Word Abuse

After reading the article, “I Am Not Amazed: The Shocking, Stunning, Mind-Blowing Rise of ‘Amazing’” on the usage of the word “amazing,” I could easily think of several other words that are now ambiguous in their meanings from over usage. First of all, the title hints at the actual meaning of the word “amazing”- an adjective that describes something as surprising. Honestly, I have never given a second thought to the definition of amazing. From the time I learned English to now, I’ve always heard and used it as a word to describe something positive or something that brings joy- without the connotation of surprise. Of course, the root word “amaze” is usually used correctly because it only has one commonly used meaning and it’s a verb. Adjectives are more likely to be misused because they’re sometimes used to describe nouns in a creative way. Creativity in the use of adjectives can often pass the boundaries of coherency.

I understand that we do have to be careful about the words that we choose in more refined writing, but I’m unlikely to change how I misuse “amazing”. Perhaps I’ll try to avoid the word, but it’s difficult to use the word correctly at all times when an abundance of people still misuse the word. I’m also confused about the use of the word true. If we are to avoid “true” or “truly”, why is using “genuine” or genuinely” acceptable if they are synonymous? Does “true power” ≠ “genuine power”?