Articles Tagged word stories

2022’s Word of the Year

The end of the year is a good time to celebrate the words that represent the past 12 months. Here’s our breakdown of 2022’s words of the year.

When someone sneezes, an overwhelming majority of people wish them a blessing from their god. Why is that?

A “bludgeon” is defined as “a heavy, short club that is thicker at one end or is weighted at one end.” It’s a good alternative for “club.”

Though it can be conflated with “procrastinate,” the verb “prevaricate” means “to speak or act evasively; to avoid telling the truth; to lie.”

A cacophony is “a collection of loud, harsh sounds heard all at once.” It’s disharmony. Discord. Dissonance. Noise.

“Adverse” usually pairs with “effects,” “reactions,” or “impact.” But do you know what Chaucer first paired it with?

Testimony and testament are similar words that, for many writers, can be easy to confuse. There is a clear difference between them, however.

“Fulsome” has a long, complicated history. Do its three competing definitions mean you shouldn’t use it? Read this word story to find out.