There are advanced words you can add to your vocabulary to make yourself sound smarter— just make sure that you're using them correctly.
While definitions have been known to shift based on the way a word is commonly used, some popular uses are just plain wrong.
Here are 20 words that are often misused, and what they actually mean according to Dictionary.com.
Irony
What people think it means: funny or unfortunate
What it actually means: the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning
Travesty
What people think it means: a tragedy
What it actually means: a grotesque or debased likeness or imitation, a mockery
Bemused
What people think it means: amused
What it actually means: bewildered or confused
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