Annoying words, and Words You Hate

[Brooks]

Several threads in here about words you love, pretty words, and so on. But how about annoying, ugly, and awkward words?

Me, I hate "irrespective." Ugly word. "Regardless" is pretty much always a better choice, being stronger, prettier, and more clear. Of course, that leads some cretins to "irregardless" which is even worse than "irrespective," and merits a swift kick.

[wisnij]

Apparently some people have trouble with "moist". I think it's a funny word.

I never really liked "epitome", mainly because I have to remind myself how it's pronounced each time I see it.

[AKADriver]

"Basically" and its synonyms... because I feel that I use them too much. I can correct for it when I write it, but when I speak expositorily, it seems like every other word out of my mouth is "basically" or "essentially." There are better ways to indicate that what I'm about to say is central to my argument, but they never seem to come to mind when I'm speaking.

"Online" or "on-line" is a word I personally never use, unless I'm describing an inanimate object that has been powered on. For some reason, maybe it's Internet-old-timer elitism, It sounds awkward to hear people describe themselves as being "online." It sounds just plain wrong when people use it as an adverb: "I found it online." I think current dictionaries accept both definitions, but they still bother me. "Offline" seems to be gaining use as an adverb, too, in this case meaning "when you have free time, outside of this context."

[Number3Pencils]

"Droll" has to be the worst possible word for a synonym of "funny".

[lowbart]

Really? Is that what it's supposed to mean? I always thought (never having looked it up or anything) that it meant dull or boring or nyurrrr.

Maybe that just makes your point even more.

[IronyandParadox]

Really? Is that what it's supposed to mean? I always thought (never having looked it up or anything) that it meant dull or boring or nyurrrr.

Maybe that just makes your point even more.

It sounds like it should mean dull.

I've never been a fan of the word "thus." Using it makes you sound like a pompous ass.

[Ari]

Haha, this thread is full of win, although it reminds me of how annoying my formal language is

[stockpot]

I don't think "dusk" is pretty enough for the idea it represents, but I wouldn't call it ugly by any means.
Ugly words: hospital, pork, ogle

[kerohazel]

I'd just like to add that I think "cellar door" is the ugliest phrase in the English language.

[Kewangji]

I don't like the words that are pronounced 'too'. I avoid them subconsciously.

[Lumpy]

Bling
Emo
Poot
Tween (what, that passes Firefox's spellcheck, but "undead" doesn't?)
"Snappy and responsive" (I've hated this and all variations ever since seeing it overused in a satire about upgrading from Vista to Windows)

Have you got any?

[Jessica]

synergize

[Ian Ex Machina]

Chum.

It makes me feel like I'm chewing on dog food.

[El Senor Fruit Swing]

I'm TL;DR this (hope I did that right) and saying the phrase I hate the most is
"K are you Sure" I hate it. the first time I get asked and the millionith

[microwaved]

Sheeple

Whenever used, it just permeates a certain smugness, and 9 times out of ten can be replaced with the words, "people who don't think, walk, talk, and act just like me"

[hendusoone]

I know a lot of people who hate "moist." I don't see what bugs them so much about it!

[segmentation fault]

enterprise
guesstimate
metrosexual

to name a few.

then again i have a reason for hating them. oh well

[Solt]

hella

[mandalynn]

"Chillax" makes me want to stab people.
I also can't stand the word "sexy," and I have no idea why.

[Daigerus]

Shmexy.

Is that even a real word? It's like the seventh cousin of "sexy", 5 times removed.

[wisnij]

"Sammich" as a cutesy alternative to "sandwich". Arrgh, just typing it makes me angry.

[AKADriver]

"Sammich" as a cutesy alternative to "sandwich". Arrgh, just typing it makes me angry.

That has since been replaced by the even cutesier "sammy," which is so much worse.

[Cosmologicon]

I have a problem with portmanteaux where the words involved are synonyms or close to it. Someone already said "guesstimate", so I'll add the only other one I can think of: "automagically".

[Hephesus]

Not so much hate for the word itself as much as its misuse: Literally.

People use literally when they, if fact, mean the opposite.

[synaesthetist]

i'm also female and not a fan of the word moist. i'd never really known another person who hated that word as much as i did until a friend from college mentioned that it made her want to gag. i'd love to learn more about why women hate that word so much.

i think it's interesting that i can't stand "manifest" by itself. but i'd always liked the term "manifest destiny." it changes the whole tone of the word for me.

[Ari]

metrosexual

That word should die in a fire, and the ashes should be used to choke whoever invented it.

i'm also female and not a fan of the word moist. i'd never really known another person who hated that word as much as i did until a friend from college mentioned that it made her want to gag. i'd love to learn more about why women hate that word so much.

Mmm, I've definitely heard of men who don't like the word, too. I've also heard of people who love it, but that's probably because they feel it's about the dirtiest word in the English language.

