Sentences: The detailed ____ to our letter should reach us within a week. The plays of Oscar Wilde abound in brilliant ____. The speaker's ____ to the heckler was incisive and scathing. My ____ to that third question in the examination in history was incorrect. The congregation read the ____ in unison. You have enumerated objections to my course; here is their ____. "This is no ____, thou unfeeling man, to excuse the current of thy cruelty." There was silence throughout the chamber as the old statesman rose to make his ____. To the tenderfoot's remark the guide mumbled an indifferent ____. Our appeal for the sufferers elicited but a poor ____.
From the general tree of asking grow many branches, different in size, in the direction they take, in the shades of meaning they cast. What can we learn from a rapid scrutiny of each? That toinquireis to ask for specific information. That toquestionis to keep asking in order to obtain detailed or reluctantly given information. That tointerrogateis to question formally, systematically, or thoroughly. That tointerpellateis to question as of unchallenged right, as in a deliberative body. That toqueryis to bring a thing into question because of doubt as to its correctness or truth. That toquizis to question closely and persistently, as from meddlesomeness, opposition, or curiosity. That tocatechizeis to question in a minute, perhaps impertinent, manner in order to ascertain one's secrets or the amount of his knowledge or information. That torequestis to ask formally and politely. That tobegis to ask for deferentially or humbly, especially on the ground of pity. That tosolicitis to ask with urgency. That toentreatis to ask with strong desire and moving appeal. That tobeseechis to ask earnestly as a boon or favor. That tocraveis to ask humbly and abjectly, as though unworthy of receiving. That toimploreis to ask with fervor and intense earnestness. That tosupplicateis to ask with urgent or even desperate appeal. (Bothimploreandsupplicateimply humility, as of a prayer to a superior being.) That toimportuneis to ask for persistently, even wearyingly. That topetitionis to ask a superior, usually in writing, for some favor, grant, or right.
Assignment for further discrimination:
Sentences: The leader of the minority ____ the upholders of the measure sharply as to a secret understanding. I ____ you to keep your promise. I shall ____ that solution for the present. The colonists ____ Great Britain for a redress of grievances. She ____ the governor to grant her husband a pardon. A child is naturally inquisitive and ____ many questions. I ____ you to show mercy. On bended knees he ____ God's forgiveness. "I'm stopp'd by all the fools I meet And ____ in every street." The policeman ____ the suspect closely. The prosecuting attorney ____ the witness. We are ____ funds to aid the famine-stricken people of India. He ____ me about your health. You should ____ at the office about the lost package. She ____ your presence at the party. Every one resents being ____. I ____ you to care for the child after I am gone. A fool can ____ questions a wise man can't answer. She annoyed them by constantly ____ them for favors. The reporter ____ into the causes of the riot. "____ and it shall be given you." I ____ your pardon, though I well know I do not deserve it. The man ____ me to give him some money for food.
If you consume or injure something by bringing it in contact with fire or heat, youburnit. If you do not consume it but burn it superficially so as to change the texture or color of its surface, youscorchit. If you burn off ends or projections of it, yousingeit. If you burn its surface to dryness or hardness, yousearit. If you dry or shrivel it with heat, youparchit. If through heat you reduce it to a state of charcoal, or cinders, youcharit. If you burn it to ashes, youincinerateit. (This word is learned and but little used in ordinary discourse.) If you burn a dead body to ashes, youcremateit. If you burn or sear anything with a hot iron or a corrosive substance, youcauterizeit.
Sentences: The hired girl ____ the cloth in ironing it. By getting too close to the fire he ____ the nap of his flannels. The doctor at once ____ the wound. The cook had picked the chicken and now ____ its down over the coals. I used to ____ grains of field corn on the cookstove, while my mother prepared dinner. Shelley's body was ____ on a funeral pyre. The lecturer spoke of the time when the whole earth might be ____. The earth was ____ and all growing things were ____ by the intense summer heat.
From much of the talk that we hear nowadays it might be supposed that the earnest devotion of one's self to a task is a thing that has disappeared from the earth. But a good many people are exhibiting this very devotion. Let us see in what different degrees. The man who actively applies himself to something, whether temporarily or habitually, isbusy. The man who makes continued application to work a principle or habit of life, isindustrious. The man who applies himself aggressively to the accomplishment of some specific undertaking or pursuit, isdiligent. The man who quietly and determinedly sticks to a task until it is accomplished, no matter what its difficulties or length, isassiduous. The man who makes steady and painstaking application to whatever he is about, issedulous.
Sentences: Early in life he acquired ____ habits. By patient and ____ study you may overcome those defects of your early education. "How doth the ____ little bee improve each shining hour." The manager gave such ____ attention to details that he made few mistakes. He is ____ at present. Oh, yes, he is always ____. "Nowher so ____ a man has he ther has, And yet he seemed ____ than he was."
Words descriptive of brief utterance are, in nearly every instance, in their origin figurative. The brevity is brought out by comparison with something that is noticeably short or small. Let us examine the words of our list for their figurative qualities. Aconcisestatement is one that iscut downuntil a great deal is said in a few words. Atersestatement isrubbed off, rid of unessentials. Asuccinctstatement has its important thoughtsboundinto small compass, as by a girdle. Acompendiousstatementweighs togetherthe various thoughts and aspects of a subject; it shows by means of a few effective words just what these amount to, gives a summary of them. Acompactstatement has its units of thoughtfastened togetherinto firmness of structure; its brevity is well-knit. Asententiousstatement givesfeelingsoropinionsin a strikingly pointed or axiomatic way, so that they can be easily grasped and remembered; ifsententiousis unfavorably used, the statement may be filled with paraded platitudes. Apithystatement gives the verypith, the heart of a matter; it is sometimes slightly quaint, always effective and arresting. Alaconicstatement is made in the manner ofthe Spartans, who hated talk and used as few words as possible. Acurtstatement ismade short; its abruptness is oftentimes more or less rude.
Sentences: "A tale should be judicious, clear, ____, the language plain, and incidents well link'd." "Charles Lamb made the most ____ criticism of Spenser when he called him the poet's poet." With a ____, disdainful answer she turned away. The sermon was filled with ____ sayings. By omitting all irrelevant details, he made his statement of the case ____. It requires great skill to give a ____ statement of what such a treatise contains. A proverb is a ____ statement of a truth.
