To paraphrase Inigo Montoya, we don’t think these words mean what you think they do
24 Words That Don’t Mean What You Think They Do
Peruse
Many people believe that peruse means to read something quickly. In fact, the opposite is true: Peruse means to “read with thoroughness or care.” Used correctly, you would say, “I spent at least an hour perusing this report so that I fully understood it.”
Electrocute
People often use electrocute to mean “shocked,” when the actual definition means “injure or kill someone by electric shock.“ It’s a blend of electro and execution. The origin of the word, which was coined in the 1880s, means that a shock is fatal: “The prisoner was put to death by electrocution.”
Irony
This commonly misused word isn’t a synonym for coincidence (sorry, Alanis Morissette). Some people think that it refers to situational randomness—such as, “Isn’t it ironic that we’re both here on the same day?” Ironic (and irony) actually refers to the opposite of what you expect to happen. “You know what’s ironic? Our pilot has a fear of heights!” Still unsure how to use the word? You’ll get a better feel for it with some funny examples of irony in real life.
Grizzly
When you hear grizzly, you probably think of the bear—ferocious and wild. However, the term grizzly is an alternate form of grizzled, which means gray or gray-haired (unless it comes before bear). The proper word to describe something that inspires horror or fear is grisly: “That horror movie had a grisly scene, which I hope I never see again.”
Ambivalent
Most people think that ambivalent means that you don’t care about something. In fact, the word means that you have contradictory or mixed feelings about a subject matter—not that you’re apathetic. Used correctly, you could say, “I’m feeling quite ambivalent about where I want to go on vacation this year. I can’t decide whether I want to go to the mountains or the beach.”
Irregardless
Irregardless is a grammar stickler’s pet peeve—there is no such word. That’s right: While it’s popular in certain dialects, irregardless simply doesn’t exist in the English language. The word that you’re looking for is regardless, as in, “Regardless of the cost, they said they’re going to have a destination wedding.” Funny enough, while irregardless isn’t technically a word, there are plenty of words people say aren’t real—but they are.
Disinterested
Ask someone who is, ahem, disinterested in grammar, and they’ll tell you that you’re using this word correctly. But grammarians often point to this as one of those words that don’t mean what you think they do. The original meaning of disinterested refers to a lack of bias or being fair and impartial: “We needed a disinterested judge to decide this case.” Although Merriam-Webster lists another definition for disinterested as “no longer interested,” the right way to indicate that you’re indifferent about something is to use the word uninterested.
Bemused
People sometimes use bemused in place of amused, but the two words are not synonyms. In fact, bemused means that you’re confused or bewildered: “My friend really likes this movie, but the complicated plot left me bemused.”
Entitled
While most people know that entitled refers to the rights that a person has (sometimes with a negative connotation, like “entitled brat”), others use it to describe the actual title of a book or movie, which is not standard English. To use the term properly, you would say, “After his great-uncle died, he learned that he was entitled to half of the estate.” Only use the term titled to refer to movies, books and the like.
Impeach
Impeach doesn’t mean “toss the bum out,” despite what you may’ve heard. The standard definition is to bring charges against a person, which may or may not lead to his or her removal. For instance: “The senator was impeached because of misconduct, but was allowed to return to office.”
Pristine
Pristine is often used to refer to a room or environment that is sparkling clean. However, the true meaning of the word is “not spoiled or altered” (such as by civilization), meaning that the area is in its original state. For example, “This undiscovered beach is in pristine condition!”
Refute
Refute is often used as a synonym for rebut or deny, such as: “I refute the insinuation that I lied.” The real definition? “To prove wrong by argument or evidence.” Used properly, you could say, “The lawyer refuted the defendant’s claims by presenting several witnesses who saw him at the scene.”
Dilemma
While most people understand that the word dilemma involves making a difficult choice, the standard definition is to make a choice between two unfavorable options. Therefore, saying something like, “I have a dilemma: Do I want to eat the donut or the pie?” is incorrect. (Both are very, very good options.) The proper use of the word has a much more negative connotation: “The prisoner was faced with a tough dilemma: accept the jail time or turn in his friends.”
