Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CELERITY

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connect today's word to others: Let's say you're a firefighter arriving at a burning house. If you act with celerity, you act with swiftness: you know what to do, so you leap instantly into action. If you act with a___rity, you act with cheerful eagerness: you smile and whistle as you make your way confidently into the house. If you act with d____rity, you act with great physical skill: your hands and body know exactly how to maneuver the fire hose. And if you act with le__rity, you act with a quick, nimble lightness: you flit effortlessly into the building, wielding your fire hose as if it were an extension of your own body. Could you recall each of those beautiful words? If you're not sure, give them a click. make your point with... "CELERITY" "Celerity" comes from the Latin word for "swift," which explains why it looks a little like "accelerate." When you do something with celerity, you do it with speed or swiftness. Pronunciation: sih LAIR ih tee Part of speech: Uncountable noun. (Like "milk," "rice," and "advice," uncountable nouns are words for stuff that can’t be broken into exact units. You talk about "some milk," "the rice," and "a lot of advice," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many advices." Likewise, talk about "the celerity," "this celerity," "its celerity," "such celerity," "no celerity," and so on, but don’t say "one celerity" or "celerities." An exception is that you can say "a celerity" if you're talking about a specific level of speed: "He reacted with a celerity that shocked me.") Other common forms: none How to use it: When "speed," "swiftness," and "rapidity" aren't fancy or formal enough for your context, pick "celerity" instead, but be aware that not that many English speakers know it. Talk about someone doing something with celerity. You might act or decide with celerity, donate or contribute with celerity, improve or advance with celerity, follow or obey with celerity, move or whirl around with celerity, enter or exit with celerity, respond or reply or react with celerity, etc. Or, talk about the celerity of something: the celerity of the deer's reactions, her celerity of reply, the celerity of their victory. Add an adjective, if you want: "she moved with astonishing celerity," "they reacted with surprising celerity," "he spoke with great celerity." Although it's usually people who act with celerity, you might also talk about things happening with celerity: "the virus is mutating with celerity," "the canoes slipped with celerity across the quiet lake waters." examples: Seeing the distressed driver in her stalled car, Chad responded with celerity, helping other bystanders to push it into a safe position. When I was offered the chance to leave my teaching internship early to fill a long-term substitute position in a more desirable school, I accepted with a celerity that must have seemed like desperation. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "celerity" means when you can explain it without saying "quickness" or "speediness." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "With great celerity, (someone) (was doing something)." Example: "With great celerity, citizens were flocking to donate blood to those who had been injured in the attack." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing with some beautifully worded passages from the Bible as we recall words we've studied before. From our previous issue: "In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of a_______ consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him." (King James Version, Ecclesiastes, chapter 7, verse 14.) What's the missing word? It means "circumstances that are harmful, unhelpful, or undesirable." Answer: adversity. Try this today: "The words of the wise are like g___s, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd." (English Standard Version, Ecclesiastes, chapter 12, verse 11.) What's the missing word? It means "sharp sticks for poking animals (like cattle), so that they go where you want them to go." review today's word: 1. One opposite of CELERITY is A. SLUGGISHNESS. B. MULISHNESS. C. MOUSINESS. 2. She refused with celerity, _____. A. her lips forming a "no" even before he completed his request B. taking care to offer several reasonable alternatives C. trudging loudly from the room Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. A