[Hephesus]

guesstimate

Guesstimate bothers me to no end and on many levels... I wish I could stab people who say. Unfortunately that would be 80% of the work force.

[Ari]

guesstimate

Guesstimate bothers me to no end and on many levels... I wish I could stab people who say. Unfortunately that would be 80% of the work force.

Except estimation has a very distinct connotation from guessing, even though their essential meaning is the same. Estimation usually refers to an informed guess, perhaps from a subject expert. Guessing is usually an uninformed estimation from a layperson. Thus, guesstimating is a useful between-word to imply a quick estimation, or more studied guess, possibly from a generalist in an area, or from an expert who hasn't yet had time to properly research relevant factors or calculate as much as is necessary.

Guesstimate is to estimate and guess as "common knowledge" is to science and idiocy

[mandalynn]

i think it's interesting that i can't stand "manifest" by itself. but i'd always liked the term "manifest destiny." it changes the whole tone of the word for me.

*gasp* Me too!!!!

[Owehn]

i think it's interesting that i can't stand "manifest" by itself. but i'd always liked the term "manifest destiny." it changes the whole tone of the word for me.

*gasp* Me too!!!!

I'm sort of the opposite: I like the word "manifold", but I don't care for differential geometry.

[Jobo]

I don't like chocolate. I like the candy well enough, but the word itself sounds like something you would say if your mouth were full of chocolate and you tried to talk anyway. And that's gross, I hate when people talk with their mouths full.

[stockpot]

Guesstimate is to estimate and guess as "common knowledge" is to science and idiocy

The word guesstimate is like BBC science reporting?

I'm no fan of it's usage, but I think "metrosexual" sounds quite nice phonetically.

[thecommabandit]

Kiss.

I hate it and all its derivatives. It's an awful word, I hate saying it, I hate writing it, I hate how it's spelt, I hate the way the mouth moves when you say it, I REALLY hate this word. I don't hate the action it describes but the word is absolutely awful. It's an evil word and we should burn it with fire from all dictionaries and replace with a better word like kella. You can give someone a kella. They can kella you. He kella'd her. It's better than that word. ANYTHING is better than that word.


On a different note, I quite like the word moist. It makes me think of cake =)

[Julie]

"Droll" has to be the worst possible word for a synonym of "funny".

Droll comes from drôle, which is French for funny.

I hate the word ignorant, just because people don't seem to be able to use it properly in a sentence. Mostly, I hear ghetto girls using it and it drives me insane. I am not ignorant of your (slutty) lifestyle, I don't approve of it!

I also hate the following words/phrases...
-bling
-Heighth (it's just... awkward! Say height.)
-Adults over 21
-Weapons of mass destruction
-Almost all "Basically Decent" terms
-The phrase "mental math"

[Brooks]

Sheeple

Whenever used, it just permeates a certain smugness, and 9 times out of ten can be replaced with the words, "people who don't think, walk, talk, and act just like me"

Argh, yeah, that one drives me insane. It manages to be condescending, sophomoric, arrogant, ad hominem, cute-in-the-worst-way, and aesthetically unpleasing. Ouch.

You know what else I hate? Fatuous. First, because it should mean "fat", and second because of that awkward uou. It looks like an anagram more than a word. And even though it is a word, people either misuse it (to mean fat) or pull that annoying "look at me and my masterful command of language" face every time they use it. It's like they don't realize that by using the word they are describing themselves.

[Number3Pencils]

Has anyone else encountered and loathed the word "beast" as an adjective to mean "cool"?

[stockpot]

I've never heard it, but maybe it's a shortening of "beastly?" The noun "beast" in its slang form means "someone very strong or pain-tolerant in a very awesome way" but it's adjectivized form isn't quite as specific, and could easily be reinterpreted to mean just "awesome."

I don't like how the word slang sounds (when pronounced with a west coast american accent).

[Nimz]

Sheeple

Whenever used, it just permeates a certain smugness, and 9 times out of ten can be replaced with the words, "people who don't think, walk, talk, and act just like me"

Argh, yeah, that one drives me insane. It manages to be condescending, sophomoric, arrogant, ad hominem, cute-in-the-worst-way, and aesthetically unpleasing. Ouch.

The other one time out of ten it can probably be replaced with the words, "people who don't think, walk, talk, or act, just like me." The main difference, of course, is the extra comma.

I don't really care for anything 'lolcat-ese' (for lack of a better word) with the rare exception of some lolcat satire. Even the word lolcat doesn't feel right. Errm, I mean, get off my lawn, you young whippersnappers! [/obligatory]

[Kabann]

Corporate buzzwords make me twitch, and not in the good way. When did people start throwing the word 'metrics' around like it was on sale?

Don't get me started on 'blogsphere.' As if 'blog' wasn't bad enough.

[Ari]

How are either metrics or blogosphere corporate buzzwords?