If you spread a nasty rumor about your boss, are you engaging in slander? Can a politician sue a newspaper for libel if an article calls her a liar? What do these two words mean, and are they interchangeable? Since both are types of defamation or “the act of making negative statements that hurt another person’s reputation,” and also illegal, you’ll want to make sure …
Sometimes we can’t remember the plural form of a word—is it hippopotamuses or hippopotami? (Hint: it can be either). But there are also those times when we’re so used to hearing the plural form of a word that we just can’t think of the singular. Even if we can remember the correct word, it tends to sound so odd and unfamiliar that we second guess …
by John Kelly, Senior Research Editor at Dictionary.com Whether it’s flu season, chickenpox at your kid’s school, concerns about measles in your town, or the coronavirus pandemic, the words contagious and infectious often come around in news and social media, in casual conversations and government communications. While these two terms get used interchangeably, knowing the difference between them can, in some cases, be life-saving. To …
Is there a difference between acronyms and abbreviations? Most people think they’re pretty similar … and they’re definitely used in similar ways. But, there are slight differences What is an abbreviation? An abbreviation is any shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase. Did you catch the word any in there? That means abbreviation is the blanket term for all these shortened words we’ve all been using …
There are all sorts of retorts people resort to when criticized or called out for a mistake or wrongdoing of some kind. (Heaven forbid anyone just say, “I’m sorry. I was wrong,” anymore.) One of the most maddening kinds is increasingly being referred to as whataboutism. You know it when you hear it. “Hey, weren’t you supposed to do the dishes last night?” you ask your …
This July 4th weekend, how about taking some time to consider the names of those items you are about to eat? Brace yourself for the short and disputed history of that American grilling favorite: the hot dog. Why do we call hot dogs, well, hot dogs? There are a few schools of thought on the origin of this favorite food. Some think that people commonly …
If you hang out around surfers long enough, chances are you’ll overhear them talking about a gnarly wave or a sick run. But what if they’re chatting about their housekeeping woes, and a gnarly living room or nasty kitchen? (Not cool, dude!) Does that make the words gnarly, sick, and nasty synonyms? This gets tricky because in addition to having various definitions, each word can be used …
Most people know the word bear as a fuzzy noun: a massive mammal that makes for a beloved and cuddly toy. But what about the pain that some people know (all too well) when bearing down if they have a hemorrhoid? Or is it baring down that causes the unbearable burning? What if I take my shoes off when I enter someone’s home—am I walking …
When we think of Lewis Carroll, we think of whimsical worlds … and words. The man who penned Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking-Glass, “Jabberwocky,“ and countless other timeless poems and works of literature has taken our imaginations to the furthest limits for decades. His stories—published during the mid- to late-1800s—are full of life, adventure, humor, and some of the most fantastical words. You see, …
In the modern world we occupy, tech company names like Google, Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, and others have become a major part of our daily life and conversations. Some of them, like Google, become synonymous with the act itself. If you need to search something, you “just Google it,” which is much like what happened with Xerox when copiers came into vogue. But have you ever stopped …
Oh, Florida. Filled with gorgeous beaches from coast to coast, prolific fresh produce, and sunshine all year, Florida is known as a great place to vacation, live, and retire. It’s also known for being a wee bit of unconventional. No offense to the 27th state in our great nation, but it does seem to be the setting for more than its fair share of, let’s …
Many stories have one thing in common: a brave main character who ends up saving the day. But does slaying the dragon or defusing the bomb make this person a hero or a protagonist? And can the two words be used interchangeably? The correct answer to both is yes, with the caveat that the words are not always synonymous. Both nouns have multiple definitions and …
