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100 Forgotten English Words We Should Bring Back

February 18, 2026

100 Forgotten English Words We Should Bring Back

No. Term Definition
1. Akimbo With hands on hips; elbows out.
2. Apricity Warmth of winter sun.
3. Astir Up and moving; active.
4. Ataraxy Calmness; freedom from worry.
5. Aweather Exposed to the open air.
6. Bedizen Dress gaudily; over-adorn.
7. Behoof Benefit; advantage.
8. Bemuse Confuse; puzzle.
9. Beshrew Curse; express displeasure.
10. Besmirch Damage someone’s reputation.
11. Betwixt Between.
12. Bide Wait; remain.
13. Borborygmus Rumbling sound of stomach.
14. Brumous Foggy; misty.
15. Caitiff A cowardly, despicable person.
16. Callipygian Having well-shaped buttocks.
17. Canoodle Cuddle and kiss amorously.
18. Catawampus Askew; out of alignment.
19. Cattywampus Awry; not straight.
20. Chagrin Distress from failure or humiliation.
21. Claptrap Nonsense; insincere talk.
22. Cockalorum A self-important little man.
23. Collywobbles Stomach pain; nervous jitters.
24. Comeuppance Just punishment; deserved rebuke.
25. Crapulous Sick from excessive eating or drinking.
26. Crepuscular Active at twilight; dim.
27. Dapper Neat and stylish.
28. Dastard A coward.
29. Defenestrate Throw out of a window.
30. Demesne An estate’s lands; domain.
31. Desuetude Disuse; state of no longer used.
32. Diaphanous Light, delicate, translucent.
33. Dissemble Conceal motives; act deceitfully.
34. Dithyramb Wildly enthusiastic speech or writing.
35. Dudgeon Resentful anger.
36. Eftsoons Soon afterward.
37. Egregious Outstandingly bad; shocking.
38. Eke Increase; add to.
39. Eldritch Weird and eerie.
40. Embowed Arched; bent like a bow.
41. Ennui Boredom; listlessness.
42. Erstwhile Former; previous.
43. Excoriate Criticize harshly; denounce.
44. Fain Gladly; willingly.
45. Fard Face paint; cosmetics.
46. Farrago A confused mixture.
47. Fatuous Silly; smugly foolish.
48. Feckless Lacking initiative; ineffective.
49. Fidge Fidget; be restless.
50. Flibbertigibbet A flighty, talkative person.
51. Flummox Baffle; confuse.
52. Forsooth Indeed; in truth.
53. Frippery Showy, unnecessary ornament.
54. Froward Stubbornly contrary; difficult.
55. Fulsome Excessive; overdone.
56. Gadzooks An exclamation of surprise.
57. Gallimaufry A jumbled mixture.
58. Gambol Skip about playfully.
59. Gloaming Twilight; dusk.
60. Gormless Dull; lacking sense.
61. Gossamer Very light, delicate.
62. Hapless Unlucky; unfortunate.
63. Higgledy-piggledy In confused disorder.
64. Hobbledehoy Awkward adolescent boy.
65. Hoodwink Deceive; trick.
66. Horripilation Goosebumps; hair standing up.
67. Hugger-mugger Secretive; in confusion.
68. Hullabaloo Loud commotion; uproar.
69. Ill-starred Unlucky; ill-fated.
70. Imbroglio A complicated, messy situation.
71. Impugn Challenge as false; attack.
72. Ineluctable Unavoidable; inescapable.
73. Ingle A fireside; fireplace nook.
74. Inveterate Long-established; habitual.
75. Jactitation Restless tossing; boastful talk.
76. Jerkwater Small, insignificant town.
77. Jocund Cheerful; lighthearted.
78. Jollification Noisy celebration.
79. Jouissance Great pleasure; delight.
80. Knavery Dishonesty; roguish behavior.
81. Lackadaisical Lacking enthusiasm; listless.
82. Lagniappe A small bonus gift.
83. Lambent Softly glowing; flickering.
84. Lethologica Forgetting a word; tip-of-tongue.
85. Lollygag Dawdle; waste time.
86. Lugubrious Mournful; gloomy.
87. Mumpsimus Stubborn adherence to an error.
88. Nares Nostrils.
89. Nescience Lack of knowledge; ignorance.
90. Nimiety Excess; too much.
91. Nincompoop A foolish person.
92. Nudiustertian Of the day before yesterday.
93. Obfuscate Make unclear; confuse.
94. Obstreperous Noisy and difficult to control.
95. Onerous Burdensome; oppressive.
96. Overmorrow The day after tomorrow.
97. Palimpsest Reused manuscript with traces of earlier.
98. Panoply A splendid display; full array.
99. Pelf Money, especially ill-gotten.
100. Peregrinate Travel or wander.

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