15 Words That Have Lost Their Meaning

November 8, 2024

It’s becoming well-known how certain words evolve in their meaning over time. While many keep their original weight of meaning, others get watered down.

Thousands of people argue about terminologies that have changed with time. They believe a lot of them have lost their meaning. Here are 15 of those words.

Triggered
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The mental health definition of “triggered” is a sudden and involuntary reaction to a traumatic event. But, across many Reddit forums, people use this word to respond to something simple like a meme.

Breaking News

Male,news,presenter,speaking,about,breakthrough,in,technology — Photo by Gorodenkoff on Shutterstock

According to one Redditor, using breaking news “is a literal trick used to keep you stuck on a channel ingesting their propaganda.”

Literally

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Of all the words that have completely lost their meaning, this one is among the most frustrating. “Literally” has lost its literal sense, and one Redditor complains that it “means figuratively now, so it is more confusing.”

Narcissist

Vain,queen,wearing,a,crown,pointing,to,herself.,attention,seeker — Photo by Nicoleta Ionescu on Shutterstock

Redditors have pointed out that “everybody’s got their own personal definition of narcissist” these days. This thinking probably stems from an incorrect interpretation of narcissistic personality disorder. The classic definition of a narcissist applies to someone vain and conceited but not necessarily mean or self-centered.

Communist

Close,up,of,a,organization,representative,speaking,at,press,conference — Photo by Gorodenkoff on Shutterstock

Communists are now called “socialists,” and the far right of the political spectrum often vilifies them. This type of change in meaning is usually amplified by divisive ideology and political sparring. As one Redditor cleverly pointed out, “The far left is equally guilty of this.”

Respect

Single,civic,woman,throwing,a,paper,into,a,trash,bin — Photo by Antonio Guillem on Shutterstock

The process of becoming respectable used to involve considerable personal effort. However, on social networks, the meaning of “respect” has been watered down considerably. As stated by a Redditor, “not throwing trash on the ground” seems to be enough these days.

OCD

Obsessive,compulsive,woman,aligning,up,pencils,accurately,on,a,glass — Photo by Antonio Guillem on Shutterstock

Similar to what has happened to “narcissist,” many people misinterpret obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD does not imply excessive enthusiasm or dedication; it is a mental health condition. When OCD is mentioned casually or in jest, Redditors remind us that “mental disorders are not a joking matter.”

Legend

Proud,boss,encouraging,and,thanking,happy,employee,for,good,job, — Photo by fizkes on Shutterstock

A traditional story about a heroic figure is now used to describe anyone famous or successful. One Redditor complained that “legend and genius” are unfortunate examples of words that have completely lost their meaning.

Gaslight

Mixed,couples,conflicts.,young,interracial,lovers,arguing,at,home — Photo by Prostock-studio on Shutterstock

Originally denoting a form of psychological abuse, “to gaslight” has been transformed into “attempting to manipulate through artifice.” The way one Redditor sees it, “when someone lies or just disagrees with you” is to gaslight these days.

Customer Support

Artificial,intelligence,ai,chat,bot,concept.close Up,of,female,hands,holding,mobile — Photo by panuwat phimpha on Shutterstock

Customer support used to be a process of providing direct customer service. But Redditors think that “our chatbot is here to serve you” does not qualify as customer support.

Depressed

Unpleasant,pain.,sad,unhappy,handsome,man,sitting,on,the,sofa — Photo by YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV on Shutterstock

An astute Redditor feels that “most things with mental health like depression, anxiety, bipolar, ADHD” are taking on new meanings. “Depressed” originally referred to a state of severe emotional sadness. Its modern usage to describe anything unpleasant or disappointing can feel unnerving.

Racist

Discussion,of,three,angry,friends,arguing,in,a,coffee,shop — Photo by Antonio Guillem on Shutterstock

The semantic bleaching of “racist” has stripped its meaning of the flawed perception of racial superiority. “Having even a minor difference of opinion” is how a Redditor explained the modern definition of this word.

Unprecedented Times

Bad,news.,upset,asian,female,holding,smartphone,,looking,at,mobile — Photo by Prostock-studio on Shutterstock

Can any time be truly characterized as being without precedent? Figuratively speaking, maybe; however, this expression now means a challenging period. One Redditor summed this up as “I want to live in boring times” instead of putting up with unprecedented meanings.

Woke

Working,toward,my,goal.,shot,of,a,young,man,using — Photo by PeopleImages.com – Yuri A on Shutterstock

Many people have transformed this rather dynamic verb into an adjective, a noun, and an entire philosophy of social justice advocacy. The problem with “woke,” as explained on Reddit, is that it is now applied to “things I don’t like.”

Emergency Room

If you’ve been to an ER recently, you know that you may have to wait for hours even if you’re having an emergency. To beat the line, one user suggests arriving in an ambulance.

Source: Reddit

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