# Do You Ever Use Words When Your Unsure Of What They Mean?



## NotSoRighteousRob (Jan 1, 2010)

Now i don't know about everyone else, maybe I'm the only one who does this but have you ever read something you were about to post or email or whatever and think to yourself, "where did I come up with that word and what does it mean?" Or maybe it happens while you are typing, where you know it's the right word and the meaning fits but you just can't remember for the life of you what it is. Well I'll admit this happens to me at times. I'm starting to wonder if my vocabulary is just so random that i can't remember one word from one moment to the next.


So how about it. Any others ever wonder how they knew what a word was without really knowing what a word was?


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## Solace (Jan 12, 2010)

I for one excelsior quite participle. Irregardless, I'm still awesome so it doesn't really affect my verisimilitude. I'm perfectly induction that people know what I mean.

On the serious side of things, this is a great poll/question. I _rarely_ (if ever) use words that I know I don't know the meaning of, but only because I make it a habit to try to look up a word I don't know before I go around brandishing it at innocent bystanders. That said, if I were asked to define perfectly all the words that I do have in my vocabulary that are a part of my standard diction it is unlikely that I could come up with a suitable definition for all of them.


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## Lucretius (Sep 10, 2009)

I do occasionally, but only if I've heard it used enough times to make an educated guess.


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## Fanille (Sep 3, 2009)

I won't ever say words when I'm not sure what they mean (I hate it when people use big words to make themselves sound smart), but I will sometimes copy down a word from a quote even if I'm not sure what it means, if that makes any sense.


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## fiasco (Dec 25, 2009)

I have. Sometimes they just pop up and I speak without thinking too hard about it. I used one with a certain meaning in mind, only to later find out that its true meaning was _quite_ far from what I thought. It was pretty funny.

I like to look up every word for which I'm not 100% sure of the exact meaning now. I guess it's better than relying so heavily on context and what "feels right".


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## Neonite (Oct 24, 2009)

Occasionally. I usually just use words based on the connotation that I think they have. >o>
If I'm not sure, and I'm typing, I'll stop for a second and check an online dictionary or something to make sure I'm right.


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## Solace (Jan 12, 2010)

fiasco said:


> I have. Sometimes they just pop up and I speak without thinking too hard about it. I used one with a certain meaning in mind, only to later find out that its true meaning was _quite_ far from what I thought. It was pretty funny.


I have a similar problem sometimes, but in the case of using a word from a different language when I just can't think of what I mean in English fast enough. Sometimes something will come out in Japanese or Italian instead and people give me funny looks. However, English is my native language ... =(

And I'm with Azrael on the context clues. Usually if there's enough to imply a definition then I give myself license to use it in similar structural contexts. But I also enjoy looking words up and finding out what kind of crazy synonyms they have.


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## seraphiel (Dec 26, 2009)

This rarely happens to me, but some times I do make a mistake.

But I check dictionaries pretty much on a daily basis just to make sure. If somebody uses a word I don't know, I look it up (doesn't happen often). If I feel suspicious of a word I've chosen, I'll double check to verify it but usually I don't need to change it.


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## Ben (Aug 23, 2009)

Sometimes. I see a word in a sentence, I get the general context, and I use it in a sentence later on. Only after that happens several times do I look it up in a dictionary to know the exact definition. I'm usually close, though.


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## Trifoilum (Dec 13, 2009)

Sometimes. I usually ended up being insecure and checking up dictionary.com or something. Hey, being pedantic is better than saying the wrong word at the wrong time.


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## NotSoRighteousRob (Jan 1, 2010)

I look up words all the time too. Has anyone noticed that they used words and weren't aware of the fact that they used them? I guess I'm hoping I'm not alone on this. It's not that I don't think about things before I say/type them, it's just once I've had the thought I generally move on to the next one.


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## Just_Some_Guy (Oct 8, 2009)

Personally, I'm terrified of running my mouth about things I don't understand, let alone use words of which I am unsure. I just won't do it. 

Dictionary.com and I have gotten to be very good friends over the years. My neurosis sometimes runs into even coming across words that I read. I feel like a fraud if I gloss over a strange word without understanding what it means. 

I suppose others have come to realize at times that you don't really _know _the definition of a word you have been using since childhood. I can't recall any examples off the top of my head...


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## statickitten (Jan 10, 2010)

I kind of understand what you mean...but I chose rarely.
I usually know what I'm talking about. xD


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## Linesky (Dec 10, 2008)

It happens. A word pops up in my head as I'm reasoning, talking or writing and then I wonder where I got it from (or if it's even a real word ). I often have a vague understanding of less known words so in that case I either go with it or look up its meaning to be sure.


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## BlissfulDreams (Dec 25, 2009)

You're not the only one. When I'm writing something and am trying to think of the right word to use, sometimes random words come to mind. I don't know where they come from and I'm not always sure what they mean. I always check dictionary or thesaurus.com, lol. I can't do that when I'm having an actual conversation, obviously. I tend to dumb myself down to avoid looking stupid, in case I misuse a word.


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## Lilsnowy (Sep 9, 2009)

I rarely misspeak a word, but it could happen. Occasionally as I say a word, I'll realize I'm not sure if it's what I think it means, and I'll say, "Is that the right word?" And usually it is the right word. I keep a dictionary next to the desk and use it often. When I was young my dad taught me to always ask what a word means if I'm not sure, so I don't get completely lost in a conversation. It might seem juvenile, but I do ask. If I don't it's because the meaning is obvious from context or it will interupt someone who's talking.


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## Lilsnowy (Sep 9, 2009)

post repeated


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## HannibalLecter (Apr 18, 2010)

A few times.


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## murderegina (Jan 7, 2010)

No because if I was unsure of a definition I'd look it up in the dictionary before I added it to my vocabulary.


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## aerosmithgirl (May 25, 2010)

Obviously you do. You're using the wrong "your" variant.


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