The Level Up English Podcast #343 When 'Terrific' Meant 'Terrifying'
Sep 24, 2025
Explore the fascinating evolution of words with unexpected meanings! Discover how 'terrific' once meant terrifying and 'awful' shifted from awe to very bad. Learn about 'wicked' going from evil to cool and 'fond' transforming from foolishness to affection. Delve into the surprising journey of 'gay' from happiness to a sexual identity and see how 'literally' changed from exact to emphatic use. Get ready for a word adventure that reveals the meanings we often take for granted!
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Awe-To-Awful Meaning Flip
- Words like "awful" once meant "full of awe" and shifted as the sense of awe grew more negative over time.
- Michael explains this flip as part of a recurring pattern where strong emotions change polarity.
Stargazing That Felt 'Awful'
- Michael recalls camping as a child, feeling awe watching the night sky from his sleeping bag.
- That memory illustrates the original, positive sense of "awful" as inspiring wonder.
Gay: Happy To Identity
- "Gay" shifted from meaning "happy" to referring to homosexual identity during the 20th century.
- Michael notes cultural adoption by the LGBT movement accelerated the semantic change.