Common Misused Words and Phrases
âą Adverse means detrimental and does not mean averse or disinclined.
Correct: âThere were adverse effects.â / âIâm not averse to doing that.â
âą Begs the question means assumes what it should be proving and does not mean raises the question.
Correct: âWhen I asked the dealer why I should pay more for the German car, he said I would be getting âGerman quality,â but that just begs the question.â
âą Bemused means bewildered and does not mean amused.
Correct: âThe unnecessarily complex plot left me bemused.â / âThe silly comedy amused me.â
âą Disinterested means unbiased and does not mean uninterested.
Correct: âThe dispute should be resolved by a disinterested judge.â / âWhy are you so uninterested in my story?â
âą Enormity means extreme evil and does not mean enormousness. [Note: It is acceptable to use it to mean a deplorable enormousness.]
Correct: The enormity of the terrorist bombing brought bystanders to tears. / The enormousness of the homework assignment required several hours of work.
âą Fortuitous means coincidental or unplanned and does not mean fortunate.
Correct: Running into my old friend was fortuitous. / It was fortunate that I had a good amount of savings after losing my job.
âą Homogeneous is pronounced as homo-genius and âhomogenousâ is not a word but a corruption of homogenized.
Correct: The population was not homogeneous; it was a melting pot.
âą Ironic means uncannily incongruent and does not mean inconvenient or unfortunate.
Correct: âIt was ironic that I forgot my textbook on human memory.â / It was unfortunate that I forgot my textbook the night before the quiz.
âą Luxuriant means abundant or florid and does not mean luxurious.
Correct: The poet has a luxuriant imagination. / The carâs fine leather seats were luxurious.
âą New Age means spiritualistic, holistic and does not mean modern, futuristic.
Correct: He is a fan of New Age mindfulness techniques. / That TV screen is made from a high-end modern glass.
âą Noisome means smelly and does not mean noisy.
Correct: I covered my nose when I walked past the noisome dump. / I covered my ears when I heard the noisy motorcycle speed by.
âą Parameter means a variable and does not mean a boundary condition, a limit.
Correct: The forecast is based on parameters like inflation and interest rates. / We need to work within budgetary limits.
âą Simplistic means naively or overly simple and does not mean simple or pleasingly simple.
Correct: His simplistic answer suggested he wasnât familiar with the material. / She liked the chairâs simple look.
âą Tortuous means twisting and does not mean torturous.
Correct: The road through the forest was tortuous. / Watching their terrible acting for two hours was a torturous experience.
See the full list of 58 Commonly Misused Words and Phrases brought to you by Harvard Linguist Steven Pinker
WellâŠ. Fuck.
