What can I do to improve my vocabulary?

[Bloopbloopbloop]

[abc3643]

Read.
In fact, reading major newspapers like The New York Times, Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal helps because they will have writers on staff who will use their vocabulary in their articles and opinion pieces. Many of these words will not be in your vocabulary to begin with.

For instance, this is an excerpt from the NYT's 2005 obituary of William F. Buckley who was famous for his use of "$10 words" aka "ten-dollar words" (Chances are that idiom is new to you so look it up!). I (re-) learned 4 new words from this obituary alone:
>> perspicacious
>> capricious
>> sesquipedalian (I use this one now...)
>> pleonastic
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www.nytimes.com/.../27cnd-buckley.html

William F. Buckley Jr. Is Dead at 82
By Douglas Martin
Feb. 27, 2008
William F. Buckley Jr., who marshaled polysyllabic exuberance, famously arched eyebrows and a refined, perspicacious mind to elevate conservatism to the center of American political discourse, died Wednesday at his home in Stamford, Conn. He was 82.

Mr. Buckley suffered from diabetes and emphysema, his son Christopher said, although the exact cause of death was not immediately known. He was found at his desk in the study of his home, his son said. “He might have been working on a column,” Mr. Buckley said.

William Buckley, with his winningly capricious personality, his use of ten-dollar words and a darting tongue writers loved to compare to an anteater’s, was the popular host of one of television’s longest-running programs, “Firing Line,” and founded and shepherded the influential conservative magazine “National Review.”
...

Mr. Buckley’s vocabulary, sparkling with phrases from distant eras and described in newspaper and magazine profiles as sesquipedalian (characterized by the use of long words), became the stuff of legend. Less kind commentators preferred the adjective “pleonastic” (using more words than necessary).

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Almost every day, I come across new words, idioms, or phrases from reading. Most of those I note and but rarely incorporate into my vocabulary, but some break-through so, even if I don't use them myself much, I know what they mean and no longer have to look them up. "Sartorial" is a good example of that as is "Sesquipedallian" which is a wonderful word. In fact, from that word, I learned of the root "Sesqui-" which means "1-and-a-half". So, for instance, in 1926, the United States had its "Sesquicentennial". "Sesquipedalian" means, in a sense, 1.5 feet ("-ped-" as in the variant of "-pod-" for "feet"), so a sesquipedalian word is, figuratively, 1.5 feet long... in other words, a long word (that is usually unnecessary when a short word would do).

Here's the etymology of the word:
https://www.etymonline.com/word/sesquipedalian

And that's a useful site: etymology. com. In fact, learn that word: etymology.
I believe that etymology is the study of the origins of words or something like that, but looking up a word's etymology can go a long way toward teaching you about other words and how to decipher an unfamiliar word.

Also, consider using ChatGPT or Google Bard to help you learn words that you come across.

[bolverk]

Read books or listen to Audio books of genre's that you would not normally read, as you are an American I'd suggest some of the English classic authors, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dame Agatha Christie, Roald Dahl, Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens, John Wyndham, Jane Austen, then add F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jean Rhys, Jack London, If you can listen to and read the book at the same time as it will help with the pronunciation of words that you have not seen before.

[Jennz6]

I’m writing ✍️ words that I don’t use, but I know the meaning, I write these words down and I try using them when I talk to people. There are a myriad of ways to improve your vocabulary.

[Bloopbloopbloop]

Tbh I'm kind of embarrassed of my vocabulary. I feel like I use basic words and If i try to use good words, I mess up the pronounciation.

[Jennz6]

I know, me too but I’m trying

[Anonymous]

Read, read a lot, read above your reading level. Also get a Theasaurus. Make a habit of interjecting obscure words into your everyday life. Not like a bunch. Just make it a habit to use a new word every now and then maybe one a day. Overtime you'll see your vocabulary grow. Before you know it your friends will consider you pompous and dumb people will avoid talking to you. CHEERS!🥂

[HippoDino]

Try to learn 1 new word ever day. And then try and use it in a sentence in an actual conversation. You could also read more books of a certain reading level

[OddBeMe]

Read. It exercises a part of the brain not used when watching tv.

[TheSpaceGnome]

A 1990s dictionary.
Biology literature.

[Samantha_17]

Reading a book?

[Worst]

Read books

[Joker_]

mho 󠀡󠀡

[Worst]

Thanks lol I'm looking forward to receiving it

[Joker_]

you're welcome lol

[Astarlessnightsky]

Reading.

[Heolurt]

Read more

[In_Trance]

practice

[jahaims]

Read the dictionary