Words Shakespeare Invented: 50+ Words We Owe to the Bard

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is widely credited with inventing or introducing over 1,700 words into the English language. While scholars debate the exact number—some of these words may have existed in spoken English before Shakespeare wrote them down—his contribution to English vocabulary is unrivaled by any other single writer. Words like "assassination," "bedroom," "lonely," and "generous" first appear in the historical record in Shakespeare's plays and poems. Understanding the etymology of Shakespearean words reveals a master wordsmith who shaped the way we speak four centuries later.

Shakespeare's Influence on the English Language

Shakespeare wrote during the Early Modern English period, a time when the English language was rapidly expanding. The Renaissance brought a flood of new ideas from classical learning, global exploration, and scientific discovery, and English needed new words to express them. Shakespeare, with his extraordinary facility for language, was uniquely positioned to meet this demand.

His total vocabulary is estimated at between 20,000 and 30,000 words—far larger than that of most writers of his era. He drew on Latin, Greek, French, and existing English word roots and affixes to create new terms that were immediately vivid and expressive. His plays were performed for audiences ranging from groundlings to royalty, meaning his new coinages needed to be understandable in context—and they were.

How Shakespeare Invented New Words

Shakespeare used several techniques to create new vocabulary:

Adding Prefixes and Suffixes

He frequently attached prefixes like "un-," "out-," and "over-" or suffixes like "-ment," "-less," "-ness," and "-ful" to existing words. This gave him "uncomfortable" (un- + comfortable), "undress" (un- + dress), "outscold," and "marketable" (market + -able).

Converting Parts of Speech

Shakespeare freely turned nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, and adjectives into nouns. He used "elbow" as a verb (to elbow someone), turned "gossip" from a noun into a verb, and made "champion" function as a verb meaning to defend.

Compounding Existing Words

He joined two familiar words to create new compounds: "bedroom" (bed + room), "eyeball" (eye + ball), "birthplace" (birth + place), and "bloodstained" (blood + stained).

Borrowing and Adapting from Other Languages

Shakespeare adapted Latin and French roots into English forms, creating words like "assassination" (from Latin/Arabic origins via French), "obscene" (from Latin obscenus), and "pedantic" (from Italian pedante).

Nouns Shakespeare Gave Us

The following nouns are first recorded in Shakespeare's works:

• Assassination (Macbeth) — From the concept of a political murder, Shakespeare created the abstract noun form.
• Bedroom (A Midsummer Night's Dream) — A compound that seems obvious today but didn't exist before Shakespeare.
• Birthplace — Another compound coinage that has become utterly commonplace.
• Eyeball (The Tempest) — Before Shakespeare, the terms were "eye" or "ball of the eye."
• Cold-blooded (King John) — Originally a literal description, it became a metaphor for ruthlessness.
• Moonbeam (A Midsummer Night's Dream) — A poetic compound perfectly suited to its fairy-tale context.
• Watchdog (The Tempest) — A practical compound for a guard dog.
• Swagger (A Midsummer Night's Dream) — The noun form suggesting boastful behavior.
• Luggage (Henry IV, Part 1) — From the verb "lug," meaning to drag.
• Gossip (as a verb, The Comedy of Errors) — Transformed from a noun meaning "godparent" to a verb meaning idle chatter.

Adjectives Coined by Shakespeare

• Lonely (Coriolanus) — Before Shakespeare, "alone" served this purpose. He added the "-ly" suffix to create a word that conveys a deeper emotional state.
• Generous (Love's Labour's Lost) — Adapted from the Latin generosus, originally meaning "of noble birth" but shifted by Shakespeare toward its modern meaning of giving freely.
• Gloomy (Titus Andronicus) — From "gloom," Shakespeare created the adjective that perfectly captures dark, oppressive atmosphere.
• Majestic (The Tempest) — From "majesty," adapted to function as a vivid descriptor.
• Obscene (Richard II) — Borrowed from Latin, the first recorded use in English appears in Shakespeare.
• Radiance — The quality of radiating light or warmth.
• Rant — Originally meant to speak wildly or extravagantly.
• Lackluster (As You Like It) — Literally "lacking luster," used to describe dull eyes.
• Unreal (Macbeth) — The prefix "un-" combined with "real" to express ghostly insubstantiality.
• Fashionable (Troilus and Cressida) — Fashion + -able, now one of the most common words in our vocabulary.

