I just received an email from my truly "awesome" 77 year-old Dad who, over the years in his teaching graduate business students, has witnessed a dramatic increase and overuse of the word "awesome." They have, in his observation, used the word so frequently in speech and writing, that it has lost its original meaning.
How tired are you of the word "awesome?"
Although I infrequently use the word, I'm embarrassed to tell you that I probably am guilty of its overuse and its misapplication…and I'm almost 52 years old. I seem to recall the overuse of the word having its roots in my vocabulary around the year 1978…just prior to the debut of Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I was graduating high school and remember a friend using this word to describe nearly every experience he encountered. He was an avid skier, but had he lived in Southern California, he would have been a surfer– if you get my drift?
In a search on the internet, I found a long list of efforts dedicated to banning the word. Because the number of people who are becoming offended by the overuse is growing, it might be helpful to strongly encourage your agents and those who represent your company to actively monitor their own vocabulary, for proper usage.
My dad (who has been a well respected professor and favorite among students) is about to retire from teaching. Here is a one page handout that my dad is distributing to his last class of graduate students:
Optional Words for “Awesome”
(You must learn to speak & write correctly.)
One of the most overused and incorrectly used words today is “awesome.”
The dictionary definition of “awesome” is: “Overwhelmingly grand, breathtaking, astounding.” Therefore, “awesome” is a suitable word to describe the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls. You might also say that these scenes are awe-inspiring.
Expand your vocabulary. Rather than use the word “awesome” incorrectly, try using some of the “optional words” or other similar words listed below as more suitable to describe your feeling or observation about an object, person, or occurrence.
OPTIONAL WORD
MEANING & Other Similar Words
Incredible: –Hard to believe, astonishing, amazing Fantastic: –Expressing pleasure at something incredible Extraordinary: –Unusually excellent or strange Magnificent: –Unusually beautiful, superb, exceptional Unprecedented: -Unparalleled, a record, a first time, unique Phenomenal: -Perceived by your senses as remarkable, unusual, or rare Unique: -Only one of a kind, special, exclusive, distinctive Wonderful: –Exceedingly pleasing, outstanding Miraculous: -Regarded as caused by supernatural intervention, astonishing, unbelievable, and marvelous Fabulous: –Typical of fables, tremendously wonderful, marvelous, or great
OK Dad. You've convinced me. I will, from this day forward, stop over-using the word "awesome." But, instead of using any of the words from this list…..I think I'll reintroduce the word "swell."
Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.