Men are as mindful of rank and pretension in their terms for the cessation of life as in their choice of tombstones for the departed.Deathis the great, democratic, unspoilable word. It is not too good for a clown or too poor for an emperor.Deceaseis a more formal word. Its employment is often legal—the death proves to be of sufficient importance for the law (and the lawyers) to take notice.Demise, however, is outwardly the most resplendent term of all. It implies that the victim cut a wide swath even in death. It is used of an illustrious person, as a king, who transmits his title to an heir. Ordinary people cannot afford ademise. If the term is applied to their shuffling off of this mortal coil, the use is euphemistic and likely to be stilted.
Sentences: "The crown at the moment of ____ must descend to the next heir." "____ is a fearful thing." "In their ____ they were not divided." At the ____ of his father he inherited the estate. "Each shall take His chamber in the silent halls of ____." "Many a time I have been half in love with easeful ____."
Earlyis the simple word for that which was in, or toward, the beginning. That isprimitivewhich has the old-fashioned or simple qualities characteristic of the beginning. That isprimevalwhich is of the first or earliest ages. That isprimordialwhich is first in origin, formation, or development. That isprimalwhich is first or original. (The word is poetic.) That ispristinewhich has not been corrupted from its original state.
Assignment for further discrimination:
Sentences: It was a hardy mountain folk that preserved the ____ virtues. The ____ history of mankind is shrouded in uncertainty. "This is the forest ____." "It hath the ____ eldest curse upon 't, A brother's murder." "A ____ leaf is that which is immediately developed from the cotyledon." As the explorers penetrated farther into the country, they beheld all the ____ beauties of nature. Some countries still use the ____ method of plowing with a stick.
We hear some one say that he reads faces. How? Through long study of them and what they indicate. The human race as a whole has been reading faces through the centuries. It has felt such need to label certain recurring aspects of them that it has invented the designating terms. Of these terms the simple, inclusive one is of coursefaceitself. If, however, we are thinking of the face as its look or expression reveals thoughts, emotions, or state of mind, our term iscountenance. If we are thinking of it as distinguished or individualized by the contour, lines, etc., we speak of thefeatures. If we are thinking of its external appearance or aspect, we call it thevisage. If, finally, we are thinking of it as indicative of mind, disposition, or fundamental character, we sayphysiognomy.
Assignment for further discrimination:
Sentences: His grotesque ____ reminded one of a gargoyle. It is said that the ____ of persons living constantly together tend to become alike. "Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling ____." The teacher told the students to wash their ____ every morning. "A ____ more in sorrow than in anger." The firm but kind ____ of the old statesman shone happily at this ovation. "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then ____ to ____." She turned an eager ____ up to me as she spoke. One's ____ is moulded by one's thoughts. Cosmetics injure the ____. His clear-cut ____ impressed his employer.
Financialis usually applied to money matters of considerable size or moment.Monetaryapplies to money, coin, or currency as such.Pecuniaryrefers to practical matters in which money is involved, though not usually in large amounts.Fiscalrefers especially to the time when money, receipts, and accounts are balanced or reckoned.
Sentences: A ____ reward has been offered. We gave the unfortunate man ____ assistance. The ____ system of the country was sound. It was Hamilton who more than any one else shaped the ____ policies of the new government. Experts audit the company's accounts at the end of the ____ year. The ____ interests of the country were behind the bill.
Tofleeis to run away from what one would avoid, as danger, arrest, or the like. Toabscondis to steal off secretly and hide one's self, as from some disgraceful reason or to avoid arrest. Todecampis to leave suddenly in great haste to get away; the word is often used humorously.
Sentences: They went to have their money refunded, but the swindler had ____. The bank teller ____ after having squandered most of the deposits. Yes, we were in proximity to a polecat, and without further parley we ____. "Resist the devil, and he will ____ from you." William Wallace, when pursued by the English, ____ into the Highlands.
Foretellis the general word for stating or perceiving beforehand that which will happen.Predictimplies foretelling based on well-founded or precise knowledge.Prophesyoften implies supernatural inspiration to foretell correctly. The word is especially so used in connection with the Scriptures; but in the Scriptures themselves it frequently expresses insight and admonition without the element of foretelling.Forecastinvolves a marked degree of conjecture.Presageusually means to give as a presentiment or warning.Forebodeexpresses an uncertain foreknowledge of vague impending evil.Portendindicates the likelihood that something will befall which is threatening or evil in its consequences.Augurmeans foretelling from omens.Prognosticatemeans foretelling through the study of signs or symptoms.
Sentences: "For we know in part, and we ____ in part." (Insert in the blank, successively, the terms just distinguished. In each instance how is the meaning affected? Do any of the terms fail to make sense at all? Which term do you think the right one? Bearing in mind the distinctions we have made, frame sentences of your own to embody the terms.)
Get, the general term, may be used of whatever one comes by whatsoever means to possess, experience, or realize. Toacquireis to get into more or less permanent possession, either by some gradual process or by one's determined efforts. Toobtainis to get something desired by means of deliberate effort or request. Toprocureis to get by definitely planned effort something which, in most instances, is of a temporary nature or the possession of which is temporary. Toattainis to get through striving that which one has set as a goal or end of his desire or ambition. Togainis to get that which is advantageous. Towinis to get as the result of successful competition or the overcoming of opposition. Toearnis to get as a deserved reward for one's efforts or exertions.
Sentences: With such wages as those, he can barely ____ a living. He ____ a pardon by appealing to the governor. The speaker ____ his point by forcing his opponent to admit that the figures were misleading. By buying in June I can ____ a good overcoat at half price. Did you ____ only seven thousand dollars for your house? Walpole believed in ____ one's ends in the surest and easiest way possible. It is illegal to ____ money through false pretences. A junior ____ the prize in the oratorical contest. Kirk ____ his advancement by taking a personal interest in the firm's welfare. The painter ____ a foreign accent while he was studying in Paris. He ____ their gratitude by loyally serving them. It was through sacrifices that he ____ an education.
Wegivethat which we transfer from our own to another's possession or ownership, usually without compensation. Webestowthat which we give gratuitously, or of which the recipient stands in especial need. Wegrantthat which has been requested by one dependent upon us or inferior to us, and which we give with some formality. From a position of superiority weconferas a favor or honor that which we might withhold or deny. Wepresentthat which is of importance or value and which we give ceremoniously.
