Words words words... [Edit]

As someone who writes a great deal, (the daily posting here is just the tip of the iceberg,) I have a love affair with words. I love it when I am talking to someone and they have a large enough vocabulary to effectively use the proverbial "three dollar word." And I hate it when I correctly use a word and someone with a less than expansive vocabulary tries to correct me... Here's a hint, I don't use a word unless I know what I'm talking about. An example of this situation is when I recently used the word "elicit" - as in, I engage in a certain activity to elicit a certain response. And someone tried to tell me that I was not using the word properly... They proceeded to try to give me a vocabulary lesson giving me a definition for the word "illicit" and saying that the word I was probably looking for was "solicit." Yeah, thanks for that one Webster, I think I've got this covered.

And so I present you with some of my favorite words which are so often neglected in today's dumbed-down linguistic lexicon.

1. Usurp

2. Morose - A word I probably should have been using to describe my own disposition lately... Even I neglect the vocab on occasion.

3. Denizen

4. Insipid - I love this word. I have found that I use it much more in conversation than I ever do in my writing... Must work on that.

5. Akimbo - This one is just fun to say, and I have found that on the rare occasion that someone does bust this one out, they don't use it correctly.

6. Blasé

7. Impugn

8. Obstreperous

9. Sesquipedalian - This is a really rarely used one, probably because it is not widely known, and for those to whom it is known, it doesn't roll off the tongue easily... But I love it nonetheless.

10. Anathema - Probably my favorite word. Should I happen to hear someone use it in a sentence my opinion of them instantly improves ten fold.

[EDIT]

I would also like to add:

11. Cantankerous - Incredibly underused!

12. Malaise

13. Codger - It might be an archaism, but I LOVE it.

14. Asshat - Hey, I didn't say that my love affair with words only extended to DIGNIFIED words.

15. Milieu

16. Scintillation

17. Paroxysm

18. Inexorable

19. Maraud - Really, it's a great word which implies a quest to pillage and plunder for booty! And who doesn't love pillaging and plundering for booty?

20. Gesticulate - It isn't at all dirty, but it makes me giggle like a 12 year old boy in health class during the VD chapters!

So those are some of my favorites. You kids are intelligent people who love words, otherwise, why would you be here? So what are some of your favorites?