It doesn’t mean that

Most people use these 10 words incorrectly

What is the correct word to describe experiencing nausea? What about saying that you have several choices to pick from? If your first choice was to say "nauseous" or "alternative", you are mistaken. Vocabulary is, in great part, learned through copying and imitating others, but this can also lead to incorrect uses of a word becoming widespread. Let us explore some words that you might be using incorrectly!

Many people use "nauseous" to describe feeling sick or experiencing nausea, but this is incorrect. Nauseous primarily means something that causes sickness or nausea, such as spoiled food or foul smells.

The correct term for feeling sick is "nauseated", although some people consider that "feeling nauseous" has become so common that it is acceptable in informal speech.

This word definitely has something to do with size, but not in the way that many would think. Nowadays, we hear "enormity" used to describe huge things, but the better word for that would be "enormousness".

The correct use of "enormity" is related to bad things, wickedness, and evil, such as the "enormity of a crime" or "the enormity of a tragedy".

If you use the word "refute" to mean "opposing an argument", you are not wrong, but you are not necessarily right either. If you are simply opposing or presenting a counter-argument, "deny" or "rebut" would be more appropriate.

To properly refute something, saying it’s incorrect is not enough. You have to prove that the argument or claim is false with logic and supporting evidence.

Have you ever described an encounter or event as "fortuitous"? Maybe a stranger helped you at the right moment, or you found a $100 bill in your pocket. These are indeed fortuitous events, but not because they are beneficial to you.

The word "fortuitous" means that something happens by pure chance or accident, but does not necessarily involve luck or good fortune.

One would think that by adding the prefix dis- (meaning "opposite" or "apart") to the word "interested", the resulting meaning would be "not interested" or "bored". However, the correct term for not being interested is "uninterested".

What does disinterested mean, then? It does convey a lack of interest, in the sense that one does not have any personal gain in the situation and is able to be fair, neutral, and unbiased.

Many people define themselves as a skeptic about certain topics or beliefs, but are they really skeptics or are they mere deniers? The term "denier" carries a negative connotation, so it’s easy to see why someone wouldn’t use it to define themselves, but "skeptic" has a different meaning.

Skeptics question a statement or claim, but they do it based on evidence. They assess the facts and are open to changing their mind if the evidence proves them wrong. On the other hand, deniers flat-out reject the claim or belief, and close themselves to any fact or evidence.

It is common to hear "nonplussed" to describe someone being calm or unfazed by things, but did you know that its proper meaning is the opposite? It actually means that you are so surprised or confused that you don’t know what to say or do.

The word comes from the Latin non plus, meaning "no more" or "no further", and it was initially used for a standstill situation where nothing else could be said or done. Eventually, it shifted to describe being in that standstill state, with no idea what to do.

Is "alternative" synonymous with "choice"? Yes, but only sometimes. Although it is common to hear about having "multiple alternatives", by definition an alternative is a choice between two things.

The word comes from the Latin alter, "the other", traditionally used for choices with two different options. If the choices are multiple, they are simply choices.

It is common to hear problems described as dilemmas, but while all dilemmas are a problem, not all problems are a dilemma. A problem is a difficult situation that needs to be solved. There might be more than one solution, and some problems might be easier than others.

A dilemma, however, is never easy or clear, because it presents two choices, none of them attractive. No matter the choice, the outcome will be negative.

In many words, the prefix in- means "not", which might make one think that words like "inflammable" mean "not flammable". However, many words use the prefix in- to mean "into" or "to cause to be", and inflammable is one of them.

The English vocabulary adopted the term "flammable", meaning something that easily catches fire, from Latin. But Latin also had the term inflammare, meaning "to set on fire", from which we got inflammable, which means that "flammable" and "inflammable" are synonyms, and their opposite is "non-flammable".

You’ve felt these 14 emotions, you just didn’t know what to call them!

Image: Claudio Schwarz

Ever felt something so oddly specific that you couldn't quite put it into words? Turns out, there are words for those hard-to-describe emotions—you just haven’t heard them yet. Some come from other languages, some are made up but still meaningful, and all of them might just make you say, "So that’s what I’ve been feeling!" Here are a few you might recognize from your own inner world.

Image: Considerate Agency

You might have a packed calendar, a buzzing phone, and a social life that looks great from the outside. But deep down, it can still feel like no one truly knows you. That’s Mal de Coucou: when you’re surrounded by people but missing a genuine connection. Has this ever happened to you?

Image: Toa Heftiba

Ever wish you could let things roll off your back instead of stressing over every little detail? That’s liberosis—and most of us have felt it. It’s the urge to stop sweating the small stuff and care a whole lot less. Not because you don’t care, but because life might feel a little lighter if you didn’t carry it all.

Image: Shaurya Sagar

You’re sitting on the porch, sipping coffee, and suddenly realize, "Hey... I’m actually really happy right now." It’s a beautiful moment—and it has a name: kairosclerosis. Sure, it might sound like a backache, but it's the moment you notice your own joy… And maybe mess it up a little by overthinking it.

Image: Kenny Eliason

You’re finally tucked in, lights out, ready to sleep... and boom. Your brain brings up something awkward from 1993. That’s a nighthawk—a sneaky late-night thought that only seems to visit during the dark hours. Wanna go back to sleep? Put some relaxing music on!

Image: Chris Riggs

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it still feels like you can’t quite get things right, as if you’re always a step off. That low-grade self-doubt, that nagging sense you’re not measuring up? That’s pâro. So fight it off—and in case nobody told you today: you’re doing great!

Image: Y S

You can know someone for decades—a sibling, a spouse, a lifelong friend… but suddenly, you realize there are parts of them you’ll never fully understand. That strange, humbling moment of awareness? There’s a word for it: gnossienne.

Image: Timon Studler

You know that little ache you feel when you wonder what people truly think of you? Not just in passing—but deep down? That feeling is called catoptric tristesse. It’s the quiet sadness of knowing you’ll never get to see yourself from the outside.

Image: Jon Tyson

Do you ever go, "Oh… the 1910s," or find yourself thinking about the summers of your grandparents' youth? That warm ache for a past you didn’t personally experience is called anemoia. It’s like flipping through old black-and-white photos and feeling homesick for a place you’ve never been.

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Picture your favorite diner—now closed and empty. Or a quiet school hallway in July. Chills, right? That eerie stillness where life used to be—that’s kenopsia. It’s a little heartbreaking… and maybe a little spooky too.

Image: George Bakos

Have you ever rehearsed a conversation with someone in your head? Maybe it’s what you should have said in an old argument, or how you hope your next talk will go. That internal back-and-forth is called jouska. Sometimes it helps; sometimes it just makes you spiral out of control.

Image: charles escat

You lock eyes with someone, even just for a second, and boom—a jolt of energy straight to your core. That zing? That’s ecstatic shock: a mix of butterflies, surprise, and the hope that they also noticed. Wonderful, isn’t it?

Image: Nik

You’re sitting still, and out of nowhere, you notice your own heartbeat. Doesn’t it feel loud? Intrusive? Maybe even unsettling. That odd awareness is rubatosis. And once you notice it, good luck un-noticing.

Image: Yosep Surahman

It’s weird, but real. Sometimes we imagine what it’d be like to survive a crash or a catastrophe of that sort. That pull toward chaos is called lachesism. It’s not self-destructive; it’s more about wanting to feel alive and tested.

Image: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

You meet someone new and click instantly, but you still don’t really know them. That impatience to fast-forward through small talk and get to the good stuff? That’s adronitis. Friendship takes time, and waiting can be the hardest part.