Assignment for further discrimination:
Sentences: William the Conqueror ____ English estates upon his followers. The rich man ____ his wonderful art collection to the museum. My application for a leave of absence has been ____. The ticket agent ____ us complete information. Every year he ____ alms upon the poor in that neighborhood. The school board may ____ an increase in the salaries of teachers. Many merchants ____ premiums with the articles they sell. The college ____ an honorary degree upon the distinguished visitor. The Pilgrims ____ thanks to God for their preservation. "Not what we ____, but what we share."
What did John Wesley mean by saying, "Though I am always inhaste, I am never in ahurry"? Does Lord Chesterfield's saying "Whoever is in ahurryshows that the thing he is about is too big for him" help explain the distinction? Explain the distinction (takingspeedin the modern sense) in the saying "The morehaste, ever the worsespeed." "The tidings were borne with the usualcelerityof evil news." Give the well-known saying in four simple words that express the same idea. Which of the two statements is the more forceful? Which is the more literary? Why did Prescott use the former in hisFerdinand and Isabella? "Despatch," says Lord Chesterfield, "is the soul of business." What doesdespatchsuggest about getting work done thathasteorspeeddoes not? In which way would you prefer for your employee to go about his task—withhaste, withspeed, or withdespatch? "With wingédexpedition, Swift as the lightning glance, he executes His errand on the wicked." Why is it that this use ofexpeditionin Milton's lines is apt? Woulddespatchhave served as well? If not, why not?
Tohateinvolves deep or passionate dislike, sometimes bred of ill-will. Todetestinvolves an intense, vehement, or deep-seated antipathy. Toabhorinvolves utter repugnance or aversion, with an impulse to recoil. Toloatheinvolves disgust because of physical or moral offensiveness. Toabominateinvolves strong moral aversion, as of that which is odious or wicked. Todespiseis to dislike and look down upon as inferior.
Sentences: When he had explained his fell purpose, I could only ____ him. Who would not ____ a slimy creature like Uriah Heep? It is natural for us to ____ our enemies. She ____ greasy food. There suddenly in my pathway was the venomous reptile, darting out its tongue; oh, I ____ snakes! A wholesome nature must ____ such principles as these. A child ____ to kiss and make up. The pampered young millionaire ____ those who are simply honest and kind. These daily practices of her associates she ____.
The words of this group are assuredly blessed. Every one of them has to do with the giving, promotion, or preservation of health. But health is of various kinds, and therefore the words apply differently.Healthfulis the most inclusive of them; it means that the thing it refers to is full of health for us.Wholesomealso is a very broad term; what is wholesome is good for us physically, mentally, or morally.Salutaryis confined to that which affects for good our moral (including civic and social) welfare, especially if it counteracts evil influences or propensities.Salubriousis confined to the physical; it is used almost solely of healthful air or climate.Sanitaryandhygienicapply to physical well-being as promoted by the eradication of the causes for sickness, disease, or the like;sanitary, however, is used of measures and conditions affecting people in general, whereashygienicconnects itself with personal habits.
Assignment for further discrimination: The wordhealthyis often confused withhealthful. You have already discriminated between these two terms, but you should renew your knowledge of the distinction between them.
Sentences: Colorado is noted for its ____ air. He offered the young people some ____ advice. A person should brush his teeth every day for ____ reasons. In spite of its horrors, the French Revolution has had a ____ effect upon civilization. Damp, low places do not have a ____ climate. Cities in the middle ages were not ____. His is a very ____ way of life. My doctor recommends buttermilk as ____.
He knew that it was a ____ responsibility. (Insert the four words in the blank space in turn, and analyze the differences in meaning thus produced.)
He made a ____ donation to the endowment fund. (Insert the four words in the blank space in turn, and analyze the differences in meaning.)
"A man's a man for a' that," sang the poet. So he is, but not all the adjectives allusive to his state are equally complimentary.Masculinebetokens the qualities and characteristics belonging to men.Maledesignates sex and is used of animals as well as human beings.Manly(used of boys as well as men) implies the possession of qualities worthy of a man, as strength, courage, sincerity, honesty, independence, or even tenderness.Manlikerefers to qualities, attributes, or foibles characteristically masculine.Manfulsuggests the valor, prowess, or resolution properly belonging to men.Mannish(a derogatory word) indicates superficial or affected qualities of manhood, especially when inappropriately possessed by a woman.Virileapplies to the sturdy and intrepid qualities of mature manhood.
Sentences: The Chinese especially prize ____ children. He was a ____ little fellow. She walked with a ____ stride. With ____ courage he faced the crisis. It was a ____ defense of an unpopular cause. ____ strength is the complement of female grace. The old sailor still retained the rugged and ____ strength of a man much younger. With ____ bluntness he told her what he thought. Such gentleness is not weak; it is ____. He made a ____ struggle against odds. "His ____ brow Consents to death, but conquers agony." Now isn't that assumption of omniscience ____?
Anameis the word or words by which a person or thing is called or known. If the name be descriptive or characterizing, even though in a fanciful way, it is anappellation. If it particularizes an individual through reference to distinctive quality or nature, perhaps without employing any word the individual is usually known by, it is adesignation. If it specifies a class, especially a religious sect or a kind of coin, it is adenomination. If it is an official or honorary description of rank, office, place within a profession, or the like, it is atitle. If it is assumed, as to conceal identity, it is analias.
Assignment for further discrimination:
Sentences: Yes, it is a five-dollar gold piece, though one doesn't often see a coin of that ____ nowadays. The Little Corporal is the ____ applied to Napoleon by his soldiers. The eldest son of the king of England bears the ____ of the Prince of Wales. The government issues stamps in various ____. "That loafer" was his contemptuous ____ of the man who could not find work. "Duke" is the highest ____ of nobility in England. The crook was known to the police under many ____. At the battle of Bull Run Jackson received the ____ "Stonewall." "What's in a[n] ____? that which we call a rose By any other ____ would smell as sweet." The head of the American government bears the ____ of President. The Mist of Spring was the little Indian maiden's ____. His ____ was Thornberg.
