There are more than 10,000 words to choose from in the English language, each one carrying a different meaning. Why do we continue to casually use the ones that can be so hurtful?

Lately it’s the f word, but not the one you’re thinking. I’m talking about the one that rhymes with “maggot” and can be shortened to rhyme with “rag.”

According to wordorigins.org, the word “faggot” originally meant “a bundle of sticks.” Then the meaning became “a burden to carry,” and, in the late 16th century, it became an insulting term for women. It is believed that from there, the word was used against homosexuals in 20th Century America.

The word that once meant a burden is now a burden for those who have to hear the derogatory word. It is often used to hurt and degrade people, specifically homosexuals. Yet, so often, I hear it thrown around by friends to mock one another. In the hallways you will occasionally hear the exchange between friends, jokingly calling each other fag or faggot. I see it used even more flippantly on social media to tease friends as if it’s not a word to torment a group of people.

I know that most of the time when people use this word, it’s not to hurt anyone, but it often does. According to splcenter.org, homosexuals are the most likely minority in America to be the victim of a violent hate crime. The more casual we make this word, the more overlooked it will become when people do use it to harm one another.

There are so many words to pick from, and so many of them can uplift people.  Maybe it’s insecurity that motivates people to take these hurtful words and weave them into everyday conversation. Maybe people don’t even notice when cruel phrases roll off their tongues. Maybe it is an inability to hear through someone else’s ears how much a single word can hurt.

Whatever the reason, as young adults, we need to take a step toward maturity and think before we speak. We need to start realizing what comes out of our mouths and who we are hurting when we think we are just joking around.

With thousands of words, it’s time to open a dictionary and find one that makes people feel uplifted, or at least, not hurt.