Vote for the best verboticism.

'Omigod! What happened to your nose?'

DEFINITION: v. To make something worse while attempting to make it better. n. A bad improvement.

Create | Read

Verboticisms

Click on each verboticism to read the sentences created by the Verbotomy writers, and to see your voting options...

You have two votes. Click on the words to read the details, then vote your favorite.

Ruinstallation

Created by: scissorlips

Pronunciation: roo in stall a shun

Sentence: Everyone hopes that they are bettering themselves by working out, but it is often the case that the habit becomes a ruinstallation of muscles and inflexibility.

Etymology: ruin: a disintegration, either physical, moral, social, or economic. + installation: to equip something or someone

| Comments and Points

Incorrectify

Created by: stache

Pronunciation: ĭn'kə-rěk'tə-fī'

Sentence: "You can't polish a turd," Garvin said when David showed him how he had used accessories to incorrectify his '79 Ford Pinto.

Etymology: incur, to bring upon oneself, as in, to incur the ridicule of the public; rectify, verb form of rectum, part of the human anatomy often euphemized as a term of disparagement.

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

nice - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-15: 11:45:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Remuddle

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: ree - MUDL

Sentence: Wilford had set out to completely redesign and redo the interior of his home but lacking proper skills and experience his effort turned out to be a hideous remuddle rather than the upgrade he had envisioned.

Etymology: Blend of remodel and muddle...to mix up in a confused or bungling manner

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

excellent - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-15: 11:41:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Adworsity

Created by: bookowl

Pronunciation: Ad/wurs/itee

Sentence: They suffered further adworsity when the contractor hung the windows upsidedown.

Etymology: add + worse + adversity

| Comments and Points

Shedit

Created by: ZenoX

Pronunciation: shed it

Sentence: She went to a plastic surgeon the other day and shedited her nose. She was telling me all about that present she'll never afford now. Wait till she hears about her embarrassing shedit. She'll probably never admit her mistake.

Etymology: A shit edit, a change that should be hid in a dark place (shed).

| Comments and Points

Sobadisticimprovement

Created by: chrissimo87

Pronunciation: so-bad-istic-improvement

Sentence: I think you will find that was top of the 100 sobadisticimprovments awards this year

Etymology:

| Comments and Points

Badderment

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: bad-er-ment

Sentence: The government's social engineering activities were well intentioned but ended up for the badderment of all. It was really more like woeful engineering.

Etymology: bad + betterment

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

Good one! - Mustang, 2008-05-15: 21:47:00

Oh, this word works nicely! Good job. - Tigger, 2008-05-15: 23:33:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Incompattempt

Created by: tmcg5625

Pronunciation: in-comp-att-empt

Sentence: "But honey the car looks way cooler now. you cant tell the spoilers made of cardboard and the foil on the wheels make them look like chrome. classy" "I think so too sweetheart. next should get some personalized plates that say INCOMPATTEMPT!"

Etymology: Incompetent- "Duuhh?" Attempt-"yeah i'll give it a go."

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

great word - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-15: 11:48:00

like it - galwaywegian, 2008-05-15: 12:10:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Remuddle

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: re-MUD-l

Sentence: Simpson had set out to completely redesign and redo the interior of his home but lacking proper skills and experience his effort turned out to be a hideous remuddle rather than the upgrade he had envisioned.

Etymology: Blend of 'remodel' (redo or makeover) and 'muddle' (to mix up in a confused or bungling manner)

| Comments and Points

Fortifry

Created by: Stevenson0

Pronunciation: for/ti/fry

Sentence: Dave thought that adding wires to his breaker panel would fortify his electricity. Little did he know he would fortifry it.

Etymology: fortify + fry

----------------------------
COMMENTS:

"smokin" - Jabberwocky, 2008-05-15: 11:41:00

----------------------------

| Comments and Points

Show All or More...

 

Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2008-05-15: 00:01:00
Today's definition is inspired by author and philosopher, Mark Kingwell who I saw last night speaking about "Social Change". He reminded us that not all change is good change. And noted that in German they have word to describe such bad improvements -- Schlimmbesserung -- which we don't have in English. And so it's today's challenge. Thanks Mark! ~ James