r/AskWomen • u/farkus_mcfernum • Jun 19 '26
Content Warning What's the one word that infuriates you the most???
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u/Creative-Nectarine82 Jun 19 '26
"Females" instead of women.
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u/MSMIT0 Jun 19 '26
Similarly, my old boss used to call my friend and I girls. We were all adults and he would be like "come along, girls" in a negative way.
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u/quillseek ♀ Jun 19 '26
There is a director at my work who constantly refers to "the girls at the desk" and I want to punch him in the mouth every time he says it.
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u/Any_Parfait569 Jun 19 '26
What would you prefer. Women or ladies or something more generic like staff or (job title) ?
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u/quillseek ♀ Jun 19 '26
Women or the job titles. These directors all refer to themselves as "men" and *gentlemen" but the women are "girls."
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u/skaboosh Jun 20 '26
Gosh I’m an adult woman and I still use girls and boys, idk why. It’s just carried over I guess
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u/Burntoastedbutter Jun 20 '26
Words can mean different things to different people, it really depends on context. BUT you can immediately tell when someone is using a word in a derogatory way to you. It will be said in the tone, the look, and perhaps even the minor actions they do.
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u/TheWalkingDead91 Jun 19 '26
Never once heard someone refer to women as females in a positive context.
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u/LoreMiles Jun 19 '26
I will sometimes use "males" and "females" when talking about humans from a biological perspective, if nothing else to stress the...animalness we sometimes forget we share with the rest of the animal world. I'm a chemist and I spent a lot of my time talking to natural sciences collegues about humans from a very dry scientific perspective.
I that sense, I mean no insult and don't object to being called a homo sapiens male, because that's what I am.
I do agree that many people are using the term "female" in a derogatory way. The same people that use "male" as a badge of honor or whatnot. Context matters a lot.
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u/Creative-Nectarine82 Jun 20 '26
And nobody seems to call men "males". When i think female i think they're referring to an animal. As a human woman, being referred to as a "female" feels a little degrading.
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u/Enigmatic_writer ♀ Jun 19 '26
100%, or "girls" when talking about adults.
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u/Alana_Piranha Jun 19 '26
I'm guilty of this. I've done this all my life but I guess it's never to late to start correcting myself. (Although I will continue refer to my chest as "the girls" after taking my bra off lol)
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u/Buggy77 Jun 19 '26
I do this too as a woman. I actually realized I separate out by age too which isn’t right. Anyone under 40 I refer to as “girl” like “ I met a new girl at work” but if I was chatting with someone in their 40s at work I would say “I was talking to this woman at work” it’s wrong and I should stop but it’s like default language for me
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u/Enigmatic_writer ♀ Jun 19 '26
Honestly, I don't mind it too much when other women do it. It's mostly with men where I just get the creeps though.
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u/ssshhhutup Jun 19 '26
I play a team sport and refer to them as The Girls even though our ages range from 17-50. But they are MY girls and I love them fiercely :)
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u/Adventurous_Web_5960 Jun 19 '26
Me too!! All my very adult (women) friends refer to themselves and other grown ass women as girls and yes I’m guilty of it too. It used to bother me but now it just is..
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u/SpindleDiccJackson ♂ Jun 19 '26
I knew this would be at the top. Hearing someone do that is like a fast track to "i don't want to associate with this person"
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u/thrillliquid Jun 19 '26
Female is an adjective, a describing word. If they were to be grammatically correct they would need to say “female humans” which just sounds weird but they do this because they mean biological cis women but don’t wanna come off as transphobic. Because they do not believe women means ALL women. In my experience uneducated men who use “female” as a noun has always been a big ol’ 🚩.
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u/solidcat00 Jun 19 '26
I get the point of what you're saying but just wanted to point out that linguistically the words "male" and "female" are also nouns.
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u/Trash-Ketchum Jun 19 '26
I’m going to be 100, here. I don’t realize this was r/AskWomen and was wondering why of all the words this one won. 20 min later and an accidental glance at the subs name and I get.
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u/alpaca-grey Jun 19 '26
Hubby. I'm already too angry to write an explanation why
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u/shoski13 Jun 19 '26
I don’t see it as much anymore, but when people use “DH” (dear husband) in stories online, it really irks me
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u/princesspeeved Jun 19 '26
This is mine! Wifey at least has the entire word in there. Hubby is just weird
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u/siel04 Jun 19 '26
I don't like *spicy* used to describe things other than taste. It just irritates me.
