worst word for 2018, august edition

Some words make me want to chew my own face off. The reasons may vary wildly, but usually the dislike is triggered by a noticeable uptick in usage.

August 2018’s Worst Word is:

IMPACTFUL

I don’t remember hearing it before maybe 5-10 years or so ago. I remember when I first heard it, I actually scoffed and looked it up, expecting to find a blazing red non-standard tagging it…but no. It’s an accepted word. And as of 2018, it’s everywhere. I hear it in every context: work, writing, internet, tv, gaaah. Perhaps the worst aspect of it is that in almost every space it occurs, there’s a better word that would fit the true intent of the speaker, but isn’t. And so with its blandification from blood-draining overuse, it essentially means “noticed” all the time now.