Cacozelia (pronounced kah-koh-ZEE-lee-uh) is a rhetorical or literary device that refers to the use of affected, pretentious, or ostentatious language—when a writer or speaker deliberately uses fancy, foreign, or overly ornate words to sound more intelligent, sophisticated, or learned than they actually are.
It often results in language that feels forced or pompous, and can be used either seriously (to show pretension) or humorously (to mock it).
✅ Definition:
Cacozelia is the deliberate use of pretentious diction or foreign expressions to give an impression of refinement, erudition, or superiority.
💡 Examples:
- Serious/Pretentious use:
“I must perambulate to my domicile posthaste to commence the ingestion of my evening sustenance.”
→ (Instead of simply saying, “I have to go home soon to eat dinner.”) - Humorous/Mocking use:
“His discourse is positively redolent of intellectual profundity—at least, that’s what he’d like us to believe.”
→ (Mocking someone who uses overly fancy words to impress others.)
And there you have it! Now go ahead and use Cacozelia in your CXC prep/CSEC prep.
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