The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "synergy" as "the increased effectiveness that results when two or more people or businesses work together." According to Brenda Christensen, director of communications for Contatta.com in Scottsdale, Ariz., it's also "gobbledygook biz-speak" used by people who are "just trying to sound 'smart.'"
Jim Phelan, co-founder of the mobile application design firm Electric Slide in Brooklyn, N.Y., found the term not just loathsome but ominous. "I'm particularly mortified by the use of the word 'synergies' in reference to the number of people who can be laid off following an acquisition," he said.
