There’s A Scientific Reason Why People Hate The Word ‘Moist’

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Not that it comes up in conversation often, but if it does— you’ll find that most people hate the word “moist.” I personally don’t have any strong feelings towards the word, but I have always wondered why people disliked it so much.

Was it just the sound of it? The way it kind of stuck in your mouth rather than rolled off of the tongue? It actually doesn’t have much to do with that at all, apparently.

According to Mental Floss, there’s a scientific reason behind why people like to avoid using “moist” whenever possible. The article states that researchers from Oberlin College in Ohio and Trinity University in San Antonio conducted three different experiments to figure out what makes the word “moist” so displeasing to the ears.

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They found that it had nothing to do with the way the word sounds and more about what the word denotes. According to Natilus, the study explained, “’Moist’-averse people also tended to have more general disgust reactions to bodily functions, suggesting that the problem is the connotations of bodily functions and sex.”

However, people didn’t also have the same hatred for words that are related to moist or moisture like “wet” or “damp,” which is interesting. There’s just something about the word “moist” and what people conjure up in their heads when they hear it.

For scientific reasons and more, it’s probably good just to avoid using the word whenever possible. Besides, you’ve probably read enough about the word in this article alone to last you for a lifetime.

So, go about your day and try not to think of, you know, that word ever again. Ok? Ok.

[h/t: Mental Floss]

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About the Author
Augusta Statz
I have a B.F.A. in Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. I’m an avid writer with a genuine sense of curiosity. I feel the best way to absorb the world around you is through fashion, art and food, so that’s what I spend most of my time writing about.

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