ten-dollar word
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English[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun[edit]
ten-dollar word (plural ten-dollar words)
- (US, idiomatic) A long and uncommon word used in place of a shorter and simpler one with the intent to appear sophisticated.
- 2018 June 13, Michael Schein, “Author Simon Sinek Is Full Of Hot Air (And Other Reasons You Should Follow His Lead)”, in Forbes[1]:
- Sometimes it pays to overcomplicate your simple messages. Make a list of ten-dollar words, scientific terms, and obscure niblets of jargon and find ways to use them. Your reputation and authority will soar.
- Synonyms: five-dollar word, twenty-five cent word, two-dollar word
- Antonym: ten-cent word
Further reading[edit]
- Jonathon Green (2024) “ten-dollar word n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang