long and scary-sounding word is the term for an abnormal fear of failure.
For example:
- Imagine if your kakorrhaphiophobia is triggered by your fear of failing to correctly spell the word.
- Kakorrhaphiophobia can be so debilitating that even the slightest chance of failure can prevent someone from doing anything at all.
19. Embiggen
Popularized by The Simpsons, this word means to enlarge or expand.
For example:
- Can you embiggen the image to make it clearer?
- Springfield’s motto is “A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.”
20. Welp
Welp is informally used as a substitute for the word “well.” While many of you are familiar with it through social media, the word’s actually been around since the late 1980s.
For example:
- Welp, that didn’t take long, did it?
- I didn’t realize my mobile data was on. Welp, there goes my phone bill!
21. Erf
While it looks more like a sound, it’s actually a word that means a plot of land that’s usually about half an acre in size. It’s of Afrikaans origin.
For example:
- Erf is a legal term used in South Africa, Namibia, and Eswatini.
- An erf is already a sizable piece of land for some people.
22. Meldrop
A meldrop isn’t a type of candy. It’s what you call a literal drop of mucus hanging from someone’s nose.
For example:
- Because its no longer used as much, the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary has removed the word meldrop from its current editions.
- Someone with a cold is prone to having meldrops.
23. Agelast
An agelast is a person who never laughs. It comes from the Greek word agélastos, meaning “not laughing,” and not because spending time with such a person feels like it lasts an age.
For example:
- The kids disliked their teacher because he was an agelast.
- There’s a common misconception in movies that old people are agelasts.
24. Pot-valor
Pot-valor is a fancier way of saying liquid courage. It refers to the boldness or courage that a person gets after consuming alcohol.
For example:
- A lot of young people end up in trouble because of pot-valor.
- Some people need a bit of pot-valor to curb their nervousness.
25. Hirquiticke
In an English dictionary from 1623, this word means “one past fourteene yeeres of age, beginning to bee moved with Venus delight.” In modern English, a horny teenager.
For example:
- Many teenagers in high school are hirquitickes.
- When dealing with hirquitickes, it’s often good to reassure them that what they’re feeling is natural.
26. Octothorpe
Octothorpe is the hashtag symbol’s proper name. It’s been used since the early 70s but its exact origin remains a mystery.
For example:
- The octothorpe entered popular culture when Twitter began using it on their platform.
- Octothorpes are used in a variety of professions, including telecommunications, mathematics, and music.
27. Smicker
Not to be confused with the word “snicker.” Smicker means to look and smile amorously.
For example:
- They both smickered at each other during the dinner party.
- Smickering at someone can have consequences.
28. Accubation
Accubation is the action or state of leaning backwards, especially after eating. It can also mean the practice of lying down while eating meals.
For example:
- Accubating after a meal is often the sign of a full stomach.
- Some people think that accubating is not a proper position to eat.
29. Unperson
No, its not a person who isn’t a person anymore. It’s someone whose existence, for some political or ideological reason, is denied or ignored.
For example:
- To unperson someone is to make them be virtually non-existent.
- George Orwell created the concept of the unperson in his book, 1984.
30. Macaronic
Macaronic has nothing to do with pasta. It actually refers to when someone mixes up two or more languages together.
For example:
- Some people can be hard to understand because of their macaronic use of language.
- People who know more than one language are often unintentionally macaronic.
English Is Fun!
Isn’t the English language interesting? With such a vast and still developing vocabulary, you can learn new and interesting words every day.
Most of the words above are still used today. Some are archaic, having been replaced with more contemporary words, but are still used on occasion. And some have simply been removed from the dictionary because no one uses them anymore.
Remember: English is a dynamic language. Words can be made up (as all words technically are), and when used often enough, they’re officially added to the dictionary.
Existing words can change meanings or be retired depending on how society changes. It’s interesting to see how the language develops as the people who use it develop too.
Do you know of a word that sounds made up but is real? Share it in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- 100 Most Commonly Misspelled Words in the English Language
- 20 Untranslatable Words You Didn’t Know You Needed
- 30 New English Words Added to the Dictionary
- How to Study for a Spelling Test: 8 Tips for Better Results
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
