1. Serendipity (my favorite word of all time)
Definition: The occurrence of random events that lead to positive situation
Example sentence: When my car crashed, it was pure serendipity that two Good Samaritans quickly pulled me out of the wreckage and saved my life.
(Why is it my favorite word? I read a series when I was very young about Serendipity, a lovable sea monster who learns that “knowing who you really are will bring you happiness.”)
2. Zoanthropy
Definition: a mental health condition in which a person believes they are an animal.
Example sentence: My 4-year-old nephew Tom pretends to be a horse so much that I’m worried it will turn into zoanthropy.
3. Petrichor
Definition: a pleasant smell outside after it rains.
Example sentence: I breathed deeply, inhaled the petrichor, and smiled.
4. Vespertine
Definition: associated with, happening, or active in the evening.
Example sentence: As the sun goes down, the owl readies itself for a vespertine hunt.
5. Cattywampus
Definition:
a. Off-center
- Laid out diagonally
Example sentences:
- Some people can get anxious when their things are cattywampus.
- “The points … where [the two grids] would meet became Broadway and Colfax Ave. which is why to this day downtown Denver sits cattywampus to the rest of the city.” – Francis J. Pierson and Dennis J. Gallagher, Getting to Know Denver: Five Fabulous Walking Tours, 2006″
(Denver is both awesome and annoying that way. Does anyone else get lost in downtown because of the cattywampus orientation? I do.)
6. Synesthesia
Definition: a neurological phenomenon that happens when stimulation of one sense leads to an involuntary experience in another sense. A person might “feel” colors, “hear” numbers, or know that the letter Q smells like burnt popcorn.
Example sentence: Lady Gaga’s regular experiences of synesthesia plays a part in her extraordinary creativity.
7. Micropsia, aka Alice In Wonderland Syndrome
Definition: a neurological disorder where a person sees an object as significantly smaller than it really is.
Example sentence: Alice was clearly suffering from micropsia as she thought that her Great Dane could be carried around in her purse.
8. Ineffable
Definition:
- beyond words; indescribable
- forbidden to be spoken; taboo
Example sentence:
- The moment I first held my niece was ineffable.
- Some hold that the “true” name of God is ineffable.
9. Jouska
Definition: a hypothetical conversation that a person goes through repeatedly in their mind.
Example sentence: Someone with an anxiety disorder may feel the need to have a jouska to prepare for an upcoming unpleasant conversation.
10. Aboulomania
Definition: a mental health condition in which an individual is completely unable to make even the smallest decision as they don’t trust their own judgment. The disorder typically leads to experiences of anxiety and depression, and quality of life is drastically impacted.