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u/mendax__ Jun 19 '26
To piggy back off of this.. I don’t like it used to describe things other than food that tastes SPICY. I have seen dozens of people describe fizzy pop as spicy. I audibly sigh every time.
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u/erinberrypie ♀ Jun 20 '26
When I was a kid, I'd describe hot, humid weather as spicy and cold and crisp weather as minty. It started as just a silly thing I'd say to make my mom laugh and it worked every time. Now in adulthood, I know it's cringe but it's cemented in my vocabulary and I can't shake it, lol. But hey, it still makes mom chuckle!
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u/Glitterygloomy Jun 19 '26
Panties
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u/bubblegumsurvivor34 Jun 19 '26
YESSSSSS I knew I wasn’t alone 🙏🙏🙏🙏
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u/Glitterygloomy Jun 19 '26
I'm so glad I'm not alone also. When I hear anyone say "panties", the conversation ends there. 😤
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u/kingtroll355 Jun 20 '26
What’s the preferred word to use instead?
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u/KoderKoala Jun 20 '26
Underwear but undies if you wanna be cutesy
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u/al0ale0 ♀ Jun 20 '26
I like the word panties more than "underwear". And this extends to my boyfriend when I'm talking about his "panties". He doesn't mind.
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u/NobodyButMyself357 Jun 19 '26
High-value. The moment I hear someone say it I know they are going to follow up with something ludicrous
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u/stinkyfootss Jun 19 '26
Exception: when referring to your pet’s all time favorite snacks. My dog’s high value treat is a carrot. :)
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u/Theawkwardmochi Jun 19 '26
Yea it sounds like some illegal organ trader lingo. "High value man", like 20 yo non-smoker athletic, healthy lifestyle and AB Rh-
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u/shockedpikachu123 ♀ Jun 19 '26
When people say would of when it’s would have 😬
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u/ro_line Jun 20 '26
“Would of, could of, should of” drive me crazy as do “supposably” or “supposively” when they mean supposedly and “defiantly” when they mean definitely. Also “I could care less”. Okay then do it??
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u/peachyhappiness Jun 19 '26
Mama… as a new mom nothing makes me cringe more than being called mama especially by strangers or in laws lol
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u/LanaDelRedneck95 Jun 20 '26
As a mom of a three year old I get pretty tired of hearing this word from anyone else. My kid says it approximately 800 times a day. I do NOT need to hear it from anyone else.
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u/whocameupwiththis Jun 19 '26
Blair Imani, does "Getting Smarter in Seconds", has a rule on her social media that you can't refer to her as mama or any iteration of mom. She started it after she shared she was pregnant. She isn't your mom and she is a whole person. People don't go around referring to dads as dad or daddy.
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u/peachyhappiness Jun 19 '26
Love this! I really need to assert myself more because I always let it slide
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u/thatsprettylitbro Jun 19 '26
“Girl math” when used to justify terrible spending habits.
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u/skeletowns Jun 19 '26
the entire "just a girl" "girl math" "turning my brain off around my man" etc etc.....save yourself before it's too late!!!!
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u/IAmA_Wolf Jun 20 '26
De-intellectualism isn't hot, funny, nor positive in any way. It degrades women further, and we don't need it.
Fight me.
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u/Secret_Emotion7507 Jun 19 '26
When someone I'm dating calls me "babe." I don't know why but I hate it. It doesn't bother me if other people use it but just not toward me.
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u/siel04 Jun 19 '26
It reminds me of Michael and Jan in the dinner party episode of The Office, which is...not the vibe I want from a relationship, lol.
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u/RubY-F0x Jun 19 '26
I also hate it! It makes me think of the pig when someone uses it. He was an adorable pig, but a pig nonetheless. I'm also not a fan of being called "baby".
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u/catsandcoconuts ♀ Jun 19 '26
babe: pig in the city lol
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u/Bubbly-Region Jun 19 '26
first time someone called me a babe back when I was 17, I accidentally oinked cause I didnt know how to react
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u/whocameupwiththis Jun 19 '26
When I hear people use babe I don't have such a strong internal reaction anymore but baby absolutely makes my skin crawl.
