There’s a word for that?

A baker’s dozen terms you (probably) never knew existed.

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Let’s dive down even further by looking at examples that will make you say, “There’s a word for that?”

Hypergraphia: a compulsion to write, sometimes uncontrollably.

She was disappointed that her hypergraphia did not yield anything worthy of being published.

Mysophobia: an abnormal fear of dirt.

Don’t let a little mysophobia keep you from enjoying the camping trip.

Lissotrichous: having straight or smooth hair.

Looking in the mirror at the frizzy mass upon her head, she wished to be lissotrichous.

Schadenfreude: pleasure derived from the misfortunes of another person.

Was it Schadenfreude I felt when I heard about his car problems?

Avuncular: having to do with an uncle; characteristic of an uncle.

His avuncular tone undercut the value of his valuable advice.

Penultimate: next to last.

She reached the penultimate check in her checkbook and panicked when she realized she hadn’t ordered more.

Esprit d’escalier: a French term that means a witty remark thought of too late. The literal meaning is “wit of the staircase.”

My esprit d’esalier came to me the next morning.

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