Monday, March 23, 2015

Enervated

Enervated: Although the word enervated looks like it might give you energy and nerve, it in fact does just the opposite. A person is enervated when he loses his nerve or when he is weakened.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Pristine


Pristine: People think "pristine" means “spotless” or “good as new” when it actually means “Ancient, primeval; in a state virtually unchanged from the original." 

Forest and land can be pristine.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Noisome


Yes, it obviously has to do with some unpleasant and loud noise, right?

Actually, Noisome isn't about noise. It means obnoxious or objectionable to the senses, especially the sense of smell. It's a synonym of noxious and malodorous, not cacophonous or dissonant. It's related to annoy.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Bemused

What you think "bemused" means: amused
What "bemused" actually means: confused

Friday, January 16, 2015

Poisonous


Poisonous
Poisonous—often confused with venomous—means a plant, animal, or substance capable of causing death or illness if taken into the body. Venomous means capable of injecting venom.
A rattlesnake is not itself poisonous, because if you eat one it won’t poison you. A blowfish will kill you if you eat it, so it is poisonous, but not venomous.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Irregardless

Irregardless: This is not a word. This has never been a word. Regardless already means something isn’t worth regard, but that is also what this word claims to mean. Technically then, irregardless should mean something is not worth of disregard. And that makes no sense.

Friday, October 31, 2014

Nauseous

Nauseous:

What you think it means: to feel sick or that one may vomit

What it actually means: to cause nausea

When you eat too much ice cream and then say, "Oh, I feel nauseous," you're not saying you feel sick, you are saying that you are causing people around you to feel sick.

The correct way to say you feel sick is to say, "I am nauseated."