We reserve the right to judge for ourselves when told that something— especially a joke—is "the very latest." So may we likewise discriminate among degrees of age.Oldis applied to a person or thing that has existed for a long time or that existed in the distant past. The word may suggest a familiarity or sentiment not found inancient, which is used of that which lived or happened in the remote past, or has come down from it.Oldenapplies almost wholly to time long past.Antiqueis the term for that which has come down from ancient times or is made in imitation of the style of ancient times, whereasantiquatedis the term for that which has gone out of style or fashion.Archaicandobsoleterefer to words, customs, or the like, the former to such as savor of an earlier period though they are not yet completely out of use, the latter to such as have passed out of use altogether.Immemorialimplies that a thing is so old that it is beyond the time of memory or record.Elderlyis applied to persons who are between middle age and old age.Agedis used of one who has lived for an unusually long time.Hoaryrefers to age as revealed by white hair.Venerablesuggests the reverence to be paid to the dignity, goodness, or wisdom of old age.Decrepitconveys a sense of the physical infirmities and weakness which attend old age;senileof the lessening powers of both body and mind that result from old age.Superannuatedis applied to a person who on account of old age has been declared incapable of continuing his activities.
Sentences: He liked to read romances of the ____ days. Dana records that he once saw a man so ____ that he had to raise his eyelids with his fingers. Many writers use ____ words to give quaintness to their work. He liked to sit around in his ____ clothes. "The moping owl does to the moon complain Of such as, wandering near her secret bower, Molest her ____ solitary reign." Some of these ____ sequoia trees were old before the white man discovered this continent. They are building the church in the ____ Roman style of architecture. "Be not … the last to lay the ____ aside." Many of Chaucer's words, being ____, cannot possibly be understood without a glossary. Most churches now have funds for ____ ministers. A man is as ____ as he feels; a woman is as ____ as she looks. The ____ old man could scarcely hobble across the room. What better proof that he is ____ do you ask than that he babbles constantly about what happened when he was young? "I am a very foolish fond ____ man, Fourscore and upward." They revered the ____ locks of the old hero. At sixty a man is considered a[n] ____ person. That the earth is flat is a[n] ____ idea. The young warriors listened respectfully to the ____ chief's advice. They unearthed a[n] ____ vase. "____ wood best to burn, ____ wine to drink, ____ friends to trust, and ____ authors to read." His favorite study was ____ history. "Grow ____ along with me." "The most ____ heavens, through thee, are fresh and strong."
Most men are willing to receive what is due them. They might even be persuaded to receive a bit more. Why should they not be as scrupulous to receive what they are entitled to in the medium of language as of money? Sometimes they are. Offering topaysome people instead of tocompensatethem is like offering a tip to the wrong person. Why? Because there is a social implication incompensatewhich is not contained inpay. Topayis simply to give what is due, as in wages (or even salary), price, or the like. Tocompensateis to make suitable return for service rendered. Doescompensatenot sound the more soothing? But save in exceptional circumstances the downrightness ofpayhas no hint of vulgarity. Torecompenseis to make a return, especially if it is not monetary, for work, pains, trouble, losses, or suffering; or some quality or blessing (as affection or happiness) may be said to recompense one. Toremunerateis to disburse a large amount to a person, or to give it to him as a reward, or otherwise to make him a return in a matter of importance. Torequiteis to put a just value upon one's work, deeds, or merit and to make payment strictly in accordance with his deserts. Toreimburseis to make good what some one has spent for you. Toindemnifyis to secure some one against loss or to make restitution for damages he has sustained.
Assignment for further discrimination:
Sentences: Let us ____ him for his efforts in our behalf. Let us ____ their kindness with kindness, their cruelty with cruelty. To ____ them adequately for such patriotic sacrifices is of course impossible. The government demanded that it be ____ for the injury to its citizens. I shall ____ you for all sums expended. He ____ the bill by a check. The success of her children ____ a mother for her sacrifices for them. Wages are ____ to laborers; salaries are ____ to judges.
Most persons feel in their hearts that their claims and merits are superior to those of other people. But they do not like for you, in describing them, to imply that their self-appraisal is too high. "Comparisons are odious," and therefore in comparing their fancied with their real selves you must choose your terms carefully. Of the words that suggest an exaggerated estimate of one's merits or privileges the broadest, as well as the least offensive, isproud. In fact this word need not carry the idea of exaggeration. A proud man may but hold himself in justifiable esteem, or wish to measure up to the demands of his station or to the expectations of others. On the other hand, he may overvalue his attainments, possessions, connections, etc. To say that the man isarrogantmeans that he combines with pride a contempt for others, that he claims for himself greater attention, consideration, or respect than he is entitled to. To say that he ispresumptuousmakes him an inferior (or at least not a superior) who claims privileges or takes liberties improperly. To say that he ishaughtymeans that he assumes a disdainful superiority to others, especially through fancied or actual advantage over them in birth or social position. To say that he issuperciliousmeans that he maintains toward others an attitude of lofty indifference or sneering contempt. To say that he isinsolentmeans that he is purposely and perhaps coarsely disrespectful toward others, especially toward his superiors. To say that he isinsultingmeans that he gives or offers personal affront, probably in scornful or disdainful speech.
Assignment for further discrimination:
Sentences: He was ____ in replying to the questions. She paid no attention to his words, but kept looking at him with a[n] ____ smile. He was ____ in acting as if he were their equal. The hot-tempered fellow answered this ____ remark with a blow. She resented his presuming to speak to her, and turned away in a[n] ____ manner. The servant was ____ to her mistress. Are you not very ____ of your family connections? The old man was so ____ that he expected people to raise their hats to him and not to sit down till he gave permission.
Topunisha person is to inflict pain or penalty upon him as a retribution for wrong-doing. There may be, usually is, no intention to improve the offender. Tochastisehim is to inflict deserved corporal punishment upon him for corrective purposes. Tochastenhim is to afflict him with trouble for his reformation or spiritual betterment. The word is normally employed in connection with such affliction from God.
Assignment for further discrimination:
Sentences: "Hearing oftentimes The still, sad music of humanity, Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power To ____ and subdue." Ichabod Crane freely used his ferule in ____ his pupils. "Whom the Lord loveth he ____." A naughty child should be ____.
