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    Three common words with uncommon uses
    Blog 6 min read

    Three Words to Use This Week Without Sounding Strange

    Last updated: Monday 20th April 2026

    Quick Summary

    This week's challenge encourages integrating less common yet useful words for clearer communication. 'Eschew' means to deliberately avoid something, offering more nuance than 'avoid'. For example, one might "eschew ornamentation" in design or "eschew carbohydrates" for dietary reasons. The article plans to introduce two more such words to elevate everyday exchanges and foster a more refined engagement with language. These precise word choices can illuminate ideas and convey deeper understanding.

    In a hurry? TL;DR

    • 1Learn to 'eschew' – meaning to deliberately avoid something, often for principled reasons, adding nuance to disapproval.
    • 2'Redolent' means strongly reminiscent or evocative of something, going beyond mere scent to recall qualities or periods.
    • 3Using precise, less common words like 'eschew' and 'redolent' enhances clarity and sophistication in communication.

    Why It Matters

    Using precise language enriches communication, making our conversations more engaging and impactful.

    The English language, in its magnificent sprawl, offers a precise hue for every shade of meaning, yet so often we settle for the broadest strokes. To truly master communication is not merely to be understood, but to be understood with an uncommon clarity, to evoke the exact mental image or intellectual nuance intended. This week, we propose a small, delightful challenge: integrate three less-common but remarkably useful words into your daily patter.

    Precision in Prose: Elevating Everyday Exchange

    Why bother with words that sit just beyond the immediate grasp of common usage? The answer lies in impact. A well-placed, precise word can illuminate an idea, convey a depth of understanding, or simply lend an air of sophisticated articulation that enriches any conversation. It’s about more than just vocabulary; it’s about a more refined engagement with the world through language itself, transforming the quality of our life on planet Earth depends on the choices we make every day..

    Eschew: The Art of Deliberate Avoidance

    To eschew something means to deliberately and often pointedly avoid it. It’s stronger than ‘avoid’ or ‘abstain from’ – it implies a conscious, often principled decision to keep clear of a particular practice, thing, or behaviour. Imagine the nuance it adds compared to simply saying you ‘don’t do’ something.

    • Pronunciation: ess-CHOO
    • Origin: From Old French eschiver, ultimately of Germanic origin, meaning to shun or escape.

    Consider its utility in various contexts:

    • "Our new design philosophy will eschew ornamentation in favour of stark, functional elegance." This conveys a commitment to a particular aesthetic in a way that simply 'avoiding' ornamentation does not.
    • "Given his recent dietary changes, he decided to eschew carbohydrates for the evening, opting instead for a protein-rich meal." Here, it highlights a mindful choice rather than a mere omission.
    • "The company leadership has made it clear that they will eschew any business practices that might compromise their ethical standing." This indicates a firm, moral stance.

    By deploying ‘eschew’, you signal a conscious, perhaps even philosophical, rejection. It elevates a simple 'no' into a statement of intent.

    Redolent: Evoking More Than Just Scent

    Most commonly applied to smells, ‘redolent’ means strongly reminiscent or evocative of something. It can mean fragrant, but its more potent application lies in describing something that calls to mind a particular quality, characteristic, or period. This word offers a sensory richness that few others can match, much like a Redolent perfume.

    • Pronunciation: RED-oh-lent
    • Origin: From Latin redolere, meaning "to emit a scent, smell of."

    Let’s see it in action:

    • "The dusty old library was redolent of ancient paper, leather, and forgotten knowledge." Here, it paints a vivid picture, conjuring both the physical scent and the atmosphere.
    • "His political rhetoric was redolent of a bygone era, full of grand pronouncements and little substance." This moves beyond mere smell, suggesting a strong echo of a past style or ideology.
    • "Her paintings were redolent of her grandmother’s garden, filled with vibrant colours and a sense of untamed beauty." The word links the visual art to a deeply personal, almost nostalgic, sensation.

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    Using ‘redolent’ allows you to weave a tapestry of association, enriching your descriptions beyond the merely literal. It’s perfect for describing atmospheres, memories, or objects imbued with history. For more on the power of evocative language, consider exploring The Most Beautiful Words for Weather, Water and Open Space.

    Perfidious: The Ultimate Betrayal

    ‘Perfidious’ describes someone who is treacherous, disloyal, or deceitful. It goes beyond simple unfaithfulness; it carries a connotation of deliberate, calculated betrayal, a breach of fundamental trust. It’s a word with a significant historical and literary weight, far more impactful than 'untrustworthy' or 'disloyal.'

    • Pronunciation: per-FID-ee-us
    • Origin: From Latin perfidiosus, meaning "treacherous, false-hearted."
    • Root: The Latin perfidus means "faithless," deriving from per (through) and fides (faith). More on its etymological cousins can be found on Wikipedia's entry for perfidious.

    Consider its punch in a sentence:

    • "After months of collaboration, his perfidious actions during the merger negotiations cost us dearly." This implies a deep-seated treachery, not just a misstep.
    • "The novel’s antagonist was a perfidious character, whose charming facade concealed a truly insidious nature." It immediately establishes the villain's moral corruption.
    • "To break such a solemn promise would be a truly perfidious act, eroding all trust between us." Here, it defines the gravity of the betrayal.
    “‘Perfidious’ is not a word to be used lightly; it reserves its full force for betrayals of the most profound and damaging kind.”

    :::

    This term is reserved for the most grievous breaches of trust. When you label an action or individual as 'perfidious,' you are making a strong statement about their character and the depth of their deceit. It speaks to a fundamental flaw, a wilful rejection of loyalty. It shares a certain dramatic tension with the concepts behind Logomachy when trust breaks down and words become weapons.

    Weaving Words into Your World

    Integrating these words into your vocabulary is not about sounding academic; it's about sharpening your expression. Start by consciously searching for opportunities to use them. When writing an email, or even crafting a text message, pause and consider if 'eschew' fits better than 'avoid', or if 'redolent' adds a more vivid layer than 'smelling of'.

    The beauty of language lies in its infinite capacity for nuance. By consciously selecting words that carry precise weight and meaning, we not only improve our communication but also enhance our perception of the world around us. So, this week, embrace the challenge. Let your conversations be a little more precise, a little more vivid, and a little more profound. You might just find the words changing not only how you speak, but how you think.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    'Eschew' is pronounced ess-CHOO. It's a word derived from Old French and has Germanic roots, essentially meaning to shun or escape from something, often with a conscious or principled decision.

    While both mean to keep away from something, 'eschew' implies a more deliberate, often principled or conscious decision to avoid. It suggests a stronger, more intentional rejection than simply 'avoiding'.

    You can use 'redolent' when something strongly reminds you of something else, not just in scent but also in quality or character. For example, a song might be 'redolent' of your childhood, or a certain policy might be 'redolent' of past mistakes.

    If something is 'redolent' of something else, it strongly evokes or brings to mind that particular thing. While it can mean fragrant, it's more powerfully used to describe memories, qualities, or characteristics that are strongly recalled.

    Yes, 'eschew' is excellent when you want to emphasize a deliberate or principled choice to shun something. For instance, describing a company's decision to 'eschew' unethical practices conveys a stronger moral stance than simply saying they 'avoid' them.

    Sources & References