Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ETHEREAL
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connect today's word to others:
If you're dressing up as a genie, ghost, angel, or goddess this Halloween, your costume will be ethereal: light, airy, wispy, filmy, and beautiful, as if you just floated in from the heavens or some mysterious realm.
Ethereal things tend to be g_ss_m__, or so thin, light, and delicate that they remind you of spiderwebs.
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make your point with...
"ETHEREAL"
According to the ancients, "ether" (pronounced "EE thur") is the matter surrounding the stars and planets. Today, "ether" (or "the ether") is the sky, the air in the heavens, or some wispy imaginary substance. "Ether" is also a whimsical word for the space all around us that carries radio waves, TV waves, and digital information. And, "ether" has several specific meanings in chemistry.
So let's keep all of that in mind as we define "ethereal." Ethereal things are spiritual, heavenly, otherworldly, or light and delicate in a beautiful, mystical way.
Pronunciation:
Either "ih THEER ee ull" or "ee THEER ee ull."
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 "an ethereal thing" or "an ethereal person."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was ethereal" or "He was ethereal.")
Other forms worth knowing:
The adverb is "ethereally."
For the noun, use "etherealism," "etherealness," or "ethereality." (I prefer "ethereality.")
How to use it:
Talk about ethereal space, heights, stars, and moonlight; ethereal places and atmospheres; ethereal spirits, moods, and presences; ethereal figures, people, and animals; ethereal sounds, music, voices, dances, and movements; ethereal art, poetry, fabric, and garments, and so on.
examples:
The Alchemist did not fill me with the infinite peace and ethereal clarity that I was promised.
"Early on, she made a creative decision to overexpose the film slightly, which lends an even more ethereal and slightly ominous atmosphere to her images."
—The Guardian, 12 April 2018
study it now:
Look away from the screen to define "ethereal" without saying "gauzy" or "otherworldly."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(A particular song, composition, or performance) opens with the ethereal sound of _____."
Example: "One of my favorites from Hozier, 'Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene' opens with the ethereal sound of humming from another room."
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.
Apt Adjective Anagrams!
I'll invent a person's name and a brief description of that person, and you unscramble the letters in the name to form an adjective that aptly describes the person or the person's situation.
For example, if I say "Naomi Cirous is still holding a grudge," then you rearrange the letters in "Naomi Cirous" to form the adjective "acrimonious," meaning "sharp, bitter, and mean"--an appropriate adjective for someone holding a grudge.
From the previous issue: Horacio Decus wears fluorescent dress shirts and ties emblazoned with flamingos.
Answer: His style is orchidaceous.
Try this today: Rose Uno is the sole caretaker for her aging parents.
review today's word:
1. A close opposite of ETHEREAL is
A. MUNDANE.
B. MAULED.
C. MORBID.
2. A calm mood diffused through the sculpture garden, ethereally, as if carried by _____.
A. worker ants
B. winged fairies
C. dozens of the waiters
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. B
If you're dressing up as a genie, ghost, angel, or goddess this Halloween, your costume will be ethereal: light, airy, wispy, filmy, and beautiful, as if you just floated in from the heavens or some mysterious realm.
"ETHEREAL" According to the ancients, "ether" (pronounced "EE thur") is the matter surrounding the stars and planets. Today, "ether" (or "the ether") is the sky, the air in the heavens, or some wispy imaginary substance. "Ether" is also a whimsical word for the space all around us that carries radio waves, TV waves, and digital information. And, "ether" has several specific meanings in chemistry. Pronunciation: Other forms worth knowing:
The Alchemist did not fill me with the infinite peace and ethereal clarity that I was promised.
Look away from the screen to define "ethereal" without saying "gauzy" or "otherworldly."
Fill in the blanks: "(A particular song, composition, or performance) opens with the ethereal sound of _____."
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. A close opposite of ETHEREAL 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. |