"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Substitutewealthyforrich. Is the meaning exactly the same? Is Goldsmith's description of the village preacher—"passing rich with forty pounds a year"—as effective ifwealthyis substituted? What is the difference betweenrichesandwealth? Which implies the greater degree of possession, which the more permanence and stability? Which word suggests the more personal relationship with money? Which word the more definitely denotes money or its immediate equivalent? Why do we say "get-rich-quick schemes" rather than "get-wealthy-quick schemes"? What besides the possession of wealth doesaffluentsuggest? Could we say that a rich miser lives in affluence? If not, why not? A poor clerk who has ten dollars to spend as he pleases may feel affluent. A rich banker may be a man of affluence in his town. What power does this suggest that he has besides the possession of a great deal of money? Explain all that Swift implies by the wordopulencein the quotation "There in full opulence a banker dwelt, Who all the joys and pangs of riches felt." If you substituteaffluence, what different impression do you get?
"Theruralinhabitants of a country." Are the people being spoken of favorably, unfavorably, or neutrally? How would the meaning be affected if they were calledrusticinhabitants? Would you ordinarily speak of theruralor therusticpopulation to distinguish it from the urban? Would you speak ofruralorrusticactivities?ruralorrusticmanners? When the two adjectives may be employed, is one of them unflattering? Is arusticbridge something to be ashamed of? arusticchair? arusticgate? What, then, is the degree of reproach that attaches to each of the two adjectives? the degree of commendation? Wherein dopastoralscenes differ fromrural?pastoralamusements fromrustic? Can you trace a connection between thepastorof a church and apastorallife? Do you often hear the wordbucolic? In what mood is it oftenest uttered? Which of the four adjectives best fits into Goldsmith's dignified lament: "And ____ mirth and manners are no more"?
We pass through a crowded room and notice that some of its occupants are not adding their voices to the chatter. We resolve to study these unspeaking persons. Some of them merely have nothing to say, or are timid or preoccupied; or it may be they deliberately have set themselves not to talk. These aresilent. Some plainly desire not to talk, it may be in general or it may be upon some particular topic; they may (but need not) regard themselves as superior to their associates, or for some other reason let aloofness or coldness creep into their manner. These arereserved. Others withhold information that persons about them are, or would be, interested in. These areuncommunicative. Others maintain their own counsel; they neglect opportunities to reveal their thoughts, plans, and the like. These arereticent. Others are disinclined—and habitually, we perceive—to talking. These aretaciturn.
Sentences: The ____ prisoner evaded all questions. He was as ____ as nature itself; he never gave his views upon any subject. He was ____ about the firm's affairs, especially toward persons who seemed inquisitive. We knew there had been a love affair in his life, but he was ____ on the subject. She sat ____ throughout the discussion. If to be ____ is golden, Lucas should have been a billionaire.
You hear a "concord of sweet sounds," not instrumental but vocal, and wish to tell me so. You say that some personsings. Then you recall that I am something of an expert in music, and you cast about for the word that shall state specifically the kind of singing that is being done. Does the person sing solemnly in a more or less uniform tone? You tell me that hechants. Does he sing gladly, spontaneously, high-spiritedly, as if his heart were pouring over with joy? You say that hecarols. Does he sing with vibratory notes and little runs, as in bird-music? You say that hewarbles. Does he sing loudly and freely? You say that hetrolls. Does he sing with peculiar modulations from the regular into a falsetto voice? You say that heyodels. Does he sing a simple, perhaps tender, song in a low tone (as a lullaby to an infant)? You say that hecroons. Does he sing with his lips closed? You say that hehums. Does he utter the short, perhaps sharp, notes of certain birds and insects? You say that hechirpsorchirrups.
Assignment for further discrimination:
Sentences: A cricket ____ in the grass outside the door. He abstractedly gazed out of the window and ____ a few strains of an old song. Listen, they are ____ the Te Deum. "And ____ still dost soar, and soaring ever ____." A strange, uncanny blending of false and true notes it is when the Swiss mountaineers are ____. Negroes, as a race, love to ____. As she soothes the child to sleep she ____ a "rock-a-bye-baby."
Suaveimplies agreeable persuasiveness or smooth urbanity.Blandsuggests a soothing or coaxing kindness of manner, one that is sometimes lacking in sincerity.Unctuousimplies excessive smoothness, as though one's manner were oiled. The word carries a decided suggestion of hypocrisy.Fulsomesuggests such gross flattery as to be annoying or cloying.Smugsuggests an effeminate self-satisfaction, usually not justified by merit or achievement.
Assignment for further discrimination:
Sentences: He thought his answer exceedingly brilliant and settled back into his chair with ____ complacency. "____ the smile that like a wrinkling wind On glassy water drove his cheek in lines." They were irritated by his ____ praise. Although he disliked them, he greeted them with ____ cordiality. "A bankrupt, a prodigal, … that used to come so ____ upon the mart; let him look to his bond." ____ as a diplomat.
A little while ago you were in a crowded room and made a study of the persons disposed to silence. But your study was carried on under difficulties, for many of those about you showed a tendency to copious or excessive speech. One woman entered readily into conversation with you and convinced you that her natural disposition was to converse a great deal. She wastalkative. From her you escaped to a man who soon proved that he talked too much and could run on with an incessant flow of words, perhaps employing many of them where a few would have sufficed. He wasloquacious. The two of you were joined by an old gentleman who forthwith began to talk wordily, tediously, continuously, with needless repetitions and in tiresome detail; you suspected that he had suffered a mental decline from age, and that he might be excessively fond, in season and out of season, of talking about himself and his opinions. He wasgarrulous. You broke away from these two and fell into the hands of a much more agreeable interlocutor. He talked with a ready, easy command of words, so that his discourseflowedsmoothly. He wasfluent. He introduced you to a lady whose speech possessed smoothness and ease in too great degree; it fairlyrolledalong, as a hoop does downhill. The lady wasvoluble. Into your triangular group broke a newcomer whose speech had in it a flippant, or at least a superficially clever, fluency. He wasglib. Leaving these three to fight (or talk) it out as best they might, you grabbed your hat and hurried outside for a fresh whiff of air.
Assignment for further discrimination:
Sentences: The insurance agent was so ____ a talker that I was soothed into sleepiness by his voice. The ____ old man could talk forever about the happenings of his boyhood. Through ____ descriptions of life in the city the dapper summer boarder entranced the simple country girl. I met a ____ fellow on the train, and we had a long conversation. She was so ____ that I spent half the afternoon with her and learned nothing.
