Old English Words

50 Amazing Old English Words Ye Should Definitely Be Using More Often

Whether ye are trying to describe the worst woofits of your life or insult that jerk at the bar, these 50 Old English words will definitely come in handy.

Apricity

The feeling of warmth of the sun in winter

Bedight

Decorate

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Bedward

Heading for bed

Besmirch

To make something dirty

Billingsgate

Curse words

Brabble

To argue loudly about things that don’t matter

Clinomania

An obsessive desire to lie down

Cockalorum

A small man with a big opinion of himself

Contumelious

Scornful or arrogantly rude

Cumberworld

Someone who is so useless they only exist in order to take up space

Crapulous

To feel ill because you ate too much or drank too much

Dillydoun

A little lullaby

Ditty

A short and simple song

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Ergophobia

The morbid fear of returning to work

Erstwhile

In another time

Expergefactor

Something that wakes you up

Famelicose

Constantly hungry

Flighty

To be guided by whim

Fopdoodle

An insignificant or foolish man

Forswear

To formally disavow

Fudgel

Pretending to work when you’re really doing nothing at all

Gnashgab

Someone who complains all the time

Groke

To intently stare at someone while they are eating in hopes they will give you a bite

Grubble

To feel around for something you can’t see

Grufeling

To lie closely wrapped up

Hither

To this place

Hugger-Mugger

Secretive, or covert behavior

Hum durgeon

An imaginary illness

Jargogle

To confuse

Lanspresado

A person who arrives somewhere conveniently forgetting their wallet

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Mumpsimus

An incorrect view of something a person will not let go of

Palter

To be deliberately unclear/misleading

Philogrobolized

To convey a hangover without having to admit you’d been drinking

Quomodocunquize

To make money in any way you can

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Snecklifter

Someone who sticks his or head into a bar to see if there’s anyone who will buy them a drink

Snollygoster

A person who is intelligent but who also has no principles

Snotter

Wise

Stalwart

Having rugged or physical strength

Trumpery

Things that look good but are actually worthless

Thou

The one addressed

Twattling

To gossip or to talk idly and too much

Uhtceare

Unable to go back to sleep before dawn because you are worrying

Ultracrepidarian

A person who will take literally any chance to share their opinions on things they truly know nothing about

Woofits

A hangover

Xerostomia

Dryness of the mouth

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January Nelson is a writer, editor, and dreamer. She writes about astrology, games, love, relationships, and entertainment. January graduated with an English and Literature degree from Columbia University.