DEFINITIONS

counterword

[ koun-ter-wurd ]
/ ˈkaʊn tərˌwɜrd /

noun

a word, often of short-lived popularity, widely used as an almost meaningless, automatic response.
a word that has come to be used with a meaning much less specific than that which it had originally, as swell, awful, or terrific.

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Words related to counterword

blend, compound, portmanteau, adage, banality, bromide, buzzword, commonplace, motto, platitude, proverb, saying, shibboleth, slogan, stereotype, truism, triviality, chestnut, corn, potboiler

Words nearby counterword

countervail, countervailing duty, counterview, counterweigh, counterweight, counterword, counterwork, countess, counting chamber, counting house, counting number

Origin of counterword

First recorded in 1670–80; counter1 + word
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for counter word

counterword
/ (ˈkaʊntəˌwɜːd) /

noun

a word widely used in a sense much looser than its original meaning, such as tremendous or awful
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012