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anon946 | 1 year ago

Bemused (https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/can-bemuse-mean-amus...) is another word that is often understood "incorrectly".

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n4r9|1 year ago

A list of ones I've seen in this thread or know of already:

  * Nonplussed (miffed)

  * Ambivalent (conflicted)

  * Factoid (incorrect statement)

  * Bemused (confused)

  * Peruse (read thoroughly)

  * Travesty (distortion)

  * Transpire (to be revealed)

  * Literally (in actual fact)
There's also "beg the question" which is often used to mean "naturally give rise to the question" but I believe originally meant "assumes the answer which it is trying to prove".

technothrasher|1 year ago

The modern colloquial usage of "begs the question" bugs the heck out of me. I try not to get too pedantic about language usage, but that one just sticks in my craw. I think because it's actually quite useful to understand when one is begging the question, and it feels a disservice to water down the phrase.

bigstrat2003|1 year ago

Don't forget "could care less", which is profoundly stupid as the literal meaning of the words tells one that they are using the phrase wrong.

parpfish|1 year ago

I learned that “peruse” meant the exact opposite of what I thought when I got my GRE vocab study guide

unzadunza|1 year ago

Travesty is another one, thanks to sports announcers.