# Words that don't mean what they sound like they mean **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 5, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418 "2006-04-05T15:56:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/1 "2006-04-05T15:56:53Z")
Everytime someone uses the word **paucity** , there’s some part of my brain that insists it means “an abundant supply.” Of course, it means the exact opposite. Does any one else have this problem with other words? That they just simply _sound_ like they mean something other than what they do? Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/2 "2006-04-05T15:58:08Z")
That’s funny, I used to have the identical issue with “dearth.” ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/3 "2006-04-05T15:58:50Z")
Inflammable. Not the opposite of Flammable. Flocculate. Got nothing to do with birds or body noises. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/4 "2006-04-05T15:59:31Z")
Need I mention “niggardly”? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/5 "2006-04-05T16:05:18Z")
Inconceivable ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/6 "2006-04-05T16:26:22Z")
“Flush,” both in the sense of “to turn red” and “to be currently wealthy.” It just seems like something should be drained away, rather than heightened. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/7 "2006-04-05T16:50:44Z")
_Pulchritude_ doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with beauty; quite the contrary–it’s an ugly-sounding word, to my ears. ---
**Author:** ![Meleemancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Meleemancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meleemancer)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/8 "2006-04-05T17:03:37Z")
Part of my brain insists that ‘droll’ really sounds like it means ‘boring’. I also have the same problem with ‘dearth’. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/9 "2006-04-05T17:09:57Z")
I used to think _prone_ meant “immune to,” but it doesn’t. It means the opposite. I don’t know why I had it confused. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/10 "2006-04-05T17:30:57Z")
I concur on “droll.” I only internalized it when I read an old Nowel Coward review, who’s picture should probably go opposite that adjective in the dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/11 "2006-04-05T18:20:27Z")
“Fececious” To me, it’s always sounded like “full of shit”. Which, I guess, could indeed be an interpretation of the word. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/12 "2006-04-05T18:27:21Z")
“Bemused” always gets me. My mind substitutes it with ‘amused’ and I have to conciously recall the definition to continue reading. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/13 "2006-04-05T18:28:01Z")
Commence. I guess because "Commencement " is when degrees are conferred, it sounds like it should mean end instead of beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/14 "2006-04-05T18:31:57Z")
_Masticate_ sounds like it should mean something else. And the _raise/raze_ homophone is always fun. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/15 "2006-04-05T18:37:27Z")
> [@Lightnin'](#): > > “Fececious” > > To me, it’s always sounded like “full of shit”. > > Which, I guess, could indeed be an interpretation of the word. It might, if it was spelled that way. But, it’s _facetious_. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/16 "2006-04-05T18:39:05Z")
> [@Lightnin'](#): > > “Fececious” > > To me, it’s always sounded like “full of shit”. > > Which, I guess, could indeed be an interpretation of the word. It’s spelled **facetious** , if it helps to differentiate. I agree about pulchritude. It sounds like it should describe an unpleasant odor. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/17 "2006-04-05T18:40:52Z")
D’oh. :smack: Preview is my friend. My poor, neglected friend. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/18 "2006-04-05T20:12:04Z")
\*Hoi polloi \* to me always sounds like it should mean the “elite”. Maybe because it kind of sounds like “hoity toity”. Really, it means the unwashed masses. ---
**Author:** ![Logan\_5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/fbc32d/32.png) [@Logan\_5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Logan_5)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/19 "2006-04-05T21:11:05Z")
I always thought **felching** sounded more like some kind of expulsion, excretion or vomiting. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418/20 "2006-04-05T21:16:17Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > Inconceivable HAH! 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-dont-mean-what-they-sound-like-they-mean/351418.md?page=2)