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connect today's word to others:
When the words dim, dark, gloomy, obscure, and ominous wouldn't call enough attention to the thing you're describing, you can reach into the abyss of your vocabulary for the word tenebrous, or its close synonym, c_l_g_n__s.
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"TENEBROUS"
"Tenebrous" comes from the Latin word for "darkness."
Something tenebrous is dark and gloomy.
Or, something tenebrous is figuratively dark and gloomy, meaning it's hard to understand because it seems hidden by darkness.
Pronunciation:
TEN ih bruss
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 tenebrous thing."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was tenebrous.")
Other forms:
For the noun, use "tenebrousness" or "tenebrosity."
Some alternate forms of the adjective include "tenebrious" and "tenebrose," but since the form you see more often is "tenebrous," I suggest sticking to it.
How to use it:
This is a rare, scholarly word straight from Latin, so we use it to be formal, serious, or poetic.
Talk about tenebrous places, images, colors, shades, nights, skies, trees, waters, and so on. Or say that something has a tenebrous beauty or a tenebrous presence.
More figuratively, talk about tenebrous ideas, thoughts, philosophies, music, voices, moods and so on, or something's tenebrous depths, edges, corners, etc.
examples:
In the opening credits for each subsequent season of The Walking Dead, those scenes of ruin and decay grow increasingly tenebrous.
"When the barbarians wrote 'finis' on the page of Rome's ancient story, long centuries of tenebrous reorganization were to elapse before Italy once more emerged into the light of civilization."
—Joseph Breck and Henry Wehle, Handbook of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1917
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "tenebrous" means when you can explain it without saying "dusky" or "murky."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone's) attempts to illuminate _____ render it even more tenebrous."
Example: "His attempts to illuminate his conspiracy theory render it even more tenebrous."
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 "Sleek Slogans." I'll take a familiar slogan from a company or a product, express that slogan in plain language, and tell you the specific qualities the slogan has (like rhyme or alliteration), and then you come up with the real slogan as well as the name of the company or product.
From the previous issue: Rewrite this slogan by using concision (the use of as few words as possible) and synesthesia (the whimsical fusing of the senses, such as "seeing" a sound): "Eat our product, and you will experience the beauty of a rainbow."
Answer: That's the slogan for Skittles: "Taste the rainbow."
Try this one today: Rewrite this slogan by using repetition and parallelism (the use of balanced clauses or phrases): "Chew our product, and have twice as much enjoyment, and feel twice as good, compared to if you didn’t chew our product."
review today's word:
1. A close opposite of TENEBROUS is
A. AMBIGUOUS.
B. GOSSAMER.
C. RESPLENDENT.
2. The Tenebrionidae family of beetles is known for _____.
A. feeding on other household pests
B. damaging wooden structures
C. dwelling in dark places
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
When the words dim, dark, gloomy, obscure, and ominous wouldn't call enough attention to the thing you're describing, you can reach into the abyss of your vocabulary for the word tenebrous, or its close synonym, c_l_g_n__s.
"TENEBROUS" "Tenebrous" comes from the Latin word for "darkness." Other forms:
In the opening credits for each subsequent season of The Walking Dead, those scenes of ruin and decay grow increasingly tenebrous.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "tenebrous" means when you can explain it without saying "dusky" or "murky."
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone's) attempts to illuminate _____ render it even more tenebrous."
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 TENEBROUS 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. |