Is it possible for the dictionary to give you the ick?
Photo by The are some words we can all agree make our skin crawl, and a new survey from Preply has confirmed that we're all thinking along the same lines.
And out of all the stomach turning, cringe worthy, uncomfortable sounding words in the dictionary, the most unpopular word in the English language is "pus".
According to data from 10,000 people, "pus", "phlegm" and "seepage" are the top three least liked words.
Other shudder-inducing words to make the top 10 list include "moist", "gullet" and "ooze".
There's a bit of a bodily fluid-type theme going on here, check out the top 10 below:
Word |
Meaning |
Votes |
| Pus | A white/yellowish liquid formed on the site of a wound or infection. | 9,799 |
| Phlegm | A liquid secreted by mucous membranes. | 8,984 |
| Seepage | The slow escape of a liquid or gas through small holes or porous material. | 8,799 |
| Moist | Sightly damp, wet, or humid. | 8,234 |
| Splooge | An abrupt discharge of fluid. | 7,893 |
| Fester | Of a wound or sore that becomes septic; suppurate. | 7,223 |
| Mucus | A slippery secretion produced by and covered by mucous membranes. | 7,083 |
| Ooze | Fluid slowly trickle or seep out of something. | 6,990 |
| Putrid | Organic matter decaying or rotting and emitting a fetid smell | 6,912 |
| Curd | A dairy product obtained by curdling milk. Can substitute soy. | 6,344 |
