Beautiful words with ugly meanings that you didn't even know: discover 10 of them

Thanks to all of Brazil's cultural diversity, there is no shortage of beautiful words in our vocabulary.

Regardless of which region of Brazil you are in, one thing is certain: each one has a huge and unique repertoire when it comes to vocabulary.

From slang and dialects to even popular sayings that are passed down from generation to generation, these expressions are extremely important to the region in which they are famous.

But unfortunately, some of these words end up being forgotten, meaning they are not used as much as they used to be.

And thinking about all this diversity of cultures and vocabularies, we created this special material!

In it, we list 10 beautiful words that, at first glance, may even sound pleasant to our ears. 

But when we delve deeper to learn more about it, we discover that they can have very ugly or surprising meanings without us knowing.

10 beautiful words with ugly meanings that you – probably – didn’t know

Among the hundreds of expressions – regional or otherwise – that we use to communicate here in Brazil, there may be some that may even seem like beautiful words, but their meanings are very different from what one might expect.

Below, you will see 10 beautiful words that, despite appearances, mean completely different things than you imagine.

Deleterious, the first of the beautiful words on the list

At first, when you read this word, what do you associate it with? Here, the first association we made was with something academic, involving higher education or something like that.

But the truth is that the word means something quite different. 

Deleterious is used to define something degrading, harmful, unpleasant, and so on.

Example: I don't want to eat at that cafeteria. I saw on TV that the kitchen environment there was harmful, with a lot of garbage and food scraps, and it even attracted rats and insects.

Taciturn

Another beautiful word in the Brazilian language that may even sound elegant, but has a slightly different meaning than what you might expect is taciturno.

This is one of those words that has a heavy tone, right? Coincidence or not, taciturn is a synonym for something dark or even gloomy.

Example: I always suspected there was something wrong with that man. He was always quiet and had a sullen look in his eyes.

Jingoism

And jingoism? What do you think this peculiar word could mean?

The word is used to define someone who is proud of something in an exaggerated way and goes beyond the point.

Example: He was a great player, but all this boasting about the victory ended up taking away some of that shine.

Vituperation, one of the beautiful words with a not so beautiful meaning

If someone came up to you and said that word, how would you react? What would be the first thought you would have?

Even though it may seem like the name of some illness, vituperation is nothing more than a synonym for rude behavior.

Example: Even though we were still fighting, I never imagined that she would answer my question with insults.

Sectarian

The fifth word on our list may seem like something easy to associate, right? After all, the ending 'ário' refers to something related to age and numbers, like sexagenarian, for example.

But, despite the same ending, sectarian has a very different meaning.

The word is used to define someone who is intolerant, extremist, fanatic…

Example: Since the last election, my cousin has taken on a completely sectarian behavior.

Ruffian

I'm almost sure that, when you read this word, the first thing you thought was that it sounds like someone's nickname, right?

But, despite what it may seem, ruffian is a word that has a somewhat heavy meaning.

The word can be used to define someone who is quarrelsome, troublemaking, a bully and often bullies others. 

Example: After months of this bully behavior, we see no other way out than to expel your son from school.

Mendacious

Another different word on our list of beautiful words is mendacious. 

Although it can be a little difficult to get right, once you figure out what this word means, you will realize that they have similar phonetics.

The word mendacious means liar, one who lies

Example: Aren't you tired of having this deceitful behavior with the people you love?

Sleepy may not be one of the nice words

I know this may not be one of the prettiest words on our list, but thanks to its negative meaning, it had to be on our list.

Drowsy is a word that can be used to define a person who is apathetic, boring, slow, and so on.

Example: I don't know if your friend really liked me. I found her behavior a little sleepy throughout our dinner.

Horrible

This is perhaps the easiest word to associate with what it really means. The word horripilous means horrifying.

Example: I think the abandoned house on the corner is a horrible place.

Filaucious

This may not be one of the most difficult to identify, but you will certainly notice that it and its meaning have a strange relationship.

But you will only realize this after I tell you what this word means.

Philaucious is the same thing as a presumptuous person.

Example: Just because he scored higher than most in the class on that test, he's there, all lazy.

Conclusion

So, did you already know any of these words and their real meanings?

This material only served to show us how rich the Portuguese language is in words and expressions.

And, even if the words listed here are not the most used expressions in our daily lives, it is always nice to learn new words.

This is a great way to enrich and expand your vocabulary even more.

Now just wait until you're in the middle of a conversation with someone and, at the right moment, say one of these words.

This is definitely a great way to start a conversation and impress your friends.

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