19 Words That Make You Seem Smart

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Of course, a list of words that convey intelligence could fill a small dictionary, but given a blog post's space limitations, here are 19 that seem particularly useful in today’s roiling times. I use COVID-related examples of how each word could be used.

Using these words, many of which aren't fancy, should add intelligence and nuance to what you say or write.

Preponderance. Preponderance means a majority in strength or number. Typical usage: The preponderance of the evidence suggests that immunity to COVID from exposure is, alas, only temporary.

Why. Often, an intelligent response to an assertion is “Why?” For example, I’m curious why you believe that people are more likely to establish and maintain immunity if interacting with others rather than staying home.

Unintended consequences. In deciding whether to pursue a policy, intelligent people carefully consider the possibility of unintended consequences. For example, an unintended consequence of being urged to stay home may be an increase in intimate partner violence.

Ameliorate and its antonym, exacerbate. These are alternatives to their black-and white versions: "cure" and "kill." Ventilators may exacerbate COVID patients’ pulmonary problems because ventilators can overinflate the lungs.

Insufficient. Nuanced policymaking is difficult because of insufficient data on what dose of exposure leads to what extent of disease, disaggregated by race, gender, and underlying conditions.

Antithetical. That means hurtful to. Nationwide restrictions are antithetical to the more granular decision-making required in weighing the the medical and economic curves' impacts.

Evoke. This is a politically correct synonym for “trigger.” Yelling at someone who’s not wearing a mask risks evoking a verbal or even physical tirade and hardening the person’s position.

Ostensibly. That means, it would seem to. Ostensibly, people won’t contract COVID if following the recommended guidelines but a disconcerting number of COVID patients claim they couldn't have been exposed, the so-called “cases of unknown origin” or “silent transmission.”

Full-dimensioned. That means comprehensive. Effectively changing recalcitrant social distancers' behavior may require a more full-dimensioned analysis: What are the personal beliefs and social forces that need be addressed, and how: traditional public service announcements, messages from celebrities, from community leaders, social media, signage on billboards and at high-foot-traffic locations, community meetings, and perhaps other approaches that might be unearthed by interviewing non-compliant people.

Lemming. A lemming is an animal that, according to myth, will foolishly follow other lemmings off a cliff. In common parlance, a lemming refers to someone who mindlessly follows others. Some people, seeing their friends not social distancing are, like lemmings, following suit.

Edifying. That means educating in an important way. I find it edifying to compare the New York Times' and Wall Street Journal’s perspectives on how the U.S. is handling the pandemic.

Time-effective: an approach to a task that yields the most benefit per minute. A time-effective approach to developing a vaccine may be automated assaying of messenger RNA (mRNA.)

Metric: a factor selected for measurement. Hospitalizations would seem a more useful metric than cases (people who test positive.)

Reframe: to look at an issue from a different perspective. If we reframe mask-wearing as a sign of coolness rather than as overreaction, we might improve the compliance rate.

Inordinate: unnecessarily large. The broad lockdown seems to place inordinate weight on the infection rate and too little on the other sequela: human and economic.

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Humankind. The user of “humankind” indicates a broad perspective. In determining who should get a vaccine first, it's wise to consider the net effects on humankind.

Zeitgeist. That means spirit of an era. Users of the term "zeitgeist" recognize that recently developed orthodoxy need stand the test of some time before earning status as “truth.” The current zeitgeist distrusts both politicians and the media, which militates against the public's wise decision-making regarding COVID as well as on other issues.

Wisdom. That refers to knowledge at a higher plane. One of society’s challenges is how to infuse wisdom into people’s behavior regarding COVID as well as more broadly.

Here are more words indicative of intelligence.

I read this aloud on YouTube.