What is the most misused word in the English language? (sentence, tense)

[Frog127]

"Ironic"

[Frog127]

"Nucular"............

[Happy in Wyoming]

Originally Posted by linicx

What do you think is the most misused word?

In my humble opinion the word is 'have' because it is past tense and too often paired incorrectly with a second past tense word. Some examples, I have been (I was}, I have seen (I saw), I have done (I did), I have written (I wrote).

/have/ is never Past Tense. Used by itself it is Present: I have an apple. Used with a Past Participle it expresses the Perfect Tense, I have given money to the beggar, I have attended that church for five years. The Perfect Tense describes an action that occurred in the past that extends into the present. Our language would be sore oppressed without it.

[Fred314X]

I would like to cast a vote for "healthy."

As George Carlin once pointed out, no food is healthy; it's dead. Food can be healthful, but certainly not healthy.

[crbcrbrgv]

I'd have to say the f word. How in the world did an old word for intercourse become an exclamation after somebody stubs their toe?

[virgode]

"stupid" Hate that word!!

[emilybh]

Originally Posted by Kootr

Many people use "then" instead of "that".

or "then" instead of "than"

[emilybh]

Originally Posted by JustPassinThru

Now that was humerus.

You mean humorous.

[emilybh]

Originally Posted by Frog127

"Nucular"............

Yes. A lot of supposedly educated people get this one wrong. I don't see how they can be pronouncing that word Nuke-You-Ler when it is spelled Nuclear or Nu-Cle-ar.

[Cotncndy30]

Originally Posted by kansas sky

The most misused word is literally 'literally.'

Hmmm I cannot think how to use it incorrectly. How have you seen or heard it misused? It means really, actually, truly, etc.

Irregardless is definitely misused...well I thought it was until someone said it was literally a word.