It's no surprise that language is in constant evolution, but what I find remarkable is how some words can mean one thing at one point in time and, years later, mean the complete opposite.
Here are seven common words that have completely flipped their meanings.
1. Awful
Original Meaning: Full of awe, inspiring wonder and reverence
Current Meaning: Terrible, extremely bad
Its original meaning actually makes a lot of sense. We do have many adjectives that are formed in this way, by adding 'ful' at the end, like 'beautiful', 'plentiful' or 'doubtful'.
The meaning changed between the 1600s and 1800s because of overuse. It went from 'awe-inspiring' to 'great', to 'great in a bad way'. It completed its transformation by the Victorian era.
2. Terrific
Original Meaning: Causing terror, frightening, dreadful
Current Meaning: Excellent, wonderful, extremely good
'Terrific' used to refer to pure fear, nothing positive about it. In fact, we still use words like 'terrified' to mean 'very scared', which shares the same root.
The shift happened in the early 1900s, because the word was used in slang, in a hyperbolic way. People would say 'terrific' to indicate something causes a strong emotional reaction, and over time, its negative connotations disappeared and it became an entirely positive adjective.
3. Literally
Original Meaning: In a literal manner, actually, without exaggeration
Current Meaning: Also used for emphasis, even when speaking figuratively
'Literally' comes from 'litteralis' in Latin, meaning 'of or relating to letters'. Initially it only meant 'in a strict or exact sense, without metaphor or exaggeration'. Over time, people began to use the word for emphasis, in a hyperbolic way, for example by saying 'I literally died laughing'. Prescriptive grammarians did not like this, and they publicly complained about it, however, they could not stop the meaning from changing.
These days, 'literally' means both 'literally' and the opposite: 'figuratively'.
4. Nice
Original Meaning: Foolish, ignorant, senseless
Current Meaning: Pleasant, agreeable, kind
What a trip 'nice' has gone through! Derived from Latin 'nescius' meaning 'ignorant', it entered English from Old French in the 13th century. For hundreds of years, calling someone 'nice' was an insult.
In the 1500s it started to mean 'fussy' or 'fastidious', in the 1700s its meaning evolved to 'precise' or 'careful', in the 1600s it became 'refine' or 'delicate', and in the 1800s 'nice' came closer to the way we use it today, as in 'pleasant', 'agreeable', or 'kind'.
5. Prestigious
Original Meaning: Deceptive, involving tricks or illusions
Current Meaning: Having high status, respected, admirable
The word comes from 'praestigiae' in Latin, meaning 'tricks' or 'illusions'. It was used in reference to magic or sleight of hand. After intensive use, the idea of something that seems magical turned into a sense of genuine admiration and perceived high status.
6. Fast
Original Meaning: Firmly fixed, immovable, steadfast
Current Meaning: Moving quickly, rapid
'Fast' initially meant 'firm' or 'secure'. Its meaning then broadened to include 'intense', which led to refer to behaving in a reckless way, like in the expression 'fast living'. At this time, the word became associated with quick actions too.
After some time, the speed meaning became the dominant one, while the old meaning survived only in some phrases, for example: 'fasten your seatbelts'.
7. Myriad
Original Meaning: Exactly ten thousand
Current Meaning: Countless, innumerable, a vast number
From the Greek 'myrias', 'myriad' used to mean exactly 10,000. Early English used it in this way. However, because this number felt like a very large amount, the meaning gradually shifted to 'a large number', and eventually 'countless'. So a term that once referred to one specific number, now refers to 'too many to count'.
Conclusion
Words changing meaning over time is not an uncommon phenomenon, but when a word develops to mean the complete opposite of its original definition, it's a particularly interesting example of how flexible language can be.
These shifts are a reminder that meanings are not fixed or permanent. Instead, they are molded by everyday use, and can change without us even realising.
