Savvy Sunday – What do you mean by ‘enormity’?

We all know that ‘enormous’ is used to describe something that is huge. Since ‘enormous’ is an adjective (a descriptive word), what is the noun of ‘enormous’?

Did you guess ‘enormity’?

If you did, you are way off! Former U.S. President, George HW Bush, made the same mistake when he described his feeling after being elected.

‘Enormity’ is the noun that means extreme evil.

To some, it must have been very foreboding when George HW Bush said “he couldn’t believe the enormity of what had happened” after winning the election. To others who knew the correct meaning of the word, that would have been one of the greatest embarrassments ever.

So while 2 words might have very similar spellings, do not assume they have related meanings! The English language is full of its own peculiarities. So always use Ginger Software to avoid embarrassing mistakes and improve your English! =)

The Ginger Team

Posted in English Language, English learning, English writing

3 Comments

3 Responses to Savvy Sunday – What do you mean by ‘enormity’?

1. Calmo says:

   July 3, 2012 at 9:46 am

   Enormity has a neutral usage as well, and I think it is quickly becoming the standard meaning of the word. I doubt the average American speaker of English observes the distinction anymore.

   Reply

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