Fewer and less
The words fewer and less are often used interchangeably, but they have separate meanings. The term fewer refers to an actual amount you can count. If a little girl receives four pieces of candy, but her brother receives six, she has two fewer pieces of candy. If you can’t count the items in question, then use the word less: “That glass holds less water than that pitcher.” Still confused? Then here’s exactly when to use less vs. fewer.
Oriental
The obvious definition of Oriental is “of or related to the Orient.” The word is used to describe things—a rug, for example—but never people. That use is considered offensive.
Momentarily
While many people use momentarily to mean “in a moment,” the definition of the word is “for a moment.” In other words, if you tell someone, “I’ll see you momentarily,” it means that you’ll only be seeing them for a minute or two, not that you’ll be seeing them in a minute or two. Used properly, you would say, “We momentarily lost power in our house when the storm passed through.” It’s one of those words that don’t actually mean what they seem.
Enormity
Because it resembles enormous, many people think that the word enormity refers to a very large object or situation. However, the word actually means “great evil or wickedness.” And here’s a fun fact: Until the 19th century, enormous also meant “an evil or wickedness.” If you want to be a grammar purist and use enormity properly, stick to talking about events that are immoral or monstrous, as in: “The enormity of the vicious crime was shocking to the entire community.”
That said, the definition of enormity has evolved, and most people won’t object to you using the term to refer to something massive. Even Merriam-Webster has included the definition “the quality or state of being huge; immensity.”
Conversate
Like irregardless, conversate isn’t a word; it’s listed as “nonstandard” in the dictionary, meaning that it doesn’t conform to standard language. People use it in place of converse: “The girls wanted to conversate with me about which concert they wanted to see.” However, if you want to be grammatically correct, remove the word from your lexicon and simply say converse.
Factoid
Many people believe that a factoid is a small snippet of information, such as a piece of trivia—and the word is evolving to mean that. But the original definition of factoid is a made-up fact that was believed to be true because it appeared in print. It’s a combination of the word fact and -oid (a suffix that means “resembling,” as in humanoid). More accurate use would be, “That politician was spewing factoids about his opponent, even though none of his claims have been substantiated.”
Nauseous
If you’re feeling queasy, you probably don’t care about words that don’t mean what you think they do. However, the word nauseous is one of the most commonly misused words in the English language. Nauseous actually means “causing nausea,” while its linguistic relative, nauseated, means that you’re feeling or suffering from nausea. So if you tell people that you’re feeling nauseous, you actually mean that you’re causing others to feel sick (which may or may not be true). Used properly, you would say, “That burrito I just ate is making me feel nauseated.”
Misnomer
Some people use misnomer as a synonym of the word misconception—a mistaken idea. However, the definition of misnomer is “an error in naming a person or thing.” In fact, using the word misnomer to describe a mistake is a misnomer in itself. For example: “The term koala bear is a misnomer; they’re not bears at all—they’re marsupials!” It’s just one of many words and phrases that don’t mean what you think they do.
Literally
Literally is often used as a way to emphasize something that happened: “I literally died laughing.” (Spoiler: You didn’t actually die.)
But what does literally mean in the strictest sense of the word? It refers to something that actually happened, without exaggeration: “The tornado that came through literally destroyed every house in its path.”
Terrific
Terrific is one of the words in the English language that has become completely disconnected from its origin. Today, it’s often used as a compliment or to describe a good feeling. We might say, “That outfit looks terrific” or “I slept great and feel terrific today!” Merriam-Webster dictionary now lists one of this word’s definitions as “unusually fine; magnificent; extraordinary.”
However, the original meaning of the word is completely different. Coming from the Latin word terrificus (“to frighten”), terrific meant “very bad” or “exciting fear”—it does sound like terror, after all. Centuries ago, you might’ve heard something like, “I just saw an absolutely terrific accident on my way home from work,” which would sound strange in modern language. Like literally, terrific is just one of many words that are their own opposites.
Ultimate
While the meaning of ultimate has evolved to mean “the best,” the Latin origin of the word refers to the last in a list of items. To use the word properly at this moment: “The word ultimate is the ultimate word on this list!”
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Sources:
- Merriam-Webster: “Peruse”
- Merriam-Webster: “Terrific”
- Merriam-Webster: “Disinterested”
- Merriam-Webster: “Conversate”
- Merriam-Webster: “Misnomer”
- Merriam-Webster: “Ultimate”
