40 Cool Words | Meanings & Examples

Do you know any raconteurs? Why is a susurrus appropriate for a library? Have any famous songs led you to experience a mondegreen?

This article contains a list of cool words, what they mean, and how to use them.

What makes words cool?

What makes something “cool” is subjective; we all have our own criteria for what makes something interesting or attractive. When it comes to cool words, they might look cool or have a neat origin story. They may be cool-sounding words or have a particularly deep or amusing meaning.

40 cool words

Below are 40 cool words in English. For each word, find its part of speech, meaning, and an example of the word in a sentence.

1. Abracadabra

Pronunciation: a-bruh-kuh-da-bruh

Part of speech: exclamation or noun

Meaning: a magical incantation; unintelligible language

Example: With a dramatic wave of his wand, the magician shouted “Abracadabra!” and the rabbit disappeared from the hat.

2. Amok

Pronunciation: uh-muhk

Part of speech: adverb

Meaning: in a frenzied, uncontrolled, or violent state

Example: The crowd ran amok after the surprise announcement, knocking over barricades and causing a commotion.

3. Anachronism

Pronunciation: uh-na-kruh-nih-zm

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: something or someone that is out of place in time, especially something evidently old-fashioned

Example: The film featured an anachronism when a character used a modern cell phone in a medieval setting.

4. Anemone

Pronunciation: uh-neh-muh-nee

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a plant from the buttercup family; an aquatic animal related to jellyfish and corals

Example: The coral reef was teeming with brightly colored anemones, providing shelter to small fish.

5. Anomaly

Pronunciation: uh-nah-muh-lee

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected

Example: The sudden drop in temperature was an anomaly for the typically warm spring season.

6. Asyndeton

Pronunciation: uh-sin-duh-tahn

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a rhetorical device in which coordinating conjunctions (e.g., “and” or “but”) are omitted from a series of related elements for effect

Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” is an asyndeton that opens the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

7. Audiophile

Pronunciation: aw-dee-oh-fahyl

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a person who is passionate about high-fidelity sound reproduction, particularly with respect to music

Example: My eldest sister is a complete audiophile, so I’m not surprised she bought another pair of headphones.

8. Brouhaha

Pronunciation: broo-hah-hah

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: an uproar, commotion, or heated argument, often over something insignificant

Example: There was a brouhaha over the new policy, with employees voicing their frustrations in meetings and emails.

9. Calamity

Pronunciation: kah-la-muh-tee

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a disaster or event causing great damage or distress

Example: The earthquake in the capital was a calamity, shutting down the government for weeks.

10. Calliope

Pronunciation: kuh-lai-uh-pee

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: in Greek mythology, the Muse of eloquence and poetry; a musical instrument similar to an organ that is typically found at fairs and amusement parks

Example: Calliope was called the “chief of all Muses” by poets like Ovid and Hesiod.

11. Carat

Pronunciation: ka-ruht

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a unit of weight for gemstones, particularly diamonds

Example: The Koh-i-Noor—which weighs 105.6 carats—is one of the largest diamonds in the world.

12. Clandestine

Pronunciation: klan-deh-stin

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: secret, often for illicit or unauthorized purposes

Example: There was a clandestine casino above the restaurant.

13. Copacetic

Pronunciation: koh-pah-set-ik

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: good, very satisfactory, in order

Example: I expected the trip to be stressful, but it was copacetic.

14. Demure

Pronunciation: duh-myur

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: reserved, shy, or modest in appearance or manner

Example: She wore a demure dress and kept to herself at the party, preferring quiet conversations over large crowds.

15. Denouement

Pronunciation: day-noo-mahn

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the final part of a narrative, where plot strands are drawn together and explained or resolved

Example: In the denouement of Romeo and Juliet, tragedy strikes Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers.

16. Doppelgänger

Pronunciation: dah-puhl-gang-er

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a person who looks exactly like another person, often used in fiction or folklore to describe a supernatural or sinister double

Example: In literature and film, doppelgängers often symbolize duality, internal conflict, or confronting one’s darker side.

17. Eldritch

Pronunciation: el-dritch

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: strange, sinister, or supernatural, often in a frightening or unsettling way

Example: The eldritch atmosphere of the abandoned house made everyone feel uneasy as they explored inside.

18. Excalibur

Pronunciation: eks-kal-ih-bur

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the legendary sword of King Arthur, said to be imbued with magical powers

Example: Excalibur is the famous sword in the stone from Arthurian legend.

19. Frostbite

Pronunciation: frahst-bite

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: an injury to body tissue caused by extreme cold, usually affecting extremities like fingers and toes

Example: After hours in the freezing wind, he developed frostbite on his toes.

20. Hodgepodge

Pronunciation: haaj-paaj

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a mixture or jumble of different things

Example: The actor’s living room was a hodgepodge of modern decoration and eccentric antiques.

21. Jai alai

Pronunciation: hai-ah-lai

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a sport played with a ball bounced off a walled court using a curved basket

Example: We have a jai alai match in Miami on Saturday.

22. Jentacular

Pronunciation: jehn-tak-yuh-ler

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: relating to breakfast

Example: The jentacular feast was lavish, with eggs, pancakes, pastries, and freshly squeezed juices.

23. Macabre

Pronunciation: muh-kaab

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: disturbing, unsettling, or gruesome typically because it concerns death

Example: The macabre series of murders has the city on full alert.

24. Mondegreen

Pronunciation: mahn-duh-green

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a word or phrase that comes from mishearing another word or phrase, especially in song lyrics

Example: She always sang “Excuse me while I kiss this guy” instead of “Excuse me while I kiss the sky,” a classic mondegreen.

