Do you genuinely love that cookie? Do you genuinely have a lot to do? Are you genuinely hungover? Are you genuinely hungry? Do you genuinely need to go to the grocery store? Are you genuinely confused? I genuinely am too. Genuinely? Genuinely.
Merriam Webster says genuinely means, “in a real or genuine way: truly. // a genuinely funny movie // some genuinely disturbing news // She was genuinely surprised by their decision.// The audience was genuinely moved by the performance. // We are genuinely grateful to still have our jobs.” The dictionary also shares that some synonyms to the word include but are not limited to: actually, authentically, certifiably, really, truly, veritably, and very.
If you haven’t already noticed, the average American's vocabulary is limited. If you want to genuinely see this genuine phenomenon on full display, go hang out with some teenage or college-aged girls. Genuinely is just one example of words that people overuse and misuse. A word that is supposed to be used in scenarios that are significant is now used like it’s the only adverb in the English language.
Could you genuinely love that cookie? Yes. But, when you use the word genuinely in every other sentence, the word loses its meaning. We are all guilty of this in some respect because we have become complacent in our vernaculars. We either use the same words all the time or we use certain words never actually knowing what they mean.
Am I saying you need to fill your vocabulary with pretentious words? No. I am saying that you should consider how you present yourself to the world, and part of your presentation is the way you speak. Having an expansive vocabulary isn’t ostentatious in of itself. But rather, it is a life skill. It enables you to be an effective communicator. Whether you are a stay at home mom influencing your children, a receptionist talking to different people all day, or a pharmaceutical salesperson persuading medical professionals, broadening your vocabulary can be advantageous for you and whomever you are around.
So, here is your encouragement to: go read a book; listen to an intelligent person speak; and open a dictionary when you don’t know what a word means. I genuinely hope you do.
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