counterword

[ koun-ter-wurd ]
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noun
  1. a word, often of short-lived popularity, widely used as an almost meaningless, automatic response.

  2. 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.

Origin of counterword

1
First recorded in 1670–80; counter1 + word

Words Nearby counterword

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use counterword in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for counterword

counterword

/ (ˈkaʊntəˌwɜːd) /


noun
  1. 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