25. Paradox

Pronunciation: peh-ruh-dahks

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: something that seems self-contradictory or absurd at first, but upon further reflection may seem true

Example: In the first chapter of the book, the author uses the paradox “If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more” as a literary device to introduce the character’s main flaw.

26. Portmanteau

Pronunciation: port-man-toh

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a word created by blending two words together, often creating a new concept

Example: “Brunch” is a classic portmanteau, blending the words “breakfast” and “lunch.”

27. Quantum

Pronunciation: kwahn-tum

Part of speech: noun or adjective

Meaning: a portion or quantity (noun); large, significant (adjective); relating to quantum mechanics in physics (adjective)

Example: Scientists continue to explore the mysteries of quantum field theory.

28. Queue

Pronunciation: kyoo

Part of speech: noun and verb

Meaning: a line or sequence (noun); to wait in line (verb)

Example: We queued for seven hours to get these tickets.

29. Quintessential

Pronunciation: kwin-tuh-sehn-chul

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: representing the most perfect or typical example of something

Example: Paris is often considered the quintessential city of romance.

30. Raconteur

Pronunciation: ra-kuhn-tur

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a person who tells anecdotes in an amusing or engaging way

Example: At every family gathering, Grandpa proved himself to be a master raconteur, entertaining everyone with his tales.

31. Rhythm

Pronunciation: rih-thm

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a repeated pattern of sound or movement

Example: Listening to the rhythm of the waves on the beach always calms me.

32. Sonder

Pronunciation: sahn-der

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own

Example: As she sat at the café, watching people go by, a sense of sonder washed over her—each person had their own dreams, struggles, and stories.

33. Spoonerism

Pronunciation: spoo-ner-ih-zm

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a verbal mistake in which the initial sounds of words are swapped, sometimes used intentionally for humorous effect

Example: Saying ”teepy slime” instead of “sleepy time” is a classic spoonerism.

34. Stygian

Pronunciation: stih-jee-uhn

Part of speech: adjective

Meaning: extremely dark, gloomy, or unwelcoming; related to the River Styx in Greek Mythology

Example: The Stygian depths of the cave seemed endless, swallowing all light.

35. Supernova

Pronunciation: soo-per-noh-vah

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a powerful and luminous stellar explosion that occurs at the end of a star’s life cycle; someone that explodes into popularity

Example: A supernova explosion releases light, radio waves, X-rays, and cosmic rays.

36. Susurrus

Pronunciation: suh-suhr-uhs

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a soft whispering or rustling sound

Example: The susurrus of the wind through the trees created a peaceful ambiance in the forest.

37. Synecdoche

Pronunciation: suh-nek-duh-kee

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a figure of speech in which a part of something represents the whole, or vice versa

Example: In the phrase “all hands on deck,” “hands” is a synecdoche for sailors.

38. Vacuum

Pronunciation: va-kyoom

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a space entirely devoid of matter; a machine used for cleaning

Example: Outer space is often described as a vacuum, though it contains trace amounts of gas and dust.

39. Whippersnapper

Pronunciation: wih-per-snap-per

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a young, inexperienced person who is considered presumptuous or overconfident

Example: The seasoned professor dismissed the eager young student as a whippersnapper who still had much to learn.

40. Wunderkind

Pronunciation: vuhn-der-kind or wuhn-der-kind

Part of speech: noun

Meaning: a child prodigy or someone who achieves success at a very young age.

Example: The young actor was hailed as a wunderkind, performing in Broadway theaters by the age of seven.

Frequently asked questions about cool words

What are some cool 5 letter words?

Some cool 5-letter words are:

• Quirk
• Karst
• Xebec
• Gnome
• Cruet
• Igloo
• Shard
• Okapi
• Cocoa
• Funky
• Orbit
• Comet
• Macaw
• Snood

If you want to incorporate cool words into your writing, use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to make sure you spell them all correctly.

What are some cool 4 letter words?

Some cool 4-letter words are:

• Zest
• Jolt
• Vibe
• Echo
• Lush
• Flux
• Glow
• Slay
• Chic
• Nova
• Atom
• Hype

Using cool words can lend a creative touch to your writing. Just make sure you spell everything correctly with QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker.

What are some words that rhyme with cool?

Some words that rhyme with “cool” are:

• Pool
• School
• Rule
• Tool and tulle (homophones)
• Fool
• Jewel
• Drool
• Spool

Rhyming words can add a creative touch to your writing, just as using cool words does.

Regardless of the words you end up using, QuillBot’s free Grammar Check can make sure they’re all spelled correctly.

What are some cool slang words?

Some cool slang words are:

• Bet (adverb), agreement or confirmation
• Bussin’ (adjective), very good
• Drip (noun), stylish clothing or accessories
• Extra (adjective), dramatic or over-the-top
• Fire (adjective), very good
• Lit (adjective), exciting or fun
• Mid (adjective), average or unimpressive
• No cap (idiom), truthfully or honestly
• Tea (noun), gossip
• Spill the tea (verb), to gossip

Using cool slang words and other cool words can give your writing a creative flair. And find even more creative synonyms with QuillBot’s free Paraphraser.

What are some cool space words?

Some cool space words are:

• Nebula, a cloud of dust and gas where stars are born
• Pulsar, a rapidly spinning neutron star
• Supernova, a very bright explosion of a dying star
• Cosmos, a term for the universe as an ordered whole
• Exoplanet, a planet outside our solar system
• Syzygy, the perfect alignment of three celestial bodies
• Zenith, the point in the sky directly above an observer
• Corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun

Using cool words can help give your writing a unique touch. Whatever words you use, run them through QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to make sure they’re error-free.