For want of a better word: o que significa e quando usar essa expressão

While flipping through channels, I ended up stumbling upon one of those countless reality shows on TV right now. What grabbed my attention was a dialogue between two people in the house about a certain component. It was more like a gossip to be more specific. They were complaining about how expansive, effusive and extravagant that person's personality was. They claimed she kept speaking too loud, drinking way too much at parties, jumping into conversations and, like they said, pushing it way too far (

As an attempt to make himself clearer about how bothered he felt by her personality, the guy became a little aggressive. He went like... "I can't believe how much of a... ergg.. for want of a better word... a jerk she is". But what kind of expression is that you can use while hesitating?

That is something you may hear people say a lot when they cannot think of a more exact/appropriate way of describing or explaining what they mean. The guy in the reality show could have gone for many other words, such as obnoxious, annoying or even irritating, but for want of a better word, he chose a more aggressive one.

But now maybe you're wondering if jerk wasn't what he purposefully went for. And that is where you find the answer: You can also use that expression when you mean to be sarcastic or funny. You claim not to be able to find a better term or phrase to describe something or someone, but what you really want is to use the more aggressive or funny one.

That is all for now guys. Talk to you next time!!!!