Make Your Point: RANCID

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pronounce RANCID:

RAN sid

Hear it.

connect this word to others:

If you've ever plucked a dead moth from your soup, or scrubbed black mold from a refrigerator, then you know how a truly disgusting experience calls for a highly emphatic adjective.

You could pick a common one like gross, nasty, or vile. Or you could ramp things up with a rarer one, like frowsy, fetid, or rancid.

We're about to explore rancid. But take a look at frowsy and fetid: could you recall which one is more intense, more emphatic? In other words, which one is better for describing a room that could use an open window, and which is better for describing a room packed with rabbits, Guinea pigs, and months-old boxes of leftover pizza and garlic rolls?

definition:

"Rancid" traces back to a Latin word meaning "to rot, to spoil, or to stink."

Rancid foods contain some kind of fat or oil and are starting to go stale or even decay, so they smell and taste bad in a way that reminds you of fish, paint, metal, or stale nuts.

So when you want to compare something to a nasty, decaying fat- or oil-based food, because it's very gross and it's getting worse as time goes on, call it rancid.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "It stinks like rancid meat;" "The flavors are rancid on my tongue (Dhonielle Clayton)."

Other forms:

Rancidly, rancidity; rancidify, rancidified, rancidifying.

"Rancor" and "rancorous" are very closely related to "rancid;" they all trace back to the same Latin verb. But their meaning is pretty different from "rancid:" they most often describe people's bitter, angry emotions. Here's more about "rancor" and "rancorous."

how to use it:

"Rancid" is a semi-common word, with a very negative tone.

We most often use it literally. We talk about rancid smells, tastes, and foods, specifically the kind that contains oils or fats: butter, bacon, chicken, mayo, etc. "The smell in Iofur’s palace was repulsive: rancid seal fat, dung, blood (Philip Pullman)." "His face was so close to mine that I could smell his rancid breath (Shaun David Hutchinson)."

But some authors have used "rancid" figuratively, talking about rancid hate, hygiene, and in Dana Spiotta's case, a rancid America. Here's Doerr Anthony: "[He] shoulders out, something rancid in his eyes." And here's John Steinbeck: "His spirit rose flying and released him from fear and bitterness and rancid memories."

examples:

"The air at the gas station is heavy with diesel and the smell of rancid deep-fryer fat from the McDonald’s next door."
— Laurie Halse Anderson, Wintergirls, 2009

"The whole scene is overwhelming. The average American rarely gets to see aerobic legwarmers with 4" spike heels. The Caesars Forum ceiling is the color of rancid meringue."
—David Foster Wallace, "Big Red Son," 2005

has this page helped you understand "rancid"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "rancid" without saying "rotten" or "rank."

try it out:

In Dana Spiotta's novel Eat the Document, Caroline says this about the song "Good Vibrations," by the Beach Boys:

"Loneliness. Longing. The sadness that leaks through all that enforced sunny cheer. It’s heartbreaking... It's in the sound, not the words. It's the way you feel, or rather the feeling you get. Like slightly off, rancid America, you know?"

See if you can explain what Caroline means. What does it mean for a nation to be rancid? If you've heard the song "Good Vibrations," do you agree with her, or do you think she's just projecting her own feelings and experiences onto the song?

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for March: it's the Inkhorn Stinkhorn!

It’s inspired by the Twofer Goofer, created by Collin Waldoch, in which you're given a circumlocutory clue, like "An eater with an excessive appetite for clothes fasteners," and you provide a rhyming answer, in this case "button glutton." You're then treated to an AI-generated rendering of the goofy concept you just named. In general in the Twofer Goofer, the words are straightforward and the AI art is lovely.

But here in the Inkhorn Stinkhorn, the words are pedantic and the AI art is atrocious. Enjoy!

Try this one today: Name a two-word rhyming phrase that means "a magical tunnel to a dimension of silly laughter."

Clue #1: To reveal the first letter of each word, highlight the following hidden white text… c______ p_____

Clue #2: To reveal one of the words, highlight the following text… c______ portal

For the answer, scroll all the way down!

review this word:

1. The opposite of RANCID is

A. FRESH.
B. SWEET.
C. PEACEFUL.

2. In "Harlem," Langston Hughes asks, "What happens to a dream deferred?" Perhaps it grows rancid, he muses, like "_____."

A. a sore
B. rotten meat
C. a syrupy sweet

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:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A 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.

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