Sesquipedalian

“Sesquipedalian” (ses-kwuh-puh-DAYL-yun) – from the Latin for “a foot and a half long” – refers to the practice of using overly long words when smaller words would do.

Example (as used by William C. Martin in The Atlantic): “They walk and speak with disdain for common folk, and never miss a chance to belittle the crowd in sesquipedalian put-downs.”

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