Make Your Point: ARID

Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ARID

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

pronounce ARID:

AIR id

connect this word to others:

Something arid is lifeless; it needs more water.

Similarly, something p___id, or something an__ic, is lifeless and needs more blood. Can you recall those words?

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

In Latin, aridus means "parched or very dry." We borrowed aridus into English in the 1600s as "arid," and we've kept the meaning the same.

An arid place is too dry and can't support much life.

Less literally, arid things seem dry, boring, or lifeless, as if all the interesting stuff has dried up or died.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "an arid hill," "The hill was arid."

Other common forms:

The adverb is "aridly:" "They responded aridly;" "The film is aridly pretentious."

For a noun, you can use "aridness" or, my preference, "aridity:" "Parts of Australia are known for their aridity."

how to use it:

The formal, semi-common word "arid" is punchier than "desiccated" and more emphatic than "dry." It's perfect for calling attention to any place that's dry, dusty, thirsty, or lifeless.

You might talk literally about arid deserts, planets, wastelands, or stretches of land.

Or, to really catch your listener's attention, you might talk figuratively about arid minds, moods, feelings, comments, posts, articles, books, or movies.

examples:

"Blackwater Draw was an arid, almost vegetation-free jumble of sandy drifts and faces of fractured caliche."
— Charles C. Mann, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, 2005

"Was everyone else really as alive as she was? ... She knew it was overwhelmingly probable that everyone else had thoughts like hers. She knew this, but only in a rather arid way; she didn't really feel it."
— Ian McEwan, Atonement, 2001

has this page helped you understand "arid"?

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 "arid" without saying "lacking moisture" or "lacking vitality."

try it out:

In a novel, Edward Bulwer Lytton wrote that a law student "grappled with his arid studies."

See if you can explain what that means: why might a law student find their studies arid? If you had to guess, do you think the aridity of the classes are the student's fault, or the professors' fault?

Then, think back to your own school days. Which subject seemed the most arid to you: the driest, the most boring, the most lacking in excitement or vitality? Why?

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 this month is "Oh Hey, That's the Title!"

I'll give you a short excerpt from a novel, a play, or a short story. In this excerpt, a character or a narrator actually says the story's title. (If not verbatim, then almost.) And you give me the story's title.

Highlight the hints if you need them, and see the answer by scrolling all the way down. Enjoy!

Try this one today:

"There was only one catch and that was _____, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions."

To reveal the hints below, highlight the hidden white text.

Hint 1: This story was published in the year... 1961.
Hint 2: This story was written by... Joseph Heller.
Hint 3: The first letter of this title is... "C____."

review this word:

1. Opposites of ARID include

A. HUMID and VIGOROUS.
B. TOUCHY and DEFENSIVE.
C. CLOSE and SUFFOCATING.

2. In a poem or a novel, arid farmland is likely to symbolize _____.

A. strength
B. death or decay
C. birth or new promises

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.

Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ARID Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to "Make Your Point" for a daily vocabulary boost.

Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ARID

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.