This obscure words generator will give you a random list of words not in common usage. Copy and paste, or download the list to use however you’d like.
Obscure words are ones that are not in everyday common use. They may have been used by an author centuries ago, or they may have been invented as a joke, but the word is still in the dictionary and accepted as a valid word.
Words change their meaning over time. One example of this is the word “cleave.” Originally, the word meant to cut or split something with a sharp instrument, like a sword. But now it most often means to cling or adhere closely. Although that is now an unusual meaning of the word, this list of obscure words generator will only give words, not in everyday use.
Many words fall out of use as the thing, job, or action that they represent no longer exists. Words also change their spelling over time. That’s why a library is no longer called a “boch horde” (book hoard).
To get started click the generate list button below. You can then copy or download the entire generated list of obscure words or just copy a single entry. Click the sound button to hear the pronunciation of the word. If you want a different list, press the button again to get a new random list of obscure words.