Are you getting these commonly misused words wrong?

Are you getting these commonly misused words wrong?
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Did you know that every time you misspeak, a kitten cries? Okay, that’s not true. But get these commonly misused words down and you’ll look smarter than ever.

 

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You think it means

You think it means
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Clearly true or real; clearly stated

Incorrect use: My boss gave a definitive no to my idea for a start-up centred around the Sprocket – a Spring Roll/Hot Pocket hybrid.

It really means

It really means
NICOLE FORNABAIO/RD.COM

Done or reached decisively and with authority; conclusive

Correct use: Instead, he told me to do a thorough study of the Croissant/Hot Pocket category because he thought there was great demand for a definitive history of the Crocket.

Here are 70 more words (and phrases) you’re getting all wrong. 

You think it means

You think it means
NICOLE FORNABAIO/RD.COM

Used to emphasise a strongly felt opinion

Incorrect use: I believe that Love Actually is actually the finest film about relationships ever made.

It really means

It really means
NICOLE FORNABAIO/RD.COM

As an actual fact; used to stress something unexpected or surprising

Correct use: But I may be biased by the fact that the movie was actually recommended to me by both Hugh Grant and Chiwetel Ejiofor, two of its stars.

Discover 15 real words that were actually created by mistake. 

You think it means

You think it means
NICOLE FORNABAIO/RD.COM

Having a love or a particularly strong preference for a particular person, place, thing, or activity

Incorrect use: He grew so addicted to his Fitbit fitness tracker that he found himself walking in his sleep in order to rack up more steps.

It really means

It really means
NICOLE FORNABAIO/RD.COM

Having a compulsive physiological or psychological need beyond one’s control and to one’s detriment for a habit-forming substance.

Correct use: He started playing late-night poker to curb his sleep-walking, and while his nighttime marches ended, he got addicted to Texas Hold ‘Em.

These 10 common sayings sound way funnier in different languages. 

You think it means

You think it means
NICOLE FORNABAIO/RD.COM

Unconventional; cutting-edge; bold

Incorrect use: Her blind date told her that the two of them were incompatible because her favourite TV shows were Big Little Lies and Game of Thrones and his tastes were “much more daring and disruptive” than hers.

It really means

It really means
NICOLE FORNABAIO/RD.COM

Marked by unrest, disorder or insubordination; in business terms, the process by which an innovation enters a market or sector and redefines it

Correct use: The next day, she used her influence with the transit union to launch a disruptive strike that forced him and other commuters to walk miles to work.

These are 15 of the hardest words to spell in the English language. 

You think it means

You think it means
NICOLE FORNABAIO/RD.COM

Extremely detailed or specific

Incorrect use: Much to their dismay, the weary accountants were instructed to go more granular with the budget and break down each of the 20 categories into 256 sub-categories.

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