10 Commonly Misunderstood Words in English
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18 Comments
who doesn’t know these?
the very last one made me extremely happy, i wish people would use this word properly. i literally want to kill people who use it wrongly (trollface.jpg)
this is stupid. not interesting and whoever put this together is a moron
Actually most of those words mean both definitions given, meaning anyone who agrees with this or gets annoyed with the red uses are bigger idiots than the people using them. Don’t worry unlike the creator of this I cite my sources.
1.Enormity http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Enormity
see definition 3
greatness of size, scope, extent, or influence; immensity
2.Redundant http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Redundant
see definition 2 and 3.
being in excess; exceeding what is usual or natural (ie;useless)
having some unusual or extra part or feature. (ie;useless)
3.Plethora Idon’t even need to link as “a lot” and “excess” and “superabundance”, and “Many” are all synonyms and can be used interchangeably as none are an exact unit of measurement…
Also units of measurement do not have universally negative or positive connotations so the parentheses and the statement contained therein are utterly false as it is subjective on a case to case basis…
4.Unique http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Unique
see definition 3 limited in occurrence to a given class, situation, or area
see also usage note
“Many authors of usage guides, editors, teachers, and others feel strongly that such “absolute” words as complete, equal, perfect, and especially unique cannot be compared because of their “meaning”: a word that denotes an absolute condition cannot be described as denoting more or less than that absolute condition. However, all such words have undergone semantic development and are used in a number of senses, some of which can be compared by words like more, very, most, absolutely, somewhat, and totally and some of which cannot.
The earliest meanings of unique when it entered English around the beginning of the 17th century were “single, sole” and “having no equal.” By the mid-19th century unique had developed a wider meaning, “not typical, unusual,” and it is in this wider sense that it is compared: The foliage on the late-blooming plants is more unique than that on the earlier varieties. The comparison of so-called absolutes in senses that are not absolute is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.”
Couldn’t have said this better myself.
5.Fulsome
see usage note
“In the 13th century when it was first used, fulsome meant simply “abundant or copious.” It later developed additional senses of “offensive, gross” and “disgusting, sickening,” probably by association with foul, and still later a sense of excessiveness: a fulsome disease; a fulsome meal, replete with too much of everything. For some centuries fulsome was used exclusively, or nearly so, with these unfavorable meanings.
Today, both fulsome and fulsomely are also used in senses closer to the original one: The sparse language of the new Prayer Book contrasts with the fulsome language of Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer. Later they discussed the topic more fulsomely. These uses are often criticized on the grounds that fulsome must always retain its connotations of “excessive” or “offensive.” The common phrase fulsome praise is thus sometimes ambiguous in modern use.”
6.Ironic http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ironic
See definition 3 coincidental; unexpected.
7.Literally http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Literally
see definition 3.actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy
See kids this is why you research before putting something on the internet to try to make yourself seem smarter but ironically makes you apear quite literally stupid….
Who commonly misunderstands these words? Five year old children?
this is pretty useless
@ I’m smarter than you all
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irony?show=0&t=1308870397
Let’s try to go with actual dictionary definitions, not websites edited by morons. Irony and coincidence are not synonymous. Also, your definition for “literally” supports the chart here. The creator was trying to make a point that some people use the word literally out of context (see pete’s ironic post, and yes that is irony in case you were unaware).
Grow a brain sir.
Had to leave a comment on this one. Was not put together by a smart person, was it?
@Sloth of Doom, the creator misunderstood them thats for sure.
Thank you “I’m smarter than you all”, as I was reading through this stupid site I was thinking of how I was going to reply. The plethora part really had me laughing. Really how can people be so stupid?
Oh yea, I forgot; media, government, poisoned food, incredibly lacking education system etc… The creator of this site is smoking crack and trying to be smart?
Am I really the only one to notice that his name is not I’m smarter than you all but I’m smarer than you all.
I think this is one of the most pretentious things I have ever seen. Two thumbs down.
This infograph is really inane… Most people would understand what you meant even if they weren’t entirely sure of how to explain the word. Try again, home slice.
wtf…..this is retarded. I rarely comment on stuff I stumble across.
Most of these words offer basically the same “What it means, what you think it means”
Misunderstood by non-English people you mean. Lots of English speaking countries use the English language quite differently (USA vs England for example). They are not wrong, this is just the evolution of language. Without world-wide media, American and English English would be hugely different dialects, and in a few hundred years even, completely different languages. Remember that Dutch, German and English were once the same language, and English has had varying influences from Latin and Greek, while Spanish, French and Italian are Latin based with influences from Germanic and Greek languages. English even has a fair number of words derived from Asian languages such as Sanskrit. Whats my point? If languages are isolated in separated communites around the World, they evolve, words evolve to have different meanings to different people, therefore BOTH sides are completely correct and this article is completely wrong!
Irony is a literary term used to describe a situation in which the stated meaning of something is opposite to the intended meaning.
For goodness sake, why bother to write if don’t care about words and their meanings? What can you possibly have to say?
i think technically he is right about the actual meaning of the words and the mistaken meanings. The meaning of words can change just as new words can be created. The new meaning is added when its common enough to be an accepted use.
My Brain literally melted reading this! I agree with most of the posts, language evolves! The only two I really hear being misused, by people, are Ironic and Literally. Maybe we should all try and make people say metaphorically. BUT if literally is being used as an intensifier now a days, then that is what it is.