autothaumaturgist means one who pretends to be notable or mysterious. It carries an Arena rating of 1315, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, autothaumaturgist ranks #87 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #146 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #163 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #232 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words.
Why “autothaumaturgist” is a great word
A person who deliberately cultivates an aura of personal mystery or self-importance, manufacturing an enigmatic persona from whole cloth. From the combining form auto- ("self") + thaumaturgist (from Greek thaumatourgos, "wonder-worker"). Unlike a thaumaturgist, an authentic performer of marvels, or a mere poseur who affects a borrowed style, the autothaumaturgist is the architect of a private, synthetic mythology. It is the scent of expensive, unfamiliar cologne applied too heavily in a small room, the theatrical weight of a signet ring worn on a soft hand, the deliberate opacity of an answer designed to sound profound but signifies nothing—a performer whose only genuine marvel is the brittle, empty theater of the self.
Etymology
From auto- + thaumaturgist.
noun
- One who pretends to be notable or mysterious.e.g.“Of course there are dull men who could not understand a tabby-cat or a professional cricketer, let alone an expert autothaumaturgist—a self-mystery-maker—like a woman.” — 1906, William John Locke, The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne, London: John Lane, Part 1, Chapter 11, p:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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