Let's get one thing clear right up front: Just randomly using big words so other people think you're smart isn't going to work. As a 2012 Princeton study found, it can have the opposite effect. But don't let that discourage from actually broadening your vocabulary. Learning a new word here and there—and knowing how to use it effectively—doesn't just make you appear more intelligent: It will actually make you more intelligent, for real. Recent studies have found a correlation between increasing your vocabulary as an adult and strengthening your brain.