Weakis the general word for that which is deficient in strength.Debilitatedis used of physical weakness, in most instances brought on by excesses and abuses.Feebledenotes decided or extreme weakness, which may excite pity or contempt.Infirmis applied to a person whose weakness or feebleness is due to age.Decrepitis used in reference to a person broken down or worn out by infirmities, age, or sickness.Impotentimplies such loss or lack of strength or vitality as to render ineffective or helpless.
Assignment for further discrimination:
Sentences: "Here I stand, your slave, A poor, ____, weak, and despis'd old man." A[n] ____ old man shuffled along with the aid of a cane. Though still in his youth, he was ____ from intemperance and fast living. A fellow who does that has a[n] ____ mind. He staggered about trying to strike his opponent, but rage and his wound rendered him for the time ____. The grasp of the old man was so ____ that the cup trembled in his hand. "Like rich hangings in a homely house, So was his will in his old ____ body." After his long illness he was as ____ as a child. He made but a[n] ____ attempt to defend himself.
Wiseimplies sound and discriminating judgment, resulting from either learning or experience.Learneddenotes the past acquisition of much information through study.Eruditemeans characterized by extensive or profound knowledge.Sagaciousimplies far-sighted judgment and intuitive discernment, especially in practical matters.Sapientis now of infrequent use except as applied ironically or playfully to one having or professing wisdom.Sageimplies deep wisdom that comes from age or experience.Judiciousdenotes sound judgment or careful discretion in weighing a matter with reference to its merits or its consequences.Prudentconveys a sense of cautious foresight in judging the future and planning for it upon the basis of the circumstances at hand.Providentsuggests practical foresight and careful economy in preparing for future needs.Discreetdenotes care or painstakingness in doing or saying the right thing at the right time, and the avoidance thereby of errors or unpleasant results.
Sentences: Against the time when his children would be going to college he had been ____. "Most ____ judge!" The ____ old warrior could not be deceived by any such ruse. "Be ye therefore as ____ as serpents, and harmless as doves." The ____ advice of his elders was wasted on him. The course was ____, not rash. He was ____ in avoiding all reference to the subject. "Type of the ____, who soar but never roam, True to the kindred points of heaven and home." Even by those scholars, those specialists, he was deemed ____. How ____ the young man is! "Where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be ____." Is it ____ to spend money thus lavishly? He considered the matter well and gave a most ____ answer. To spend every cent of one's income is surely not to be ____.
All of us, at times anyhow, get out of as much work as we can. We even use the wordworkand its synonyms loosely and indolently. Perhaps this is a literary aspect of the labor problem. If, however, we can shake off our sluggishness and exert ourselves in discriminating our terms, we shall useworkas a general word for effort, physical or mental, to some purposive end;laborfor hard, physical work;toilfor wearying or exhaustive work; anddrudgeryfor tedious, monotonous, or distasteful work, especially of a low or menial kind.
Sentences: It required the ____ of thousands of men to complete the tunnel. To be condemned to the galleys meant a life of unending ____. The man who enjoys his ____ will succeed. Twenty years of incessant ____ had extinguished in him every spark of ambition. He was weary after the ____ of the day. All ____ and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Through the heart-breaking ____ of thousands the pyramids were built to commemorate a few. He was sentenced to hard ____.
You have now seen enough of the method of discriminating synonyms to take more of the responsibility for such work upon yourself. In this chapter, therefore, the plan followed in Exercise A is abandoned and no discriminations are supplied you.
For some of the generic words in Exercise A you will find antonyms inExercise C. Here is a list:
In Exercise A: walk, laugh, busy, hate, masculine, old
In Exercise C: run, cry, idle, love, feminine, young.
Now each of the generic terms in C is followed by a list of its synonyms. But for the six generic terms just given let us see how many synonyms you can find for yourself. Simply study each word in turn, think of all the synonyms for it you can summon, strike out those you consider far-fetched. Then compare your list with the list under the antonym in Exercise A; if possible, improve your list by means of this comparison. Finally, compare your revised list with the list in Exercise C.
In Exercise C are two generic terms that carry the same idea (but not in the same part of speech) as generic terms in Exercise A. They are as follows:
In Exercise A: sing, death
In Exercise C: song, die.
Takesonganddie. First, find all the satisfactory synonyms you can for yourself. Then if possible improve your list by studying the list under the corresponding word in Exercise A. Finally, compare your revised list with the one in Exercise C.
After three introductory groups (dealing with thoroughly concrete ideas and words) the synonyms in this exercise are arranged alphabetically according to the first word in each group.
Discriminate the words in each group, and fill each blank in the illustrative sentences with the word that conveys the meaning exactly.
Sentences: The intruder he ____ in the early dawn-light might have been man or beast; he could not have ____ one from the other. After a long search I ____ on the map the name of the town. The teacher ____ the throwing of the paper wad, but thought best not to ____ it. "He that hath eyes to ____, let him ____." I ____ the encounter. "I hope to ____ my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar." "When my eyes turn to ____ for the last time the sun in heaven." I sat by the flower and ____ the bee plunder it. The scrawl on the paper was meaningless, but at length by close attention he ____ secret writing. "Your young men shall ____ visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." He had ____ human nature manifesting itself under various conditions.
Sentences: With the jawbone of an ass Samson ____ a thousand of his enemies. It was his duty as sheriff to ____ the criminal, and the method decreed by the state was that he should ____ him. Previously the method of carrying out a sentence of death had been to ____ the criminal. On our left wing we lost one man in ten: thus our lines were literally ____ On our right wing, where we advanced to the attack in the open, our men were simply ____. After the garrison had laid down its arms the Indians ____ men, women, and children. "I would not ____ thy soul." During the French Revolution many of the nobility were ____. In the country late fall is the time to ____ hogs. Thinking that his accomplice was no longer of use, he quietly ____ him. The anarchist who had ____ the governor was taken by a mob and ____.
