Word | Common Mistake | What It Actually Means | Example (Used Correctly) |
|---|
Literally | âI literally died laughing.â
Unless youâre ghostwriting this from the afterlife, no. You didnât. | Actually, factually happened | âI literally choked on my bagel during the Zoom call.â |
Ironic | âRain on your wedding day is ironic.â
Nope. Thatâs just bad luckânot irony, unless your spouse is a meteorologist. | The opposite of what youâd expect | âThe fire station caught fireâthatâs ironic.â |
Affect / Effect | âThat will effect our budget.â
Using effect as a verb? Thatâll affect how seriously people take your digital marketing proposal. | Affect = verb Effect = noun | âThe new policy will affect morale, with minimal effect on output.â |
Fewer / Less | âThere are less people here today.â
People arenât soup. Use fewer. | Fewer = countable Less = uncountable | âFewer emails. Less stress.â |
Comprise | âThe panel is comprised of three experts.â
If the whole comprises the parts, youâre right. If itâs comprised of â not so much. | Means âincludesâ; the whole comprises the parts | âThe panel comprises three experts and a moderator.â |
Infer / Imply | âShe inferred that I missed the deadline.â
She implied it. You inferred it. And now youâre both mad. | Imply = suggest Infer = conclude | âAre you implying something? Because Iâm inferring a lot.â |
Irregardless | âIrregardless of the outcome, Iâm done.â
This word is like a mullet in a boardroom. Technically allowed. Universally frowned upon. | Nonstandard word for âregardlessâ | âRegardless of the results, the client was happy.â |
Disinterested / Uninterested | âShe was disinterested in the meeting.â
Unless sheâs a neutral third party, she was just bored. | Disinterested = impartial Uninterested = disengaged | âWe need a disinterested reviewerânot someone whoâs just uninterested.â |
Bemused | âHe looked bemused at the joke.â
Unless he was staring into the distance like a confused cat, you meant amused. | Confused, bewildered | âThe client looked bemusedâshe didnât get the reference.â |
Unique | âThis idea is very unique.â
Fun fact: you canât be very one-of-a-kind. Thatâs like being âkind of immortal.â | One of a kind, canât be modified | âThat visual identity is unique. Nothing else like it.â |
Peruse | âI perused the contract in 30 seconds.â
If you skimmed it between Slack pings, you didnât peruseâyou glanced. | To read thoroughly and carefully | âHe perused the contract like it hid a trapdoor.â |
Enormity | âThe enormity of the party was wild.â
Unless it was a morally bankrupt rager, you meant something else. | Extreme seriousness or wickedness | âThe enormity of the breach stunned the agency.â |
Nonplussed | âShe was totally nonplussedâso chill.â
If she looked chill, she wasnât nonplussed. She was just over it. | Stunned, bemused | âThe feature launch left users nonplussed and full of questions.â |
Excepted / Excluded | âEveryone here overuses buzzwordsâpresent company excluded.â
Unless youâre kicking us out, you meant excepted. | Excepted = excluded from a statement | âMost marketers overuse jargonâpresent company excepted.â |
Adverse / Averse | âIâm adverse to feedback.â
Being adverse to feedback sounds like it caused a hurricane. Youâre just averse. | Adverse = harmful Averse = opposed | âIâm averse to micromanagement and adverse weather conditions.â |
Compliment / Complement | âThe new logo is a great compliment to the brand.â
Itâs not sending praiseâitâs working alongside it. | Compliment = praise Complement = enhancement | âThe new logo complements the website perfectly.â |
Historic / Historical | âIt was a historical win for the team.â
Unless the team time-traveled, it was historic. | Historic = significant Historical = related to history | âThe brand hit a historic milestone this year.â |
Continuous / Continual | âIâm dealing with continuous interruptions.â
Unless someone has been talking for three days straight, you mean continual. | Continuous = unbroken Continual = happens repeatedly | âSlack messages are continual. My headache is continuous.â |
Decimate | âWe were decimatedâtotally wiped out.â
Actually, only 10% was lost. But sure, go off. Another term that has changed meaning over the years, but the original definition was only 1 in 10. | Originally meant âreduce by one-tenthâ | âWe decimated the budgetâtrimmed it by exactly 10%.â |
Fortuitous | âThat lucky break was fortuitous.â
It mightâve been fortunate, but fortuitous just means random. | Happening by chance (not always lucky) | âA fortuitous typo led us to a great rebrand idea.â |
Nauseous / Nauseated | âI feel nauseous after reading that pitch deck.â
If youâre causing nausea, congrats â youâre nauseous. Otherwise, youâre nauseated. | Nauseous = causes nausea Nauseated = feels sick | âThat ROI math made me nauseated.â |
Travesty | âThat finale was a travesty. I cried.â
Travesty isnât just a tragedy. Itâs a mockery. Big difference. | A distorted or absurd imitation | âCalling that funnel a strategy is a travesty.â |
Penultimate | âThe penultimate episode was an amazing way to end the season!â
Only if the season ends early. Otherwise: second to last. | Second to last | âWe lost the deal on the penultimate slideâthey didnât even make it to the end.â |
Complacent | âI was feeling complacent, so I relaxed.â
Complacency isnât self-care. Itâs overconfidence with a blind spot. | Self-satisfied while unaware of risk | âThe agency got complacent, and the client walked.â |
Ascetic / Aesthetic | âHeâs got a strong ascetic. His apartment is minimalist.â
Thatâs aesthetic. Ascetic means no Netflix, no cheese, no joy. | A disciplined, pleasure-denying lifestyle | âNo phone, no caffeine, no carbs â the man lives ascetically.â |