I get a small twitch under my left eye. It happens every time I hear the word “amazing.” *twitch*
It’s really a shame because it is a perfectly good word…just overused. Words go in and out of style and right now “amazing” *twitch* is in the top five popularity-wise.
Humans are creatures of habit and the more we hear a word the more we use it. The more we use it…well…it’s a vicious cycle. I’m guilty of using it too – makes my twitch work double time.
So why should we care? What does it matter if a word is overused? Well…for starters…it diminishes the power of the word. If everything is “amazing,” *twitch* then when something truly is “amazing” *twitch* we have to use a different word to describe it. The view from the rim of the Grand Canyon is amazing *twitch*, a sale at the mall…not so much.
Take a look at these:
- “The concert was amazing!” *twitch*
- “My friend Bob always throws amazing parties!” *twitch*
- “We had the most amazing weather while we were on vacation!” *twitch*
- “The chocolate lava cake at the restaurant was amazing!” *twitch*
See what I mean?
Pardon me while I take a short break to get an ice pack for my eye…Okay, I’m back.
Let’s look at those examples again – this time with a few improvements!
- “The concert was incredible!”
- “My friend Bob always throws the best parties!”
- “We had the most beautiful weather while we were on vacation!”
And if you’re feeling really daring, try this one on for size.
- “The chocolate lava cake at the restaurant was simply orgasmic!”
It’s time to break out the thesaurus and give “amazing” *twitch* the rest it so richly deserves. Do you have a pet peeve word?
