10 Commonly Misused Words
You keep using that word, but does it mean what you think? Sometimes it’s simply the sound or spelling of a word that throws us, while other times it’s hearing a word repeatedly used in the wrong context. Whatever the reason, it’s easy to get words misfiled in our brains! We’ll help you right your wrongs with some of the most commonly misused words.
Enervate
The word enervate means to deplete or to weaken, yet it’s often used incorrectly to mean energize. Maybe that’s due to the misleading presence of “ener” at the beginning of the word. If you’re looking for an adjective to describe how revved up you feel, try animated or electrified instead.
Luxuriant
Using luxuriant when one means luxurious is understandable. If you’re talking about an impressive head of hair, or a bed of beautiful carrot tops sprouting in your garden, luxuriant works, as it pertains to abundant or lush growth. If you’re talking about a royal palace or feather beds with 1200-thread-count sheets, you want to use luxurious, since that word pertains to comfort and wealth, rather than fertile countryside or glossy locks.
Nonplussed
Do you think nonplussed means “unaffected by,” or perhaps “indifferent to?” It actually means “being perplexed, confounded, or at a loss.” Over the years, it’s been used more frequently to mean “unfazed” or “nonchalant,” which used to be its antonyms. This is how language evolves, creating new patterns over time through repeated use. What’s “right” today may change tomorrow!
Proscribe
Sometimes proscribe is used as a replacement for prescribe, as in, “proscribing a fix for the unemployment problem.” But proscribe means “banish, forbid, or condemn” and was originally used in the 1500s to condemn or punish someone legally by publishing their name and misdeed. Unlike the previous word, nonplussed, this one shows no signs of evolution; just misuse.
Circumvent
If you’re circumventing something, it means you’re avoiding something, sidestepping or getting around it, whether it’s a sensitive topic or a traffic blockade. People often confuse circumvent with circumnavigate, but circumnavigate means physical movement — usually flying or sailing — around something, in a complete circle.
Enormity
Of course we’re going to occasionally confuse enormity with enormous! But remember that enormity most accurately refers to the awfulness of an issue or problem. Its original early English meaning was “extreme wickedness.” It should not be used to describe the size of a thing or geographic area (“the enormity of Texas” — nope!), but it does seem to be creeping into the lexicon to mean the enormous impact of an action or deed (perhaps even a kind one).
Mute
If you hear someone refer to a “mute point,” try not to chuckle, but gently tell them the word they are looking for is moot, meaning something that is subject to debate or uncertainty. Mute, meaning “unable to speak” — or “to muffle the sound of something” — has a nice sharp, concrete feel to it, and might come to mind first over the softer sounding moot when one is talking about debatable issues.
Factoid
Is a small, incidental fact a factoid? (“The new mayor sported a small tattoo on her ankle.”) Or is a factoid “something fictitious or unsubstantiated that is presented as fact?” (“Historians agree that Thomas Jefferson paid an unnamed person to write the Declaration of Independence.”) Well, we define factoid as both, so there you go.
Fulsome
Fulsome has carried a range of meanings over time, including “plentiful and abundant,” “excessive and repulsively gross,” “curvy and fleshy,” “overdone and insincere,” “lavish,” and “wholehearted.” Because the word can carry either positive or negative connotations, the intention behind certain phrases can be misunderstood. That’s why offering “fulsome praise” or commenting on the “fulsome expression” of a performer onstage may not be the wisest move unless one is very clear about the intended meaning.
Bemused
If you’re feeling a bit of confusion or befuddlement over some of our words here, you could say you are bemused. On the other hand, if you’re mildly entertained, or amused, well, we’re glad you enjoyed it. (And if you are indeed bemused, just remember that you have the dictionary at your fingertips to not get these two words mixed up!)
