blandiloquence means flattery. It carries an Arena rating of 1677, earned across 17 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, blandiloquence ranks #1,951 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #2,318 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #2,507 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #3,035 of 17,151 for The Improbable.
Why “blandiloquence” is a great word
Flattering, ingratiating, or honeyed speech. From Latin blandus ("flattering, smooth") + loquentia ("speaking"), from loqui ("to speak"). First attested in English in the 1650s. Unlike adulation, which implies servile excess, or plain speaking, its direct and honest antithesis, blandiloquence is an artful modulation of tone, a calculated softness of phrase designed to insinuate rather than declare. It is the unctuous lilt in a courtier’s assurance, the saccharine murmur of a salesman’s guarantee, and the velveteen promise of a politician’s vow—the subtle music by which ambition disguises itself as regard, leaving behind a faint, sickly residue of distrust.
Etymology
From Latin blandus (“flattering”) + loquor (“speak”).
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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