Did you know you can influence how people see you by simply upgrading your speech and language? Yup, a few tweaks here and there and you’ll have people believing you spend your days poring over literature and eating caviar for breakfast, and they’ll give you more respect as a result. If you want to come across as smart, refined, and sophisticated, here are some phrases to start working into your vocabulary.
1. “I’ve relished our time together.”
Rather than ending a meeting or hang-out with the usual “goodbye,” or “I’ve got to be going,” you can leave a better impression by saying something warm and sincere about the time you’ve spent together. This makes the other person feel good and also demonstrates that you found the time you spent conversing to be stimulating and meaningful.
2. “You were right, I was wrong.”
It takes an intelligent, well-adjusted person to see when they’re wrong. It takes an even more intelligent person to admit it instead of trying to cover up or deny their errors. This phrase shows that you respect the person you’re addressing and value your relationship more than your pride. It also helps put conflicts to bed peacefully.
3. “That’s fascinating.”
According to the Huffington Post, conversations are about give and take. It’s not enough for you to just listen when someone speaks, you have to equally engage them by acknowledging what they say. This phrase shows you are paying attention to the speaker and find the conversation interesting and worth turning over in your mind.
4. “I’m afraid I’ve run out of steam.”
Want to say that you’re tired, your social battery is depleted, or that you’ve had enough of an activity in a way that doesn’t sound boring and unsophisticated? Take this phrase for a spin. It’ll instantly elevate people’s impression of you.
5. “It’d be my pleasure.”
People appreciate zeal and passion. I know I certainly feel better when I ask someone for a favor and they say it’d be their pleasure to be of assistance instead of the usual “yeah,” and “okay.” It suggests good manners and refinement. It puts me at ease and makes me even more enthusiastic about the matter at hand and having them on board.
6. “Pleased to meet you.”
There’s technically nothing wrong with simply saying “hi” or “how do you do” when meeting someone for the first time. But if you want to take things up a notch, you can class up the greeting by saying “Pleased to meet you.” Try this out the next time you exchange pleasantries with or get introduced to a new friend, client, or professional acquaintance, and see what kind of reaction you get.
7. “I have no objections to that.”
Skip the expected “yes,” “sure,” and “I agree” in favor of this more refined phrase the next time you need to express approval of something. It classes up the conversation right away and makes you seem like an intelligent person who has a distinct way of speaking.
8. “What can I do to make this better?”
You’ve just gotten feedback about something you did. Or maybe you found that your actions had negative consequences. There are two ways you can go about this: get super defensive and flip the tables on the other person or take the classy route and ask how you can improve or fix things. The latter positions you as a smart, solutions-oriented person, while the former makes you seem whiny and stubborn.
9. “Can I get your perspective on something?”
This is a classy way of asking someone to lend you their ears or offer advice. It doesn’t presume that they have nothing better to do or that you’re entitled to their time and attention. Instead, it invites them to listen and makes them feel appreciated while giving them a choice to accept or decline to share their insights.
10. “Allow me to propose a suggestion.”
People don’t usually like being corrected or told what to do, or how to think, but they’re more receptive to advice when they feel like they asked for it. Or when it’s couched as a possible choice they can leave or take. This phrase is a fancy way of giving someone advice without seeming too forward or making it sound like you know better than them.
11. “In light of new information…”
An intelligent person won’t stick to their guns to save face or avoid potential embarrassment when they know they’re wrong. When presented with new insights that contradict their previous stance, they embrace it, change their perspective accordingly, and communicate this development without putting themselves down.
12. “I can’t speak with any certainty.”
This is an intelligent and classy way of saying “I don’t know,” “can’t say,” or “I have no idea,” especially when you don’t want to directly admit to not knowing. You’re still being honest while encouraging the other person to verify your statements before using the information.
13. “You have my deepest regrets.”
Sometimes, the words “Sorry” or “My apologies” can sound trite. According to Harvard Health Publishing, there’s an art to apologizing. So if you want to spice things up a little and step up your game, consider using this phrase instead. It sounds weightier and compelling and shows genuine feelings of remorse.
14. “That’s a compelling thought.”
Instead of saying “You got me there, “Good thinking” or “That’s a good way of looking at it,” you can express your approval using the above phrase. It sounds classier than the usual praise-themed remarks and it makes you look smart and competent enough to grasp the full breadth of the conversation.
15. “Can we explore that more?”
Maybe you don’t really get where someone is coming from and you need more details to inform your opinion or questions. Or maybe you’re following along just fine, but you want to encourage them to share more or dig deeper into their perspective. Either way, this is a classy way of probing for more information and demonstrating that you’re invested in the conversation.
16. “On a different note…”
It can be rude to just change topics or steer the conversation in a different direction abruptly. Knowing how to switch gears and introduce new ideas without causing an upset can improve your conversational skills and save you from having to put up with tired or uninteresting subjects of dialogue. This phrase is a classy and intelligent way of accomplishing that.
17. “May I submit a counter-argument?”
The beauty of this phrase is that it doesn’t dismiss any points that have already been made. Instead, it proposes another way of looking at things. The willingness to consider multiple perspectives, politely discuss your viewpoint, and have productive debates about issues before reaching a conclusion denotes intelligence and class.
18. I want to call to mind your…”
This is a sophisticated way of shining a light on a certain matter or subject of interest, especially when the other person seems reluctant to address it. By using this phrase, you’re indicating that the point you’re raising is relevant and vital, and it deserves to be discussed at length, or at the very least, be given serious consideration.