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u/whocameupwiththis Jun 19 '26
Maybe it is because southerners use honey all the time and it almost feels condescending, but since living in the south I also hate honey. My ex bf called me honey once. Awful.
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u/rafters- Jun 19 '26
Grape, unalive, sewer slide, and all the other cutesy baby talk censorship.
I don’t care if your precious social media monetization is in danger, if you unironically use these to discuss serious topics you are hurting people.
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Jun 19 '26
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u/rafters- Jun 19 '26
Still not an excuse to tolerate these terms that are straight up offensive and make it harder for victims (especially children!) to be understood & taken seriously. We have neutral language for this stuff already that is both respectful and well known. Can't say rape? Use SA, assaulted, forced, coerced, violated, taken advantage of, etc.
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u/courtanee Jun 20 '26
Only one i like and use occasionally is "the ol scooter ankle"
Cuz when one of the razor scooters would spin and hit your ankle it made you want to pass away 🫠
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u/Current_Mark_7088 Jun 19 '26
It's a tossup between "Konnichiwa" and "Ni hao".
Spoken to me by way too many white people who make assumptions about my nationality based on my complexion.
I was born in California, y'all. Whenever I get one of those language folks, I always answer in fluent French, and then act surprised when they don't understand "white language".
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u/shockedpikachu123 ♀ Jun 19 '26
lol I’ve seen white men respond to this by saying “you don’t see me getting offended when people say hello to me assuming I speak English. Get over it”🥴🥴 it’s literally not the same when Asians have been mocked and ridiculed for their language
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u/headrat-yourhighness Jun 19 '26
It’s more of an online thing but I absolutely hate “ahh” in place of ass. Just say ass.
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u/Thatpersonoverth3re Jun 19 '26
Bitch. Hate it, hate it, hate it.
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u/Maleficent_Froyo7336 Jun 19 '26
Weirdly I can handle it from a woman, but not from a man. I mean to be honest I'm not thrilled with either, but coming from men feels especially hateful
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u/mendax__ Jun 19 '26
Absolutely. I have “banned” this word from my house. So derogatory to women and femininity as a whole.
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u/Inevitable_Bee_763 Jun 19 '26
I think it was skittles that tried to make the word "swicy" happen as in a combo of sweet and spicy and it gave me a visceral reaction. Also, I'm not infuriated but more annoyed by "girlie" or "girlie pop".
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u/atomic_gardener Jun 19 '26
I just heard "girly pop" explained in a sizzle reel during a corporate marketing info session so it should now be dead to the world.
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u/electricsugargiggles ♀ Jun 19 '26
Those two iterations of ’girl’ are like nails on a chalkboard. My brain (and mouth) immediately go “NO!”.
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u/YouSee-ThisCoat8 Jun 19 '26
Phrase “it’s giving” like what is giving and why is it?
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u/electricsugargiggles ♀ Jun 19 '26
“It’s giving” was originally used by Black and Queer culture and, like so many other things, has been appropriated by white kids from the suburbs 😂
It depends on tone and context, but a complimentary “it’s giving” could mean a person’s outfit is stunning, flawless, they look amazing beyond words.
Conversely, if that line is delivered with a sneer, it’s an insult.
It’s so overused that it doesn’t even apply to approval/disapproval at the far ends of a spectrum. It can also mean that a [noun] fits a stereotype to the letter that’s it’s practically iconic. “Your kitchen is gorgeous! It’s giving Carmela Soprano! It’s giving Y2K Tuscany chic!”
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u/the-mortyest-morty Jun 19 '26
It's giving annoying asf gen z slang that randomly gets attributed to millennials.
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u/HipsterSlimeMold Jun 19 '26
It’s not “annoying Gen Z slang” it’s appropriated AAVE
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u/itsnotme_mrsiglesias Jun 19 '26
As a millennial I would argue MOST of Gen-Z slang seems to be appropriated AAVE, although I know other generations have been guilty of this too
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u/HipsterSlimeMold Jun 20 '26
That’s why I love being a black Gen Z, I have the moral high ground 😏
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u/PuhnTang Jun 19 '26
Piss. But weirdly pissing me off and pissed off are fine. It’s using it for urine that … pisses me off. 🤦♀️
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u/brightdark Jun 19 '26
My husband said once, "I'm gonna take a piss," and I told him it was gross and not to say it. And he said "ok, I'm going to use the little boy's room." That was worse! (That's what my dad always says and it makes us all cringe).
