An Amazing Word

“How was dinner?” (substitute any noun)
“It was amazing!”
“Causing great surprise or sudden wonder” is how the online dictionary defines amazing, and as the word emerges from the lips, there is usually a slight pause preceding a barely perceptible gasp, and then a wide eyed reverential surprise to accompany it, even if it was just spoken in the previous sentence in the exact same way. Everything is amazing nowadays - or else there are many people who are easy to impress and amaze. And from my observations, it has become the most commonly used adjective of the past couple of years, surpassing even the popular awesome and totally awesome. Each generation has had its share of words to describe likable things or experiences. My generation overused the word great, and I carry on the tradition. We may have been the ones to change the meaning of cool, but then as if cool were not strong enough to stand on its own, we started saying way cool. Back in the 1920s, I understand that the bees knees and the cat’s meow were today’s amazing. Since then there have been keen, snazzy, hip, neat, neato, radical, and those old standbys terrific, wonderful, the best, incredible, super, marvelous. No complaints from me. I like the positive energy it exudes.