The word “moist” elicits a visceral reaction in a surprising number of people. A Buzzfeed article titled “Why Moist Is The Worst Word Ever” garnered over 4 million views, and a 2012 New Yorker poll revealed a widespread desire to banish the word from the English language. But why does this seemingly innocuous adjective provoke such strong disgust?
Researchers at Oberlin College and Trinity University conducted three studies to unravel the mystery behind the hatred of “moist.” Their findings, published in a research paper, indicate that roughly 20% of the population experiences a negative reaction to the word. Surprisingly, the aversion isn’t rooted in the word’s sound. Instead, the culprit appears to be the word’s association with bodily functions, often on a subconscious level.
Many participants initially attributed their dislike to the word’s phonetics, describing it as having an “ugly sound.” However, this theory was debunked when participants showed no similar aversion to words with similar sounds, such as “foist” or “rejoiced.” The studies revealed that the disgust for “moist” intensified when paired with unrelated positive words like “paradise” or words with sexual connotations. Conversely, the negative reaction was less pronounced when “moist” was used in the context of food, such as “moist cake.”
The research also uncovered a correlation between age, neuroticism, and aversion to the word. Younger and more neurotic individuals were more likely to dislike “moist.” Furthermore, a strong association between bodily functions and disgust predicted a stronger dislike for the word. Researchers hypothesized that individuals with a heightened sensitivity to bodily fluids might subconsciously link “moist” to sexual contexts. One participant even explicitly stated the association: “It reminds people of sex and vaginas.” While not inherently offensive, such associations can be jarring when encountered in unexpected contexts, like while browsing the bakery aisle.
