English

Adjective

hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian ‎(comparative more hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian, superlative most hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian)

1. Of or pertaining to extremely long words^[1].
   • 1997, Steven George Krantz, A primer of mathematical writing

     To indulge in hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian tergiversation is not to show your erudition: rather, it is to be superficial.

   • 2005, Greg Vaughn, Fred Holmes, Letters from Dad‎

     And when it comes to language, short, simple words often have more impact and power than multisyllabic, hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian ones.

   • 2006, Richard Lederer, Word Wizard: Super Bloopers, Rich Reflections, and Other Acts of Word Magic

     ...a forty-five-letter hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian word for black lung disease.

Related terms

• sesquipedalian
• hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

References

1. ↑ Josefa Heifetz Byrne, Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words. Granada Publishing, 1979. ISBN 0246111518.