History Main / WeaponsGradeVocabulary

* There's several sound-based attacks in the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series, varying in type between MakeMeWannaShout, BrownNote, and this trope. An example of this type is 'Snarl', a dark-type attack that seemingly involves the Pokémon ranting and shouting at the target for a while, inflicting damage and lowering their attack-power.

* ''WesternAnimation/YellowSubmarine'' uses this during "All You Need Is Love", where the words [[Music/RingoStarr Ringo]] sings take physical form to help him evade and wear down the Glove.

* In ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'', Cartman has a chip placed inside him that shocks him with electricity every time he swears. When he's hit with electricity in the final battle, the V-chip "malfunctions", giving him the ability to shock other people when he uses profanity. Which he immediately uses against Saddam Hussein. (Hilariously, the words "Barbra Streisand" are the cherry-on-top.)

* ''VideoGame/TheUrQuanMasters'': The Eternal Ones' full name is this to Daktaklakpak, as their names are a full summary of what an Eternal One is, starting with name, genetic make-up, and so on. There is no computing system that can calculate its full name, which doesn't stop the Daktaklakpak from trying ([[LogicBomb and self-destructing in the process]]).

* In ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'', there's a statue in an art gallery that's actually a mage who was [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]] just before he could utter the worst curse in the entire Planes. If you should use an item to unpetrify him, he'll use the curse on you, causing you to die horribly (you get better) and massively upgrading Morte's [[IShallTauntYou Litany of Curses]].

There's a saying that sticks and stones can break your bones, but words will never hurt you. Well, with a weapons-grade vocabulary, words actually can physically hurt people. The words do not have to be spoken aloud but can be read. Hurtful knowledge, like a long-held secret, can apply as long as the recipient is physically hurt by the literal spoken or written words. Words delivering harm via magic, or through [[MakeMeWannaShout sheer volume]], do not apply.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Mother 1}}'', enemies can "attack" with Threatening Words and Swear Words, both of which decrease someone's Fight stat. Your party can get some words of their own to "attack" with, but they do nothing.

* Literature/{{MarkOfTheFool}}: Alex goes with class, into hell. They discuss list of demons they may meet, and goal is triplets that have ability to [[https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/41618/mark-of-the-fool/chapter/1084421/chapter-477-the-ruined-demon-city laugh]] that directly harms people.

* In ''VideoGame/EnterTheGungeon'' exists a gun in the shape of a letter "r". Upon pulling the trigger, it shoots the letters B-U-L-L-E-T-! in a burst and utters this word out loud.

* ''Manga/OverGeared'': One of players has "Spiteful tongue" skill that mass-decreases enemies stats. Basically, player activates skill and uses bunch of curses. Later on (chapter 106), it was averted by golems deleting their language comprehension.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'', "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E2TheShakespeareCode The Shakespeare Code]]": A group of witches who specialize in WordPower (words are sort of the formula for certain effects, which is [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial not at all like magic spells being a real thing because that would be silly]]) are destroyed by William Shakespeare crafting a sonnet to banish them back to their prison. At the end, he finds himself at a loss to what would rhyme with "tinker's cuss" and still work with the other Words of Power he sewed together. Martha provides him with "[[Literature/HarryPotter Expelliarmus!]]" The Doctor reacts to the destruction by shouting, "Good old Creator/{{JK|Rowling}}!

* ''Series/DoctorWho'', "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E2TheShakespeareCode The Shakespeare Code]]": A group of witches who specialize in WordPower (words are sort of the formula for certain effects, which is [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial not at all like magic spells being a real thing because that would be silly]]) are destroyed by William Shakespeare crafting a sonnet to banish them back to their prison. At the end, he finds himself at a loss to what would rhyme with "tinker's cuss" and still work with the other Words of Power he sewed together. Martha provides him with "[[Literature/HarryPotter Expelliarmus!]]" The Doctor reacts to the destruction by shouting, "Good old [[Creator/JKRowling JK]]!

* ''Manga/OverGeared'': One of players has "Spiteful tongue" skill that mass-decreases enemies stats. Basically, player activates skill and uses bunch of curses.
* ''Manga/Overgeared'': Spoken debuffs was averted by golems deleting their language comprehension.

* ''VideoGame/Cuphead'' gives us Hilda Berg, an anthropomorphized blimp whose laughs are literal projectiles shaped like the word "HA!". ''The Delicious Last Course'' DLC also has the Howling Aces' pups, who shout the letters B, O and W towards you.

* ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'': Ni! Turned around on the knights, later. [[spoiler:They are drained of their will by the word "it".]] Oddly enough, the knight says it at the top of the scene with no harm done, but then hits himself with it for damage during the fade-out.

** 2[[superscript:nd]] and 3.0/3.5 Edition Clerics has ''holy word'', ''blasphemy'' (or ''unholy word'', depending on the edition), ''word of chaos'', and ''order's wrath''. Each is effectively the same spell but targeted a different alignment -- ''holy word'' affects Evil character, ''blasphemy'' affects Good characters, etc. The spells gave varying debuffs based on the relative level of the target vs. that of the cleric who cast it.