What's the most over-used word in the English language?

personally I cringe at the word ‘actually’ at the start of a sentence, but maybe that’s just me.

actually…. I just wanted to say that. Zach u ask alot of questions. Not that its bad I just noticed like so many questions tonight from you. I don’t no the most overused word but I have heard there is no English word that rhymes with orange…

funny

UKnow

Like!

I overuse like…. Sigh

I noticed that after I answered the question ..lol

The answer might be right here.

I listen to quite a few podcasts and I have noticed that many Americans seem to overuse the word “exactly” quite a bit. As in…..
“So your husband is a fat slob, your kids don’t want to stay in school and your life is becoming like a country song?”

“Exactly”.

Take a moment to listen to how often you here people say this. It is amazing. It is as if other words such as precisely or correct or indeed simply don’t fit anymore.

Why the sudden explosion of “exactly”???

@osakarob- yeah word trends are funny. I’ve noticed an explosion of the phrase “Thank you so very much.” No one I meet or know says just “thank you,” or “thanks” anymore. It’s always “Thank you so very much.,” typically accompanied by the most artificial smile ever.

Agreed. I over heard “like,” and “actually” about 3-bakers dozen times tonight over dinner. :D

Actually, like… what are you guys talking about exactly?

when I hear people saying “like” multiple times in the same sentence,
I always think about the movie Valley Girl when she says “LIKE…gag me with a spoon…”
I think everyone has a few catch phrases, I’m the only person I know who says “Biffed” (as in “she just biffed it down the
stairs and landed on her a$$”)

I use biff…....but instead of punch…..i.e. “I’ll biff him up if he keeps at it”

I have a friend who use to say “deeek” instead of “oh s***!”
but I haven’t heard him say it in awhile.

“but”

‘Like’. The worst part is it’s used in an unnecessary and gramatically incorrect sense…

like although the word texted is steadfastly gaining ground.

Steve Jobs “We’re really exited..,”

Uh – that “word” should never be used, unless you are trying to sound stupid!

@mcbealer Texted is my favorite word, although I haven’t texted anyone in a while!

I dislike hearing “basically” at the beginning of a sentence that then gives all the details.
i.e. :Basically, it was this tv show where seven people went on a three hour boat ride, but then the weather turned bad and they ended up being stranded on this little island, and they all tried so hard to be rescued, but this one guy, he was kind of a clutz and kept messing everything up and…

I’m not sure if I will get flagged for this or not, but the word “fuck” to me is the most overused. It is so overused, that people hardly notice it any more. It used to be highly offensive to say it in mixed company, but now it has become so commonly used no one seems to mind it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_word_’fuck’

English is not my main language but I’ve seen that it depends on where is spoken, because I’ve seen the west (california) to use a lot like and the east (boston) othery kind of words, and of course the “mate” from England

@ckinyc I like how you turned, you know, that two word phrase into one word.
I was trying to figure out how to, well, you know, say the same thing.
Thanks

If cynyc can get away with this, perhaps I can also.

atthispointintime=now
twentyfourseven=oneday
at as in “where it’s at.”

interesting, cool, whatever, totally, literally, cute, dude, awesome, -tastic, hot.

And I’m guilty of using all of them. That’s it, from now on things that I like will be referred to as “superior,” or “stunning.”

Not really a word but used a he’ll of alot. Umm!

I don’t hear it much fro
the older generation, but being part of the younger generation and also having a Facebook, I hear and see the word random a lot. Typically women use it as a caption or name for any picture that they take.

I agree that uh is used and any use is to much. It has become a filler word as we lose the ability to speak clearly. I also dislike the word don’t. I know that sometimes it is necessary but it is overused.

@TheCouncil; there are also “um”, “well” and “er” which many people use to jump-start sentences since they are uncomfortable with a little quiet time in which to think of a coherent response. By and large, most young people no longer learn public speaking or even clear private speaking. RIP, EB White..

“umm”, “err”, “uhh”, etc. are generally considered vias; blockers of effective communication and should be eliminated if possible….....but seems a lot of people are happy to use them as non-verbal fillers. I’ll admit, I do use them occasionally, usually when puzzled or caught of guard.

“ya’ll”-I live in Texas and “sorry” most people don’t really mean it.

I for one love that y’all thing!.....maybe used a lot, but it’s so cool.

@widflower & gailcalled: so very true but even the presedetial nominees use them in there speeches. I counted 14 in 10 minutues of one of John McCains speeches last week. That’s ridiculous.

He needs a course in effective communication – or just a speech coach ;)

@wildflower: Or oratory lessons from our present president?

See Bushism of the day

haha…..yes, the man who has many opinions but doesn’t necessarily agree with them..

I just bookmarked that, hilarious.

@Wild and PW: Unfortunately, it is. Wait for the book, apparently a long one, sadly..

Don’t turn this social gailcalled.

@zez; if you are scolding me, great. (And comma between social and gailcalled would make your answer clearer.) But be fair. Check out all the other gabbers:viz;

Yes, I cheated with the “uKnow” just because I absolutely could not stand that “word”. It usually appears multiple times within one sentence.

Since we are blending words here, how about the ever infamous “wassup?”

Not a word but this phrase….“You know what I’m sane?” That makes me want to vomit to this that seems to be the only phrase coming out of black America!!
Show some intelligence people!

When people end their explanations with the word “so”, I always wonder if they think I understand what they mean. It goes something like this: Like I was really bored all day so I went to the mall to do a little shopping. It really made me feel better “so”....... So? So what? What does this mean? Also, did you catch that little word “like”? Like that also really jerks my chain. But so does the use of little phrases like “jerks my chain”. There are hundreds of theses little phrases we use in everyday conversation.

My over use word is actually, well, how are you.

People sometimes tell me in conversation…‘no way?’
Or,‘whaaaat?’..As in, being astonished!
Or, ‘what- e v e r’
Oh, and don’t forget the smiley emoticons :) ;)

It’s the word ‘I’ or maybe ‘me’

Almsot everyone here used it. Everyone loves to talk about themselves!

The most over used word is “had”. Read any article, book, etc and take the word HAD out of the sentence and the sentence is usually fine without it. try it . Maybe i should say it is the most unnecessary word used. I was reading a book and on one page this author ( this was not a great book mind you, some military guy talking about war)must have unnecessarily used the word had about 15 times. He was talking about something that had happened in WW2 so everthing was past tense.

I think “OH my God or Oh my Gosh” are used way to loosely. When someone says that I usually don’t even pay attention to it anymore. Admittedly I have been guilty of using it also.

I WOULD SAY “LIKE” IS THE #1 WORD USED IN ENG.!

@daisy10; PLease lower the volume, like right now.