{"id":7361,"date":"2024-06-18T07:14:58","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T07:14:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/?p=7361"},"modified":"2024-07-19T07:38:42","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T07:38:42","slug":"sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings\/","title":{"rendered":"\"Sick!\" When Negative Words Have Positive Meanings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings\/#Sick\" >Sick&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings\/#Wicked\" >Wicked<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings\/#Kill_Murder\" >Kill \/ Murder<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings\/#Killer\" >Killer&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings\/#Obsessed\" >Obsessed&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings\/#Devastating\" >Devastating<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings\/#Outrageous\" >Outrageous&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings\/#Crazy_Mad_Mental\" >Crazy \/ Mad \/ Mental<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings\/#Fanatic\" >Fanatic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings\/#Wrap-up\" >Wrap-up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>When you learn a new language, you quickly realize that there are often exceptions to rules, and many expressions have meanings that are very different from how they sound. Some words are even used in the opposite way of their original meanings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The words we will introduce in this article can be used positively even though their original meanings are negative. These are mostly slang terms used in very casual situations. You\u2019ll hear them when chatting with friends, when watching television and when scrolling through social media. Some may surprise you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sick\"><\/span><strong>Sick&nbsp;<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"710\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030516\/kelly-sikkema-RmByg5kFfQg-unsplash-1024x710.jpg\" alt=\"A sick person's teacup and glasses surrounded by used tissues\" class=\"wp-image-7364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030516\/kelly-sikkema-RmByg5kFfQg-unsplash-1024x710.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030516\/kelly-sikkema-RmByg5kFfQg-unsplash-300x208.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030516\/kelly-sikkema-RmByg5kFfQg-unsplash-768x533.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>People have different opinions on how important things like money and physical items are to a happy life. However, everyone can agree on the importance of health. So it may be surprising to learn that a word meaning \u201cunhealthy\u201d is often used to talk about something good!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">Last night\u2019s party was sick! Why didn\u2019t you come?<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wicked\"><\/span><strong>Wicked<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWicked\u201d means \u201cevil.\u201d It isn\u2019t often used in daily conversations with this meaning, however. Casually, something that is wicked is excellent or very high quality.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">These cookies are wicked! You have to give me your recipe.\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">His last novel was wicked. I'm so excited for the next volume.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kill_Murder\"><\/span><strong>Kill \/ Murder<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030612\/abstral-official-MYKRxE3h2c0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A woman holding a microphone and singing on stage in front of a band\" class=\"wp-image-7365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030612\/abstral-official-MYKRxE3h2c0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030612\/abstral-official-MYKRxE3h2c0-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030612\/abstral-official-MYKRxE3h2c0-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030612\/abstral-official-MYKRxE3h2c0-unsplash-420x280.jpg 420w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030612\/abstral-official-MYKRxE3h2c0-unsplash-840x560.jpg 840w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Even words related to death can be used positively!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If someone does something very well or performs a task very skillfully, we can say that they \u201ckilled\u201d or \"murdered\" it.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">Saki studied hard for her test and killed it without any problem.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">That song is really hard to sing, but Cecile murdered it at the karaoke party last weekend.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cSlay,\u201d which is another way to say \u201ckill,\u201d is now popular slang with the same meaning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is often used in more specific situations, such as when talking about comedy or fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">Henry\u2019s jokes always slay me. He\u2019s a really funny guy.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">Everyone agreed the pop star slayed in her dress at the awards ceremony.\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Killer\"><\/span><strong>Killer<\/strong>&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is obviously related to our previous words on the list. However, this \u201ckiller\u201d is used as an adjective for describing something great.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">That restaurant on the corner makes a killer hamburger. It\u2019s the best in the city.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Also, the expression \u201cAll killer, no filler\u201d is commonly used to describe something that has no flaws or mistakes and is consistently excellent. We use it when referring to things in a collection such as a musical album, a television series or a group of films.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">That TV series is all killer, no filler. Every episode of every season is fantastic.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Related article: <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/travel-fun\/more-than-friends-recommended-tv-for-english-learners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">More Than \"Friends\": Recommended TV for English Learners<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Obsessed\"><\/span><strong>Obsessed<\/strong>&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"690\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030653\/shutterstock_1646628355-1024x690.jpg\" alt=\"A young man holding a stack of books while walking through a library\" class=\"wp-image-7366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030653\/shutterstock_1646628355-1024x690.