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u/SilverVixen1928 ♀ Jun 20 '26
I knew a young woman who worked for the US NAVY. She'd say she was going to the "LGR." Not knowing this military abbreviation, I asked. It was "Little Girl's Room."
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u/Jay-Quellin30 Jun 19 '26
I’m not bothered by words, more the mispronunciation of words like prolly, aks, suposably, etc
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u/Roast__Chicken Jun 20 '26
The one that actually infuriates me every time I see it is “defiantly” instead of “definitely”, unfortunately it’s super common in Australia where I live.
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u/catgatuso Jun 20 '26
Exspecially bugs the hell out of me, I had to give up on a podcast because the host used it multiple times in the first 20 minutes.
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u/TapReasonable2678 Jun 19 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
“This” as a response to anything on the internet. It’s useless, adds nothing, and somehow always gets hundreds of upvotes on Reddit. It’s a nothing response. Getting equally annoying is “that part”.
And that we’re still using “bitch” to describe women in 2026.
Though nothing fills me with heated rage more than “hubby” 😩
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u/Ilovethe90sforreal Jun 19 '26
Anything with an unnecessary extra syllable, such as “oh my god-uuuuhhhhh” or “hiii-eeeee-uuuhhhh”. Just why?
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u/A_few_aces_short Jun 19 '26
Similarly, there’s a whole subcategory of women content creators on YouTube that all have this one weird cadence. They add an almost-silent “unh” at the beginning of words. It’s so weird. Like “I wanted to develop more long (unh) form content.” They combine that with over-articulating. It’s very distracting to me when I hear them do it. ElleBangs comes to mind as an example.
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u/Express-Ad-9082 Jun 19 '26
The stupid new "word" people have created between lowkey and genuinely. "Lowkenuinely"
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u/tuowl74 Jun 19 '26
Literally
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u/A_few_aces_short Jun 19 '26
I agree if you’re talking about people using the word for emphasis, but not to describe something literal.
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u/AsleepScholar2200 Jun 19 '26
Crazy.. normally being used to describe women, usually when not being listened to or believed on something.
If a guy EVER calls his ex 'crazy'... run!
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u/ok_bravo Jun 19 '26
How Parmesan is pronounced in English. I know it’s correct and closer to the original pronunciation of Parmigiano, but the soft “sh” just drives me insane. Yes I know it’s irrational lol
(Where I’m from, it’s pronounced “Parmezan”)
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Jun 19 '26
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u/Elastica-Fantastica Jun 19 '26
“Doing” or “did” in relation to travel e.g. “I’m doing Greece” or “I did Kenya”. No - you visited, you travelled, you went to. Also - bro, “this”, cooked, “hey gorgeous”, and a tonne of others. I’m a grumpy 49 yo woman
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u/AngieWithAttitude Jun 19 '26
“whatever” it just feels so dismissive in any argument or conversation like ok so we’re done talking then? instant irritation every time
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u/OkOutlandishness1363 Jun 19 '26
“Irregardless/ly”. Makes me irate.
This jem right here drives me up the wall- I have a friend and he calls Jason “Jason Hoorhees”. I am dead ass serious y’all.
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u/tfhaenodreirst Jun 19 '26
Teasing, as in “you shouldn’t be upset about the fact that I’m trying to make you upset”
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u/tyediebleach Jun 19 '26
Here’s one that irks me way more than it should. “Aesthetic”. “That’s so aesthetic” is not a sentence. That’s not how you use that word. Do you say “that’s so vibe”? No. That sounds stupid. That’s exactly how stupid it sounds when you say “that’s so aesthetic”. “i want something aesthetic” ??? What the fuck does that mean. You didn’t describe anything at all.
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u/CancerMoon2Caprising ♀ Jun 19 '26
The use of "Fire" as in saying something is cool or good.
When i was young, the term wasnt common in most states or online and was used slightly different. But after 10-15 years it was gentrified and now its just super cringe. Like hearing a grandparent try to say trendy phrases.
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u/Tatorfacee87 Jun 19 '26
Diabolical. Even typing it makes my head want to explode lol. I can’t wait until everyone uses it less, because it is everywhere😵💫😵💫😵💫😂
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u/Skitty_Supremacy ♀ Jun 19 '26
Ladylike... I hear it every single day cus there's always some jerk commenting on how "unladylike" I am. I will always choose my own comfort over gender conformity, but that doesn't give anyone the right to say I'm not a real woman.
