Please, do not misuse “impact,”
substituting it for other
verbs, such as “influence” and “affect.”
Nobody has impacted me, or
else I would have known the effect
of the collision. No crater
or wedging in someplace, “impact”
is not properly a good verb.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 16, 2019 COMMON ERA
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Originally published at ORIGINAL POEMS AND FAMILY HISTORY BLOG
https://taylorfamilypoems.wordpress.com/2019/04/16/impact/
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😍😍 I have heard the word “impactful” used so many times when describing something that affected someone emotionally! Gotta love it!
I also despise “impactful.”
We live in treacherous linguistic times, as the decline of the Merriam-Webster website attests. That website now states that one can correctly use “literally” hyperbolically to mean “figuratively.”
I had used discomfited in a sentence in a meeting. I went home to make sure I used it correctly. It said that one of the definitions has now changed due to the current use of it. That made me realize that English is a live language, everchanging. Think about all the new meanings for words that meant something totally different decades ago!
I know, but I prefer the proscriptive function of dictionaries. “Literally” may not accurately mean “figuratively.” Or consider “decimate.” ‘Deci” means “one tenth,” so to decimate is properly to wipe out a tenth of something. Also, “viable” properly means “capable of living.” A business plan may be feasible, but never viable.
You certainly have a good grasp on the English language!
My grandmother Taylor taught English for four decades.
No wonder! :)