Make Your Point > Archived Issues > OLID
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The source of today's word, olid, along with redolent and olfactory, is the Latin olere, "to give off a smell."
Of the three bold terms above, which best applies to beautiful scents, like cinnamon and cardamom? Which applies to all types of scents, like pencil shavings and fresh paint? And which applies to ugly scents, like gasoline and sweaty gym equipment?
It's redolent that has the beautiful tone, olfactory that has the neutral one, and olid that has the ugly one.
See if you can recall an equally ugly synonym of olid: f_t_d, meaning "having a disgusting smell."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"OLID"
Something olid has a terrible smell, or is so unpleasant that it's as if it has a terrible smell.
Pronunciation:
ALL id
(rhymes with "solid")
Part of speech:
Adjective: "an olid substance," "their very presence was olid."
Other forms:
none
How to use it:
When you need a rare, literary, almost snobby word to distance yourself from the unpleasant things you're describing, pick "olid."
Talk about olid smells, scents, presences, objects, substances, etc.
To get more figurative, call something olid when it's just deeply offensive: olid crimes, olid remarks, olid attitudes, etc.
examples:
"They in some intimate, cruel game engaged—horrid, olid, and medieval."
— Dannie Abse, Collected Poems, 1948-1976, 1977
"Ours are always the most badly behaved dogs, defying all our frantic efforts to curb their bad manners and olid presence."
— Weekend Australia, 29 September 2001
has this page helped you understand "olid"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "olid" without saying "putrid" or "deeply gross."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "_____ turned into an olid nightmare of _____."
Literal example: "The middle school lock-in turned into an olid nightmare of Cheetos and damp socks."
Abstract example: "The ceremony turned into an olid nightmare of fawning over the girls who did make the team and shaming the girls who didn't."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is "Big Bang Thicket."
In each issue, hack your way through the polysyllabic title of an episode of The Big Bang Theory, and use your knowledge of vocabulary to answer the question about what happens in that episode.
From the previous issue:
In "The Troll Manifestation," does an Internet troll make public disparaging statements or sow discord on the sly?
Answer:
The troll makes the public statements: a manifestation is a visible appearance of something.
Try this one today:
In "The Fortification Implementation," do Amy and Sheldon create a defensive hideout that strengthens their relationship, or do they create a balance sheet that introduces financial stress into their relationship?
review this word:
1. A near opposite of OLID is
A. SPARSE.
B. ADORING.
C. FRAGRANT.
2. The _____ they left on history is olid and _____.
A. blemish .. silly
B. stain .. revolting
C. mark .. intangible
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my 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.
The source of today's word, olid, along with redolent and olfactory, is the Latin olere, "to give off a smell."
"OLID" Something olid has a terrible smell, or is so unpleasant that it's as if it has a terrible smell.
"They in some intimate, cruel game engaged—horrid, olid, and medieval."
Explain the meaning of "olid" without saying "putrid" or "deeply gross."
Fill in the blanks: "_____ turned into an olid nightmare of _____."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. A near opposite of OLID is
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. |