Sentences: Since he had not exerted himself beforehand, his state was one of ____ rather than one of ____. The sultry heat of the day put him into a ____. "Not poppy, nor mandragora, Nor all the ____ syrops of the world, Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet ____ Which thou ow[n]edst yesterday." Light and pleasant be thy ____. "And still she slept an azure-lidded ____." From the ____ induced by his injury the physicians were unable to arouse him. "Oh ____! it is a gentle thing, Beloved from pole to pole!" "The poppied warmth of ____ oppress'd Her soothéd limbs, and soul fatigued away." In Spanish-speaking South American countries every one expects to take his ____. He lay down under the tree for a short ____ and had just fallen into a preliminary ____ when the picnic party arrived. "Macbeth does murder ____, the innocent ____, ____ that knits up the ravel'd sleave of care."
Sentences: A declaration of war would of course ____ the treaty. The legislature has the right to ____ old laws as well as to enact new ones. Because they left his grounds littered with paper, he ____ their privilege of holding picnics there. The king ____ the decree that the conspirators should be exiled. Slavery was ____ by the Emancipation Proclamation. The emperor ____ many of the ancient rights of the people. They ____ the mortgage when he paid the money. The violation of these provisions has ____ the contract. It was an ill day for France when the Edict of Nantes was ____ by Louis XIV. The Supreme Court ____ the decision of the lower tribunal. The Mormons have officially ____ polygamy. The codicil ____ some of the earlier provisions in his will.
Sentences: He ____ himself from all blame. The king ____ them from their allegiance. The teacher ____ the student who had been suspected of theft. The father confessor ____ the penitent. The jury ____ the man on the first ballot.
Sentences: One child was too ____ to speak to the strangers; the other too ____ to do anything but squall. "If Caesar hide himself, shall they not whisper 'Lo, Caesar is ____'?" Any one might have been ____ by this noise in a room said to be haunted; and for my part, I stood ____.
Sentences: The judge ____ the severity of the punishment. They collected funds to ____ the sufferings of the poor. He could not ____ the wrath of the angry man. Shall we try to ____ their fears by telling them the accident may have been less calamitous than they have heard? A mustard plaster ____ the pain. The grief of the mother was ____ by the presence of her child. This experience had by no means ____ his temper.
Sentences: Visitors are not ____ to see the king. The over-running of my yard by the neighbors' chickens is a nuisance I shall not ____. "____ little children to come unto me." The use of bicycles and velocipedes on the pavement, though not ____ by the city, is good-naturedly ____ by most of the citizens. She ____ her children to play in the street.
Sentences: I ____ my failure to poor judgment. He ____ sinister motives for their actions. So many ideal characteristics have been ____ to Washington that it is difficult to think of him as a man.
Sentences: An elephant is ____ in its movements. Some ____ countrymen hung around the circus entrance. He was tall and ____; he seemed to be a mere prop on which clothes were hung. Isn't that man ____ in his carriage? The fingers of the ball-players might as well have been thumbs, so ____ were they from the cold. Girls throw a ball in a[n] ____ manner.
Sentences: Fletcher taught people to ____ their food well. The mouse ____ the cheese, but the trap did not spring. A horse ____ his bits. When I ____ into the apple, I found that it was sour. The rat ____ a hole through the board.
Sentences: "____ my timbers!" the old salt exclaimed. The anaconda is an immense serpent that wraps itself about its victim and ____ it. The child blew the soap bubble wider and wider till it ____. "You may ____, you may ____ the vase if you will." Looking closely at the eggs, she perceived that one of them was ____. With a board the thoughtless child ____ the anthill. During a violent fit of coughing he ____ a blood vessel. The thick cloud was ____ and the sunshine streamed through.
Sentences: A mouse must be ____ lest it be caught in a trap. He had learned to be ____ in advancing his radical opinions. The man was a Scot and therefore ____. With a ____ movement I opened the door to investigate the strange noise. He was ____ in checking up the accounts. Be extremely ____ in your behavior, for they are watching to criticize you.
Sentences: The king ____ them safe conduct through the country. He would not ____ to touch the money that had been gained dishonestly. His ____ manner irritated them. The master ____ to hear the complaints of the servants.
Sentences: He ____ the charge with positive proof. The finding of
Desdemona's handkerchief ____ Othello's belief that she was guilty. The
other witnesses ____ his testimony. The doctor ____ the appointment his
assistant had made for him. He ____ his results by repeating the
experiment a number of times. Sentences: It seemed they must be driven from their works but they
held to them with the utmost ____. He had the ____ to fight an aggressive
battle, but not the ____ to stand for long days upon the defensive; less
still did he have the ____ to disregard unjust criticism. The silent ____
of the women who bide at home surpasses the ____ the warriors who engage
in battle. He had the dashing ____ of a cavalry officer. Sentences: "But with the whiff and wind of his ____ sword
The unnerved father falls." "Poor naked wretches, wheresoe'er you are,
That bide the pelting of this ____ storm." The ____ fellow could cause
suffering to a child without the least tinge of remorse. Such conduct is
unheard of in civilized communities; it is ____, it is ____. "I must be
____ only to be kind." Sentences: "____ no more, woeful shepherds; ____ no more."
The woman covered her face with her hands and ____, while the children
____. He ____ a forced regret at the death of his uncle, and asked that
the will be read, "Rachel ____ for her children." "Rejoice with them that
do rejoice, and ____ with them that ____." "I could lie down like a tired
child And ____ away this life of care Which I have borne and yet must
bear." "An infant ____ in the night." "What's Hecuba to him or he
to Hecuba That he should ____ for her?" I was disgusted at the sight of
that overgrown boy standing in the corner ____. "You think I'll ____; No,
I'll not ____: I have full cause of ____, but this heart Shall break into
a hundred thousand flaws Or ere I'll ____." Sentences: "I'll ____ around your heart with my razor, And shoot
you with my shotgun too." "O Hamlet! thou hast ____ my heart in twain." By
the pressure of his hands he could ____ an apple. With his new hatchet
George began ____ at the cherry tree. He carelessly ____ off a branch or
two. The horses were ____ the rank grass. An old form of punishment was to
____ the nose of the offender. The nobleman ordered the groom to ____ the
tails of the carriage horses. You should ____ your meadows in the summer
and ____ your grapevines in the late fall or early winter. "Do you," asked
the barber, "wish your hair ____ or ____?" ____ to the line. It is painful
to see Dodwell trying to ____ a turkey. In geometry we learned to ____
angles, in biology to ____ cats. The bad man in the West ____ his gunstock
each time he shot a tenderfoot. Betty, will you ____ this cucumber?