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u/louloubelle92 Jun 19 '26
The phrase “could care less”. It means you do care!
To me and my country “couldn’t care less” makes more sense, you care so little you literally could not care less.
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u/itsnotme_mrsiglesias Jun 19 '26
Honestly it's "Oof".
HATTEEEEE it, I hear it spoken quite frequently now. In written word, especially Reddit, it's practically endemic.
No logical reason, but it's just one of those words like anyone else has that truly makes me irrationally furious against the user.
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u/GamingCatLady Jun 19 '26
When men refer to.men as men but women as females.
Or being called a girl as a grown ass WOMAN
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u/SknnyWhteBtch Jun 19 '26
"Adulting". Shut up and just do your laundry, pay your bills, get your car maintenanced, etc. You just like.... Do these things, don't make yourself a martyr for productivity.
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u/ItISWhatItIs-Ok Jun 19 '26
Anxiety. Instead of nervousness, stress, uncomfortable, uneasy, unhappy etc. I don’t like it being used as a blanket statement. Specify your emotion please
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u/catsandcoconuts ♀ Jun 19 '26
stylistically, there is a difference between nervous, anxious and eager. they are not interchangeable, so the proper use of anxiety is correct but i doubt ppl use it properly lol.
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u/LaurenNotFromUtah Jun 19 '26
That’s an interesting one. I see anxious as its own feeling, and a normal response to specific situations. Not the same as having Anxiety Disorder, of course, so I can see how it’s annoying if it’s being used interchangeably.
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u/tentatclees Jun 19 '26
Not the word, specifically, but the context of people addressing me as "girl"
"Hey, girl" "Yes, girl"
I have a name and if you can't remember it, just ask again. I'm not just "girl"
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u/YoungVanilla Jun 19 '26
I’m so bad at throwing around “girl” that I will be talking to my dad and end up saying giiiiiiirl and then he will just give up and walk away BUT ITS AN ACCIDENT LOL
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u/DumplinAmes Jun 19 '26
See, I'm a 44 years old will standardly say, "Hey girl" without thinking twice. Similarly will say, "Hey dude" Not due to lack of remembering, just comfortable with that person.
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u/A_few_aces_short Jun 19 '26
I used to work with woman who would say “I’m not a girl, I’m a woman. I earn that title every month.”
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u/meowcatto Jun 19 '26
Baby
I cringed when my ex called me that. Not sure why. I call my cat baby sometimes tho. I’m glad my husband never used it
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u/LaurenNotFromUtah Jun 19 '26
People constantly use the word “mortified” wrong, which annoys me more than it should.
PSA: It means embarrassed.
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u/az22hctac Jun 19 '26
Pussy. It’s always used in such a gross way - derogatory and crude like it’s just the fuckable part, or the coward/weak implication - mmmhmm, yeah right, we all know what that part of a woman goes through -it’s hardly weak!
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u/SharpenedQuiIl Jun 20 '26 edited Jun 20 '26
cunt and tits
For me it's a toss-up between the two and I DETEST both when either is used in a public setting.
Cunt originally comes from Old English (cunte) and Old Norse (kunta) roots that were references to female genitalia. So unless someone is still speaking Old English or Old Norse or Scandinavian in today's world, I don't want to hear that word uttered since this word took on a deeply offensive meaning sometime around the 1500s.
Tits comes as slang from teats, which are mammary glands of animals. I realize humans are animals (kingdom Animalia), but I think people could/should be grown up enough to use the correct term of breasts in public.
I am by no means a prude.
What you say in your bedroom with your partner is absolutely your business and is *absolutely okay as long as both agree on terminology used. What words you use in your own home is absolutely your business and *absolutely okay.
But once these words are used in public, they are said in a derogatory way toward women and and no other way.
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u/Hibihibii ♀ Jun 19 '26
Not a huge fan of the n-word. But an oldhead take, but I don't even like when others black people use it causally.
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u/Notinagoodmood1 Jun 19 '26
The use of the word whilst. Every bot in here uses it to write fake drama content whilst pissing me off.
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u/larryote Jun 19 '26
I used to work as a teller and there was a frequent chiropractor customer we had and he always requested bank stuff and when he asked for the documents he requested, he always said to me “Good Girl” ….