Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ANEMIC
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When you want a stronger, bolder, more muscular synonym of weak, timid, or feeble, you might pick...
anemic to imply bloodlessness, or
t_rp_d to imply slowness and inactivity, or
m_lq__t__st to imply speaking softly and getting hit with a big stick.
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"ANEMIC"
This word has roots that mean "without blood."
People with anemia have a shortage of blood, so they're pale and weak.
Strictly speaking, anemic people are those who suffer from anemia: they're low on blood, and so they lack energy and color in their skin.
And more loosely speaking, anemic things and people seem to be low on blood because they're low on energy, or weak in body or spirit.
Pronunciation:
uh NEE mick
Part of speech:
Adjective: "this anemic praise," "an anemic effort."
Other forms:
anemia, anemically
How to use it:
With its medical tone, the word "anemic" can make your somewhat insulting assessment of something sound clinical and detached.
Talk about anemic colors and tones; anemic people and personalities; anemic efforts and attempts; anemic abilities and capacities; anemic statements and responses; anemic pay, earnings, growth, numbers, turnouts, successes, and improvements; anemic businesses, industries, and economies; and even anemic abstractions, like anemic justice, prestige, authority, etc.
examples:
After you've snacked on the Flavor-Blasted Goldfish, you can't go back to the original ones; their flavor is anemic.
"'We believe Miami is and should be a 365-day-a-year art town, not a five-day-a-year art town,' he said, addressing criticism that local art activity is anemic outside of the annual Art Basel fair."
— Brett Sokol, New York Times, 4 March 2019
has this page helped you understand "anemic"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "anemic" without saying "pale" or "like a dead fish."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "Despite an anemic (beginning, turnout, sales record, etc.), (someone) (accomplished something)."
Example: "The theater held just the two of us, a few dozen other fans nostalgic for nineties pop, and rows and rows of empty seats. Despite this anemic turnout, Sixpence None the Richer gave a spirited performance."
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 Hot Troll Deviation," does Howard flash back to his days of collecting troll dolls when they were wildly popular or have a romance with an attractive fictional troll?
Answer:
He has the romance. A deviation is a departure from expectations, and so, dating someone from a different species, not to mention a different reality, is definitely a deviation!
Try this one today:
In "The Desperation Emanation," Leonard is desperate for a girlfriend. Does Leonard hide this desperation, or does it affect his friendships?
review this word:
1. One opposite of ANEMIC is
A. SANGUINE (OPTIMISTIC).
B. METTLESOME (STRONG AND LIVELY).
C. GANGRENOUS (ROTTING AND RUINOUS).
2. At the Seattle Times, Ryan Divish reported on the Mariners' _____, their "anemia at the plate."
A. posture
B. failure to hit
C. streak of home runs
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.
When you want a stronger, bolder, more muscular synonym of weak, timid, or feeble, you might pick...
"ANEMIC" This word has roots that mean "without blood."
After you've snacked on the Flavor-Blasted Goldfish, you can't go back to the original ones; their flavor is anemic.
Explain the meaning of "anemic" without saying "pale" or "like a dead fish."
Fill in the blanks: "Despite an anemic (beginning, turnout, sales record, etc.), (someone) (accomplished something)."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. One opposite of ANEMIC is
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