sesquipedalianism
Love of longwords
Sesquipedalianism is the use of long, often obscure words—sometimes to impress, sometimes out of habit, sometimes for humor.
The word itself demonstrates what it describes: a comically long term for using long terms.
His sesquipedalianism made the memo unreadable.
Related forms include sesquipedalian (the adjective) and sesquipedalianist (one who practices it).
Excessively wordy in speech
- circumlocutionIndirect, wordy expression
- wordinessExcessive use of language
- pleonasmRedundant expression
- tautologyRedundant or circular statement
redundancy · logorrhea · long-winded · rambling · discursive · diffuse · verbiage · expansive
Having many syllables
- multisyllabicHaving many syllables
- etymologyWord origin study
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- lexicologyScience of vocabulary analysis
philology · neologism · vocabulary · diction · lexicon · terminology · jargon · coinage
Excessively inflated language
- pompousAffectedly grand in manner
- pretentiousFalsely grand or important
- magniloquentUsing pompous, elevated rhetoric
- orotundBombastically resonant in speech
highfalutin · florid · turgid · overwrought · purple · inflated · fustian · grandiose
Marked by serious learning
- learnedHaving much knowledge
- academicRelating to education or theory
- intellectualConcerning thought and reason
- bookishDevoted to reading
literary · cultured · lettered · educated · highbrow · professorial · doctrinaire · pontificating
prolix
Excessively wordy in speech
- circumlocutionIndirect, wordy expression
- wordinessExcessive use of language
- pleonasmRedundant expression
tautology · redundancy · logorrhea · long-winded · rambling · discursive · diffuse · verbiage · expansive · verbose
polysyllabic
Having many syllables
- multisyllabicHaving many syllables
- etymologyWord origin study
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
lexicology · philology · neologism · vocabulary · diction · lexicon · terminology · jargon · coinage · derivation
bombastic
Excessively inflated language
- pompousAffectedly grand in manner
- pretentiousFalsely grand or important
- magniloquentUsing pompous, elevated rhetoric
orotund · highfalutin · florid · turgid · overwrought · purple · inflated · fustian · grandiose · ostentatious
scholarly
Marked by serious learning
- learnedHaving much knowledge
- academicRelating to education or theory
- intellectualConcerning thought and reason
bookish · literary · cultured · lettered · educated · highbrow · professorial · doctrinaire · pontificating · didactic
- bombastbombast, grandiloquence, magniloquence, pomposity, fustian
- Purple Proseflorid, verbose, overwrought, ornate, flowery
- talkativenesstalkativeness, verbosity, wordiness, garrulity, loquacity
sesquipedalianismbrevity
Shortness of expression
concision · terseness · plain speech · succinctness · short words
sesquipedalianismplain speech
Unembellished verbal expression
plainspokenness · directness · simplicity · plainness · clarity