# Vote for the best word (for it's meaning) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 11, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710 "2003-11-11T23:37:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/1 "2003-11-11T23:37:54Z")
What is the best word, in your opinion, Not for how it sounds or what letters it uses or anything else other than purely for what it _means_ My vote goes to ‘enlightened’ ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/2 "2003-11-12T00:37:27Z")
My favorite such word is _callipygous_. It is used to describe a woman who possesses a very nicely shaped derriere. ---
**Author:** ![WILLASS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@WILLASS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WILLASS)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/3 "2003-11-12T01:21:31Z")
FLOCCINAUCINIHILIPILIFICATION - it means something that is tottally and utterley without value… and its really long and sounds cool. ---
**Author:** ![MarkD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@MarkD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkD)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/4 "2003-11-12T02:00:23Z")
Pus is the best word for what it means. No other word would be as descriptive of that product. Some words are like art, they stimulate senses other than what you use to read the word. Pus; you can practically smell it. The slipperyness is revealed through simple vowels and consonents. Without even mentioning color there is a certain vividness of infection. Maybe infection is the best word for what it means… ---
**Author:** ![Tortuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@Tortuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tortuga)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/5 "2003-11-12T02:24:37Z")
My husband and I are fond of the word faucine, another onomatopoeic word, very sleek, yet round feeling in the mouth as the word suggests itself. But a word which is favourite just for what it _means_? I suppose that would be “happiness” or “copraphagia.” ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/6 "2003-11-12T02:40:24Z")
I have always thought the most evocative word in English is _tintinnabulation_, the ringing of bells. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/7 "2003-11-12T02:55:06Z")
Shit. Because it’s extremely versatile and it can mean a lot in so many different contexts. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/8 "2003-11-12T04:40:45Z")
Tolerance. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/9 "2003-11-12T05:02:32Z")
Subtle ---
**Author:** ![SanguineSpider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SanguineSpider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanguineSpider)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/10 "2003-11-12T06:20:54Z")
Oubliette!!! I LOVE THAT WORD!!! HUZZAH!!! Sanguine comes in a very CLOSE second! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/11 "2003-11-12T06:32:00Z")
Defenestration. The act of throwing someone or something out a window. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/12 "2003-11-12T10:51:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tortuga \* > \*\*“happiness” or “copraphagia.” \*\* What a wonderful coupling of words I’m envisioning an inspirational poster or greeting card that pictures cute little puppies with the message: _Happiness is Copraphagia_ ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/13 "2003-11-12T11:56:30Z")
amorous 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SJSB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@SJSB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SJSB)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/14 "2003-11-12T11:58:57Z")
“cornucopia” and “plethora” especially if used in the same sentence as my name, and the word money. Yeah, like that’d ever happen! Hehheh. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/15 "2003-11-12T12:38:58Z")
Buzz. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/16 "2003-11-12T13:07:05Z")
Dang! Someone beat me to my choice, “defenestration.” So I guess I’ll go with Schadenfreude, even though I may be spelling it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/17 "2003-11-12T13:07:17Z")
Tofu and squid are two food that taste exactly like they sound. I love puce. Both the word and the meaning. ---
**Author:** ![dejahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dejahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dejahma)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/18 "2003-11-12T20:55:40Z")
I love the word flutterby I don’t care what anybody says they are flutterbys not butterflys. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/19 "2003-11-13T18:20:43Z")
‘food’ and ‘beer’ (It ought to be said that I don’t remember posting this thread) ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710/20 "2003-11-13T18:32:33Z")
yes a more positive word you’ll never find [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-for-the-best-word-for-its-meaning/212710.md?page=2)