Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CENSORIOUS
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connect today's word to others:
Despite what the spelling suggests, censorious is related to censuring, not censoring.
Yes, censorious shares some history with the word "censor," meaning "to remove inappropriate content," but censorious doesn't mean "removing inappropriate content"--it means "full of censure," or "full of sour opinions, mean criticism, or hostile disapproval."
See if you can recall a word we studied that does refer to removing inappropriate content. If you take out all the parts of something that might seem shocking or offensive, basically killing that thing's style, humor, or value and perhaps even blurring the truth, then you're bow____izing it.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"CENSORIOUS"
Censure ("SEN sure") is blame, criticism, or disapproval.
And to censure people or things is to blame them, to criticize them, or to show that you disapprove of them.
So, censorious people and things express blame, criticism, or disapproval toward other people or things.
Pronunciation:
sen SORE ee us
Part of speech:
Adjective.
(Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late."
They can be used in two ways:
1. Right before a noun, as in "a censorious thing" or "a censorious person."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was censorious" or "He was censorious.")
Other forms:
"Censure" is both a noun ("this censure," "such censure") and a verb ("to censure people").
Things and people can be censurable, meaning they're likely to be strongly criticized;
or censuring, meaning they're currently expressing strong criticism.
And censorious people can be called censurers.
How to use it:
Talk about censorious people: those who are always finding fault with things. Or, talk about people being censorious or sounding censorious in a particular situation.
You can also talk about censorious voices; a censorious group, public, or society; censorious comments and accusations; censorious complaining and whining; censorious moods and attitudes; censorious habits and tendencies; a censorious tone or atmosphere, etc.
And, you can say that people (and comments, publications, etc.) are censorious of things or others: "he was censorious of every pierced and tattooed resident," "she is censorious of the Black Lives Matter movement."
examples:
She's tired of the censorious tone in her feed and ready to quit Facebook altogether.
More than just a bitterly censorious church, the Westboro Baptist Church is monitored by the Anti-Defamation League as a hate group.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "censorious" means when you can explain it without saying "faultfinding" or "captious."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "I didn't intend to sound censorious when I (asked, mentioned, or pointed out) _____; _____."
Example: "I didn't intend to sound censorious when I mentioned that the movie gave me no new ideas to think about; it was still entertaining."
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 "Coiners & Coinages." Use your knowledge of science, history, literature, and vocabulary as you match newly coined words to the people who coined them, and vice versa. Let's do this!
From our previous issue: Was it Charles Dickens, Dr. Seuss, or Matt Groening (via Bart Simpson) who coined the word BUTTERFINGERS?
Answer: Although the unflattering adjective "butter-fingered" has been around since 1615, it was Charles Dickens who first had one character call another "butterfingers." It was in his first novel, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, which came out in 1837. Yup: I, too, am surprised that it took someone that long to call someone else butterfingers, or at least write it down.
Try this today: Was it Murray Gell-Mann, James Joyce, or Victor Hugo who coined the word QUARK?
review today's word:
1. One opposite of CENSORIOUS is
A. ACQUISITIVE.
B. JOVIAL.
C. LAUDATORY.
2. The mood at work grew even more censorious, with _____.
A. supervisors checking and re-checking every tiny task we completed
B. infrared cameras installed in every corner
C. new complaints lodged daily
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. C
2. C
Despite what the spelling suggests, censorious is related to censuring, not censoring.
"CENSORIOUS" Censure ("SEN sure") is blame, criticism, or disapproval. Part of speech: Other forms:
She's tired of the censorious tone in her feed and ready to quit Facebook altogether.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "censorious" means when you can explain it without saying "faultfinding" or "captious."
Fill in the blanks: "I didn't intend to sound censorious when I (asked, mentioned, or pointed out) _____; _____."
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.
1. One opposite of CENSORIOUS is
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. |