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I want to be able to describe the love for, or obsession with, words. It may also be a condition from other's perspective.

It maybe because he is a lunatic who wants to aggrandize his vocabulary, a crazy person who can't forget the words he hears wafting around, or someone who wants to set a world record or something. Try fitting it in these:

He is a _______ who can blurt a thousand synonyms for good.

He is so ______ that he can be called a dictionary with a heartbeat.

He is showing what a _____ he is.

If thesaurus was a ghost, he would be dwelling in that _____'s body.

Any word or phrase would do.

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  • Already checked. Unsatisfied.
    – vickyace
    Commented Jul 14, 2014 at 23:03
  • It's a shame that "dictophile" is only a slang term; it seems to encompass the definition and connotations you're looking for.
    – Liesmith
    Commented Jul 14, 2014 at 23:32
  • If I needed a special word for a normal human being, I would suggest Logovore.
    – John Lawler
    Commented Jul 15, 2014 at 0:36
  • @JohnLawler: I always thought chainsaws were logovores.
    – Robusto
    Commented Jul 15, 2014 at 1:07
  • Perhaps ELUer?
    – bib
    Commented Jul 15, 2014 at 12:10

4 Answers 4

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You can go with verbomaniac. Also, logomaniac is similar.

verbomania: Obsession with words.

logomania: Great enthusiasm for words.

Source: http://en.wiktionary.org

Note: Both words have the sense of excessive talking also.

If you want a more common phrase, you can use word buff.

Note: There is also a similar question asked before:
What's a big-vocabulary word for someone with a big vocabulary?

I'm giving different answers from there which are more related to obsession. For example; logophile, which is given as an answer in that question, comes to mind but logomaniac is closer to obsession.

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  • I've always used logorrhea for excessive talking.
    – Will Crawford
    Commented Feb 3, 2018 at 11:35
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I think lexicomaniac may suggest an exaggerated love for words:

(noun) : one who loves words and reading [Its] book stock, which increases by about 8,000 volumes a year "a far cry from the 800 books that established Carlyle's home for the library's 800 original lexicomaniacs. —The Independent (London), October 26, 2005

Source: http://nws.merriam-webster.com

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logophile may be the best of the suggestions to date.

word-lover and word buff also seem to convey a fondness for words and their nuances.

word fan or word fanatic might suggest an excessive enthusiasm for words.

logomaniac suggests an insane and perhaps violent level of enthusiasm.

A name used by a member of Saundspel is linguaphile. This seems appropriate handle for a linguist or language lover.

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  • This site strives to provide objective answers. Take the site tour or have a look at the help center to find out more about good answers. As it stands your answer is purely subjective.
    – Helmar
    Commented Oct 5, 2016 at 8:30
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Lexophile describes person obsessed with words

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  • Welcome to English Language & Usage! Please consider improving your answer by citing a dictionary or other references.
    – Glorfindel
    Commented Feb 3, 2018 at 12:30

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