Words that often get misused

[Datesad]

I’ll start.

Enormity.

I’ve seen this used incorrectly in books, articles etc! It doesn’t mean huge!

@Cabinfever10

I think you mean incite.

😊

“Could you be more pacific?” rather than specific.

Literally.

I literally die inside every time this is used incorrectly.

Ironic. People use it to mean something which is merely unfortunate. What’s ironic is that Alanis Morisette’s song Ironic didn’t contain a single thing that was actually ironic.

Yes I do its my dyslexia and the blood auto correct

Steve Wright’s factoids annoys me. It doesn’t mean quirky little fact, it means a incorrect information reported as fact! Argh

'Massively'. It's nearly always an overstatement.

And since when did 'definitely' become 'defiantly?'

Jealous. Rarely ever see it used correctly.

Tragedy

Usually used fo convey something really sad - actually means that someone has brought about their own downfall due to a flaw in their own character.

Exacerbate/exasperate

Not the same, people.

Crescendo - it doesn't mean "climax", it means "growing"

I came on the say ironic but PP beat me to it. Thanks Alanis, (oh the irony)!

Affect and effect.

"Irregardless" is not a word. At all.

A "Dilemma" is the choice between two equally bad options, not between two quite good outcomes e.g. 'shall I eat the chocolate or the ice cream"

Alternate spellings that means something totally different, and are often misused on MN and IRL

Except / Accept

Compliment / Complement

Borrowed/loaned as someone else said, is very common.

I confess I still have to check about Fewer vs Less. Stephen Fry can explain all he likes I still get confused.

I brought some milk from the shop...No you BOUGHT some milk 😩

Also when people ask "can I lend a pen?"
I always say "who to?! Or do you mean borrow "🙄

I brought some milk from the shop...No you BOUGHT some milk

I bought some milk and brought it home?

I itched it. No, you scratched an inch. I need to loose a stone. No, you need to lose a stone.

Irregardless.

Then instead of than.

I'm sure there's plenty more but I'm already feeling angered

Thought of another:

'Can you borrow me a pen?'

No. I can lend you a pen or you can borrow a pen, but I cannot borrow you a pen.

The modern use of ignorant (to mean rude, disrespectful rather than lacking in knowledge) annoys me but it's so prolific there is almost no point challenging it.

Pulchritude is a funny word. It calls to mind something foul and putrid. I was astonished to hear it means beautiful. Likewise bucolic which sounds like a churning stomach full of bile!

I have seen "wreckless" a lot recently though its a misspelling rather than misuse. Also "stepped foot" (set foot) and "free reign" (rein).

Though I did learn on mumsnet that it's "bated breath" not "baited". Makes perfect sense when you find out it's from "to abate".

There seems to be a trend amongst young lawyers at my firm to refer to their opponent's "spurious" claim. They seem to think it means the same as alleged or averred. It actually means false/fictional/invalid and is a very discourteous thing to say to another professional!

"Akimbo" means standing with hands on hips and elbows out. Why do so many people think its means in a state of disarray? E.g. "It was a windy day and I arrived at work with my hair akimbo."

Emancipated/emaciated.

Confusing for and about. For example, 'I'm terrified for the vaccine'. (Why, what's going to happen to it?)

Whatever happened to saying 'about'?

Yes. "My granny died and I'm mortified." Why? Did she die in flagrante with the mayor in front of the whole village?'

In certain parts of Northern Ireland (and maybe the south? Don't know) the word "annoyed" is sometimes used to mean upset and sad, e.g. "Her wee dog was put down on Saturday and she was very annoyed, poor lady".

^not saying that is a misuse, I just think has been in common usage in some areas for a long time.

@Gerwurtztraminer Less and fewer - if you can count them, it's fewer, if you can't, it's less. There was less rain and fewer raindrops.