Verbs Shakespeare Created

• Elbow (as a verb, King Lear) — To push with one's elbow through a crowd.
• Arch (as a verb) — To form a curve or arch.
• Blanket (as a verb, King Lear) — To cover, as with a blanket.
• Drug (as a verb, Macbeth) — To administer drugs, particularly to sedate.
• Puke (As You Like It) — The "mewling and puking" infant in Jaques' famous speech gave us this word.
• Negotiate (Much Ado About Nothing) — Adapted from Latin, first used by Shakespeare in its diplomatic sense.
• Bet (Henry IV, Part 2) — To wager, possibly shortened from an earlier form.
• Daydream — To indulge in waking fantasies.

Phrases and Expressions from Shakespeare

Beyond individual words, Shakespeare coined hundreds of phrases that have become everyday idioms:

• "Break the ice" (The Taming of the Shrew) — To ease tension in a social situation.
• "Wild goose chase" (Romeo and Juliet) — A hopeless, futile pursuit.
• "Heart of gold" (Henry V) — Someone who is genuinely kind.
• "Wear your heart on your sleeve" (Othello) — To display emotions openly.
• "In a pickle" (The Tempest) — To be in a difficult situation.
• "Green-eyed monster" (Othello) — Jealousy personified.
• "Love is blind" (The Merchant of Venice) — The idea that love overlooks faults.
• "All that glitters is not gold" (The Merchant of Venice) — Appearances can be deceptive.
• "Good riddance" (Troilus and Cressida) — Relief at someone's departure.
• "Too much of a good thing" (As You Like It) — Excess can be harmful.
• "Kill with kindness" (The Taming of the Shrew) — To overwhelm with excessive kindness.
• "Faint-hearted" (Henry VI) — Lacking courage.
• "Brave new world" (The Tempest) — An expression of wonder at new discoveries.

Shakespearean Insults and Their Legacy

Shakespeare was a master of the creative insult, and many of his put-downs introduced new vocabulary:

• "Eyesore" (The Taming of the Shrew) — Something unpleasant to look at.
• "Hot-blooded" — Passionate or quick-tempered.
• "Leapfrog" (Henry V) — Used as both a noun and a verb.
• "Scuffle" — A disorderly fight.

His characters hurl insults with a creativity that remains entertaining: "Thou clay-brained guts, thou knotty-pated fool, thou whoreson obscene greasy tallow-catch!" (Henry IV, Part 1). The layering of inventive adjectives was Shakespeare's signature style.

Contested Attributions: Words Shakespeare May Not Have Invented

It is important to note that "first recorded in Shakespeare" does not always mean "invented by Shakespeare." His plays are among the most studied texts in English, so scholars have naturally found many first citations in his work. Some of these words may have been in common spoken use before Shakespeare wrote them down—spoken language is, by nature, poorly documented.

Words like "lonely," "generous," and "fashionable" may have been circulating orally before Shakespeare committed them to paper. What is undeniable, however, is that Shakespeare's use of these words helped establish them permanently in the written language. His plays were widely performed, widely read, and widely quoted, giving his vocabulary unparalleled reach.

Words by Play

Certain plays were particularly rich sources of new vocabulary:

Hamlet

This play alone contributed words including "courtship," "eyesore," "unhand," and "frugal," as well as famous phrases like "to thine own self be true" and "brevity is the soul of wit."

Macbeth

"Assassination," "drugged," "unreal," and "lonely" are among Macbeth's contributions. The play's dark themes inspired vocabulary of violence, guilt, and supernatural dread.

The Tempest

Shakespeare's last play gave us "eyeball," "moonbeam," "watchdog," and the phrase "brave new world." Its magical island setting inspired vocabulary of wonder and strangeness.

Othello

"Heartsick," "green-eyed," and the phrase "wear your heart on your sleeve" all come from this tragedy of jealousy and manipulation.

The Lasting Impact on Modern English

Shakespeare's influence on English vocabulary cannot be overstated. His words permeate everyday conversation, journalism, literature, and even legal and political discourse. When a politician speaks of an "assassination," a teenager feels "lonely," or someone describes an apartment as an "eyesore," they are using Shakespeare's language—usually without knowing it.

His impact also extends beyond English. Translations of Shakespeare have carried his coinages into dozens of other languages. Phrases like "to be or not to be" and "all that glitters is not gold" are recognized worldwide.

For anyone interested in building a stronger English vocabulary, reading Shakespeare is one of the most rewarding investments. His language, while sometimes challenging, is endlessly creative, emotionally resonant, and deeply embedded in the DNA of modern English.

Conclusion

William Shakespeare was more than a playwright and poet—he was one of the most prolific and inventive wordsmiths in the history of any language. His ability to coin new words that immediately felt natural and necessary is a testament to his deep understanding of English and its possibilities. From "assassination" to "lonely," from "break the ice" to "wild goose chase," the Bard's linguistic legacy surrounds us every day. To speak English is, in many ways, to speak Shakespeare.