Everything isn’t awesome: Are we overusing the superlative?

How often do you use the word awesome? That superlative seems to be overused, or at least Neil deGrasse Tyson thinks that it is.

Sometimes a word is used to describe everything. Awesome is one of those words. From describing your day to your last vacation to last night’s dinner, that singular adjective seems to characterize everything. While the LEGO Movie encouraged the “Everything is awesome” mentality, aren’t there more adjectives in the English language?

Recently, Neil deGrasse Tyson called out Twitter for the use of awesome as an overused adjective. While everyone seemed to pile on him as being old, grumpy and out of touch, he does have a point. How did this one word seem to overtake everyone’s description? Has that overuse lessened the power of that single adjective?

Merriam-Webster defines awesome as “inspiring awe” or “terrific, extraordinary.” Awe isn’t commonly used. This word refers to an emotion, which combines wonder and dread in the face of authority or something sacred. If something inspires awe or is terrific, can just an ordinary, everyday thing live up to this adjective?

Looking at the tweet itself, the scientist has a point. Why should the same word be used to describe the vastness of the cosmos and your last spin class? Those two items aren’t comparable. Using one adjective to describe all types of events, experiences and things degrades both the adjective and the object described.

Of course, many of us have words that we use more often than others. When I write about food, a few adjectives always seem to be sprinkled into my descriptions. Still, if I described every meal or cocktail as awesome would it give a reader any clue about how the food tasted, what it smelled like or what it looked like? Sure, you would probably know that I liked the sustenance that I put in my mouth. But, does that vague, general description entice you to eat the plate of gnocchi with brown butter and sage? Maybe or maybe not.

The overuse of this adjective happens for two reasons. First, people want to relate to each other. Using a common word brings a sense of community. If my experience was filled with awesomeness, you want your life to be filled with awesomeness too. No one wants to be left out or left behind.

A second reason for the adjective’s overuse is lack of creativity, or in some cases laziness. I highly doubt that many people leisurely peruse the dictionary to brush up on their vocabulary knowledge. Often we rely on the same words over and over to describe everything. While the auto-correct on a smartphone might not have a thesaurus, everyone can search for one. Some words can better define an experience, emotion or action better than others. Why use one word over and over when a dictionary is filled with descriptive words?

Next: Neil deGrasse Tyson talks Star Wars

I agree with Neil deGrasse Tyson. Everything isn’t awesome and that is okay, adequate and acceptable.