Wayne State Word Warriors release 2025 list

Wayne State University’s Word Warriors have once again ensorcelled language lovers with their delightful 2025 list of underused words. This year’s winners include gems that will add sparkle to any conversation, from “honeyfuggle,” a sly term for sweet-talking with ulterior motives, to “hurkle-durkle,” perfect for describing those lazy mornings spent in bed. Whether you’re inured to the mundane or ready to revel in the sonsy charm of a well-chosen word, there’s something here for everyone.

Now beginning its 16th year, Wayne State’s Word Warriors program aims to resurrect long-lost — but not completely forgotten — words. Its annual list is composed of submissions from both administrators of the website as well as the public; participants worldwide have seen their favorite words brought back from the brink of obsolescence at wordwarriors.wayne.edu. New entries are posted there — as well as on Facebook — weekly.

“Every year, I’m thrilled to see the creative collection of words that come to us from around the world,” said Chris Williams, assistant director of editorial services for Wayne State Marketing and Communications, and head of the Word Warriors program. “Some of these fell out of favor centuries ago, while others have been waiting a few decades to be rediscovered. But all of them add beauty and depth to our language and make communication a bit more fun.”

So, gather your tiffin, sit back in the vesper glow and let these linguistic treasures transport you to a world where words reign supreme!

Ensorcelled

Enchanted or bewitched.
He was ensorcelled by her delicious twice-baked potatoes.

Honeyfuggle

To ingratiate or seek to ingratiate oneself to cheat or deceive.
He honeyfuggled the judges, lavishing compliments until he walked away with the competition.

Hurkle-durkle

To lounge in bed long after it’s time to get up.
Even though he set four alarms, John still hurkle-durkled until his carpool driver knocked on his door.

Inure

Accustom (someone) to something, especially something unpleasant.
He used to blush at the most PG-rated obscenity, but a decade of cable TV had inured him to profanity.

Scaramouch

A cowardly buffoon.
He talked a big game on social media, but the scaramouch was no help when it came time to put plans into action.

Shackbaggerly

In a loose, disorderly manner.
He woke up too late to shower or shave and appeared shackbaggerly at the morning meeting.

Sonsy

Having an attractive and healthy appearance.
He returned from vacation vibrant and sonsy; the time outdoors had done him well.

Syzygy

The nearly straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies in a gravitational system.
He stared at the lunar eclipse, a perfect syzygy of the sun, Earth and the moon.

Tiffin

A light meal, often lunch.
He worked all day, breaking only to eat a meager tiffin at his computer before jumping back in.

Vesper

Evening.
He sat on the porch, took a deep breath and sat in the vesper light.