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030653\/shutterstock_1646628355-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030653\/shutterstock_1646628355-768x517.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In its original usage, \u201cobsessed\u201d is a very negative word that is similar to \u201caddicted.\u201d If you are obsessed, you are focused on a particular thing in an unnatural and unhealthy way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Used casually, however, it means you are a very big fan or are really interested in something or someone. You may even see people on social media respond to a post with simply \u201cObsessed!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">My daughter is absolutely obsessed with K-Pop.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">Cliff\u2019s been obsessed with science-fiction and fantasy novels since he was a kid.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Devastating\"><\/span><strong>Devastating<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDevastating\u201d is an adjective describing something that has a very strong, negative effect. It can be used to talk about physical things or abstract ideas such as emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">The damage from the <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/vocabulary-and-expressions-related-to-natural-disasters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tropical storm<\/a> was devastating for the small town.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">The devastating news shocked everyone.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, it can also be used to refer to a strong emotional impact, even if it is not negative.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">The critics praised the actor for his devastating performance in the new film.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">The book\u2019s finale was absolutely devastating.\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Outrageous\"><\/span><strong>Outrageous<\/strong>&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOutrageous\u201d is the adjective form of \u201coutrage,\u201d which is a noun for public anger or shock. While the noun form is mostly used negatively, outrageous is more flexible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outrageous can have the nuance of \u201cvery inappropriate,\u201d \u201csurprising\u201d or \u201cwild and unusual\u201d depending on the circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">He is known for his strange behavior and outrageous fashion sense.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">The winner of this week\u2019s lottery will get an outrageous amount of money.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Crazy_Mad_Mental\"><\/span><strong>Crazy \/ Mad \/ Mental<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"678\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030748\/pexels-isabella-mendes-1304475-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"A group of people toasting at a party by raising their drinks in the air\" class=\"wp-image-7367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030748\/pexels-isabella-mendes-1304475-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030748\/pexels-isabella-mendes-1304475-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/11\/01030748\/pexels-isabella-mendes-1304475-768x509.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While its original meaning is \u201cmentally unwell,\u201d \u201ccrazy\u201d is casually used more flexibly in ways that are similar to outrageous.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">Alex's birthday party was crazy. We had a great time.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<p>In British English, crazy is often substituted for \u201cmad\u201d or \u201cmental.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">That movie was completely mad. I didn't really understand it, but I definitely enjoyed it.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">When the band started playing their biggest hit, the crowd went mental.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fanatic\"><\/span><strong>Fanatic<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The word \u201cfan\u201d is actually a shortened form of \u201cfanatic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While fan has become a common way to describe someone who likes a particular person or thing, fanatic often refers to someone whose interest is unhealthy because it is <em>too<\/em> intense. In this way, it is similar to \u201cobsessive\u201d (a noun version of \u201cobsessed,\u201d explained above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, people sometimes use fanatic instead of fan to emphasize how much they like something.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">I really like soul music, but Gilles is a soul music fanatic.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-sentences block-align-none\"><strong class=\"unified-sentences-title\">Jeff is a craft beer fanatic. He knows everything about it.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wrap-up\"><\/span><strong>Wrap-up<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As languages change over time, they often go in surprising or unexpected directions. This includes words describing evil and addiction becoming positive terms that people use every day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember to always pay attention to context to make sure you are understanding a word's meaning correctly. If you can use all of these words properly with both their negative and positive meanings, you\u2019ll have a truly killer vocabulary!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you learn a new language, you quickly realize that there are often exceptions to rules, and many expressions have meanings that are very different from how they sound. Some words are even used in...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":432,"featured_media":8843,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"unified_meta_tagline_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-7361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language-tips","tag-vocabulary"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>&quot;Sick!&quot; When Negative Words Have Positive Meanings | Engoo Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are lots of English words with negative meanings that are used to mean something is great or was done very well. What are they?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/sick-when-negative-words-have-positive-meanings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&quot;Sick!&quot; When Negative Words Have Positive Meanings | Engoo Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There are lots of English words with negative meanings that are used to mean something is great or was done very well. 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