"'Mark's way,' said Mark, and ____ him thro' the brain." Sentences: He has a ____ disease. The spirit of Virgil guided Dante
through the ____ shades. Cyanide of potassium is a ____ poison. He struck
a ____ blow. Sentences: Napoleon ____ his enemies in many battles, but he was
not able to ____ them. The new governor general ____ the uprising. He was
____ in the election. Caesar ____ many countries and made them swear
allegiance to Rome. "Who ____ by force Hath ____ but half his foe." The
militia ____ the rioters. Sentences: He produced evidence to ____ the charge. They could not
____ the facts we presented. It is difficult to ____ those who are
spreading these rumors, yet all right-minded people think the rumors
false. "I put thee now to thy book-oath; ____ it if thou canst." Either
admit or ____ the truth of this allegation. Such a law ____ the first
principles of justice. Sentences: All the ferocious wild animals are gradually being
____. As weeds from a field, so is it difficult to ____ all the faults
from man's nature. But how shall we ____ the cause of this disease? Fire
____ the bank. The wrecking crew ____ the building. She tried to ____ the
terrible scene from her memory. "____ all that's made To a green thought
in a green shade." The cyclone ____ the church. The Spanish Inquisition
tried to ____ heresy. "____ out the written troubles of the brain."
The army was not only defeated; it was ____. "A bold peasantry, their
country's pride, When once ____, can never be supplied." Sentences: All men are mortal and must ____. "As wax melteth before
the fire, so let the wicked ____ at the presence of God." "I still had
hopes, my long vexations past, Here to return, and ____ at home at last."
The late ____ Mr. Brown left all his property to his family. "Cowards ____
many times before their deaths." "The poor beetle, that we tread upon, In
corporal sufferance finds a pang as great As when a giant giant ____."
"Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not ____
from the earth." "Thus on Maeander's flowery margin lies Th' ____ swan,
and as he sings he dies." Over a thousand people ____ in the fire at the
theater. "To ____, to sleep; to sleep: perchance to dream." He ____ to a
lingering disease. "Aye, but to ____, and go we know not where; To lie in
cold obstruction and to rot." "Wind my thread of life up higher, Up,
through angels' hands of fire! I aspire while I ____." Sentences: He ____ his head under the hydrant. The Baptists ____ at
baptism. She ____ the cloth into the dye. The sophomores ____ the freshmen
into the icy water of the lake. Paul Jones could not ____ the enemy's
ship; he therefore resolved to board it. The wreck lay ____ in forty
fathoms of water. Uncle Tom ____ overboard to rescue the child. When the
gun is discharged, the loon does not rise from the water; it ____. Lewis
became badly strangled when the other boys ____ him. Sentences: He was suffering the ____ of age. Cancer is still in
many instances an incurable ____ The ____ of the lady ended as soon as the
maid told her the callers had gone away. It was an old ____ of the
tonsils, but this time the child's ____ was slight. "To help me through
this long ____, my life." Sentences: The king discovered many ____ schemes among those who
pretended to be his loyal supporters. England's enemies have long called
her "____ Albion." They were afraid the Indian guide would betray them by
some ____ action. "O you beast! O ____ coward! O dishonest wretch!" He was
____ to his adopted country. "Bloody, bawdy villain! Remorseless, ____,
lecherous, kindless villain! O! vengeance!" Sentences: An officer ____ the orders with despatch. He ____ a
mighty name for himself. "If it were ____ when 'tis ____ then 'twere well
It were ____ quickly." Constant efforts will ____ miracles. The student
____ the problems quickly. The doctor hopes his new treatment will ____ a
cure. "God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to ____." He persevered
till he ____ his purpose. He always ____ more than was expected of him. Sentences: The spy concealed his identity by wearing the ____ of a
monk. The soldiers wore blue ____. She was an excellent horsewoman, and
rode in a fashionable ____. "No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an
old ____." Millions of men left farms and factories and shops to don the
____ of war. The invitation specified that the men should wear evening
____. The store specialized in women's wearing ____. A person should wear
warm ____ in winter. The king appeared in his royal ____. He always wore
expensive ____. The bishop entered in his clerical ____. "The ____ oft
proclaims the man." The theatrical ____ was full of spangles. One's ____
should never be conspicuous. Sentences: "She who, as they voyaged, ____ With Tristram that
spiced magic draught." Plants ____ moisture through their roots. "A little
learning is a dang'rous thing; ____ deep, or taste not the Pierian
spring." He ____ down the liquor in a couple of huge draughts. On the fan
was a picture of Japanese maidens daintily ____ tea. "____ to me only with
thine eyes." His red nose betrayed the fact that he constantly ____. Sentences: They ____ payment to the last cent. The police ____ a
confession from the prisoner by intimidating him. This terrible suffering
____ our sympathy. His resolve to begin again after his failure ____ their
admiration. "But lend it rather to thine enemy; Who if he break, thou
mayst with better face ____ the penalty." They ____ all the information
they could by questioning the child. Sentences: The annoying little raids ____ the enemy. Such
conclusive proof of his lies completely ____ him. His sudden proposal ____
her. He stood ____ in the presence of the king. The traveler was ____ by
the many turns in the road. She was ____ by the delay in having dinner
ready. She was ____ by her husband's ill manners. The possibility that her
daughter might have been in the accident ____ her. I was ____ at being so
cleverly outwitted. Sentences: We should ____ even those who do us wrong. "Father, ____
them; for they know not what they do." I trust you will ____ my being
late. Ignorance ____ no one before the law. The governor ____ the convict.
He thought it better to ____ the offense than to try to punish it. Sentences: The minister ____ the doctrine of predestination.
The tribesman ____ his chief's words for us. He ____ his meaning by giving
clear examples. Joseph was called upon to ____ Pharaoh's dream. Can you
____ the reason for your absence? Various scholars have ____ the passage
differently. Sentences: "There live not three good men unhanged in England, and
one of them is ____ and grows old." A[n] ____ rosy-faced child walking
beside a girl just pleasantly ____ came past the garden. The ____ lady was
talking with a[n] ____, ill-conditioned man. "So ____, blithe, and
debonair." "He's ____ and scant of breath." The ruffian was a[n] ____
fellow. They were ____ in varying degrees: one was ____, one ____, and one
downright ____.
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